Thermal modeling of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges in the presence of magma chamber

The discovery of an axial magma chamber (AMC) at the slow-spreading Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge gives a motivation to further investigate the parameters that control the presence of an AMC, and its long term stability or temporal variability. To constrain the temperature distrubution due to the presence of an AMC in the Lucky Strike segment, we used a 3-dimensonal finite difference model. The thermal state of ridge segments is predominantly influenced by the rate of the magma supply, the magma input geometry and the efficiency of hydrothermal circulation. By varying those parameters, we constrained thermal conditions which allow for the presence of AMCs at Lucky Strike. Numerical modeling shows that only the geometry of magmatic input can provide conditions to produce a durable AMC.Interplay between the AMC and the hydrothermal system results in a threedimensional steep thermal gradients.