Volcanic edifices on guyots of the Magellan Seamounts (Pacific Ocean)

Abstract

Analysis of detailed bathymetric charts and records of phototelevision profiling over the surfaces of the guyots of the Magellan Seamounts reveals many cones and domes. Their diameters and heights vary from a few hundreds of meters to 10 km and from 30 to 350 m, respectively. The age generations of these mesomorphic structures correspond to the Campanian–Maastrichtian, Late Paleocene–Eocene, and Miocene. The formation of complicating volcanic edifices is most likely determined by late phases of volcanic activity related to differentiation of magmatic melts. At the same time, the tectonic factor responsible for their formation is also sufficiently well evident: volcanic edifices on plateau summits are associated spatially with linear morphostructures and lineaments.