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Ridge subduction sparked reorganization of the Pacific plate-mantle system 60-50 million years ago
Citation
Seton, M and Flament, N and Whittaker, J and Muller, RD and Gurnis, M and Bower, DJ, Ridge subduction sparked reorganization of the Pacific plate-mantle system 60-50 million years ago, Geophysical Research Letters, 42, (6) pp. 1732-1740. ISSN 0094-8276 (2015) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 American Geophysical Union
Abstract
A reorganization centered on the Pacific plate occurred ~53-47 million years ago. A ‘topdown’
plate tectonic mechanism, complete subduction of the Izanagi plate, as opposed to a
‘bottom-up’ mantle flow mechanism, has been proposed as the main driver. Verification
based on marine geophysical observations is impossible as most ocean crust recording this
event has been subducted. Using a forward modeling approach, which assimilates surface
plate velocities and shallow thermal structure of slabs into mantle flow models, we show that
complete Izanagi plate subduction and margin-wide slab detachment induced a major change
in sub-Pacific mantle flow, from dominantly southward before 60 M to north-northeastward
after 50 Ma. Our results agree with onshore geology, mantle tomography, and the inferred
motion of the Hawaiian hotspot and are consistent with a plate-tectonic process driving the
rapid plate-mantle reorganization in the Pacific hemisphere between 60 and 50 Ma, as
reflected in tectonic changes in the Pacific and surrounding ocean basins.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Izangi, Pacific, geodynamics, plate tectonics, subduction, mid-ocean ridge |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Geophysics |
Research Field: | Geodynamics |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences |
UTAS Author: | Whittaker, J (Associate Professor Jo Whittaker) |
ID Code: | 99194 |
Year Published: | 2015 |
Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (DE140100376) |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 83 |
Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
Deposited On: | 2015-03-17 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-25 |
Downloads: | 230 View Download Statistics |
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