Abstract
Flat subduction can significantly influence the distribution of volcanism, stress state, and surface topography of the overriding plate. However, the mechanisms for inducing flat subduction remain controversial. Previous two-dimensional (2-D) numerical models and laboratory analogue models suggested that a buoyant impactor (aseismic ridge, oceanic plateau, or the like) may induce flat subduction. However, three-dimensional (3-D) systematic studies on the relationship between flat subduction and buoyant blocks are still lacking. Here, we use a 3-D numerical model to investigate the influence of the aseismic ridge, especially its width (which is difficult to consider in 2-D numerical models), on the formation of flat subduction. Our model results suggest that the aseismic ridge needs to be wide and thick enough to induce flat subduction, a condition that is difficult to satisfy on the Earth. We also find that the subduction of an aseismic ridge parallel to the trench or a double aseismic ridge normal to the trench has a similar effect on super-wide aseismic ridge subduction in terms of causing flat subduction, which can explain the flat subduction observed beneath regions such as Chile and Peru.
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