Flat to steep transition in subduction style

Abstract

Research Article| October 01, 1994 Flat to steep transition in subduction style Dallas Abbott; Dallas Abbott 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York 10964 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Rebecca Drury; Rebecca Drury 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York 10964 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Walter H. F. Smith Walter H. F. Smith 2NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Dallas Abbott 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York 10964 Rebecca Drury 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York 10964 Walter H. F. Smith 2NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1994) 22 (10): 937–940. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1994)022<0937:FTSTIS>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Dallas Abbott, Rebecca Drury, Walter H. F. Smith; Flat to steep transition in subduction style. Geology 1994;; 22 (10): 937–940. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1994)022<0937:FTSTIS>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We use a thermal history of the mantle to calculate the evolution of oceanic crustal thickness over Earth history and use residual depth anomalies from the present-day Pacific to find the crustal thickness range (9.2-11.6 km) where the subduction style changes from mainly flat to mainly steep. We find that steep subduction was well developed by 2.5 Ga, which coincides with a major change in sedimentary rare-earth element patterns. Over 50% of all oceanic crust subducted steeply by 2.0-1.6 Ga, the same interval over which the average thickness of continental plates declined rapidly. Because producing thick plates requires many episodes of flat subduction, our model can explain why there are no known thick plates <1.6 Ga. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.