Abstract
The deformation of the lithosphere due to temperature anomalies caused by a heat source located below or within the layer is usually modelled as one of Pratt local isostasy. A more appropriate model is one of rheologically layered lithosphere comprising of a stiff viscoelastic or elastic layer overlying a weaker viscoelastic layer. The surface deformations are a result of not only the perturbations in body forces due to density changes, but thermal bending moments. In geophysically realistic situations the former contribution dominates. Pratt isostasy is attained if the stresses in the entire lithosphere are allowed to relax and this end state is not contingent upon the lithosphere being confined against horizontal deformation. In a rheologically layered lithosphere, even though the non-isostatic thermal stresses persist in the upper layer, the surface deformations are indistinguishable from that of local isostasy if the horizontal dimension of the heat source exceeds about three times the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere.
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