The dominant driving force for supercontinent breakup: Plume push or subduction retreat?

Zhang, Nan; Dang, Zhuo; Huang, Chuan Zhen; Li, Zheng‐Xiang

doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2018.01.010

Cited by 66 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…We choose the division between hot structures and cold slabs following a 55° radius from the supercontinent center (black dashed lines in Figures e and f). The sum of these two Stokes solutions (Figures b and c) is broadly similar to the results of the reference case (Zhang et al, ). With only the hot plumes beneath the supercontinent, extension of the continental lithosphere occurs only in the interior 40° of the supercontinent (Figure b, and green line in Figure d).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

“…The velocity field of the homogeneous supercontinent at breakup time shows a divergent pattern from supercontinent center to the edge (section ; Zhang et al, ), which inspires us to focus on the normal and shear stresses along this direction. To achieve a representative stress state, we calculate the average stresses in 12 evenly spaced lithospheric transects crossing the supercontinent center (e.g.,

\overset{OA}{true}

in Figure , where O is the supercontinent center).…”

Section: Numerical Model Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Major forces being considered include the push force from uprising subcontinental mantle plumes (Buiter & Torsvik, 2014;Cande & Stegman, 2011;Gurnis, 1988;Koptev et al, 2015;Li et al, 1999Li et al, , 2008Zhang et al, 2018), the traction force of mantle convection (Morgan, 1972;Wilson, 1973), and the drag force from retreating subduction at the margin of the supercontinent (e.g., Bercovici & Long, 2014;Dal Zilio et al, 2018;Lowman & Jarvis, 1995;Yoshida, 2017). Among the three mechanisms, it has been argued that the extensional force caused by plume push is more important than that from subduction retreat at least during the early stage of the breakup (Zhang et al, 2018). The plume-push force appears to dominate the extensional stress at the shallow depths of the continental lithosphere at the interior of the supercontinent, whereas extension caused by subduction retreat mainly focuses along the marginal zone of the supercontinent (Zhang et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many previous studies of supercontinent dynamics explored the roles of self-consistently generated mantle plumes under a supercontinent (Gurnis, 1988;Lowman & Jarvis, 1995;Zhong & Gurnis, 1995;Phillips & Bunge, 2007;Zhong et al, 2007;Li & Zhong, 2009;Zhang et al, 2009;Rolf et al, 2012;Yoshida & Santosh, 2014;Zhang et al, 2018). These studies commonly emphasized the importance of plume-push force during the breakup of the supercontinent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we extend our 3-D analysis (Zhang et al, 2018) to basal traction (shear stress) and integrals of stresses by using supercontinent dynamic modeling in which a subduction girdle and corresponding return plumes (plume cluster) are self-consistently generated, so to understand the full stress field and total force that drive supercontinent breakup. These stresses and integrated total force are quantified and compared to determine the contributions of different mechanisms to the breakup of supercontinents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling the Inception of Supercontinent Breakup: Stress State and the Importance of Orogens

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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The relative significance of various geodynamic mechanisms that drive supercontinent breakup is unclear. A previous analysis of extensional stress during supercontinent breakup demonstrated the importance of the plume‐push force relative to the dragging force of subduction retreat. Here, we extend the analysis to basal traction (shear stress) and cross‐lithosphere integrations of both extensional and shear stresses, aiming to understand more clearly the relevant importance of these mechanisms in supercontinent breakup. More importantly, we evaluate the effect of preexisting orogens (mobile belts) in the lithosphere on supercontinent breakup process. Our analysis suggests that a homogeneous supercontinent has extensional stress of 20–50 MPa in its interior (<40° from the central point). When orogens are introduced, the extensional stress in the continents focuses on the top 80‐km of the lithosphere with an average magnitude of ~160 MPa, whereas at the margin of the supercontinent the extensional stress is 5–50 MPa. In both homogeneous and orogeny‐embedded cases, the subsupercontinent mantle upwellings act as the controlling factor on the normal stress field in the supercontinent interior. Compared with the extensional stress, shear stress at the bottom of the supercontinent is 1–2 order of magnitude smaller (0–5 MPa). In our two end‐member models, the breakup of a supercontinent with orogens can be achieved after the first extensional stress surge, whereas for a hypothetical supercontinent without orogens it starts with more diffused local thinning of the continental lithospheric before the breakup, suggesting that weak orogens play a critical role in the dispersal of supercontinents.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

\overset{OA}{true}

in Figure , where O is the supercontinent center).…”

Section: Numerical Model Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling the Inception of Supercontinent Breakup: Stress State and the Importance of Orogens

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Two extensional events in the early evolution of the Yangtze Block, South China: Geochemical and isotopic evidence from two sets of Paleoproterozoic alkali porphyry in the Northern Kongling terrane

Zhou

Wei

et al. 2020

Geological Journal

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A set of granite porphyry (grnt‐porphyry) and sub‐rhyolite porphyry (rhy‐porphyry) with specific blue quartz phenocrysts was disintegrated in the northern Kongling terrane, China. Geochemical and isotopic analyses were performed on samples from Kongziqiao (KZQ) and Baizhuping (BZP). In terms of major elements, both are rich in silicon and alkalis, but depleted in calcium and magnesium. Their trace element contents are also similar, exhibiting negative anomalies for large‐ion lithophile elements (LILEs) such as K, Rb and Sr but positive anomalies for high‐field‐strength elements (HFSEs) such as Hf, Ce and Lu. Other elements such as Nb, Ti, P, Sm, Ho, Y and Yb show negative anomalies; however, the KZQ grnt‐porphyry is characterized by positive Ba and negative Zr anomalies; whereas the BZP sub rhy‐porphyry has negative Ba, U and Ta anomalies. The overall geochemistry is characteristic of A‐type granite formed in an extensional environment (A2‐type). Yield ages of the KZQ grnt‐porphyry are (2,239 Ma) and that of the BZP (1,895 Ma) sub rhy‐porphyry are Paleoproterozoic. Analysis of Hf isotopes shows that both have negative ε Hf (t) values, but the εHf (t) value of the KZQ grnt‐porphyry is slightly more positive (minimum −12.4; mean − 8.8) and its depleted mantle model age (TDM1 = 2.85–3.06 Ga, mean 2.92 Ga) is slightly older than the BZP sub rhy‐porphyry (minimum ε Hf (t) = −17.1, mean − 14.9; TDM1 = 2.79–2.92 Ga, mean 2.85 Ga). This suggests that they are derived from partial melting of different generations of ancient crustal material, which implies significant stratification in the Archean crust. The ε Nd (t) values of two samples of each rock type also indicate that both were derived from Ca. 2.9 Ga ancient crust (εNd (t) KZQ = −5.58, −4.74; εNd (t)BZP = −8.55, −8.22). The petrogenesis of both rock types is related to deep crustal extensional collapse caused by post‐orogenic extension before 2.2 Ga and after 1.9 Ga. The formation of two porphyries represents the changes in tectonic system of the Yangtze Block, and this tectonic evolution may have contributed to the reconstruction of the Columbia supercontinent.

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Thermochemical Mantle Convection with Drifting Deformable Continents: Main Features of Supercontinent Cycle

Бобров

Baranov

2019

Pure Appl. Geophys.

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The dominant driving force for supercontinent breakup: Plume push or subduction retreat?

Cited by 66 publications

References 48 publications

Modeling the Inception of Supercontinent Breakup: Stress State and the Importance of Orogens

Modeling the Inception of Supercontinent Breakup: Stress State and the Importance of Orogens

Two extensional events in the early evolution of the Yangtze Block, South China: Geochemical and isotopic evidence from two sets of Paleoproterozoic alkali porphyry in the Northern Kongling terrane

Thermochemical Mantle Convection with Drifting Deformable Continents: Main Features of Supercontinent Cycle

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