Abstract
AbstractHeat transport from the interior to the surface of a terrestrial body dictates the deformation experienced by the lithosphere. Terrestrial bodies with high internal heating rates exhibit heat‐pipe volcanism because subsolidus convection within the mantle has a limit to the amount of heat it can transport without extensive melting. Using numerical simulations, we investigate the lithospheric deformation associated with the global‐scale volcanism on such bodies. Specifically, we study the role of surface temperature and activation energy of mantle rocks while analyzing and characterizing this global deformation—as a terrestrial planet transitions out of heat pipes. We find that increased surface temperature extends the duration of heat‐pipe volcanism, and plate tectonics highly depends on the temperature sensitivity of mantle viscosity. Our findings suggest that a terrestrial planet with a hot surface will develop a thick lithosphere, and thus transition into a stagnant lid tectonic regime following heat pipes.
Published Version
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