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How mantle slabs drive plate tectonics.

Clinton P Conrad¹, Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni

¹Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. cpconrad@umich.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|October 5, 2002

Summary

Subducted tectonic plates pull Earth's plates, but how is unclear. This study suggests upper mantle slabs pull plates directly, while lower mantle slabs use mantle flow for suction-driven plate motion.

Area of Science:

Geophysics
Tectonics
Geodynamics

Background:

The driving forces behind Earth's tectonic plate motion are debated.
The mechanical coupling between subducting slabs and overlying tectonic plates remains poorly understood.
Two proposed mechanisms are direct slab pull (mechanical attachment) and slab suction (mantle flow excitation).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relative contributions of slab pull versus slab suction in driving present-day tectonic plate motions.
To determine the coupling mechanisms between subducting slabs and tectonic plates.

Main Methods:

Analysis of geologic history of subduction.
Estimation of the relative importance of slab pull and slab suction for current plate motions.

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Main Results:

Plate motions are best explained by models where upper mantle slabs are attached to plates, providing approximately 50% of the driving force via slab pull.
Lower mantle slabs are supported by viscous mantle forces and contribute to plate motion through slab suction.

Conclusions:

Both slab pull and slab suction are significant mechanisms in tectonic plate dynamics.
The location of subducted slabs (upper vs. lower mantle) dictates their primary mode of interaction with tectonic plates.