The rifting of oceanic plateaus is an important mechanism for initiating lithospheric break-up and subsequent seafloor spreading. In this study, we present the latest multichannel seismic data investigating the Caroline Ridge and provide one of the typical cases for initial oceanic plateau evolution. We reveal that a smooth basement reflector (R2), as the top of the lava flows, is subparallel to the sediments with horizontal seismic reflections over the surface of the Caroline Ridge. Thick layer-parallel lava flows beneath the R2 appear within the crust. Large seamounts in the Sorol Trough possess abundant saucer-shaped intracrustal reflectors, and the overlying sediments were destroyed by intrusive bodies. The overlying sedimentary sequences, basement, and thick lava flows on the Caroline Ridge flanks were faulted by opposing normal fault sets, and the eruptions of the seamounts deformed the strata. A widespread bright horizontal reflector (R1), as an unconformity inside the Caroline Ridge sediments, truncates the lower tilted sediment layers and is itself cut by normal faults in the flank strata. Furthermore, we propose that subaerial lava flows extended laterally from the hotspot magmatism localizing in the Sorol Trough and led to Caroline Ridge formation. The initial rifting of the Caroline Ridge occurred during the Early-Middle Miocene. Limited volcanoes concentrate only in the Sorol Trough due to the attenuated thermal effect. It is suggested that dome uplifting and far-field force could have jointly caused initial rifting process of the Caroline Ridge.
Abstract Collision of oceanic plateaus with trenches has played a key role in the continental growth and plate tectonic reorganizations throughout the Earth's history. However, the understanding of collision between an initially rifted plateau with a trench is still deficient. Here we conduct the first seismic tomography and receiver function analyses in the Yap subduction zone, western Pacific Ocean, where the initially rifted Caroline Plateau is colliding with the Yap Trench. Our results reveal horizontal and overturned slabs south and north of the Sorol Trough, respectively, which may be caused by slab breakoff followed by underplating and eastward mantle flow with ultra‐slow convergence. The distinct slab morphologies could be responsible for the short‐lived arc volcanism (11‐7 Ma), horst‐graben structures, different Bouguer gravity anomalies and stress regimes in the Yap subduction zone. The overturned slab may cause the incoming plateau to be stretched to facilitate the initial plateau subduction.
The construction model of the Caroline Ridge uppermost basement is still unresolved, requiring more inference from limited geophysical observational data. Here, we systematically reveal intrabasement seismic reflectors of volcanic sequences within the rifted and subsidence domains of the Caroline Ridge. Extrusive centres and three types of intrabasement reflectors, that is, relatively horizontal, ridgeward‐dipping and folded reflectors, have been identified. Extrusive centres in the rifted domain are characterized by domal shapes and produce sub‐parallel stratified intrabasement reflectors within the conduits that connect with the relatively horizontal reflectors distributed on both sides of the basement highs. Intrabasement reflectors display increasing dip angles away from the extrusive centre and present ridgeward‐dipping reflectors but not troughward‐dipping reflectors in subsidence domain 1, suggesting a brittle deformation process. Layered intrabasement reflectors are developed within subsidence domain 2 but display folded and mounded morphologies, suggesting a ductile deformation process. We propose that the Caroline Ridge formation was supported by discrete extrusive centres, and the uppermost basement construction model has experienced stages of transition from brittle deformation to ductile deformation, which can provide new clues for the early‐stage crustal evolution of global oceanic plateaus.
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