Mantle convection with a brittle lithosphere: throughts on the global tectonic styles of the Earth and Venus

Geophysical Journal International

Volumn 133, Issue 3, 1998, Pages 669-682

  Moresi, Louis ^a,b   Solomatov, Viatcheslav ^c  

^a AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^b CSIRO   (Australia)

^c NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BRITTLE FAILURE; FAULTING; GLOBAL TECTONICS; LITHOSPHERE; MANTLE CONVECTION; PLATE MOTION; RHEOLOGY;

EARTH; VENUS;

EID: 0031696483     PISSN: 0956540X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00521.x     Document Type: Article

References (93)

1. Artyushkov, E.V., 1972. Stresses in the lithosphere caused by crustal thickness inhomogeneities, J. geophys. Res., 78, 7675-7708.
2. Beaumont, C., Fullsack, P. & Hamilton, J., 1994. Styles of crustal deformation in compressional orogens, in Proc. 5th Int. Symp. Seism. Reflect. Prob. Contin. Marg., eds Clowes, R. & Green, A., Tectonophysics. 232, 119-132.
3. Ben-Avraham, Z. & Lyakhovsky, V., 1992. Faulting processes along the northern Dead Sea transform and the Levant margin, Geology, 20, 1139-1142.
4. Bercovici, D., 1993. A simple model of plate generation from mantle flow, Geophys. J. Int., 114, 635-650.
5. Bercovici, D., 1995. A source-sink model of the generation of plate tectonics from non-Newtonian mantle flow, J. geophys. Res., 100, 2013-2030.
6. Bindschadler, D., Schubert, G. & Kaula, W.M., 1992. Coldspots and hotspots: global tectonics and mantle dynamics of Venus. J. geophys. Res., 97, 13495-13532.
7. Bird, P., 1989. New finite element techniques for modeling deformation histories of continents with stratified temperature dependent rheology, J. geophys. Res., 94, 3967-3990.
8. Bird, P., 1997. Testing hypotheses on plate-driving mechanisms with global models of the faulted lithosphere, J. geophys. Res., submitted.
9. Booker, JR. 1976. Thermal convection with strongly temperature dependent viscosity, J. Fluid Mech., 76, 741-754.
10. Brace, W.F. & Byerlee, J.D., 1966. Stick-slip as a mechanism for earthquakes. Science, 153, 990-992.
11. Braun, J. & Beaumont, C., 1987. Styles of continental rifting: results from dynamic models of lithospheric extension, in Sedimentary Basins and Basin-forming Mechanisms, pp. 241-258, eds Beaumont, C. & Tankard, A.J., Can. Soc. Petrol Geol.
12. Brooks, A.N. & Hughes, T.J.R., 1982. Streamline Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin formulations for convection dominated flows with particular emphasis on the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Computer Methods appl. Mech. Eng., 32, 199-259.
13. Brune, J.N., Henyey, T.L. & Roy, R. F., 1969. Heat flow, stress and the rate of slip along the San Andreas fault, California, J. geophys. Res. 74, 3821-3827.
14. Byerlee, J., 1968. The brittle-ductile transition in rocks, J. geophys. Res., 73, 4741-4750
15. Byerlee, J.D., 1970. Static and kinetic friction of granite at high normal stress, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Soc., 7, 577-582.
16. Chopelas, A. & Boehler, R., 1989. Thermal expansion measurements at very high pressure, systematics, and a case for a chemically homogeneous mantle, Geophys. Res. Lett., 16, 1347-1350.
17. Christensen, U., 1984. Convection with pressure- and temperature-dependent non-Newtonian rheology. Geophy. J. R. astr. Soc., 77, 343-384.
18. Christensen, U.R., 1983. Convection in a variable viscosity fluid: Newtonian versus power law, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 64.
19. Cserepes, L., 1982. Numerical studies of non-Newtonian mantle convection, Phys. Earth. planet. Inter., 30, 49-61.
20. Davaille, A. & Jaupart, C., 1993. Thermal convection in lava lakes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 1827-1830.
21. Davaille, A. & Jaupart, C., 1994. Onset of thermal convection in fluids with temperature dependent viscosity: application to the oceanic mantle, J. geophys. Res., 99, 19 853-19 866.
22. Davies, G., 1988. Role of the lithosphere in mantle convection. J. geophys. Res., 93, 10451-10466.
23. Davies, G.F., 1989. Mantle convection model with a dynamic plate: topography, heat flow and gravity anomalies, Geophys. J. Int., 98, 461-464.
24. DeMets, C., Gordan, R.G., Argus, D.F. & Stein, S., 1990. Current plate motions, Ceophys. J. Int., 101, 425-478.
25. Dunbar, J.A. & Sawyer, D.S., 1989. How pre-existing weaknesses control the style of continental breaking, J. geophys. Res., 94, 7278-7292.
26. Foster, A. & Nimmo, F., 1996. Comparisons between the rift systems of East Africa, Earth and Beta Regio, Venus, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 143, 183-195.
27. Fowler, A., 1985a. Boundary layer theory and subduction, J. geophys. Res., 98, 21 997-22005.
28. Fowler, A.C., 1985b Fast thermoviscous convection, Stud. appl. Math., 72, 189-219.
29. Fowler, A.C. & O'Brien, S.B.G., 1996. A mechanism for episodic subduction on Venus, J. geophys. Res., 101, 4755-4763.
30. Frank-Kamenetskii, D.A., 1969. Diffusion and Heat Transfer in Chemical Kinetics. Plenum, New York, NY.
31. Fullsack, P., 1995. An arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian formulation for creeping flows and its application in tectonic models, Geophys. J. Int., 120, 1-23.
32. Gable, C.W., O'Connell, R.J. & Travis, B.J., 1991. Convection in three dimensions with surface plates: generation of toroidal flow, J. geophys. Res., 96, 7205-7223.
33. Gurnis, M., 1988. Large scale mantle convection and the aggregation and dispersal of supercontinents, nature. 332, 695-699.
34. Hager, B.H. & O'Connel, R.J., 1981. A simple global model of plate dynamics and mantle convection. J. geophys. Res., 86, 4843-4867.
35. Henyey, T.L. & Wasserburg, G.J., 1971. Heat flow near major strike slip faults in California, J. geophys. Res., 76, 7924-7946.
36. Hess, H.H., 1962. History of ocean basins, in Petrologic Studies: a Volume in Honor of A.F. Buddington. pp. 559-620, eds Engel, A.E.J., James, H.L. & Leonard, B.F., Geol. Soc. Am., New York, NY.
37. Hickman, S., Sibson, R. & Bruhn, R., 1995. Introduction to special session: mechanical involvement of fluids in faulting. J. geophys. Res., 100, 12831-12840.
38. Holmes, A., 1931. Radioactivity and earth movements, Trans. Geol. Soc. Glasgow, 18, 559-606
39. Isacks, B., Oliver, J. & Sykes, L.R., 1968 Seismology and the new global tectonics, J. geophys. Res., 73, 5855-5899.
40. Jeffreys, H., 1959. The Earth. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge
41. Kanamori, H., 1994. Mechanics of earthquakes, Ann. Rev. Earth planet. Sci., 22, 207-237.
42. Karato, S. & Wu, P., 1993. Rheology of the upper mantle, a synthesis, Science. 260, 771-778.
43. Kaula, W.M., 1984. Tectonic contrasts between Venus and the Earth. Geophys. Res. Lett., 11, 35-37.
44. Kaula, W. M., 1990a. Mantle convection and crustal evolution on Venus. Geophys. Res. Lett. 17, 1401-1403.
45. Kaula, W.M., 1990b. Venus: a contrast in evolution to Earth, Science. 247, 1191-1196.
46. Kaula, W.M. & Phillips, R.J., 1981. Quantitative tests for plate tectonics on Venus, Geophys. Res. Lett., 8, 1187-1190.
47. Kiefer, W.S., Richards, M.A. & Hager, B.H., 1986. A dynamic model of Venus's gravity field, Geophys. Res. Lett., 13, 14-17.
48. King, S.D. & Hager, B.H., 1990. The relationship between plate velocity and trench viscosity in Newtonian and power-law subduction calculations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 2409-2412.
49. Koptizke, U., 1979. Finite element convection models: comparison of shallow and deep mantle convection and temperatures in the mantle, J. Geophys., 46, 97-121.
50. Kucinskas, A.B. & Turcotte, D.L., 1994 Isostatic compensation of equatorial highlands on Venus, Icarus, 112, 42-54.
51. Lachenbruch, A.H. & Sass, J.H., 1973. Thermomechanical Aspects of the San Andreas Fault System. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
52. Lachenbruch, A.H. & Sass, J.H., 1980. Heat flow and energetics of the San Andreas fault zone, J. geophys. Res., 85, 6185-6222.
53. Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. & Richards, M.A., 1995. Cenozoic plate driving forces, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 1317-1320.
54. Lyakhovsky, V., Podlachikov, Y. & Poliakov, A.N.B, 1993. A rheological model of a fractured solid, Tectonophysics. 226, 187-198.
55. McKenzie, D., 1994. The relationship between topography and gravity on Earth and Venus, Icarus, 112, 55-88.
56. McKenzie, D. & Bickle, M.J., 1988. The volume and composition of melt generated by extension of the lithosphere, J. Petrol., 29, 625-679.
57. McKenzie, D.P., 1977. Surface deformation, gravity anomalies and convection, Geophy. J. R. astr. Soc., 48, 211-238.
58. Minster, J.B. & Jordan, T.H., 1978. Present-day plate motions, J. geophys. Res., 83, 5331-5354.
59. Moore, W.B. & Schubert, G., 1995. Lithosphenc thickness and mantle lithosphere density contrast beneath Beta Regio, Venus, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 429-432.
60. Moresi, L. & Solomatov, V.S., 1995. Numerical investigations of 2D convection with extremely large viscosity contrasts, Phys. Fluids. 7, 2154-2162.
61. Morris, S. & Canright, D., 1984. A boundary layer analysis of Bénard convection in a fluid of strongly temperature dependent viscosity, Phys. Earth. planet. Inter., 36, 355-373.
62. Nataf, H.C. & Richter, P.M., 1982. Convection experiments in fluids with highly temperature-dependent viscosity and the thermal evolution of the planets, Phys. Earth, planet. Inter., 29, 320-329.
63. Olson, P. & Corcos, G.M., 1980. A boundary layer model for mantle convection with surface plates, Geophy. J. R. astr. Soc., 62, 195-219.
64. Parmentier, E.M., Turcotte, D.L. & Torrance, K.E., 1976. Studies of finite amplitude, non-Newtonian thermal convection with application to convection in the Earth's mantle. J. Geophys. Res., 81, 1839-1846.
65. Phillips, R.J., Kaula, W.M., McGill, G.E. & Malin, M.C., 1981. Tectonics and evolution of Venus, Science. 212, 879-887.
66. Phillips, R.J., Rambertas, R.F., Arvidson, R.E., Sarkar, I.C., Herrick, R.R., Izenberg, N. & Grimm, R.E., 1992. Impact craters and Venus resurfacing history, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 15 923-15 948.
67. Poliakov, A.N.B. & Herrmann, H.J., 1994. Self-organized cnticality of plastic shear bands in rocks, Geophys. Res. Lett., 21, 2143-2146.
68. Ratcliff, J.T., Schubert, G. & Zebib, A., 1995. Three-dimensional variable viscosity convection of an infinite Prandtl number Boussinesq fluid in a spherical shell, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 2227-2230.
69. Ricard, Y. & Vigny, C., 1989. Mantle dynamics with induced plate tectonics, J. geophys. Res., 94, 17 543-17 559.
70. Richards, M.A. & Engebretson, D.C., 1994. Transform faults - a guiding force of plate tectonics, EOS, Trans. Am. geophys. Un., 75, 63.
71. Sandwell, D.T. & Schubert, G., 1992a. Evidence for retrograde lithospheric subduction on Venus, Science, 257, 766-770.
72. Sandwell, D.T. & Schubert, G., 1992b. Flexural ridges, trenches and outer rises around coronae on Venus, J. geophys. Res., 97, 16069-16083.
73. Schaber, G.G. et al., 1992. Geology and distribution of impact craters on Venus: what are they telling us?, J. geophys. Res., 97, 13257-13301.
74. Schmeling, H. & Jacoby, W.R., 1981. On modelling the lithosphere in mantle convection with nonlinear rheology, J. Geophys., 50, 89-100.
75. Scholtz, C.H., 1987. Wear and gouge formation in brittle faulting. Geology. 15, 309-34.
76. Sleep, N., 1975 Stress and flow beneath island arcs, Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 42, 827-857
77. Smrekar, S. & Phillips, R., 1991. Venusian highlands: gcoid to topography ratios and their implications, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 107, 582-597.
78. Smrekar, S.E., 1994. Evidence for active hotspots on Venus from analysis of Magellan gravity data, Icarus, 112, 2-26.
79. Solomatov, V.S., 1995. Scaling of temperature- and stress-dependent viscosity convection, Phys Fluids, 7, 266-274.
80. Solomatov, V.S. & Moresi, L., 1995. Stagnant lid convection on Venus J. geophys. Res., 101, 4737-4753.
81. Solomatov, V.S. & Moresi, L., 1997. Three regimes of mantle convection with non-Newtonian viscosity and stagnant lid convection on the terrestrial planets, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1907-1910.
82. Solomon, S.C., Head, J.W., Kaula, W.M., McKenzie, D., Parsons, B., Phillips, R.J., Schubert, G. & Talwani, M., 1991. Venus tectonics initial analysis from Magellan, Science, 252, 297-312.
83. Strom, R.G., Schaber, G.G. & Dawson, D.D., 1994. The global resurfacing of Venus, J. geophys. Res., 99, 10 899-10 926.
84. Tackley, P.J., 1993. Effects of strongly variable viscosity on time-dependent, three-dimensional models of mantle convection, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 2187-2190.
85. Torrance, K.E. & Turcotte, D.L., 1971. Thermal convection with large viscosity variations, J. Fluid Mech., 47, 113-125.
86. Turcotte, D.L., 1993 An episodic hypothesis for Venusian tectonics, J. geophys. Res., 98, 17 061-17 068.
87. Turcotte, D.L. & Oxburgh, E.R., 1967. Finite amplitude convection cells and continental drift, J. Fluid Mech., 28, 29-42.
88. Vermeer, P.A., 1990. The orientation of shear bands in biaxial tests, Géotechnique, 40, 223-236.
89. Weinstein, S.A. & Oison, P.L., 1992. Thermal convection with non-Newtonian plates, Geophys. J. Int., 111, 515-530.
90. White, R.S., 1993. Melt production rates in mantle plumes, Phil. Irans. R. Soc. Lond. A, 342, 137-153.
91. Zhong, S. & Gurnis, M., 1994. Controls on trench topography from dynamic models of subducted slabs, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 15683-15696.
92. Zhong, S. & Gurnis, M., 1995. Mantle convection with plates and mobile, faulted plate margins, Science, 267, 838-843.
93. Zhong, S. & Gurnis, M., 1996. Interaction of weak faults and non-Newtonian rheology produces plate tectonics in a 3D model of mantle flow, Nature, 383, 245-247.