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Differentiating induced versus spontaneous subduction initiation using thermomechanical models and metamorphic soles
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. zhou1482@umn.edu.
Nature Communications
|July 31, 2021
Summary
Subduction initiation dynamics are clarified using numerical models. High temperatures in metamorphic soles favor induced subduction, especially with a young overriding plate, challenging spontaneous initiation theories.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Tectonics
- Metamorphic Petrology
Background:
- Subduction plays a vital role in plate tectonics, but its initiation mechanisms remain poorly understood.
- High-temperature, low-pressure metamorphic soles are key geological markers, recording conditions during subduction initiation.
- These soles can potentially distinguish between spontaneous and induced subduction initiation modes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermal conditions associated with spontaneous versus induced subduction initiation.
- To compare numerical modeling results with geological observations of metamorphic soles.
Main Methods:
- Numerical modeling of subduction initiation scenarios.
- Analysis of slab surface temperature and pressure conditions at approximately 1 GPa.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous subduction initiation consistently produces high slab surface temperatures (800-900°C) across various parameters.
- Induced subduction initiation requires a young overriding plate (<5 Ma) to achieve similar high temperatures.
- Modeling suggests spontaneous initiation is more conducive to high-temperature conditions.
Conclusions:
- While spontaneous subduction favors high temperatures, geological evidence suggests most metamorphic soles formed via induced subduction.
- Induced subduction initiation, particularly involving a young overriding plate, is the more likely mechanism for observed metamorphic soles.
