Dyking at EPR 16°N hypermagmatic ridge segment: Insights from near-seafloor magnetics

Abstract High-resolution, near-seafloor magnetic data have been acquired over the 16°N hypermagmatic segment of the East-Pacific Rise using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. This survey proves to be ideal to test the relative efficiency of various inversion methods applied to data acquired at a more or less constant altitude above the seafloor. Unlike other methods, a recently published Bayesian inversion preserves the short wavelengths and allows for the resolution of a high-resolution reduced-to-the-pole magnetic anomaly. This anomaly unveils the presence of several laterally adjacent dykes associated with individually separated Axial Summit Troughs. The observation of such anomalies, and therefore of shallow dykes, confirms the hypermagmatic character of the segment in a location where complex magma chambers have been imaged in seismic reflection studies. Variable intensity of the magnetic anomalies reflects the depth of the dyke swarms and, ultimately, the timing and style of eruptive events, helping to constrain the spreading axis evolution.