Model setup in ASPECT. The narrow red zones at the surface represent the imposed weak plate boundaries where viscosities are several orders of magnitude lower than in the surrounding lithosphere. PA: Pacific plate, NA: North American plate.
Examining plate-mantle coupling using global mantle flow models in ASPECT
Contributed by Arushi Saxean, University of California Davis
Plate tectonics is a phenomenon unique to our planet, and complex life would not exist without it. Significant scientific efforts have been made over the past two decades to better understand this phenomenon to give us a first-order understanding of the plates' different driving and resisting forces. Since then, advancements in numerical techniques and the availability of extensive observational data have enabled the development of more sophisticated models, providing deeper insights into plate tectonics and the associated surface expressions. Some key questions include: what is the impact of plate boundary geometry on surface deformation? How do differing slab structures govern plate motions? What are the relative effects of surface topography, upper-mantle structure, and lower-mantle structure on stresses along plate boundaries?
To address these questions ... [full article]
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