Dynamics of Plumes and Superplumes through Time

Maruyama, Shigenori; Yuen, David A.; Windley, Brian F.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-5750-2_15

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…If lower mantle material flows across the transition zone, then this material would continue to rise through the upper mantle and provide the excess heat needed to drive the rifting and plateau uplift (Figure 11a). Alternatively, if the superplume simply heats the base of the transition zone, then several smaller plumes above the 660 km discontinuity could form, rise through the upper mantle, and lead to extension and surface uplift [e.g., Yuen et al, 2007;Maruyama et al, 2007].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The P and S wave velocity structure of the mantle beneath eastern Africa and the African superplume anomaly

Mulibo

Nyblade

2013

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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P and S relative arrival time residuals from teleseismic earthquakes recorded on over 60 temporary AfricaArray broadband seismic stations deployed in Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia between 2007 and 2011 have been inverted, together with relative arrival time residuals from earthquakes recorded by previous deployments, for a tomographic image of mantle wave speed variations extending to a depth of 1200 km beneath eastern Africa. The image shows a low‐wave speed anomaly (LWA) well developed at shallow depths (100–200 km) beneath the Eastern and Western branches of the Cenozoic East African rift system and northwestern Zambia, and a fast wave speed anomaly at depths ≤ 350 km beneath the central and northern parts of the East African Plateau and the eastern and central parts of Zambia. At depths ≥350 km the LWA is most prominent under the central and southern parts of the East African Plateau and dips to the southwest beneath northern Zambia, extending to a depth of at least 900 km. The amplitude of the LWA is consistent with a ∼150–300 K thermal perturbation, and its depth extent indicates that the African superplume, originally identified as a lower mantle anomaly, is likely a whole mantle structure. A superplume extending from the core‐mantle boundary to the surface implies an origin for the Cenozoic extension, volcanism, and plateau uplift in eastern Africa rooted in the dynamics of the lower mantle.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The P and S wave velocity structure of the mantle beneath eastern Africa and the African superplume anomaly

Mulibo

Nyblade

2013

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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“…Maruyama et al (2007) argued that the highvelocity anomalies detected in the lowermost mantle under the Pacific, India, Antarctica and Africa indicate the presence of slab graveyards much older than 180 Myrs. The geologically-inferred dominance of subduction along the margins of the paleo-Pacific since the Precambrian (e.g., Scotese, 2001) may, therefore, suggest that the strength and dominance of this hemispherical pattern of cold downwelling detected in our simulations is not unreasonable.…”

Section: Subduction and Degree-1 Structurementioning

confidence: 98%

Importance of initial buoyancy field on evolution of mantle thermal structure: Implications of surface boundary conditions

Glišović

Forte

2015

Geoscience Frontiers

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a b s t r a c tAlthough there has been significant progress in the seismic imaging of mantle heterogeneity, the outstanding issue that remains to be resolved is the unknown distribution of mantle temperature anomalies in the distant geological past that give rise to the present-day anomalies inferred by global tomography models. To address this question, we present 3-D convection models in compressible and self-gravitating mantle initialised by different hypothetical temperature patterns. A notable feature of our forward convection modelling is the use of self-consistent coupling of the motion of surface tectonic plates to the underlying mantle flow, without imposing prescribed surface velocities (i.e., plate-like boundary condition). As an approximation for the surface mechanical conditions before plate tectonics began to operate we employ the no-slip (rigid) boundary condition. A rigid boundary condition demonstrates that the initial thermally-dominated structure is preserved, and its geographical location is fixed during the evolution of mantle flow. Considering the impact of different assumed surface boundary conditions (rigid and plate-like) on the evolution of thermal heterogeneity in the mantle we suggest that the intrinsic buoyancy of seven superplumes is most-likely resolved in the tomographic images of present-day mantle thermal structure. Our convection simulations with a plate-like boundary condition reveal that the evolution of an initial cold anomaly beneath the Java-Indonesian trench system yields a long-term, stable pattern of thermal heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle that resembles the presentday Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), especially below the Pacific. The evolution of subduction zones may be, however, influenced by the mantle-wide flow driven by deeply-rooted and longlived superplumes since Archean times. These convection models also detect the intrinsic buoyancy of the Perm Anomaly that has been identified as a unique slow feature distinct from the two principal LLSVPs. We find there is no need for dense chemical 'piles' in the lower mantle to generate a stable distribution of temperature anomalies that are correlated to the LLSVPs and the Perm Anomaly. Our tomography-based convection simulations also demonstrate that intraplate volcanism in the south-east Pacific may be interpreted in terms of shallow small-scale convection triggered by a superplume beneath the East Pacific Rise.

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“…On the basis of global tomographic images and three-dimensional models of the seismic velocity structure of the Earth's interior, Maruyama [1994] and Maruyama et al [2007] proposed plume tectonics to explain not only the superficial lithospheric layer but also dynamics in the whole Earth. Maruyama's model of plume tectonics emphasizes the dominant role of plumes and particularly superplumes in the dynamic evolution of the Earth: superplumes control the Earth's dynamic system, and plate tectonics is a subordinate element in the whole-Earth system driven by superplumes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age and isotopic geochemical characteristics of Archean carbonatites and alkaline rocks of the Baltic shield

2007

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Paradoxically, the lists of "proxies" of both plate-and plume-related settings are devoid of even a mention of the high-grade metamorphic rocks (granulite, amphibolite and high-temperature eclogite facies). However, the granulite-gneiss belts and areas which contain these rocks, have a regional distribution in both the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic records. The origin and evolution of the granulite-gneiss belts correspond to the activity of plumes expressed in vigorous heating of the continental crust; intraplate magmatism; formation of rift depressions filled with sediments, juvenile lavas, and pyroclastic flow deposits; and metamorphism of lower and middle crustal complexes under conditions of granulite and high-temperature amphibolite facies that spreads over the fill of rift depressions also. Granulite-gneiss complexes of the East European Craton form one of the main components of the large oval intracontinental tectonic terranes of regional or continental rank. Inclusion of the granulite-gneiss complexes from Eastern Europe, North and South America, Africa, India, China and Australia in discussion of the problem indicated in the title to this paper, suggests consideration of a significant change in existing views on the relations between the plate-and plume-tectonic processes in geological history, as well as in supercontinent assembly and decay. The East European and North American cratons are fragments of the long-lived supercontinent Lauroscandia. After its appearance at ~2.8 Ga, the crust of this supercontinent evolved under the influence of the sequence of powerful mantle plumes (superplumes) up to ~0.85 Ga. During this time Lauroscandia was subjected to rifting, partial breakup and the following reconstruction of the continent. The processes of plate-tectonic type (rifting with the transition to spreading and closing of the short-lived ocean with subduction) within Lauroscandia were controlled by the superplumes. Revision of the nature of the granulite-gneiss complexes has led to a fundamental new understanding of: a more important role than envisaged previously for mantle-plume processes in the juvenile additions to the continental crust, especially during the Neoarchaean-Proterozoic; the existence of the supercontinent Lauroscandia from ~2.80 to 0.85 Ga; the leading role of mantle plumes in the interaction of plate-and plume-tectonics in the Neoarchaean-Proterozoic history of Lauroscandia and perhaps of the continental crust as a whole. We propose that the evolution of the geodynamic settings of the Earth's crust origin can be represented as a spiral sequence: the interaction of mantle-plume processes and embryonic microplate tectonics during the Palaeo-Mezoarchaean (~3.8-2.8 Ga) → plume-tectonics and local plume-driven plate-tectonics (~2.80-0.55 Ga) → Phanerozoic plate tectonics along with a reduced role of mantle plumes.Key words: Precambrian; plate-tectonics; plume-tectonics; granulite-gneiss belts; supercontinent; intracontinent oval orogenRecommended by E.V. Sklyarov Аннотация: Ка...

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Dynamics of Plumes and Superplumes through Time

Cited by 32 publications

References 120 publications

The P and S wave velocity structure of the mantle beneath eastern Africa and the African superplume anomaly

The P and S wave velocity structure of the mantle beneath eastern Africa and the African superplume anomaly

Importance of initial buoyancy field on evolution of mantle thermal structure: Implications of surface boundary conditions

Age and isotopic geochemical characteristics of Archean carbonatites and alkaline rocks of the Baltic shield

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