Understanding Seamount Genesis: Utilizing Gaussian Process Regression and Clustering for Morphological Analysis

Seamounts are theorized to originate from deep mantle plumes or shallow, plate-related activities. The mantle plume hypothesis suggests that abnormally hot materials rise from the lowermost mantle and produce large volumes of volcanism on the surface. However, the accuracy of morphological analysis and volume estimation is highly influenced by the representation accuracy of irregularly shaped seamounts and the extent to which thick sediment coverage obscures their bases. As a result, the precise contribution of magma from mantle plumes to surface volcanism remains unclear.

Our study introduces a novel approach using Gaussian Process Regression to reconstruct the complex topography of seamounts, both above and beneath sedimentary covers. This approach advances previous analyses by (1) taking account of irregular seamount topography and (2) correcting for the varying sediment thicknesses that obscure seamount bases. Our investigation yields two principal findings.

1. Refined Volcanism Distribution Mapping

Analysis in the Pacific Ocean indicates that only 18% of total intraplate volcanic activity is attributable to plume-related volcanism. In addition, the volume statistics of plume-related seamounts and those along the Large Low-Shear-Velocity Province margins show no significant distinction from those of other intraplate seamounts. These results suggest that proposed plumes account for only a minority of the volume of intraplate volcanism in the Pacific plate, and that shallow rather than deep processes are dominant.

Along the volcanic Kyushu-Palau Ridge, high seamount volumes are observed near lithospheric weak zones, implying that tectonic inheritance significantly influences magma distribution during volcanic arc formation.

2. Comprehensive Morphological Analysis

Employing machine learning clustering analysis on high-resolution multibeam bathymetry data, we categorize seamounts in the South China Sea basin into three distinct morphological types: Type I, large seamounts with steep slopes and rounded bases, predominantly located along extinct ridges; Type II, linear seamounts characterized by gentler slopes, situated along ridges; and Type III, smaller, elliptically-based seamounts found along transform faults or off-ridge areas. This morphological classification provides a novel quantitative framework correlating seamount shapes with their tectonic environments during volcanic activity.

Overall, this research advances our understanding of seamount genesis, highlighting the importance of shallow tectonic processes in shaping submarine volcanic landscapes.