Toward a Boot Strap Hypothesis of Plate Tectonics: Feedbacks Between Plates, The Asthenosphere, and The Wavelength of Mantle Convection

Publication date: Available online 24 August 2019Source: Physics of the Earth and Planetary InteriorsAuthor(s): A. Lenardic, M. Weller, T. Höink, J. SealesAbstractThe solid Earth system is characterized by plate tectonics, a low viscosity zone beneath plates (the asthenosphere), and long wavelength flow in the convecting mantle. We use suites of numerical experiments to show: 1) How long wavelength flow and the operation of plate tectonics can generate and maintain an asthenosphere, and 2) How an asthenosphere can maintain long wavelength flow and plate tectonics. Plate subduction generates a sub-adiabatic temperature gradient in the mantle which, together with temperature-dependent viscosity, leads to a viscosity increase from the upper to the lower mantle. This allows mantle flow to channelize in a low viscosity region beneath plates (an asthenosphere forms dynamically). Flow channelization, in turn, stabilizes long wavelength convection. The degree of dynamic viscosity variations from the upper to the lower mantle increases with the wavelength of convection and drops toward zero if the system transitions from plate tectonics to a single plate planet. The plate margin strength needed to initiate that transition increases for long wavelength cells (long wavelength flow allows plate tectonics to exist over a wider range of plate margin strength). The coupled feedbacks allow for a linked causality between plates, the asthenosphere, and the wavelength of mantle flow, with none...

Source: Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors - August 25, 2019 Category: Physics Source Type: research