Asthenosphere Viscosity Research Articles

Effect of temperature-dependent viscosity on mantle convection

Two-dimensional numerical calculations in cylindrical shell geometry have been carried out to investigate the effect of the temperature-dependent viscosity on the pattern and the characteristic parameters of the thermal convection occurring in the Earth’s mantle. Systematic model runs established that the viscosity decreasing with the temperature is reduced around the hot core-mantle boundary (CMB) which facilitates ‘the heat transport’ from ‘the core to the mantle’. On the other hand, the viscosity increases near the cold surface which hinders the heat outcome and results in higher mantle temperature and lower surface velocity. A power law relation was revealed between the strength of the temperature-dependence and the observed parameters, such as the velocity, surface mobility, heat flow, average temperature and viscosity. Two additional ‘mantle-like’ models were built up with extra strong temperature-dependent viscosity to imitate the flow in the Earth’s mantle. In model 1, in which the viscosity decreases seven orders of magnitude with the temperature increase, a highly viscous stagnant lid evolves along the cold surface which does not participate in the convection. The existence of the stagnant surface lid reduces the surface heat flow and generates a low viscosity asthenosphere beneath the lid with vigorous small-scale convection. In model 2, in which the viscosity decreases only six orders of magnitude with the temperature and the pressure-dependent viscosity is stronger, does not form a surface stagnant lid, highly viscous ‘slabs’ submerge to the CMB and effectively influence the hot upwelling plumes. Based on our numerical results it is necessary to implicate the yield stress into the simulations in order to obtain a highly viscous, ‘rigid’ surface lid, the lithosphere which can be broken up and subduct down to the mantle.

Pacific plate‐motion change at the time of the Hawaiian‐Emperor bend constrains the viscosity of Earth's asthenosphere

AbstractImportant constraints on asthenospheric viscosity come primarily from modeling the glacial rebound of the past 20 kyr, but remain somewhat loose because of the intrinsic resolving power of these models. We obtain narrower bounds by building on the notion that the asthenosphere also controls the ability to change plate motions over Myr. We focus on the Pacific kinematic change at the time of the Hawaiian‐Emperor bend event, which is linked to the coeval inception of subduction in the Western Pacific. We sample plausible asthenospheric viscosity and thickness values by requiring the rate at which torque varied to generate the observed kinematics consistent with the nature of subduction initiation. Uncertainties on the bend event duration and the occurrence of Pacific hot spots drift do not hamper our results that suggest that the asthenosphere viscous response to vertical shear over kyr is consistent with that to horizontal shear over Myr.

Decadal geodetic variations in Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard): role of past and present ice-mass changes

The geodetic rates for the gravity variation and vertical uplift in polar regions subject to past and present-day ice-mass changes (PDIMCs) provide important insight into the rheological structure of the Earth. We provide an update of the rates observed at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. To do so, we extract and remove the significant seasonal content from the observations. The rate of gravity variations, derived from absolute and relative gravity measurements, is −1.39 ± 0.11 μGal yr −1 . The rate of vertical displacements is estimated using GPS and tide gauge measurements. We obtain 7.94 ± 0.21 and 8.29 ± 1.60 mm yr −1 , respectively. We compare the extracted signal with that predicted by GLDAS/Noah and ERA-interim hydrology models. We find that the seasonal gravity variations are well-represented by local hydrology changes contained in the ERA-interim model. The phase of seasonal vertical displacements are due to non-local continental hydrology and non-tidal ocean loading. However, a large part of the amplitude of the seasonal vertical displacements remains unexplained. The geodetic rates are used to investigate the asthenosphere viscosity and lithosphere/asthenosphere thicknesses. We first correct the updated geodetic rates for those induced by PDIMCs in Svalbard, using published results, and the sea level change due to the melting of the major ice reservoirs. We show that the latter are at the level of the geodetic rate uncertainties and are responsible for rates of gravity variations and vertical displacements of −0.29 ± 0.03 μGal yr −1 and 1.11 ± 0.10 mm yr −1 , respectively. To account for the late Pleistocene deglaciation, we use the global ice evolution model ICE-3G. The Little Ice Age (LIA) deglaciation in Svalbard is modelled using a disc load model with a simple linear temporal evolution. The geodetic rates at Ny-Alesund induced by the past deglaciations depend on the viscosity structure of the Earth. We find that viscous relaxation time due to the LIA deglaciation in Svalbard is more than 60 times shorter than that due to the Pleistocene deglaciation. We also find that the response to past and PDIMCs of an Earth model with asthenosphere viscosities ranging between 1.0 and 5.5 × 10 18 Pa s and lithosphere (resp. asthenosphere) thicknesses ranging between 50 and 100 km (resp. 120 and 170 km) can explain the rates derived from geodetic observations.

Geodynamic modeling of the South Pacific superswell

The South Pacific superswell is a broad region situated in the south central Pacific, characterized by numerous geophysical anomalies including very shallow seafloor compared to the depth predicted for its age by classical seafloor subsidence models, a negative geoid anomaly, a mantle characterized by slow seismic velocities, and a high volcanism concentration. Until recently, the image of the mantle provided by the seismic tomography models was rather blurry due to the sparse distribution of seismometers. This shortcoming has been lately overcome by regional seismic observations on islands and seafloor. The new P-wave seismic tomography model derived from these regional data in addition to global data provides a more reliable and precise image of the mantle, in particular beneath the French Polynesia region. We use it to perform numerical simulations of the instantaneous flow occurring in the mantle, using realistic laws for converting velocity anomalies into density anomalies and for describing the viscosity variations. We compute the associated dynamic topography and geoid anomaly. We show that the superswell could be caused by the large-scale slow velocity anomalies in the lower mantle, which are recognized as the South Pacific superplume. The surface geodetic observations are explained by a model including a low viscosity asthenosphere situated immediately beneath the lithosphere, and a lower mantle viscosity 100 times greater than the upper mantle one. Our study assumes a purely thermal origin of the velocities anomalies. Although the existence of compositional heterogeneities is often invoked to explain the dynamics of the South Pacific superplume in previous numerical and laboratory experiments, and are important to account for plume/superplumes phenomenology, we cannot definitively conclude the presence of such compositional heterogeneities from our geodynamic modeling.

Rapid postseismic relaxation after the great 2006–2007 Kuril earthquakes from GPS observations in 2007–2011

AbstractThe 2006–2007 doublet of Mw > 8 earthquakes in the Kuril subduction zone caused postseismic transient motion in the asthenosphere, which we observed on the Kuril GPS Array in 2007–2011. Here we show that the Maxwell asthenospheric viscosity that best fits the geodetic data increased by nearly an order of magnitude over the interval of 4 years, from 2 × 1017 to 1 × 1018 Pa s. These effective values of viscosity can be explained by a power law rheology for which strain rate is proportional to stress raised to a power n > 1. The apparent change in viscosity can also be caused by other factors such as coupling between afterslip and viscoelastic flow. The open and intriguing question in connection with postseismic data after the Kuril earthquake doublet is the magnitude of the long‐term asthenospheric viscosity, which shall be revealed by continued observations. An asthenosphere with viscosity of about 1 × 1019 Pa s is favored by the postseismic deformation still observed several decades after the 1960 Chile and 1964 Alaska Mw ~9 earthquakes. However, postseismic deformation associated with the 1952 southern Kamchatka Mw ~9 earthquake currently is not observed in the northern Kurils, an indication that the long‐term asthenospheric viscosity in the Kurils is lower than that in Chile and Alaska.

Full waveform tomography of the upper mantle in the South Atlantic region: Imaging a westward fluxing shallow asthenosphere?

A prominent feature of the South Atlantic region is its strongly asymmetric residual bathymetry across the ocean basin. It has been suggested that the residual bathymetry is dynamic in nature, arising from the large slow velocity seismic anomaly located in the lower mantle beneath the African plate. Unfortunately, the pattern of mantle heterogeneity particularly in the upper mantle is not well known owing to the sparsity of seismic stations and the existence of large aseismic regions on the African and South American plates. Here we present a new seismic tomographic study of the South Atlantic upper mantle. Our model is based on a full seismic waveform inversion of ≈ 4000 high-quality seismograms for isotropic 3-D seismic structure using a powerful adjoint methodology capable of extracting maximum information from each seismogram. The theory requires simulation of seismic wave propagation in 3-D heterogeneous earth models computed with a spectral-element method where the differences between observed and synthetic seismograms are quantified using phase misfits obtained through a time–frequency transform. The model images a continuous channel of pronounced slow seismic velocity in the shallow sublithospheric mantle between ≈ 150 and ≈ 300 km depth that branches in between the cratonic roots under the African and South American continents. At greater depth, below 300–350 km, the slow anomalies are less pronounced and a change in the convective planform is indicated by isolated, round shaped patches in an overall faster mantle. It is possible that the depthwise change of the convective planform from vertical to horizontal advection of hot buoyant material in a low viscosity asthenosphere can reconcile the anomalous residual bathymetry in the region, and we present a simple fluid dynamic model of pressure driven flow to assess the feasibility of this scenario.

Layered convection in Io: Implications for short-wavelength surface topography and heat flow

Io, one of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter is remarkable for its extensive volcanism and extreme interior tidal heating. The tidal heating likely yields a very low viscosity asthenosphere and consequently a very high Rayleigh number of O(1012) for convection in the interior. In a state of quasi-steady balance the internally generated heat must be transported from the interior to the base of the Io lithosphere and exhausted to space. The mechanisms whereby the convective radial heat transfer is evacuated involve both conduction and volcanism. Despite Io’s ubiquitous volcanism, only 4% of its mountains (montes) appear to have a volcanic origin and most of the mountainous regions seem to be related to tectonic processes. By employing an original control volume based numerical model we investigate the style of convection in the interior of Io and the correlation of the scale of convection with the Ionian surface heat flux and topography. Our control volume results support the existence of significant asthenospheric heating and demonstrate that short wavelength features of the surface heat flux are well correlated in scale to an expected layered intra-lithospheric style small-scale convection. These numerical analyses suggest that the amplitude of the short wavelength topography of Io is expected to be on the order of a few hundreds of meters. The model results also demonstrate that the Ionian highs cannot be produced by a lithospheric flexure process above the hot upwellings and therefore other tectonic events, such as have previously been suggested; must be responsible for the formation of the high Ionian mountains that reach in excess of 17km in elevation.

How do “ghost transients” from past earthquakes affect GPS slip rate estimates on southern California faults?

In this study, we investigate the extent to which viscoelastic velocity perturbations (or “ghost transients”) from individual fault segments can affect elastic block model‐based inferences of fault slip rates from GPS velocity fields. We focus on the southern California GPS velocity field, exploring the effects of known, large earthquakes for two end‐member rheological structures. Our approach is to compute, at each GPS site, the velocity perturbation relative to a cycle average for earthquake cycles on particular fault segments. We then correct the SCEC CMM4.0 velocity field for this perturbation and invert the corrected field for fault slip rates. We find that if asthenosphere viscosities are low (3 × 1018 Pa s), the current GPS velocity field is significantly perturbed by viscoelastic earthquake cycle effects associated with the San Andreas Fault segment that last ruptured in 1857 (Mw = 7.9). Correcting the GPS velocity field for this perturbation (or “ghost transient”) adds about 5 mm/a to the SAF slip rate along the Mojave and San Bernardino segments. The GPS velocity perturbations due to large earthquakes on the Garlock Fault (most recently, events in the early 1600s) and the White Wolf Fault (most recently, the Mw = 7.3 1952 Kern County earthquake) are smaller and do not influence block‐model inverted fault slip rates. This suggests that either the large discrepancy between geodetic and geologic slip rates for the Garlock Fault is not due to a ghost transient or that un‐modeled transients from recent Mojave earthquakes may influence the GPS velocity field.

Dynamics of interplate domain in subduction zones: influence of rheological parameters and subducting plate age

Abstract. The properties of the subduction interplate domain are likely to affect not only the seismogenic potential of the subduction area but also the overall subduction process, as it influences its viability. Numerical simulations are performed to model the long-term equilibrium state of the subduction interplate when the diving lithosphere interacts with both the overriding plate and the surrounding convective mantle. The thermomechanical model combines a non-Newtonian viscous rheology and a pseudo-brittle rheology. Rock strength here depends on depth, temperature and stress, for both oceanic crust and mantle rocks. I study the evolution through time of, on one hand, the brittle-ductile transition (BDT) depth, zBDT, and, on the other hand, of the kinematic decoupling depth, zdec, simulated along the subduction interplate. The results show that both a high friction and a low ductile strength at the asthenospheric wedge tip shallow zBDT. The influence of the weak material activation energy is of second order but not negligible. zBDT becomes dependent on the ductile strength increase with depth (activation volume) if the BDT occurs at the interplate decoupling depth. Regarding the interplate decoupling depth, it is shallowed (1) significantly if mantle viscosity at asthenospheric wedge tip is low, (2) if the difference in mantle and interplate activation energy is weak, and (3) if the activation volume is increased. Very low friction coefficients and/or low asthenospheric viscosities promote zBDT = zdec. I then present how the subducting lithosphere age affects the brittle-ductile transition depth and the kinematic decoupling depth in this model. Simulations show that a rheological model in which the respective activation energies of mantle and interplate material are too close hinders the mechanical decoupling at the down-dip extent of the interplate, and eventually jams the subduction process during incipient subduction of a young (20-Myr-old) and soft lithosphere under a thick upper plate. Finally, both the BDT depth and the decoupling depth are a function of the subducting plate age, but are not influenced in the same fashion: cool and old subducting plates deepen the BDT but shallow the interplate decoupling depth. Even if BDT and kinematic decoupling are intrinsically related to different mechanisms of deformation, this work shows that they are able to interact closely. Comparison between modelling results and observations suggests a minimum friction coefficient of 0.045 for the interplate plane, even 0.069 in some cases, to model realistic BDT depths. The modelled zdec is a bit deeper than suggested by geophysical observations. Eventually, the better way to improve the adjustment to observations may rely on a moderate to strong asthenosphere viscosity reduction in the metasomatised mantle wedge.

Depth-dependent viscosity and mantle stress amplification: implications for the role of the asthenosphere in maintaining plate tectonics

Boundary layer theory is used to derive scaling relationships for plate stresses in a mantle convection system with a low-viscosity asthenosphere. The theory assumes a plate tectonic like mode of mantle convection with flow driven by an active upper boundary layer. The theory predicts that the confinement of horizontal mantle flow within a low-viscosity, sublithospheric channel can lead to an increase in plate stress compared to the case lacking a channel (even if the absolute viscosity of the sublithosphere mantle does not change between the two cases). The theory further predicts increasing shear stress with decreasing low-viscosity channel thickness. If the thickness of tectonic plates is determined dominantly by a dehydrated chemical lithosphere, then the plate normal stress is predicted to also increase with decreasing channel thickness. We use 3-D spherical shell simulations of mantle convection with temperature-, depth- and stress dependent rheology to test scaling trends. The simulations and theoretical scalings demonstrate that a low-viscosity layer (asthenosphere) can amplify convective stresses. If the level of convective stress plays a role in maintaining and/or reactivating plate boundaries, this suggests that a relatively thin low viscosity layer may help to maintain plate tectonics. The numerical simulations support this suggestion as they show that an increase in the thickness of a low viscosity channel can cause the system to transition from an active-lid mode of convection to a stagnant lid state. Collectively, the simulations and theoretical scalings lead to the conclusion that the role of the asthenosphere in maintaining plate tectonics does not come principally from a basal lubrication effect, associated with a low absolute asthenosphere viscosity, but, instead, from a mantle flow channelization effect, associated with a high viscosity contrast from the asthenosphere to the mantle below.

Birth of an ocean in the Red Sea: Initial pangs

We obtained areal variations of crustal thickness, magnetic intensity, and degree of melting of the sub‐axial upwelling mantle at Thetis and Nereus Deeps, the two northernmost axial segments of initial oceanic crustal accretion in the Red Sea, where Arabia is separating from Africa. The initial emplacement of oceanic crust occurred at South Thetis and Central Nereus roughly ∼2.2 and ∼2 Ma, respectively, and is taking place today in the northern Thetis and southern Nereus tips. Basaltic glasses major and trace element composition suggests a rift‐to‐drift transition marked by magmatic activity with typical MORB signature, with no contamination by continental lithosphere, but with slight differences in mantle source composition and/or potential temperature between Thetis and Nereus. Eruption rate, spreading rate, magnetic intensity, crustal thickness and degree of mantle melting were highest at both Thetis and Nereus in the very initial phases of oceanic crust accretion, immediately after continental breakup, probably due to fast mantle upwelling enhanced by an initially strong horizontal thermal gradient. This is consistent with a rift model where the lower continental lithosphere has been replaced by upwelling asthenosphere before continental rupturing, implying depth‐dependent extension due to decoupling between the upper and lower lithosphere with mantle‐lithosphere‐necking breakup before crustal‐necking breakup. Independent along‐axis centers of upwelling form at the rifting stage just before oceanic crust accretion, with buoyancy‐driven convection within a hot, low viscosity asthenosphere. Each initial axial cell taps a different asthenospheric source and serves as nucleus for axial propagation of oceanic accretion, resulting in linear segments of spreading.

Influence of lithosphere‐asthenosphere interaction on the overriding lithosphere in a subduction zone: Numerical modeling

Several factors influence the topography of the overriding plate in a subduction zone: mantle wedge flow caused by motion of the descending slab, lithosphere elasticity, and interaction between the solid lithosphere and the viscous asthenosphere. This paper presents the results of new subduction modeling that incorporates both elastic/elastoplastic deformation in the overriding plate and viscous deformation in the asthenosphere. The effects of fluid‐solid coupling and interaction were considered using an arbitrary Lagrangian‐Eulerian technique that solves for the continuous deformation of fluid flow in contact with the rigid plate. Modeling results show that thicker lithosphere, which is harder to deform, contributes to the development of broadly shallower back‐arc basins. As lithospheric strength decreases, its ability to withstand outside force (fluid load) resulting from flow in the mantle wedge also declines, leading to the development of deep and narrow basins. Large‐scale deformation of the lithosphere modifies both the mantle wedge geometry and the wedge flow pattern, which in turn increases the fluid load and thereby enhances topographic variation. Generally, the effect of interaction is enhanced with lithospheric deformation. The elastoplastic model also leads to a weaker lithosphere and a correspondingly larger deflection in the lithosphere. Similarly to previous studies, back‐arc basins are deeper when mantle viscosity is higher. For a 50 km thick elastic lithosphere, the lithosphere‐asthenosphere interaction is negligible when the asthenospheric viscosity is less than 4 × 1019 Pa s. Increasing the rate of subduction or decreasing the dip angle will also lead to the development of deeper basins.

Viscous coupling at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary

Tectonic plate motions reflect dynamical contributions from subduction processes (i.e., classical “slab-pull” forces) and lateral pressure gradients within the asthenosphere (“asthenosphere-drive” forces), which are distinct from gravity forces exerted by elevated mid-ocean ridges (i.e., classical “ridge-push” forces). Here we use scaling analysis to show that the extent to which asthenosphere-drive contributes to plate motions depends on the lateral dimension of plates and on the relative viscosities and thicknesses of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Whereas slab-pull forces always govern the motions of plates with a lateral extent greater than the mantle depth, asthenosphere-drive forces can be relatively more important for smaller (shorter wavelength) plates, large relative asthenosphere viscosities or large asthenosphere thicknesses. Published plate velocities, tomographic images and age-binned mean shear wave velocity anomaly data allow us to estimate the relative contributions of slab-pull and asthenosphere-drive forces for the motions of the Atlantic and Pacific plates. Whereas the Pacific plate is driven largely by slab pull, the Atlantic plate is predicted to be strongly driven by basal forces related to viscous coupling to strong asthenospheric flow, consistent with recent observations related to the stress state of North America. In addition, compared to the East Pacific Rise (EPR), the relatively large lateral pressure gradient near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is expected to produce significantly steeper dynamic topography. Thus, the relative importance of this plate-driving force may partly explain why the flanking topography at the EPR is smoother than at the MAR. Our analysis also indicates that this plate-driving force was more significant, and heat loss less efficient, in Earth's hotter past compared with its cooler present state. This type of trend is consistent with thermal history modeling results which require less efficient heat transfer in Earth's past.

Lithosphere–asthenosphere viscosity contrast and decoupling

The coupling/decoupling between the lithosphere and asthenosphere has significant implications for understanding many important aspects of plate tectonics and geodynamics. To drive plate motion, mantle convection requires coupling at the lithosphere–asthenosphere (LA) interface. Meanwhile a low viscosity layer in the asthenosphere is indicative of possible LA decoupling. Here we present an analytical model of a stratified uppermost mantle structure disturbed by a long-wavelength perturbation (such as the body tide) to analyse the influence of LA viscosity contrast on the growth (or decay) rates of the perturbation. We show that the viscosity contrast of 8–10 orders of magnitude would allow a relative motion of the lithosphere over the asthenosphere due to the long-wavelength perturbations at the rate of about 10 cm yr −1. These constrains on the viscosity contrast can allow to discriminate between the LA coupling and decoupling. The growing seismic and mineralogical evidences of a possible ultra low viscosity asthenospheric layer may be indicative of the LA decoupling and their relative motions due to long-wavelength perturbations, and a contribution of the tidal drag on the plate motion should not be neglected in the regions of high viscosity contrasts.

The mechanism of postseismic deformation triggered by the 2006-2007 great Kuril earthquakes

[1] In 2006–2007, a doublet of great earthquakes (Mw > 8) struck in the center of the Kuril subduction zone, a thrust event followed by an extensional event. Our observations of the Kuril GPS Array in 2006–2009 outline a broad zone of postseismic deformation with initial horizontal velocities to 90 mm/a, and postseismic uplift. We show that most of the postseismic signal after the great Kuril doublet is caused by the viscoelastic relaxation of shear stresses in the weak asthenosphere with the best-fitting Maxwell viscosity in the range of (5–10) × 1017 Pa s, an order of magnitude smaller than was estimated for several subduction zones. We predict that the postseismic deformation will die out in about a decade after the earthquake doublet. Our results suggest large variations among subduction zones in the asthenospheric viscosity, one of the most important rheological parameters.

Signatures of downgoing plate-buoyancy driven subduction in Cenozoic plate motions

The dynamics of plate tectonics are strongly related to those of subduction. To obtain a better understanding of the driving forces of subduction, we compare relations between Cenozoic subduction motions at major trenches with the trends expected for the simplest form of subduction. i.e., free subduction, driven solely by the buoyancy of the downgoing plate. In models with an Earth-like plate stiffness (corresponding to a plate–mantle viscosity contrast of 2–3 orders of magnitude), free plates subduct by a combination of downgoing plate motion and trench retreat, while the slab is draped and folded on top of the upper-lower mantle viscosity transition. In these models, the slabs sink according to their Stokes’ velocities. Observed downgoing-plate motion–plate-age trends are compatible with >80% of the Cenozoic slabs sinking according to their upper-mantle Stokes’ velocity, i.e., subducting-plate motion is largely driven by upper-mantle slab pull. Only in a few cases, do young plates move at velocities that require a higher driving force (possibly supplied by lower-mantle–slab induced flow). About 80% of the Cenozoic trenches retreat, with retreat accounting for about 10% of the total convergence. The few advancing trench sections are likely affected by regional factors. The low trench motions are likely encouraged by low asthenospheric drag (equivalent to that for effective asthenospheric viscosity 2–3 orders below the upper-mantle average), and low lithospheric strength (effective bending viscosity ∼2 orders of magnitude above the upper-mantle average). Total Cenozoic trench motions are often very oblique to the direction of downgoing-plate motion (mean angle of 73°). This indicates that other forces than slab buoyancy exert the main control on upper-plate/trench motion. However, the component of trench retreat in the direction of downgoing plate motion (≈ slab pull) correlates with downgoing-plate motion, and this component of retreat generally does not exceed the amount expected for free buoyancy-driven subduction. High present-day slab dips (on average about 70°) are compatible with largely upper-mantle slab-pull driven subduction of relatively weak plates, where motion partitioning and slab geometry adjust to external constraints/forces on trench motion.

Twentieth century constraints on sea level change and earthquake deformation at Macquarie Island

SUMMARY Through the combination of rare historical sea level observations collected during Sir Douglas Mawson’s 1911–1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), together with modern sea level data, space geodetic estimates of crustal displacement and modelling of coseismic and post-seismic earthquake deformation, we present a contemporary analysis to constrain sea level and land level change over the twentieth century at Macquarie Island (54 ◦ 30 � S, 158 ◦ 57 � E). We combine 9 months of 1912–1913 sea level data with intermediate observations in 1969–1971, 1982 and 1998–2007 to estimate sea level rise relative to the land at +4.8 ± 0.6 mm yr −1 . Combined with estimates of global mean sea level rise, this value supports the geologically surprising notion of land subsidence, conflicting with longer term geological evidence that suggests uplift at ∼0.8 mm yr −1 over the last 400–300 Kyr. We investigate the current tectonic evolution of the Island through analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) solutions that utilize data over the period 2000–2009. Importantly, this provides an opportunity to refine the source parameters of the M w ∼8.0 great earthquake of 2004 December 23 using estimates of coseismic displacements at regional GPS sites. We use the estimated earthquake source and GPS observations of four years of post-seismic deformation at Macquarie Island to infer the rheology of the oceanic upper mantle. We find that an asthenosphere bounded by stronger material above and below is required to produce the observed post-seismic deformation, particularly in the vertical component. Assuming a Maxwell rheology, the best fit is given by an asthenospheric viscosity of 3×10 19 Pa s. The inferred rheology determined from the 2004 earthquake is used to model long period post-seismic deformation from M w ∼8.0 earthquakes of 1989 and 1924. The 1924 earthquake is the closest of the three great earthquakes to Macquarie Island, and our modelling suggests that the majority of the vertical deformation at the tide gauge over the subsequent 80 years is related to ongoing viscoelastic relaxation from this thrust earthquake that ruptured south from an epicentre south of Macquarie Island. Assimilated time-series of land level change from the earthquake modelling (suggesting ongoing subsidence) constrained by the GPS estimate of vertical velocity of −2.46 ± 0.64 mm yr −1 combine with the relative sea level time-series to yield an estimate of absolute sea level change of +2.0 ± 0.8 mm yr −1 over the twentieth century. We conclude this is consistent with the upper bound of the global average rate of absolute sea level rise over the same period. This represents one of few estimates of observed sea level change in the Southern Ocean, re-emphasizing the importance of historical data and continued geodetic and oceanographic observation in remote areas.

Reevaluation of the viscoelastic and elastic responses to the past and present-day ice changes in Southeast Alaska

We have reevaluated the viscoelastic and elastic responses to the past and present-day ice changes in Southeast Alaska (SE-AK) based on a GPS data set by combining the data previously published in 2005 with additional uplift rates compiled recently. There are 22 new GPS sites, yielding a total of 91 sites. The mean observation epoch of the data sets is the middle of 2003. Here we considered three ice unloading effects due to the last glacial maximum (LGM), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the present-day ice melting (PDIM). We also examined the dependency of the estimated lithospheric thickness and the asthenospheric viscosity on PDIM models. For this test, two PDIM models were used: one is a model, called here the UAF05 ice model, whose mean epoch is the mid-1970s, and the other is a model, called here the UAF07 model, whose mean epoch is the mid-1980s. Statistical examinations of the misfits between observations and model predictions indicate that UAF07 gives much more consistent results than UAF05, based on the magnitude of the minimum χ 2 and the agreement of the residual distribution with a Gaussian function. We have tested two different kinds of mantle viscosity structure: a 2-layer model similar to the model used the paper previously published in 2005 and a 4-layer model. For the 2-layer model, at the 95% confidence level, the optimum values for the lithospheric thickness and the asthenospheric viscosity (with a thickness of 110 km) are 54 (45–65) km and 5.58 (4.0–12.0) in unit of 10 18 Pa s, respectively. On the other hand, for the 4-layer model, the best values were 60 (42–63) km and 10.0 (3.0–13) in unit of 10 18 Pa s, respectively. The comparison between the analysis results for GPS data and the model computations indicates that the observations detect not only the uplift rates in SE-AK but also their time variations which are considered to be due to the glacier changes after the 1990s.

Constraints on lithosphere net rotation and asthenospheric viscosity from global mantle flow models and seismic anisotropy

Although an average westward rotation of the Earth's lithosphere is indicated by global analyses of surface features tied to the deep mantle (e.g., hot spot tracks), the rate of lithospheric drift is uncertain despite its importance to global geodynamics. We use a global viscous flow model to predict asthenospheric anisotropy computed from linear combinations of mantle flow fields driven by relative plate motions, mantle density heterogeneity, and westward lithosphere rotation. By comparing predictions of lattice preferred orientation to asthenospheric anisotropy in oceanic regions inferred from SKS splitting observations and surface wave tomography, we constrain absolute upper mantle viscosity (to 0.5–1.0 × 1021 Pa s, consistent with other constraints) simultaneously with net rotation rate and the decrease in the viscosity of the asthenosphere relative to that of the upper mantle. For an asthenosphere 10 times less viscous than the upper mantle, we find that global net rotation must be <0.26°/Myr (<60% of net rotation in the HS3 (Pacific hot spot) reference frame); larger viscosity drops amplify asthenospheric shear associated with net rotation and thus require slower net rotation to fit observed anisotropy. The magnitude of westward net rotation is consistent with lithospheric drift relative to Indo‐Atlantic hot spots but is slower than drift in the Pacific hot spot frame (HS3 ≈ 0.44°/Myr). The latter may instead express net rotation relative to the deep mantle beneath the Pacific plate, which is moving rapidly eastward in our models.

India‐Asia collision and the Cenozoic slowdown of the Indian plate: Implications for the forces driving plate motions

The plate motion of India changed dramatically between 50 and 35 Ma, with the rate of convergence between India and Asia dropping from ∼15 to ∼4 cm/yr. This change is coincident with the onset of the India‐Asia collision, and with a rearrangement of plate boundaries in the Indian Ocean. On the basis of a simple model for the forces exerted upon the edges of the plate and the tractions on the base of the plate, we perform force balance calculations for the precollision and postcollision configurations. We show that the observed Euler poles for the Indian plate are well explained in terms of their locations and magnitudes if (1) the resistive force induced by mountain building in the Himalaya‐Tibet area is ∼5–6 × 1012 N/m, (2) the net force exerted upon the Indian plate by subduction zones is similar in magnitude to the ridge‐push force (∼2.5 × 1012 N/m), and (3) basal tractions exert a resisting force that is linearly proportional to the plate velocity in the hot spot reference frame. The third point implies an asthenospheric viscosity of ∼2–5 × 1019 Pa s, assuming a thickness of 100–150 km. Synthetic Euler poles show that crustal thickening in the Tibetan Plateau was the dominant cause of the Cenozoic slowdown of the Indian plate.