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Plume-induced subduction

Temporal evolution of subduction initiation in a global, 3-D spherical numerical experiment showing the cold plates and hot mantle plumes.

Temporal evolution of subduction initiation in a global, 3-D spherical numerical experiment showing the cold plates as viscosity isosurfaces (grey) and mantle plumes as a temperature isosurface (red). Individual snapshots highlight the different phases of plume-induced subduction initiation characterised by (a) onset of hot mantle plumes, (b) local lithospheric thinning, (c-d) development of strong lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary topography through shallow horizontal mantle flow and an additional plume pulse, (e-f) plate failure and, finally, (g-h) buoyancy-driven subduction.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 01.09.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri and Tackley (2016) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Crameri, F., and P. J. Tackley (2016), Subduction initiation from a stagnant lid and global overturn: new insights from numerical models with a free surface, Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, 3(1), 1–19, doi:10.1186/s40645-016-0103-8
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Mantle convection

Illustrative vertical cross-section showing the oceanic plate as part of whole-mantle convection.

The oceanic plate as part of whole-mantle convection. Illustrative vertical cross-section showing the oceanic plate sinking and destructing on its way down into the deep mantle, whereas hot mantle plumes next to large-low-shear-wave-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) form and rise back to the surface forming the process of mantle convection. Resisting whole mantle overturn are only the continental lithosphere, which is light and strong and therefore resists subduction, and the large-low shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVP), which are chemically heavy features atop the core-mantle boundary. Somewhat passive features in mantle covection are the centre parts of the mantle (in some locations at around 1’000–2’200 km depth) around which the anomalously hot or cold material circles, sometimes called BEAMS, an abbreviation for “bridgmanite-enriched ancient mantle structures. Thicknesses of individual layers and structures are not perfectly to scale.

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