Why Is So Much Mafic Magma Erupted Along Mid-Ocean Ridges

question 77

Multiple Choice

Why is so much mafic magma erupted along mid-ocean ridges?

• A)Basaltic mantle under the ridge is hot enough to completely melt if seawater is added.
• B)Lowered pressures decrease the temperatures at which mafic magma can partially melt from massive, extensive, rising plumes of mantle peridotite.
• C)The subducting, oceanic slab sinks so deep that eventually it melts, producing massive quantities of mafic magma.
• D)The mantle beneath the ridges is enriched in thorium, uranium, and potassium, causing strong heating due to energy from radioactive decay.

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