Modes of crustal accretion and their implications for hydrothermal circulation

Hydrothermal convection at mid‐ocean ridges links the ocean's long‐term chemical evolution to solid earth processes, forms hydrothermal ore deposits, and sustains the unique chemosynthetic vent fauna. Yet the depth extent of hydrothermal cooling and the inseparably connected question of how the lower crust accretes remain poorly constrained. Here based on coupled models of crustal accretion and hydrothermal circulation, we provide new insights...