Dongshan Guo

Dongshan Guo

Visiting research student from Zhejiang University

Research project

Magmatism and Tectonics of the Carlsberg Ridge Driven by Astronomical-scale Climate Change

Project Summary

The seafloor’s rippled surface features Earth’s most extensive landforms, called “abyssal hills”, left over from oceanic crust formation at mid-ocean ridge spreading centers. Previous studies on the topographic features of fast-spreading ridges have found that Earth’s orbital-climate-driven sea level changes can influence deep magma melting and supply, resulting in Milankovitch cycles recorded in the topography of mid-ocean ridges (Huybers & Langmuir, 2009; Lund & Asimow, 2011; Crowley et al., 2015; Tolstoy, 2015; Boulahanis et al., 2020). However, research on slow-spreading ridges is limited due to the complex interplay between magmatism and tectonics. The Carlsberg Ridge in the Northwest Indian Ocean is an ideal ridge for studying the spatial and temporal changes of magmatism and tectonics due to its slow spreading, which is especially characterized by higher magma supply rates (Kamesh et al., 2008). Thus, this study utilizes high-precision multibeam bathymetry data collected by our group and selects typical ridge segments for climate-driven regional magmatism and tectonics research. The tectonic evolution of the Carlsberg Ridge will be inferred by disentangling the effects of astronomical, climatic, and sea level changes from topographic profiles. To clarify the coupling relationship between magma-tectonic evolution and topography, the discrepancy between the actual measured bathymetric profiles and simulated tectonically quiescent topographic baselines will be discussed. In addition, by comparing sea-level-simulated regional magma flux profiles and hydrothermal-volcanic geochemical indicators from sediment cores, this study will verify that magmatic activities of mid-ocean ridges respond sensitively to climate-driven sea level changes. At a global scale, we will investigate the coupling characteristics between typical slow-, intermediate-, and fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge topography profiles and climate-driven sea level changes, and further explain the response of the mid-ocean ridge spreading process and magmatic activities to global climate change. This study is expected to reveal the astronomical-climatic-tectonic response mechanisms of slow-spreading ridge topography, and to provide a more systematically understanding of the response of mid-ocean ridge topography to climate change under different spreading rates.

Supervisors

Prof Dietmar Müller (The University of Sydney)

Prof Xiqiu Han (Zhejiang University)

Research Funding

Zhejiang University Scholarship

Publications

Guo, D., Han, X., Fan, W., et al. (2023). Astronomical Tuning and Calibration for Age Model of Pelagic Fe-Mn Crust: Methods and Application. Advances in Earth Science, 38(2): 125. (In Chinese)

Software and Patents

Guo, D., Han, X., Fan, W., et al. (2025). Geochemical Analysis System Software for Oceanic Ferromanganese Deposits (SEDIG) V1.0. Copyright of Computer Software, Registration No. 2025SR1957545. National Copyright Administration of China. (Granted: October 11, 2025)

Guo, D., Han, X., Fan, W.,et al. (2025). Method for Automatic Quantification and Visualization of Microcolumnar Structure Width in Ferromanganese Crusts. Chinese Invention Patent, Application No. 202511551124.3. (Pending)

Guo, D., Han, X., Fan, W., et al. (2026). Machine Learning-Based Method and System for Genetic Discrimination of Oceanic Ferromanganese Deposits. Chinese Invention Patent. (Pending)

Guo, D., Han, X., Li, H. (2026). Method for Estimating Mid-Ocean Ridge Spreading Rates and Oceanic Crust Age Based on Astronomical Tests. Chinese Invention Patent. (Pending)

References

Boulahanis, B, Carbotte, S. M., Huybers, P. J., et al. Do sea level variations influence mid-ocean ridge magma supply? A test using crustal thickness and bathymetry data from the East Pacific Rise[J]. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2020, 535: 116121.

Crowley, J. W., Katz, R. F., Huybers, P., Langmuir, C. H., & Park, S. H. (2015). Glacial cycles drive variations in the production of oceanic crust. Science, 347(6227), 1237-1240.

Huybers, P., & Langmuir, C. (2009). Feedback between deglaciation, volcanism, and atmospheric CO2. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 286(3-4), 479-491.

Lund, D. C., & Asimow, P. D. (2011). Does sea level influence mid‐ocean ridge magmatism on Milankovitch timescales?. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 12(12).

Raju, K. K., Chaubey, A. K., Amarnath, D., & Mudholkar, A. (2008). Morphotectonics of the Carlsberg Ridge between 62 20′ and 66 20′ E, northwest Indian Ocean. Marine Geology, 252(3-4), 120-128.

Tolstoy, M. (2015). Mid-ocean ridge eruptions as a climate valve. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(5), 1346–1351.