Mantle skewness and ridge segmentation.

Mantle upwelling is generally assumed to be symmetric. Toomey et al. observe low seismic-wave velocity in off-axis mantle, and suggest that mantle upwelling is skewed, which has important implications for asthenospheric flow, ridge segmentation, crustal accretion, and volcanic, tectonic and hydrothermal vent activities along the ridge axis.