Abstract
The evidence bearing upon the rheology of the " tectonicallysignificant layers" of the Earth (" tectonosphere ") in the intermediatetime range (4 hours to 15000 years) is analyzed. This evidence isbased upon observations of rock-behavior in the laboratory, of seismicaftershock sequences, of Earth tides and of the decay of the Chandler wobble.It is shown that of the rheological models (Maxwell-material, Kelvin-material,and logarithmically creeping material) advocated in the literature, only thatbased on logarithmic creep does not contradict any of the observationalevidence available to date. In addition, a strength limit may be present.
Highlights
The scales of geodynamic phenomena reach spatially and temporally over a vast range
The " rheological behavior of the tectonosphere " refers to its average behavior; conceivably the uppermost crust and the upper mantle could behave individually quite differently, b u t the scheme presented here refers to the combined effect of these possibly different individual responses
[x = 2 x 1012 cgs yields for the Kelvin viscosity -q r] = 2.5 X 1014 cgs. This is again a value which is very small. It does not agree with the values obtained from creep experiments of Kelvin-type rocks nor does it agree with the value obtained from seismic aftershock sequences if the latter are " forced " into a Kelvin model (Benioff strain rebound theory)
Summary
The scales of geodynamic phenomena reach spatially and temporally over a vast range. In the different time ranges, the response (*) 201 Met. & Min. For a constant stress cr0, the strain becomes a logarithmic function of time.
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