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Surface processes forcing on extensional rock melting
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. pietro.sternai@unimib.it.
Scientific Reports
|May 9, 2020
Summary
Surface processes like erosion and sedimentation can significantly influence volcanic activity in continental rifts. This study reveals how these surface dynamics impact crustal and mantle melting during tectonic extension.
Area of Science:
- Geodynamics
- Tectonics
- Geomorphology
Background:
- Surface processes and magmatism are key factors in the structural evolution of continental rifts and passive margins.
- The interplay between surface processes and magmatism in extensional settings remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the links between rift shoulder erosion, basin sedimentation, and extensional rock melting.
- To quantify the influence of surface processes on magmatic activity in continental rift zones.
Main Methods:
- Coupled thermo-mechanical geodynamic numerical modeling.
- Landscape evolution numerical modeling.
Main Results:
- Efficient surface processes can double crustal melting by lowering the Moho.
- Sediment loading in rift basins can inhibit mantle decompression melting by approximately 50%.
- These effects are prominent when crustal thickness is <40 km, extension rates are <2 cm/yr, and mantle potential temperature is <1230 °C.
Conclusions:
- Surface processes play a significant role in modulating magmatic activity in various extensional settings globally (e.g., Mediterranean, Gulf of California).
- The interaction between surface processes and extensional rock melting provides a new link between plate tectonics and climate change via the geological carbon cycle.
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