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Titel |
The role of continental growth on the evolution of seafloor spreading |
VerfasserIn |
Nicolas Coltice, Tobias Rolf, Paul J. Tackley |
Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2013
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Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 15 (2013) |
Datensatznummer |
250076303
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Zusammenfassung |
The area vs. seafloor age distribution is fundamental information to build plate
reconstructions and evaluate sea level changes and heat flow evolution. Recent models of
spherical mantle convection with plate-like behavior (Tackley, 2000a, 2000b) and continental
drift (Rolf and Tackley, 2011) propose solutions compatible with the area vs. age
distribution of present-day seafloor spreading (Coltice et al., 2012). Area vs. age
distributions computed in convection models display fluctuations of the rate of
seafloor spreading. The shape of the distribution varies from uniformly distributed to
strongly dominated by younger ages over the course of a calculation. Two factors
influence the computed area vs. age distribution: the time-dependence of the rate of
production of new seafloor and the continental area that constrains the geometry of ocean
basins.
Heat flow or sea level strongly depend on the shape of this distribution; hence it is
essential to investigate how continental growth could have modified the area vs. age
distribution. We will evaluate the role of increasing continental area on the computed seafloor
spreading histories. We will show that the average production rate of new seafloor
does not vary with continental area, contrarily to fluctuations that increase with
continental area. We will show continental growth tends to favour the consumption of
progressively younger seafloor. Consequences on heat flow and sea level will be
presented.
References
Coltice, N., Rolf, T., Tackley P.J., Labrosse, S., Dynamic causes of the relation between
area and age of the ocean floor, Science 336, 335-338 (2012).
Rolf, T., and P. J. Tackley, Focussing of stress by continents in 3D spherical mantle
convection with self-consistent plate tectonics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38 (2011).
Tackley, P.J., Self-consistent generation of tectonic plates in time-dependent,
three-dimensional mantle convection simulations, part 1: Pseudoplastic yielding, Geoch.
Geophys. Geosys. 1 (2000a).
Tackley, P.J., Self-consistent generation of tectonic plates in time-dependent,
three-dimensional mantle convection simulations, part 2: Strain weakening and
asthenosphere, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys. 1, (2000b). |
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