Spreading processes at the axes of fast spreading ridges are mainly controlled by magmatic activity, whereas tectonic activity dominates further away from the axis. High-resolution near-bottom bathymetry data, photographs, videos, and human observations from submersible surveys are used to develop a detailed tectonic analysis of the 16 degrees N segment of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). These data are used to evaluate how a highly magmatic segment, close to a hot spot, affects the nucleation and evolution of faulting patterns and impacts the evaluation of tectonic strain within 2km of the spreading axis. Our study shows that (1) the growth of tectonic features differs in response to dike intrusion and tectonic extension, (2) the initiation of brittle... |