Shallow-crustal magma chamber beneath the axial high of the Coaxial segment of Juan de Fuca Ridge at the source site of the 1993 eruption

Seismic imaging reveals a shallow-crustal magma chamber beneath the source site of the 1993 eruption on Coaxial segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. The magma chamber is at least 6 km(3) in volume and contains at least 0.6 km(3) of melt, enough to supply at least several eruptions of a size equal to the one in 1993. No mid-crustal connection of this magma chamber with the magmatic plumbing of nearby Axial volcano (the current expression of the Cobb-Eickelberg hotspot) is evident, confirming previous geochemical and geological studies that argued against mixing between the two. The lack of connectivity implies that magma transport through the uppermost mantle and lower crust are very highly focused into narrow (<5-10 km) conduits.