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Tag: Ocean-plate tectonics

Ocean-Plate Tectonics is illustrated in this collection of accurate, accessible science graphics, based on the work of Fabio Crameri and colleagues. These visuals make it easy to understand the processes that shape the oceanic lithosphere, including plate spreading, subduction, and the formation of mid-ocean ridges and trenches. Ideal for educators, students, and geoscience enthusiasts, this ocean-plate tectonics graphic collection brings complex seafloor dynamics to life with visually rich, easy-to-grasp resources for teaching and learning Earth’s oceanic plate processes.

Plate tectonic Earth map

Visually accessible and scientifically accurate global map of key plate tectonics characteristics on the Earth.

Visually accessible and scientifically accurate global map of key plate tectonics characteristics on the Earth. Superposed on the Earth’s surface topography (from s-ink.org/surface-topography-relief) are the seafloor age (from s-ink.org/oceanic-plate-age), plate boundaries (from s-ink.org/subduction-zones-map) and tectonic plate names (from s-ink.org/tectonic-plates-simple), active volcanoes (from s-ink.org/global-volcano-distribution), largest earthquakes (from s-ink.org/historic-earthquake-distribution), major rivers, and the outlines of the world map. 

Data sets shown are from Amante and Eakins (2009), Müller et al. (1997), Argus et al. (2011), Bird (2003), Deep Sea Drilling Project (1989), NCEI Volcano Location Database, and Hayes (2018). The Scientific colour map ‘lipari‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

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Oceanic plate age (poster)

Visually accessible global map for poster print of oceanic plate age designed for color-blind readers.

Visually accessible global maps of oceanic plate age designed for color-blind readers. Highlighted are subduction zones (wide black lines) and other plate boundaries (thin black lines). Ages of the oceanic crust range from 0 (depicted in light colours) to approximately 200 Million years (depicted in dark colours), illustrating the dynamic process of ongoing plate motion and recycling through ocean-plate tectonics. This comprehensive representation is based on global seafloor age data from Müller et al. (1997), visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection developed by Crameri et al. (2020a), with a specific focus on the world’s oceans. The ‘batlow‘ Scientific color map ensures accurate data representation and inclusivity for all readers.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 19.11.2023
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri using data from Müller et al. (1997) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Müller, R. D., et al. (1997). “Digital isochrons of the world’s ocean floor.” J. Geophys. Res. 102(B2): 3211-3214.
    Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020a), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
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Oceanic plate age

Colour-blind friendly global oceanic plate age maps with plate boundaries.

Colour-blind friendly global oceanic plate age maps with subdution zones (wide black lines), other plate boundaries (thin black lines), and volcanoes (grey triangles). The ages vary between 0 and around 200 Ma due to ongoing plate motion and recycling (i.e., ocean-plate tectonics). The global oceanic plate age data from Müller et al. (1997) visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection from Crameri et al. (2020a) focussing on the World’s oceans. The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers (Crameri et al., 2020b).

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 03.09.2023
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri using data from Müller et al. (1997) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Müller, R. D., et al. (1997). “Digital isochrons of the world’s ocean floor.” J. Geophys. Res. 102(B2): 3211-3214.
    Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020a), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
    Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and P.J. Heron (2020b), The misuse of colour in science communication, Nature Communications, 11, 5444. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7
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Tectonic and mantle convection regimes

Conceptual illustration of different styles (regimes) of tectonics and mantle convection, which are relevant for rocky planets.

Conceptual illustration of different styles (regimes) of tectonics and mantle convection, which are relevant for rocky planets. A planet in “stagnant-lid” regime is covered by a single plate, without any plate boundaries and little to no surface motion. Today, this is likely the case for Mars. A planet evolving in a “heat-pipe” regime, such as Jupiter’s moon Io, is characterised by vertical channels through the lithosphere through which magma erupts to the surface in the form of volcanism. In a “mobile lid” style planet, the multiple cold surface plates are continuously in motion, often with differing (usually higher) velocities than the mantle below. Earth’s ocean-plate tectonics is a subcategory of such a mobile-lid regime, marked by narrow plate boundaries at which plates are either created or recycled back into the mantle. The “squishy-lid” regime is characterised by a strong surface plate that is regionally weakened and deformed by intrusive magmatism. Venus is commonly considered to be in a squishy-lid mantle regime.

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Subduction zone initiation reconstructions

Subduction zone initiation (SZI) reconstructions for selected events since around 100 Ma. The reconstructed events are based on the whole Earth Sciences community point-of-view of the SZI database.

Subduction zone initiation (SZI) reconstructions for selected events since around 100 Ma. The reconstructed events are based on the whole Earth Sciences community point-of-view of the SZI database (www.SZIdatabase.org). Represented are SZI events of the Pacific subduction realm (Ryukyu at around 6 Ma, Philippine at around 9 Ma, New Hebrides-New Britain at around 10 Ma, Halmahera at around 16 Ma, Tonga-Kermadec at around 48 Ma, and Izu-Bonin-Mariana at around 52 Ma) and remaining SZI events (South-Sandwich at around 40 Ma, Cascadia at around 48 Ma, Lesser Antilles at around 49 Ma, Sunda-Java at around 50 Ma, Aleutian at around 53 Ma, and the two SZI events, Anatolia and Oman, at around 104 Ma). Shown are the new subduction zones (pink lines), other active (solid purple lines) and inactive (dashed purple lines) subduction zones, spreading ridges (solid red lines) and transform faults (red dashed lines).

  • Creator: Valentina Magni
  • This version: 15.11.2022
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Valentina Magni from Crameri et al. (2020) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
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Puysegur trench formation

A schematic highlighting the formation of the Puysegur trench, New Zealand, where subduction zone initiation may be both horizontally and then vertically driven, according to a 4D evolution model of this margin.

A schematic highlighting the formation of the Puysegur trench, New Zealand, where subduction zone initiation may be both horizontally and then vertically driven, according to a 4D evolution model of this margin. Its gradual evolution from north to south represents a pseudo-temporal sequence of a forming subduction zone, which naturally spans a few millions of years. In the northern segment, where subduction nucleated, horizontal forces may have dominated, representative of the early stages of subduction initiation. With time, vertical forces took over, propagating along the evolving megathrust and helping to finally form a self-sustaining subduction zone.

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Sea-level change mechanisms (sketch)

Sketches outlining the solid-Earth induced sea-level change mechanisms over different time periods, covering elastic, viscous, and mantle convection time scales.

Sketches outlining the solid-Earth induced change of sea level over different time periods, covering elastic (instantaneous), viscous (thousand to hundred thousand years), and mantle convection (Million to Billion years) time scales. Shown are the solid Earth and oceans (filled areas) and their surfaces after an applied change to the system (lines).

On the shortest time scales, the solid Earth deforms elastically in response to an imposed load: an ice sheet uplifts the ground near areas of mass loss and depresses the ocean basins, which gain mass. The sea surface drops near the mass loss because the diminished ice sheet gravitationally attracts less seawater. Relative to the ground surface, sea-level drops near melting ice, but rises faster than average over the rest of the ocean.

Following glacial unloading, Earth deforms viscously on time scales of 1’000–100’000 years as the mantle flows back into the depressed region. This uplifts the region near the former ice sheet (locally causing relative sea-level drop) and depresses the surrounding peripheral forebulge. If the forebulge collapses beneath the sea surface, the added basin volume causes far-field (eustatic) sea-level drop.

On time scales of one Million years and longer, solid Earth processes associated with plate tectonics and mantle dynamics dominate sea-level change (Harrison, 1990; Miller et al., 2005). Shown here are the major processes that can elevate global average (eustatic) sea level (and depress it when acting oppositely). Global sea level rises when the “container” volume of the ocean basins decreases, which can have multiple reasons. Sea level also rises, if water exchange with the deep mantle becomes imbalanced.

  • Creator: Clint P. Conrad
  • This version: 27.10.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Clint Conrad based on Conrad (2013) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Conrad, C.P. (2013), The solid earth’s influence on sea level, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 125, 1027-1052, doi:10.1130/B30764.1.
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Global-scale mantle flow (sketch)

A sketch outlining the link between the viscous convection within the Earth’s mantle and tectonic surface plate motions.

A sketch outlining the link between the viscous convection within the Earth’s mantle and tectonic surface plate motions, deforming Earth’s surface across wide areas. Shown are the relative positions and motion of some of Earth’s continental (brown) and oceanic plates (blue) captured by the hypothetical cross-section through the middle of the planet. The dynamic link between surface and mantle motion is highlighted by arrows representing first-order material flow direction. This global-scale mantle flow is believed to also affect the shape, position and mobility of large low shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs; red) at the base of the mantle (yellow) just above the Earth’s core (orange).

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Subduction zone initiation types

Illustration of the three types of subduction zone initiation (SZI) events, namely Newly destructive, Episodic subduction, and Polarity reversal.

Illustration of the three types of subduction zone initiation (SZI) events. As outlined in Crameri et al. (2020), the SZI type is either Newly destructive (a subduction fault establishing from an intact-plate portion or some sort of non-subduction-related plate weakness), Episodic subduction (a subduction fault establishing at the same location following a previous, yet terminated subduction zone with the same polarity), or Polarity reversal (formation of a new subduction fault with opposite polarity to the fault of the pre-existing, terminating subduction zone).

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 24.10.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2020) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
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