Temporal evolution of continental lithospheric strength in actively deforming regions

GSA Today

Volumn 18, Issue 4-5, 2008, Pages 4-11

  Thatcher, Wayne ^a   Pollitz, Fred F ^a  

^a U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CONTINENTAL COLLISION; CONTINENTAL LITHOSPHERE; DEFORMATION MECHANISM; GLACIOISOSTASY; GRAVITY FIELD; LITHOSPHERIC STRUCTURE; RHEOLOGY; SEISMIC WAVE; TECTONIC SETTING; TEMPORAL EVOLUTION; WAVE PROPAGATION;

NORTH AMERICA; UNITED STATES;

EID: 53349175142     PISSN: 10525173     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1130/GSAT01804-5A.1     Document Type: Article

References (76)

1. Afonso, J.C., and Ranalli, G., 2004, Crustal and mantle strengths in continental lithosphere: Is the jellv sandwich model obsolete?: Tectonophysics v. 394 p. 221-232, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2004.08.006.
2. Barrell, J., 1914, The strength of Earth's crust, part viii. Physical conditions controlling the nature of lithosphere and asthenospher: Journal of Geology, v. 22, p. 425-443
3. Bills, B.G., Adams, K.D., and Wesnøusky S.G., 2007, Viscosity structure of the crust and upper mantle in western Nevada from isostatic rebound patterns of the late Pleistocene Lake Lahontan high shoreline: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, doi: 10.1029/2005JB003941.
4. Bills, B.G., Currey, D.R., and Marshall, G.A., 1994, Viscosity estimates for the crust and upper mantle from patterns of lacustrine shoreline deformation in the Eastern Great Basin: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 99, p. 22,059-22,086, doi: 10.1029/94JB01192.
5. Bokelmann, G.H.R., and Beroza, G.C., 2000, Depth-dependent earthquake focal mechanism orientation: Evidence for a weak zone in the lower crust: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 21,683-21,696, doi: 10.1029/2000JB900205.
6. Brace, W.F., and Kohlstedt, D.L., 1980, Limits on lithospheric stress imposed by laboratory experiments: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, p. 6248-6252, doi: 10.1029/JB085iB11 p06248.
7. Bürgmann, R., and Dresen, G., 2008, Rheology of the lower crust and upper mantle: Evidence from rock mechanics, geodesy, and field observations: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 36, doi: 10.1146/annurev. earth.36.031207.12432.
8. Burov, E.B., and Watts, A.B., 20156, The long-term strength of continental lithosphere: "jelly sandwich" or "crème brûlée"?: GSA Today, v. 16, no. 1, p. 4-10, doi: 10.1l30/1052-5173(2006)016<4:TLTSOC>2.0.CO;2
9. Byerlee, J.D., 1978, The friction of rocks: Pure and Applied Geophysics, v. 116, p. 615-626, doi: 10.1007/BF00876528.
10. Chang W-L., and Smith, R.B., 2005, Lithospheric rheology from postseismic deformation of a M=7.5 normal-faulting earthquake with implications for continental kinematics [Abs. 225-4]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 37, no. 7, p. 497.
11. Chen, W.-P., and Molnar, P., 1983, Focal depths of intracontinental and intraplate earthquakes and their implications for the thermal and mechanical properties of the lithosphere: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 88, p. 4183-4214, doi: 10.1029/JB088iB05p04183.
12. Clark, M.K., and Royden, L.H., 2000, Topographic ooze: Building the eastern margin of Tibet by lower crustal flow: Geology, v. 28, p. 703-706, doi: 10.1130/400917613(2000)28<703:TOBTEM>2.0.CO;2.
13. Crittenden, M.D., Jr., Coney, P.J., and Davis, G.H., 1980, Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes: Geological Society of America Memoir 153, 490 p.
14. Dixon, J.E., Dixon, T.H., Bell, D.R., and Malservisi, R., 2004, Lateral variation in upper mantle viscosity: Role of water: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 222, p. 451-467, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2004.03.022.
15. Elsasser, W.M., 1969, Convection and stress propagation in the upper mantle, in Runcorn, S.K., ed., The application of modern physics to the earth and planetary interiors: Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley, p. 223-246.
16. Ergintav, S., McClusky S., Hearn, E., and Reilinger, R., 2006, Postseismic deformation following the 1999 Izmit, Turkey, earthquake: The first seven years: Eos (Transactions, American Geophysical Union), v. 87, no. 52, Fall Meeting Supplement, Abstract G32A-02.
17. Freed, A.M., and Bürgmann, R., 2004, Evidence of power law flow in the Mojave Desert mantle: Nature, v. 430, p. 548-551, doi: 10.1038/ nature02784.
18. Freed, A.M., Bürgmann, R., and Herring, T., 2007, Far-reaching transient motions after Mojave earthquakes require broad mantle flow beneath a strong crust: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 34, L19392, doi: 10.1029/2007GL030959.
19. Gleason, G.C., and Tullis, J., 1995, A flow law for dislocation creep of quartz aggregates determined with the molten salt cell: Tectonophysics, v. 247, p. 1-23, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(95)00011-B,
20. Goetz, C., and Evans, B., 1979, Stress and temperature in the bending lithosphere as constrained by experimental rock mechanics: Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society v. 59, p. 463-478.
21. Gourmelen, N., and Amelung, F., 2005, Postseismic mantle relaxation in the Central Nevada Seismic Belt: Science, v. 310, p. 1473-1476, doi: 10.1126/science.1119798.
22. Gunn, R., 1947, Quantitative aspects. of juxtaposed ocean deeps, mountain chains, and volcanic ranges: Geophysics, v. 12, p. 238-255, doi: 10.1190/1.1437321.
23. Hassani, R., and Chéry J., 1996, Anelasticity explains topography associated with Basin and Range normal faulting: Geology, v. 24, p. 1095-1098, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<1095:AETAWB>2.3.CO;2.
24. Hilley, G.E., Bürgmafin, R., Zhang, P.-Z., and Molnar, P., 2005, Bayesian inference of plastosphere viscosities near the Kunlun Fault, northern Tibet: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 32, p. L01302, doi: 10.1029/2004dGL021658
25. Hirth, G., and Kohlstedt, D.L., 1946, Water in the oceanic upper mantle: Implicitions for rheology, melt extraction, and the evolution of the lithosphere: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 144, p. 93-08, doi: 10.1016/0012-821X(96)1154-9.
26. Hu, Y., Wang, K., He, J. Klotz, J.,.and Khazaradze, G., 2004, Three-dimensional viscoelastic finite element model for postseismic deformation of the great 1960. Chile earthquake: Journal of Geophysical. Research, v. 109, doi: 10.1029/2004JB003163.
27. Hyndman, R D., Currie, C.A., and Mizzotti, S.P., 2005, Subduction zone backarcs, mobile belts, and orogenic heat: GSAToday, v. 5, no.2, p, 4-10.
28. Jackson, J., 2002, Strength of the continental lithosphere. Time to abandon the jelly sandwich?: GSA Today, v. 12, p. 4-10, doi: 10.1130/ 1052-5173(2002)012<0004:SOTCLT>2.0.CO;2.
29. James, T.S., Clague, JJ., Wang, K., and Hutchinson, I.2000, Postglacial rebound at the northern Cascadia subduction zone: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 19, p. 1527-1541, doi: 11.1016/S0277-3791(00)00076-7.
30. Jeffreys, H., 1932, On the stresses in the Earth's crust required to support surface inequalities: Monthly Notes of the Royal Astronomical Society Geophys. v. 3, Suppl., p. 60-69.
31. Jeffreys, H., 1952, The Earth, its origin, history, and physical constitution, 3rd edition: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 392 p.
32. Karato, S.-I., and Wu, P., 1993, Rheology of the upper mantle: A synthesis: Science, v. 260, p. 771-778, doi: 10.1126/ science.260.5109.771.
33. Kaufmann, G., and Amelung, F., 2000, Reservoir-induced deformation and continental rheology in the vicinity of Lake Mead, Nevada: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 16,341-16,358, doi: 10.1029/ 2000JB900079.
34. Kirby, S.H., and Kronenberg, A.K., 1987, Strength of the lithosphere: Selected topics: Reviews of Geophysics, v. 25, p. 1219-1244, doi: 10.1029/RG025i006p01219.
35. Kohlstedt, D.L., Evans, B., and Mackwell, S.J., 1995, Strength of the lithosphere - constraints imposed by laboratory experiments: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 17,587-17,602, doi: 10.1029/95JB01460.
36. Lachenbruch, A.H., 1980, Frictional heating, fluid pressure, and the resistance to fault motion: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, p. 6097-6112, doi: 10.1029/JB085iB11p06097.
37. Lachenbruch, A.H., and Sass, J., 1973, Thermo-mechanical aspects of the San Andreas, in Kovach, R. and Nur, A., eds., Proceedings of the Conference on the Tectonic Problems of the San Andreas Fault System: Palo Alto, California, Stanford University Press, p. 192-205.
38. Lachenbruch, A.H., and Sass, J.H., 1980, Heat flow and energetics of the San Andreas fault zone: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, p. 6185-6223, doi: 10.1029/JB085iB11p06185.
39. Lowry, A.R., and Smith, R.B., 1995, Strength and rheology of the western U.S. Cordillera: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 17,947-17,963, doi: 10.1029/95JB00747.
40. Lowry, A.R., Ribe, N.M., and Smith, R.B., 2000, Dynamic elevation of the Cordillera, western United States: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 23,371-23,390, doi: 10.1029/2000JB900182.
41. Mackwell, S.J., Kohlstedt, D.L., and Paterson, M.S., 1985, Role of water in the deformation of olivine single crystals: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 90, p. 11,319-11,333.
42. Maggi, A., Jackson, J.A., McKenzie, D., and Priestly, K., 2000a, Earthquake focal depths, effective elastic thickness, and the strength of the continental lithosphere: Geology, v. 28, p. 495-498, doi: 10.1130/ 0091-7613(2000)28<495: EFDEET>2.0.CO;2.
43. Maggi, A., Jackson, J.A., Priestly, K., and Baker, C., 2000b, A reassessment of focal depth distributions in southern Iran, the Tien Shan and northern India: Do earthquakes occur in the continental mantle?: Geophysical Journal International, v. 143, p. 629-661, doi: 10.1046/j.1365-246X.2000.00254.x.
44. McCarthy, J., Larkin, S.P., Fuis, G.S., Simpson, R.W., and Howard, K.A., 1991, Anatomy of a metamorphic core complex: Seismic refraction/ wide-angle reflection profiling in southeastern California and western Arizona: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 96, p. 12,259-12,291, doi: 10.1029/91JB01004.
45. McGarr, A., and Gay, N.C., 1978, State of stress in the earth's crust: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 6, p. 405-436, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ea.06.050178.002201.
46. McKenzie, D.P., and Fairhead, D., 1997, Estimates of the effective elastic thickness of the continental lithosphere from Bouguer and free-air gravity anomalies: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, p. 27,523-27,552, doi: 10.1029/97JB02481.
47. McKenzie, D.P., and Jackson, J.A., 2002, Conditions for flow in the continental crust: Tectonics, v. 21, p. 1055, doi: 10.1029/2002TC001394.
48. Milne, G.A., Davis, J.L., Mitrovica, J.X., Scherneck, H.-G., Johansson, J.M., Vermeer, M., and Koivula, H., 2001, Space-geodetic constraints on glacial isostatic adjustment in Fennoscandia: Science, v. 291, p. 2381-2385, doi: 10.1126/science.1057022.
49. Nishimura, T., and Thatcher, W., 2003, Rheology of the lithosphere inferred from postseismic uplift following the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, no. B8, 2389, doi: 10.1029/2002JB002191.
50. Nur, A., and Mavko, G., 1974, Postseismic viscoelastic rebound: Science, v. 183, p. 204-206, doi: 10.1126/science.183.4121.204.
51. Pollitz, F.F., 1997, Gravitational viscoelastic postseismic relaxation on a layered spherical Earth: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, p. 17,921-17,941, doi: 10.1029/97JB01277.
52. Pollitz, F.F., 2003, Transient rheology of the uppermost mantle beneath the Mojave Desert, California: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 215, p. 89-104, doi: 10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00432-1.
53. Pollitz, F.F., and Sacks, I.S., 1996, Viscosity structure beneath northeast Iceland: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 101, p. 17,771-17,793, doi: 10.1029/96JB01074.
54. Pollitz, F.F., Peltzer, G., and Bur̈gmann, R., 2000, Mobility of the continental mantle: Evidence from postseismic geodetic observations following the 1992 Landers earthquake: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 8035-8054, doi: 10.1029/1999JB900380.
55. Pollitz, F.F., Wicks, C., and Thatcher, W., 2001, Mantle flow beneath a continental strike-slip fault: Postseismic deformation after the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake: Science, v. 293, p. 1814-1818, doi: 10.1126/ science.1061361.
56. Poudjom-Djomani, Y.H., Fairhead, J.D., and Griffin, W.L., 1999, The flexural rigidity of Fennoscandia: reflection of the tectonothermal age of the lithospheric mantle: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 174, p. 139-154, doi: 10.1016/S0012-821X(99)00260-5.
57. Ranalli, G., 1995, Rheology of the Earth: London, Chapman and Hall, 413 p.
58. Royden, L., Burchfiel, B.C., King, R.W., Wang, E., Chen, Z., Shen, F., and Liu, Y., 1997, Surface deformation and lower crustal flow in eastern Tibet: Science, v. 276, p. 788-790, doi: 10.1126/science.276.5313.788.
59. Sass, J., Blackwell, D., Chapman, D., Costain, J., Decker, E., Lawver, L., and Swanberg, C., 1989, Heat flow from the crust of the United States, in Touloukian, Y.S., Judd, W.R., and Roy, R.F., eds., Physical Properties of Rocks and Minerals, number II-2: New York, Hemisphere Publ. Corp., p. 503-548.
60. Savage, J.C., and Prescott, W.H., 1978, Asthenospheric readjustment and the earthquake cycle: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 83, p. 3369-3376, doi: 10.1029/JB083iB07p03369.
61. Sibson, R.H., 1986, Earthquakes and rock deformation in crustal fault zones: Annual Reviews in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 14, p. 149-175, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ea.14.050186.001053.
62. Thatcher, W., and Rundle, J.B., 1984, A viscoelastic coupling model for the cyclic deformation due to periodically repeated earthquakes at subduction zones: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 89, p. 7631-7640, doi: 10.1029/JB089iB09p07631.
63. Thatcher, W., Matsuda, T., Kato, T., and Rundle, J.B., 1980, Lithospheric loading by the 1896 Riku-u earthquake, northern Japan: Implications for plate flexure and asthenospheric rheology: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, p. 6429-6435, doi: 10.1029/JB085iB11p06429.
64. Townend, J., and Zoback, M.D., 2000, How faulting keeps the crust strong: Geology, v. 28, p. 399-402, doi: 10.1130/ 0091-7613(2000)28<399:HFKTCS>2.0.CO;2.
65. Walcott, R.I., 1970, Flexure of the lithosphere at Hawaii: Tectonophysics, v. 9, p. 435-446, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(70)90056-9.
66. Wang, K., 2007, Elastic and viscoelastic models of crustal deformation in subduction earthquake cycles, in Dixon, T. and Moore, J., eds., The seismogenic zone of subduction thrust faults: New York, Columbia University Press, p. 540-575.
67. Wang, K., and He, J., 1999, Mechanics of low-stress forearc: Nankai and Cascadia: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 104, p. 15,191-15,205, doi: 10.1029/1999JB900103.
68. Wang, K., Mulder, T., Rogers, G.C., and Hyndman, R.D., 1995, Case for very low coupling stress on the Cascadia subduction fault: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 12,907-12,918, doi: 10.1029/95JB00516.
69. Watts, A.B., 1978, An analysis of isostasy in the worl's oceans, 1, Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 83, p. 5989-6004, doi: 10.1029/JB083iB12p05989.
70. Watts, A.B., 2001, Isostasy and Flexure of the Lithosphere: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 458 p.
71. Watts, A.B., Cochran, J.R., and Selzer, G., 1975, Gravity anomalies and flexure of the lithosphere: a three-dimensional study of the Great Meteor seamount, northeast Atlantic: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 80, p. 1391-1398, doi: 10.1029/JB080i011p01391.
72. Watts, A.B., Rodine, J.H., and Ribe, N.M., 1980, Observations of flexure and the geological evolution of the Pacific Ocean basin: Nature, v. 283, p. 532-537, doi: 10.1038/283532a0.
73. Wilks, K.R., and Carter, N.L., 1990, Rheology of some continental lower crustal rocks: Tectonophysics, v. 182, p. 57-77, doi: 10.1016/ 0040-1951(90)90342-6.
74. Zhao, W.-L., and Morgan, W.J., 1985, Uplift of Tibetan plateau: Tectonics, v. 4, p. 359-369, doi: 10.1029/TC004i004p00359.
75. Zhao, W.-L., and Morgan, W.J., 1987, Injection of Indian crust into Tibetan lower crust: Tectonics, v. 6, p. 489-504, doi: 10.1029/ TC006i004p00489.
76. Zoback, M.D., Zoback, M.L., Mount, V.S., Suppe, J., Eaton, J.P., Healy, J.H., Oppenheimer, D., Reasenberg, P., Jones, L., Raleigh, C.B., Wong, I.G., Scotti, O., and Wentworth, C., 1987, New evidence on the state of stress on the San Andreas fault system: Science, v. 238, p. 1105-1111, doi: 10.1126/science.238.4830.1105.