Present‐Day Upper‐Mantle Architecture of the Alps: Insights From Data‐Driven Dynamic Modeling

Kumar, Ajay; Cacace, Mauro; Kaus, Boris; Götze, Hans‐Jürgen

doi:10.1029/2022gl099476

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…(1) Shear wave velocities of a tomographic model (an update of the Collaborative Seismic Earth Model CSEM 24 ) were converted to temperatures and densities, using the Gibbs free-energy minimization method 57,58 through the Python application of 23 . A detailed description of the tomographic model, conversion method and the parameters involved is presented as SI.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2d) underlain by a two-layered crystalline crust (Figs. 2f and g km/s to ~6.5 km/s and an average density of 2700 kg/m3; g) Thickness of the lower mafic crystalline continental crust characterized by average velocities of ~6.5 to 7 km/s and an average density of 3000 kg/m3; h) Thickness of the oceanic crust with an average density of 2900 kg/m3; i) Thickness of the lower crustal high-velocity/high-density bodies, characterized by average velocities > 7 km/s and an average density of 3000 kg/m3 at the passive continental margins near the COT (COT-LCB; derived from 17 ) and by an average density of 3100 kg/m3 along the GIRF (GIFR layer 3) as derived by forward gravity modelling; j) Depth to the thermal Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) extracted as the 1300 °C isotherm from the temperature distribution obtained by velocity conversion 23 of the shear wave tomography 24 . Green and blue stippled lines are the previously proposed tracks of the Iceland plume 25,26 .…”

Section: Variation Of Lithospheric Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere

Dacal

Scheck‐Wenderoth

Faleide

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Plumes are domains where hotter material rises through Earth´s mantle, heating also the moving lithospheric plates and causing thinning or even continental breakup. In particular, the Iceland plume in the NE Atlantic (NEA) could have been instrumental in facilitating the breakup between Europe and Laurentia in the earliest Eocene, 55 Ma. This hypothesis relies on different observations that have not yet been integrated into a quantitative description of the present-day geophysical configuration. Here we show an open access three-dimensional model of the entire NEA crust and upper mantle including the conjugate continental margins of Greenland and Norway, as well as the sheared margins of the northernmost NEA. The model is consistent with available seismic, seismological and gravity data. We propose that high-density/high-velocity anomalies in the crust represent the preserved modifications of the lithosphere in consequence of the plate’s journey over the hot mantle plume. Besides, low-density/low-velocity anomalies in the uppermost mantle would represent the present-day effect of the mantle plume and its interaction with the mid-ocean ridges. Overall, the model indicates that the presence of the plume together with the pre-existing crustal configuration controlled the timing, mechanisms and localization of the NEA breakup.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Variation Of Lithospheric Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere

Dacal

Scheck‐Wenderoth

Faleide

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Shear-wave velocities (Vs) at 200 km depth 57 are converted to temperature using Gibbs free-energy minimisation algorithm, for details see 58 . We pre-compute anharmonic Vs from stable phase and mineral assemblages at upper-mantle pressure and temperature conditions, computed using a Gibbs free-energy minimisation algorithm 59 , using depleted-mid-oceanic-ridge-basalt-mantle (DMM 60 ) as bulk composition.…”

Section: Temperature Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable equilibrium dynamics explains continental lithosphere deformation

Kumar

Cacace

Scheck‐Wenderoth

2023

Preprint

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Plate tectonics theory postulates the existence of rigid mobile plates, however, what defines and controls their internal deformation, particularly within continents, is not well understood. Using data-driven thermomechanical modelling of the Alpine Himalayan Collision Zone, we hypothesize that deviations from an equilibrium state between mantle dynamics, plate-boundary forces, and the thermochemical configuration of the lithosphere controls continental deformation. The balance between the plate’s internal energy and tectonic forces is quantified by a critical crustal thickness that matches the global average of present-day continental crust. Thicker intraplate domains than the critical crust (orogens) undergo weakening due to their increased internal energy, and dissipate their acquired energy within diffused zone of deformation, unlike the localized deformation seen along plate boundaries. This dissipative evolution is controlled by the feedback between thermal and mechanical relaxation of the out of balance energy in the orogenic lithosphere. Potential runaway instabilities, exponentially growing oscillations, are efficiently dampened by enhanced dissipation from radioactive heat sources. This ultimately drives orogens with their thickened radiogenic crust towards a final equilibrium state. Our results suggest a genetic link between the thermochemical state of the crust and the tectonic evolution of silicate Earth-like planets.

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“…Shear-wave velocities (Vs) at 200 km depth (Debayle et al 2020) are converted to temperature using Gibbs free-energy minimisation algorithm, for details see (Kumar et al 2022). We pre-compute anharmonic Vs from stable phase and mineral assemblages at upper-mantle pressure and temperature conditions, computed using a Gibbs free-energy minimisation algorithm (Connolly 2005), using depletedmid-oceanic-ridge-basalt-mantle (DMM(Workman and Hart 2005)) as bulk composition.…”

Section: Temperature Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermodynamics of continental deformation

Kumar,

Cacace,

Scheck-Wenderoth

2023

Preprint

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Plate tectonics theory postulates the existence of rigid mobile plates. However, what defines and controls their internal deformation, particularly within continents, is not yet fully understood. Using data-driven thermomechanical modelling of the Alpine Himalayan Collision Zone, we hypothesize that deviations from an equilibrium between mantle dynamics, plate-boundary forces, and thermochemical configuration of the lithosphere controls continental deformation. We quantify such balance between the internal energy of the plate and tectonic forces in terms of a critical crustal thickness, that match the global average of present-day continental crust. It follows that thicker intraplate domains than the critical crust (orogens) must undergo weakening due to their increased internal energy, and, in doing so, they dissipate the acquired energy within a diffused zone of deformation, unlike the localized deformation seen along plate boundaries. This evolution is controlled by a dissipative thermodynamic feedback loop between thermal and mechanical relaxation of the driving energy in the orogenic lithosphere. Exponentially growing energy states, leading to runaway extension are efficiently dampened by enhanced dissipation from radioactive heat sources. This ultimately drives orogens with their thickened radiogenic crust towards a final equilibrium state. Our results suggest a genetic link between the thermochemical state of crust and the tectonic evolution of silicate Earth-like planets.

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Present‐Day Upper‐Mantle Architecture of the Alps: Insights From Data‐Driven Dynamic Modeling

Cited by 8 publications

References 66 publications

Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere

Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere

Stable equilibrium dynamics explains continental lithosphere deformation

Thermodynamics of continental deformation

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