“…Thus, in mid-ocean rifts, the ratio of magnesium to iron is higher than in eugeosyn clines, and there are smaller amounts of G.A. TVALCHRELIDZE potassium (always less than unity) and ferrous iron (Marakushev and Frolova, 1972;Sheynmann, 1973Sheynmann, , 1974Smirnov, 1975). Only oceanic rifts, which concentrate toward the continents, may be transformed during their subsequent history into eugeosynclines, whereas rifts that occupy a mid-oceanic position, have retained unchanged the nature of the magmatism at least since Late Cretaceous time.…”