Landward flow in the upper mantle: effects of the heat sink and viscous coupling of the sinking slab

Rabinowicz, M.; Lago, B.; Souriau, Marc

doi:10.1016/0012-821x(83)90023-7

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The development of orogenic belts varies from continent–continent collision to subduction‐related convergence ( Dewey 1988; England & Houseman 1989). Proposed mechanisms for intracratonic subsidence include: (i) wholesale tilting of platform areas adjacent to subduction zones ( Rabinowitz et al 1983 ; Mitrovica et al 1989 ); (ii) lithospheric buckling ( Martinod & Davy 1992; Cobbold et al 1993 ) and flexure followed by failure and thrusting that produces ramp basins between elevated provenance areas ( Quinlan & Beaumont 1984; Molnar & Lyon‐Caen 1988); (iii) decoupling within the lithosphere by partial or complete mantle subduction ( Burchfiel & Royden 1985; Willett et al 1993 ; Beaumont & Quinlan 1994); (iv) detachment of lithospheric roots ( Platt & England 1993); (v) sub‐lithospheric convection ( Braun & Beaumont 1987); and (vi) indentor tectonics ( England & McKenzie 1982; England & Molnar 1993). Many of these mechanisms predict thermal anomalies whose decay may contribute to the subsidence in intracontinental basins and uplift of provenance areas ( Quinlan 1987; Gvirtzman & Garfunkel 1997).…”

Section: Basin‐forming Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been argued ( Rabinowitz et al 1983 ; Richards & Hager 1984; Mitrovica et al 1989 ; Gurnis 1992) that the process of subduction at oceanic–continental margins provides significant downward‐acting dynamic forces on the adjacent continental lithosphere, which may result in tilting and subsidence. Wholesale tilting of cratons is recognised up to 1200 km away from convergent zones in the Hudson Bay, Canada ( Rabinowitz et al 1983 ). Dynamic tilting of the 1000 km‐wide Russian Platform is proposed to account for marine conditions over the entire craton that prevailed for over 100 million years ( Mitrovica et al 1996 ).…”

Section: Basin‐forming Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Basement framework and geodynamic evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic superbasins of north‐central Australia: An integrated review of geochemical, geochronological and geophysical data

Scott

Rawlings

Page

et al. 2000

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences

137

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A largely convergent setting is proposed for crustal, tectonic and basin evolution of the intracratonic regions of north-central Australia between 1800 and 1575 Ma. The new geodynamic model contrasts with previous proposals of widespread extension during the Leichhardt, Calvert and Isa intervals. Local transtensional to extensional structures exist, but these are best explained by a combination of flexural, thermal and dynamic processes related to an active southern margin. The development of thick accumulations of sediments (superbasins) is linked geodynamically to interpreted active margin processes (subduction and magmatic arcs) in central Australia. A synthesis of geochemical data from the 1870-1575 Ma igneous units from the Arnhem, McArthur and Mt Isa regions of north-central Australia confirms the intracratonic setting of these units and suggests that a long-lived thermal anomaly was responsible for the generation of both mafic and felsic magmas. The geochemical characteristics suggest the igneous units are derived from the lithospheric mantle and are not typical rift-or plume-related melts. A review of the U-Pb SHRIMP ages for the entire region demonstrates the minimum distribution of correlative igneous rocks was widespread. Exotic populations in the 207 Pb/ 206 Pb isotopic data provide insights into the nature and evolution of the crust throughout northcentral Australia. Archaean inheritance is found to be nearly ubiquitous. The data support the temporal subdivision of north-central Australia into the Leichhardt (1800-1750 Ma), Calvert (1750-1690 Ma) and Isa (1690-1575 Ma) intervals which are marked by superbasins and concomitant episodes of igneous activity. A highly heterogeneous pre-superbasin crust is interpreted from regional, newly processed geophysical data. The cratonic portion of north-central Australia is interpreted to consist of three broad northwest-trending belts or elements that are further distinguished into western, central and eastern geophysically distinct provinces. A map of the superbasin distribution is derived and integrated with structural and stratigraphic data to assess the evolution of the basins and the crust through time. The superbasin successions of north-central Australia are synchronous and widespread, although not necessarily interconnected. The tectonic model incorporates dynamic tilting of the craton during episodes of subduction and transmission of compressive intraplate stresses through the craton during intervening episodes of orogeny. These processes resulted in flexure, strikeslip deformation and a complex thermal structure. These mechanisms account for the subsidence and basin evolution that results in widespread ramp and strike-slip basins. The model also accounts for the thermal history recorded by magmatic events. The proposed geodynamical model provides a unifying crustal evolution scenario for central and northern Australia for approximately 225 million years of the Proterozoic.

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Section: Basin‐forming Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Basin‐forming Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Basement framework and geodynamic evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic superbasins of north‐central Australia: An integrated review of geochemical, geochronological and geophysical data

Scott

Rawlings

Page

et al. 2000

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences

137

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“…For example, Gurnis [1990a,b], Richards and Hagar [1988], and Hager [1984] have suggested that plates moving between regions of mantle upwelling and downwelling could experience perturbations to dynamic topography of the order of 10 2 m. An alternative explanation may lie in recently proposed models of the relation between elevation changes in the overlying plate and the dip of subducted slabs. Where the dip is relatively shallow, long-wavelength thermal perturbations to the overlying plate may cause tilting of the plate surface down toward the subduction zone [e.g., Rabinowicz et al, 1983;Mitrovica et al, 1989]. Given the nearly circum-continental distribution of orogenesis in North America during middle Paleozoic time and assuming that subducted slabs penetrated large horizontal distances beneath the continent, it is conceivable that large portions of the craton were tilted down toward the surrounding convergent margins, causing widespread subsidence of the continental surface relative to sea level.…”

Section: Sea Level Rise Relative To the Cratonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While this mechanism might also provide an explanation for some of the tectonic subsidence in cratonic basins and margins, it does not explain the strong differential subsidence between these structures and the Iowa platform. Moreover, given the slow rate at which the tilt (or thermal disturbance) migrates away from the subduction zone (approximately 2 cm/yr [Rabinowicz et al, 1983]), the model does not easily account for the synchronous onset of tectonic subsidence in widely separated localities across the North American craton. In any case, mantle downwelling and subducted slab mechanisms should be considered in analyzing long-term sea level changes, particularly where unusually large amplitudes of sea level change relative to stable cratonic regions appear to have occurred, as seems to be the case for middle Paleozoic time in North America.…”

Section: Sea Level Rise Relative To the Cratonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling Middle Paleozoic sea level and tectonic events in cratonic margins and cratonic basins of North America

Bond¹,

Kominz²

1991

J. Geophys. Res.

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The cratonic margins and basins of North America contain evidence of distinct changes in relative sea level, one of the most intriguing of which occurred in middle Paleozoic time. The change in relative sea level began in Frasnian time (Late Devonian) and continued through Visean time (Middle Mississippian) in the Cordilleran miogeocline, in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, in the Appalachian miogeocline and in the Michigan, Illinois, and Williston basins. The synchroneity and wide geographic distribution of this event are striking and would seem to argue for an eustatic mechanism. An estimate of the middle Paleozoic sea level rise relative to the stable craton in Iowa suggests that while a large sea level rise occurred, it is smaller than the magnitude of subsidence in the cratonic basins and margins. Flexural foreland basin models do not appear to account for the all of the events in the cratonic margins, and thermal subsidence mechanisms do not seem appropriate for the subsidence in the cratonic basins. The middle Paleozoic stratigraphic record from the North American craton and its margins, therefore, poses a basic problem of identifying a mechanism for producing a large‐amplitude rise in sea level relative to the stable craton at the same time as a synchronous onset of tectonic subsidence in widespread basinal and marginal settings of diverse tectonic origin. One plausible mechanism for the tectonic subsidence in the basins and margins is a pulse of intraplate compressive stress. The origin of the large sea level rise relative to the stable craton could reflect an unusually large eustatic sea level change, but we cannot eliminate the possibility of a small component of subsidence or change in dynamic topography of the North American craton. The synchroneity of the sea level rise relative to the craton with the subsidence of basins and margins may be fortuitous, but it is also predicted by recent mantle convection models for the early stages of accretion of supercontinents.

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“…Modelling the regional back-arc gravity field is mainly concerned with the density heterogeneities of the sinking slab and the trench. But to these effects, the contribution of the topography and crustal thickening have to be added (Griggs 1972;Grow & Bowin 1975;Ocola & Aleman 1976), as well as negative effects (a low density mantle body; Sager 1980) or dynamical effects of a corner flow (Davies 1981;Rabinowicz, Lago & Souriau 1983). It is beyond the scope of this study to take a full account of them.…”

Section: Comparison Between Observed and Theoretical Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale gravity profiles across subducted plates

Rabinowicz¹,

Lago²,

Souriau³

1983

Geophys J Int

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The mean gravity profiles, across Central and South America and Eurasia, in the direction normal to the subduction zone are deduced from the Gem 10B gravity model. They have a typical shape: a maximum close to the trench, a negative slope towards the interior of the plate over a 3000 km wide distance, usually followed by a local maximum. It is found that large convective cells driven by the heat sink of the sinking slab have an associated gravity signal having such a typical shape. A detailed comparison between observed and theoretical data supports this point of view and thus constrains the possible structure of the convective flow under these plates.

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Landward flow in the upper mantle: effects of the heat sink and viscous coupling of the sinking slab

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Basement framework and geodynamic evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic superbasins of north‐central Australia: An integrated review of geochemical, geochronological and geophysical data

Basement framework and geodynamic evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic superbasins of north‐central Australia: An integrated review of geochemical, geochronological and geophysical data

Disentangling Middle Paleozoic sea level and tectonic events in cratonic margins and cratonic basins of North America

Large-scale gravity profiles across subducted plates

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