Plate Boundary Geometry Research Articles

High‐Resolution Mantle Flow Models Reveal Importance of Plate Boundary Geometry and Slab Pull Forces on Generating Tectonic Plate Motions

AbstractMantle convection models based on geophysical constraints have provided us with a basic understanding of the forces driving and resisting plate motions on Earth. However, existing studies computing the balance of underlying forces are contradicting, and the impact of plate boundary geometry on surface deformation remains unknown. We address these issues by developing global instantaneous 3‐D mantle convection models with a heterogeneous density and viscosity distribution and weak plate boundaries prescribed using different geometries. We find that the plate boundary geometry of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM, Pagani et al., 2018, https://doi.org/10.1177/8755293020931866), featuring open plate boundaries with discrete lithospheric‐depth weak zones in the oceans and distributed crustal faults within continents, achieves the best fit to the observed GPS data with a directional correlation of 95.1% and a global point‐wise velocity residual of 1.87 cm/year. A good fit also requires plate boundaries being 3 to 4 orders of magnitude weaker than the surrounding lithosphere and low asthenospheric viscosities between 5 × 1017 and 5 × 1018 Pa s. Models without asthenospheric and lower mantle heterogeneities retain on average 30% and 70% of the plate speeds, respectively. Our results show that Earth's plate boundaries are not uniform and better described by more discrete plate boundaries within the oceans and distributed faults within continents. Furthermore, they emphasize the impact of plate boundary geometry on the direction and speed of plate motions and reaffirm the importance of slab pull in the uppermost mantle as a major plate driving force.

Implications for the geometry of plate boundaries in NE Asia based on the geodetic analysis of the 2020Mw 6.4 Koryak event

SUMMARYOn the 9th of January 2020, an Mw 6.4 strike-slip earthquake took place north of the Asian margin of the Bering Sea. The earthquake occurred within the known reverse-right-lateral active fault zone, called Khatyrka–Vyvenka, which transverses the Koryak Highland from SE to NW and is thought to be a surface manifestation of the Asian portion of either the Bering plate boundary or the northern edge of the Alaskan stream. No other strong earthquake has ever been recorded in this remote uninhabited area and the few existing seismic stations provide poor quality earthquake locations. We adopt SAR interferometry (InSAR) technique to define an improved location of the Koryak 2020 earthquake and constrain the seismic source. The analysis of the 2020 event revealed a previously unknown active fault of left-lateral kinematics that is possibly hidden and strikes NW transversely to the Khatyrka–Vyvenka fault zone. Although several mechanisms could account for left-lateral kinematics of this fault, we propose that the structure is part of a more extended NW fault structure, that formed in pre-neotectonic times and has played a role of a pre-existing rheological discontinuity. This revived NW structure together with a similar structure located easterly, so far aseismic, make the plate/stream boundary segmented, step-like in plan view. The step-like boundary geometry may be the result of internal transform deformation of a rigid plate, but it is better explained by deflections of the Alaskan stream edge at local crustal asperities, which are pre-Cenozoic terrains.

Bayesian Multi‐Model Estimation of Fault Slip Distribution for Slow Slip Events in Southwest Japan: Effects of Prior Constraints and Uncertain Underground Structure

AbstractWe consider a Bayesian multi‐model fault slip estimation (BMMFSE), which incorporates many candidates of the underground structure (Earth structure and plate boundary geometry) model characterized by a prior probability density function (PDF). The technique is used to study long‐term slow slip events (L‐SSEs) that occurred beneath the Bungo Channel, southwest Japan, in around 2010 and 2018. We here focus on the two advantages of BMMFSE: First, it allows for estimating slip distribution without introducing relatively strong prior information such as smoothing constraints, by combining a fully Bayesian inference and better consideration of model uncertainty to avoid overfitting. Second, the posterior PDF for the underground structure is also obtained during the fault slip estimation, which can be used as priors for the estimation of slip distribution for recurring events. The estimated slip distribution obtained using BMMFSE agreed better with the distribution of deep tectonic tremors at the down‐dip side of the main rupture area than those based on stronger prior constraints when the corresponding Coulomb failure stress changes are compared. This finding suggests a mechanical relationship between the L‐SSE and the synchronized tremors. The use of the posterior PDF of the underground structure estimated for the 2010 L‐SSE as prior PDF for the 2018 event resulted in more consistent estimation with the data, indicated by a smaller value of an information criterion.

Sensitivity Analysis for Seafloor Geodetic Constraints on Coseismic Slip and Interseismic Slip-Deficit Distributions

Estimating the coseismic slip distribution and interseismic slip-deficit distribution play an important role in understanding the mechanism of massive earthquakes and predicting the resulting damage. It is useful to observe the crustal deformation not only in the land area, but also directly above the seismogenic zone. Therefore, improvements in terms of measurement precision and increase in the number of observation points have been proposed in various forms of seafloor observation. However, there is lack of research on the quantitative evaluation of the estimation accuracy in cases where new crustal deformation observation points are available or when the precision of the observation methods have been improved. On the other hand, the crustal structure models are improving and finite element analysis using these highly detailed crustal structure models is becoming possible. As such, there is the real possibility of performing an inverted slip estimation with high accuracy via numerical experiments. In view of this, in this study, we proposed a method for quantitatively evaluating the improvement in the estimation accuracy of the coseismic slip distribution and the interseismic slip-deficit distribution in cases where new crustal deformation observation points are available or where the precision of the observation methods have been improved. As a demonstration, a quantitative evaluation was performed using an actual crustal structure model and observation point arrangement. For the target area, we selected the Kuril Trench off Tokachi and Nemuro, where M9-class earthquakes have been known to occur in the past and where the next imminent earthquake is anticipated. To appropriately handle the effects of the topography and plate boundary geometry, a highly detailed three-dimensional finite element model was constructed and Green’s functions of crustal deformation were calculated with high accuracy. By performing many inversions via optimization using Green’s functions, we statistically evaluated the effect of increase in the number of observation points of the seafloor crustal deformation measurement and the influence of measurement error, taking into consideration the diversity of measurement errors. As a result, it was demonstrated that the observation of seafloor crustal deformation near the trench axis plays an extremely important role in the estimation performance.

Evolution of migrating transform faults in anisotropic oceanic crust: examples from Iceland

Major transform fault zones link extensional segments of the North American – Eurasian plate boundary as it transects the Iceland Hotspot. Changes in plate boundary geometry, involving ridge jumps, rift propagation, and related transform fault zone migration, have occurred as the boundary has moved relative to the hotspot. Reconfiguration of transform fault zones occurred at about 6 Ma in northern Iceland and began about 3 Ma in southern Iceland. These systems show a range of different types of transform fault zones, ranging from diffuse, oblique rift zones to narrower, well-defined, transform faults oriented parallel to current plate motions. Crustal deformation structures correlate with the inferred duration and magnitude of strike-slip displacements. Collectively, the different expressions of transform zones may represent different stages of development in an evolutionary sequence that may be relevant for understanding the tectonic history of plate boundaries in Iceland as well as the structure of transform fault zones on more typical parts of the mid-ocean ridge system.

Geophysical Constraints on the Relationship Between Seamount Subduction, Slow Slip, and Tremor at the North Hikurangi Subduction Zone, New Zealand

AbstractWe use a prestack depth migration reflection image and magnetic anomaly data across the northern Hikurangi subduction zone, New Zealand, to constrain plate boundary structure and geometry of a subducting seamount in a region of shallow slow slip and recent International Ocean Discovery Program drilling. Our 3‐D model reveals the subducting seamount as a SW‐NE striking, lozenge‐shaped ridge approximately 40 km long and 15 km wide, with relief up to 2.5 km. This seamount broadly correlates with a 20‐km‐wide gap separating two patches of large (>10 cm) slow slip and the locus of tectonic tremor associated with the September–October 2014 Gisborne slow slip event. Largest slow slip magnitudes occurred where the décollement is underlain by a 3.0‐km‐thick zone of highly reflective subducting sediments. Wave speeds within this zone are 7% lower than adjacent and overlying strata, supporting the view that high fluid pressures within subducting sediments may facilitate shallow slow slip along the north Hikurangi margin.

Modeling the Geometry of Plate Boundary and Seismic Structure in the Southern Ryukyu Trench Subduction Zone, Japan, Using Amphibious Seismic Observations

AbstractHere we present the new model, the geometry of the subducted Philippine Sea Plate interface beneath the southern Ryukyu Trench subduction zone, estimated from seismic tomography and focal mechanism estimation by using passive and active data from a temporary amphibious seismic network and permanent land stations. Using relocated low‐angle thrust‐type earthquakes, repeating earthquakes, and structural information, we constrained the geometry of plate boundary from the trench axis to a 60 km depth with uncertainties of less than 5 km. The estimated plate geometry model exhibited large variation, including a pronounced convex structure that may be evidence of a subducted seamount in the eastern portion of study area, whereas the western part appeared smooth. We also found that the active earthquake region near the plate boundary, defined by the distance from our plate geometry model, was clearly separated from the area dominated by short‐term slow‐slip events (SSEs). The oceanic crust just beneath the SSE‐dominant region, the western part of the study area, showed high Vp/Vs ratios (>1.8), whereas the eastern side showed moderate or low Vp/Vs (<1.75). We interpreted this as an indication that high fluid pressures near the surface of the slab are contributing to the SSE activities. Within the toe of the mantle wedge, P and S wave velocities (<7.5 and <4.2 km/s, respectively) lower than those observed through normal mantle peridotite might suggest that some portions of the mantle may be at least 40% serpentinized.

Coseismic deformation due to the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake: influence of 3-D elastic structure around Japan

We investigated the effects of elastic heterogeneity on coseismic deformation associated with the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, Japan, using a 3-D finite element model, incorporating the geometry of regional plate boundaries. Using a forward approach, we computed displacement fields for different elastic models with a given slip distribution. Three main structural models are considered to separate the effects of different kinds of heterogeneity: a homogeneous model, a two-layered model with crust–mantle stratification, and a crust–mantle layered model with a strong subducting slab. We observed two counteracting effects: (1) On large spatial scales, elastic layering with increasing rigidity with depth leads to a decrease in surface displacement. (2) An increase in rigidity from above the slab interface to below causes an increase in surface displacement, because the weaker hanging wall deforms to accommodate coseismic slip. Results for slip inversions associated with the Tohoku-oki earthquake show that slip patterns are modified when comparing homogeneous and heterogeneous models. However, the maximum slip only changes slightly: It increases from 38.5 m in the homogeneous to 39.6 m in the layered case and decreases to 37.3 m when slabs are introduced. Potency, i.e., the product of slip and fault area, changes accordingly. Layering leads to inferred slip distributions that are broader and deeper compared to the homogeneous case, particularly to the south of the overall slip maximum. The introduction of a strong slab leads to a reduction in slip around the slip maximum near the trench. We also find that details of the vertical deformation patterns for heterogeneous models are sensitive to the Poisson’s ratio. While elastic heterogeneity does therefore not have a dramatic effect on bulk quantities such as inferred potency, the mechanical response of a layered medium with a slab does lead to a systematically modified slip response, and such effects may bias studies of mega-thrust earthquakes.

PRESENT‐DAY CRUSTAL STRAIN RATE FIELD IN THE TAIWAN ACTIVE COLLISION ZONE AND ITS GEODYNAMIC MECHANISMS: INSIGHT FROM FEM SIMULATIONS

AbstractThe Taiwan Island is the product of convergence and collision between the Eurasian and the Philippine Sea plates, where the geological structure is complex, seismicity is high and deformation strong. In order to quantitatively study characteristics of crustal deformation and to understand its geodynamic mechanisms of this area, we calculated the strain rate field in and around Taiwan by using the finite element method (FEM), utilizing GPS data from 1995 to 2005 as boundary constraints in simulation. The results show that contractions are predominant in central Taiwan, while extension exists in northeast and south, respectively. The largest deformation appears on the Coast Range and the adjacent waters in eastern Taiwan. The calculated slip rates on the Longitudinal Valley Fault (LVF) are 13.81∼23.48 mm/yr, meaning part of the convergence is absorbed by LVF, thus deformation to the west of LVF decays rapidly westwards and northwestwards. Moreover, the results show that the calculated velocities and GPS vectors are in good agreement, and calculated orientations of principal stresses are consistent with in‐situ stress measurements and focal mechanism solutions, demonstrating the finite element model established in this paper is reasonable. In addition, the calculated results imply that the general framework of present‐day deformation in Taiwan results from interactions by many factors such as plate collision between the Eurasian and the Philippine Sea plates, geometry of plate boundaries, faulting and rifting, opening of the Okinawa trough and retreat of the Ryukyu trench.

Interaction of a mantle plume and a segmented mid-ocean ridge: Results from numerical modeling

Previous investigations have proposed that changes in lithospheric thickness across a transform fault, due to the juxtaposition of seafloor of different ages, can impede lateral dispersion of an on-ridge mantle plume. The application of this “transform damming” mechanism has been considered for several plume–ridge systems, including the Reunion hotspot and the Central Indian Ridge, the Amsterdam–St. Paul hotspot and the Southeast Indian Ridge, the Cobb hotspot and the Juan de Fuca Ridge, the Iceland hotspot and the Kolbeinsey Ridge, the Afar plume and the ridges of the Gulf of Aden, and the Marion/Crozet hotspot and the Southwest Indian Ridge. This study explores the geodynamics of the transform damming mechanism using a three-dimensional finite element numerical model. The model solves the coupled steady-state equations for conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, including thermal buoyancy and viscosity that is dependent on pressure and temperature. The plume is introduced as a circular thermal anomaly on the bottom boundary of the numerical domain. The center of the plume conduit is located directly beneath a spreading segment, at a distance of 200 km (measured in the along-axis direction) from a transform offset with length 100 km. Half-spreading rate is 0.5 cm/yr. In a series of numerical experiments, the buoyancy flux of the modeled plume is progressively increased to investigate the effects on the temperature and velocity structure of the upper mantle in the vicinity of the transform. Unlike earlier studies, which suggest that a transform always acts to decrease the along-axis extent of plume signature, these models imply that the effect of a transform on plume dispersion may be complex. Under certain ranges of plume flux modeled in this study, the region of the upper mantle undergoing along-axis flow directed away from the plume could be enhanced by the three-dimensional velocity and temperature structure associated with ridge–transform–ridge geometry. It is suggested that, for a setting where a plume–ridge system has one or more transforms, a location-specific model with appropriate plate boundary geometry be used to assess the importance of ridge offsets on upper mantle geodynamics

Relationship between outer forearc subsidence and plate boundary kinematics along the Northeast Japan convergent margin

Tectonic erosion along convergent plate boundaries, whereby removal of upper plate material along the subduction zone interface drives kilometer‐scale outer forearc subsidence, has been purported to explain the evolution of nearly half the world's subduction margins, including part of the history of northeast Japan. Here, we evaluate the role of plate boundary dynamics in driving forearc subsidence in northeastern Japan. A synthesis of newly updated analyses of outer forearc subsidence, the timing and kinematics of upper plate deformation, and the history of plate convergence along the Japan trench demonstrate that the onset of rapid fore‐arc tectonic subsidence is contemporaneous with upper plate extension during the opening of the Sea of Japan and with an acceleration in convergence rate at the trench. In Plio‐Quaternary time, relative uplift of the outer forearc is contemporaneous with contraction across the arc and a decrease in plate convergence rate. The coincidence of these changes across the forearc, arc, backarc system appears to require an explanation at the scale of the entire plate boundary. Similar observations along other western Pacific margins suggest that correlations between forearc subsidence and major changes in plate kinematics are the rule, rather than the exception. We suggest that a significant component of forearc subsidence at the northeast Japan margin is not the consequence of basal tectonic erosion, but instead reflects dynamic changes in plate boundary geometry driven by temporal variations in plate kinematics. If correct, this model requires a reconsideration of the mass balance and crustal recycling of continental crust at nonaccretionary margins.

Controls on crustal accretion along the back-arc East Scotia Ridge: constraints from bathymetry and gravity data

This study investigates crustal accretion processes along the East Scotia Ridge (ESR), an intermediate-rate back-arc spreading center with ten segments (E1–E10) that strike north–south. Mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) was calculated for the ESR region using satellite-derived and shipboard data sources. De-trended MBA (MBAdet) was determined by removing a residual plane from the MBA map, and ΔMBAdet was defined as the along-segment change in MBAdet. ΔMBAdet, as well as segment-averaged values of Na8, Fe8, and 87Sr/86Sr obtained from the published literature, generally appear to be better correlated with distsst (the distance from each segment center to the nearest point on the South Sandwich Trench) than with spreading rate. For each of the northern segments E2 through E6, MBAdet has a central low. MBAdet values also form a broad, longer-wavelength low from segments E2 through E6. Generally speaking, these findings are consistent with earlier studies such as Livermore et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 150:261–275, 1997) in suggesting that the region around segment E2 is a center for focused accretion along the ESR. On the other hand, southern segments E7 and E8 have central MBAdet highs, and MBAdet decreases somewhat linearly from segment E7 to E9, notwithstanding intrasegment variations. The quasi-linear MBAdet trend along these ESR segments is similar to that observed for the southernmost Lau spreading centers (e.g., Martinez and Taylor in Nature 416:417–420, 2002). Overall, plate boundary geometry and three-dimensional mantle flow may play a significant role in melting processes along the ESR, especially if the spreading center is processing geochemically heterogeneous South Atlantic mantle.

Foundations of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean evolution: eight controversies resolved

Eight points of recurring controversy regarding the primary foundations of models of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean tectonic evolution are identified and examined. The eight points are controversial mainly because of the disconnect between different scales of thinking by different workers, a common but unfortunate problem in the geological profession. Large-scale thinkers often are unaware of local geological detail, and local-scale workers fail to appreciate the level of evolutionary precision and constraint provided by regional tectonics and plate kinematics. The eight controversies are: (1) the degree of freedom in the Gulf-Caribbean kinematic framework that is allowed by Atlantic opening parameters; (2) the existence of a South Bahamas-Guyana Transform, and the role of this structure in Cuban, Bahamian, Trinidadian, and Guyanese evolution; (3) the anticlockwise rotation of the Yucatan Block during the opening of the Gulf of Mexico; (4) the Pacific origin of the Caribbean oceanic crust; (5) the Aptian age and plate boundary geometry of the onset of west-dipping subduction of Proto-Caribbean beneath Caribbean lithospheres; (6) the origin and causal mechanism of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province…not Galapagos!; (7) the number and origin of magmatic arcs in the northern Caribbean; and (8) the origin of Paleogene “flysch” deposits along northern South America: the Proto-Caribbean subduction zone. Here we show that there are viable marriages between the larger and finer scale data sets that define working and testable elements of the region’s evolution. In our opinion, these marriages are geologically accurate and suggest that they should form discrete elements that can and be integrated into regional models of Gulf and Caribbean evolution. We also call upon different facets of the geological community to collaborate and integrate diverse data sets more openly, in the hopes of improving general understanding and limiting the publication of unnecessary papers which only serve to spread geological uncertainty.

High-resolution imaging of the deep anisotropic structure of the San Andreas Fault system beneath southern California

SUMMARY Geological and geodetic records show that motion is distributed over a broad and complex system of faults in southern California, with many large earthquakes occurring off the main San Andreas fault. This unusually complex plate boundary geometry is imposed by the big bend of the San Andreas Fault and the dynamics of the underlying lithosphere, but lithosphere rheology and distribution of applied forces are still poorly constrained. Geodynamic modelling is thus very uncertain, and distribution of lithospheric deformations highly controversial. Here, exploiting the property that deformation orients olivine crystals, we show that deep lithospheric deformations can be mapped directly with a new imaging approach of seismic anisotropy, with a resolution fine enough for detailed geodynamic interpretation. This method relies entirely on finite-frequency effects in the splitting of SKS waves. We build an extensive data set of more than 3400 SKS splitting measurements from the analysis of SKS waves recorded by all the broad-band stations in southern California. Resolution tests demonstrate that, using this data set, we are able to resolve anisotropic structures smaller than the size of the first Fresnel zone of SKS waves. The good vertical resolution in our tomographic images results from the short inter-station spacing in southern California. In our 3-D anisotropy model, we find no evidence for localized lithospheric shear deformation beneath the San Andreas Fault. Instead, the lithospheric plate boundary is localized along a broad shear zone beneath the East California Shear Zone. Therefore, surface and deep deformation patterns are poorly correlated and most likely decoupled. Active N–S convergence in the Transverse Ranges results in strongly coherent E–W alignment of olivine fast axes in the shallow lithosphere. At the top of the asthenosphere, the observed low level of anisotropy suggests weak lithospheric basal tractions and thus a strong decoupling between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere.

New GPS constraints on active deformation along the Africa–Iberia plate boundary

We use velocities from 65 continuous stations and 31 survey-mode GPS sites as well as kinematic modeling to investigate present day deformation along the Africa–Iberia plate boundary zone in the western Mediterranean region. The GPS velocity field shows southwestward motion of the central part of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco with respect to Africa varying between 3.5 and 4.0 mm/yr, consistent with prior published results. Stations in the southwestern part of the Betic Mountains of southern Spain move west–southwest with respect to Eurasia (∼ 2–3 mm/yr). The western component of Betics motion is consistent with partial transfer of Nubia–Eurasia plate motion into the southern Betics. The southward component of Betics motion with respect to Iberia is kinematically consistent with south to southwest motion of the Rif Mountains with respect to Africa. We use block modeling, constrained by mapped surface faults and seismicity to estimate the geometry and rates of strain accumulation on plate boundary structures. Our preferred plate boundary geometry includes one block between Iberia and Africa including the SW Betics, Alboran Sea, and central Rif. This geometry provides a good fit to the observed motions, suggesting a wide transpressive boundary in the westernmost Mediterranean, with deformation mainly accommodated by the Gloria–Azores fault system to the West and the Rif–Tell lineament to the East. Block boundaries encompass aspects of earlier interpretations suggesting three main deformation styles: (i) extension along the NE–SW trending Trans-Alboran shear zone, (ii) dextral strike-slip in the Betics corresponding to a well defined E–W seismic lineament, and (iii) right lateral strike-slip motion extending West to the Azores and right-lateral motion with compression extending East along the Algerian Tell. We interpret differential motion in the Rif–Alboran–Betic system to be driven both by surface processes related the Africa–Eurasia oblique convergence and sub-crustal dynamic processes associated with the long history of subduction of the Neotethys ocean lithosphere. The dextral slip identified in the Betic Mountains in Southern Spain may be related to the offshore fault that produced the Great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, and as such may represent a significant seismic hazard for the West Mediterranean region.

Repeat ridge jumps associated with plume-ridge interaction, melt transport, and ridge migration

[1] Repeated shifts, or jumps, of mid-ocean ridge segments toward nearby hot spots can produce large, long-term changes to the geometry and location of the tectonic plate boundaries. Ridge jumps associated with hot spot–ridge interaction are likely caused by several processes including shear on the base of the plate due to expanding plume material as well as reheating of lithosphere as magma passes through it to feed off-axis volcanism. To study how these processes influence ridge jumps, we use numerical models to simulate 2-D (in cross section) viscous flow of the mantle, viscoplastic deformation of the lithosphere, and melt migration upward from the asthenospheric melting zone, laterally along the base of the lithosphere, and vertically through the lithosphere. The locations and rates that magma penetrates and heats the lithosphere are controlled by the time-varying accumulation of melt beneath the plate and the depth-averaged lithospheric porosity. We examine the effect of four key parameters: magmatic heating rate of the lithosphere, plate spreading rate, age of the seafloor overlying the plume, and the plume-ridge migration rate. Results indicate that the minimum value of the magmatic heating rate needed to initiate a ridge jump increases with plate age and spreading rate. The time required to complete a ridge jump decreases with larger values of magmatic heating rate, younger plate age, and faster spreading rate. For cases with migrating ridges, models predict a range of behaviors including repeating ridge jumps, much like those exhibited on Earth. Repeating ridge jumps occur at moderate magmatic heating rates and are the result of changes in the hot spot magma flux in response to magma migration along the base of an evolving lithosphere. The tendency of slow spreading to promote ridge jumps could help explain the observed clustering of hot spots near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Model results also suggest that magmatic heating may significantly thin the lithosphere, as has been suggested at Hawaii and other hot spots.

Effects of plate boundary geometry and kinematics on mantle melting beneath the back-arc spreading centers along the Lau Basin

The back-arc spreading centers that extend along the Lau Basin exhibit trends in axial morphology, crustal thickness, and geochemistry, which are opposite those typically observed at mid ocean spreading centers. We develop 2D numerical models of mantle flow, thermal structure and melting of the Lau back-arc–Tonga subduction system for each of three Lau spreading centers—Valu Fa Ridge, the Eastern Lau, and the Central Lau. Our goal is to determine whether along-strike variability in the circulation pattern or hydration within the mantle wedge could explain the trends observed. We use present-day plate and subducted slab geometries and velocities to explore a range of mantle potential temperature and water content scenarios and test whether predictions match observations of crustal thickness and water content of the magmas erupted at the spreading ridges. Within the range of mantle parameters tested, we find that a potential temperature of 1300 °C and source water contents greater than 0.22% wt are required to match observed crustal thickness and lava water contents at Valu Fa. Substantially less water in the sub arc mantle source is required to match the Eastern Lau and Central Lau observations at the same or higher mantle potential temperatures. A small background hydration of 0.01% wt water in the mantle wedge is required to match the observations of water in the Central Lau magmas. We predict that the arc and back-arc melting regions are interconnected for all potential temperatures and sub arc water contents at the Eastern Lau spreading center and at the Valu Fa Ridge, while at the Central Lau, they are only connected for cases when mantle potential temperature is 1400 °C or greater. We hypothesize that the longer-lived Eastern Lau and Central Lau rifting and axial volcanism may have dehydrated the mantle wedge and slowed melt production beneath these spreading centers. The Valu Fa Ridge, which is actively propagating into a more hydrated wedge associated with the Tofua arc, experiences enhanced melting relative to the other two spreading centers. For the Valu Fa case, we show fast subduction in combination with the proximity of the trench and spreading center results in enhanced upwelling and, therefore, increased crustal production. Slower subduction, with a convergence rate of 45 mm/yr, a dry mantle, and a 1350 °C mantle potential temperature reduces the difference in crustal thickness between the Central Lau and Valu Fa to within 1.2 km. In contrast, for present-day kinematics with a dry mantle and 1350 °C mantle potential temperature, our models predict the crustal thickness at Valu Fa to be 3.1 km thicker than Central Lau, much closer to the observed values.

Effects of ridge geometry on mantle dynamics in an oceanic triple junction region: Implications for the Azores Plateau

Plate boundary geometry can affect the nature of magmatism along a mid-ocean ridge. The Azores Plateau is located in a complex geological setting that includes a triple junction (TJ), an oblique and recently-formed ultra-slow-spreading ridge, a zone of diffuse seafloor deformation, a major fracture zone, and a postulated hotspot. The precise character of the hotspot is somewhat debated, as some lines of evidence indicate it may not be a classic deep-seated plume. However, seismic and gravity data suggest plateau crustal thicknesses of ∼ 8 km or more, implying some mechanism for excess melting. To assess the role of ridge geometry in creating the Azores Plateau, this study uses a finite element numerical model to isolate the effects of selected aspects of plate boundary configuration on mantle flow and melt production in a TJ kinematically similar to the Azores TJ. The model focuses on the slowest-spreading ridge in the TJ, analogous to the Terceira Rift. The effect of the varying ridge obliquity observed along the Terceira Rift is also assessed using an independent 1-D melting model. In general, relatively little melt production is predicted along the Terceira Rift analogue, except for regions closest to the TJ where the proximity of a faster-spreading ridge increases temperatures within the melting zone. In the 1-D melting model with mantle temperatures of 1350 °C, melt thicknesses of ∼ 2 km are calculated for the least oblique segments, while more oblique segments produce little to no melt. The presence of a long discontinuity (simulating the Gloria FZ) has little effect on mantle dynamics for axial distances < 350 km from the TJ, although crustal production is predicted to diminish to zero within ∼ 150 km of the discontinuity. When several ridge geometrical effects are combined (i.e., a TJ, time-limited spreading, a ridge discontinuity, and depressed spreading rates within ∼ 100 km of the TJ point), ∼ 2.5 km of variability in melt thickness can be produced. Overall, while these numerical experiments suggest plate boundary geometry may play a role in modifying Azores crustal accretion, additional factors such as a mantle heterogeneity are likely required to explain the full scale of the observed magmatism.

Rift–shear architecture and tectonic development of the Ghana margin deduced from multichannel seismic reflection and potential field data

The Ghana margin displays one of the best-known transform margins. Studies of the margin have provided the framework for a number of conceptual models aimed at understanding transform margin development worldwide. However, the deep structure of the margin is poorly known as knowledge is based only on wide-angle refraction measurements obtained from two separate localities on the margin. Consequently, complexities in the rift–shear margin architecture have been overlooked by current interpretations of margin development. Based on combined analysis of a detailed grid of ∼2710 km multichannel (MCS) lines and potential field data, we provide new insights into the structural architecture and tectonic development of the Ghana margin. In particular, we outline the deep structure of the entire margin using a series of 2D gravity modelled transects constrained by MCS and published wide-angle data. Our study reveals more complex rift–shear margin architecture than previously envisaged. We demonstrate that the main transform boundary representing the continental extension of the Romanche Fracture Zone, is actually composed of two distinct margin segments, i.e., the ENE–WSW trending sheared margin segment of the Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana Ridge and the NE–SW trending rift-influenced sheared margin segment of the Ghana Platform. These segments evolved under varying stress regimes, and during different time intervals. West of the transform margin, divergent rifting during the Early Cretaceous initiated the development of the Deep Ivorian Basin, essentially, as a single major pull-apart structure. However, east of the shear zone, oblique rifting resulted in the development of the Eastern Ghana Slope Basin as a composite of at least two coalescing pull-apart basins displaced along strike-slip faults. Our structural interpretation of the transform boundary geometry shows that the ridge and platform margin segments were each subjected to separate thermal influences from two different migrating spreading centres. Tectonic uplift of the ridge began through transpression during mid-Albian time following a change in relative direction of plate motion from NE–SW to ENE–WSW. However, the ridge uplift was amplified by thermal heating from a previously undocumented spreading centre whose progressive westward migration along the ridge followed closely after the Albian transpressional phase. The structural architecture of the Ghana margin resulted from a combination of factors, notably, pre-existing basement structure, plate boundary geometry, the relative direction of plate motion and thermal heating.

Effect of margin curvature on plate deformation in a 3-D numerical model of subduction zones

SUMMARY The large amount of data acquired along most subduction zones underlines the importance of three dimensions in the subduction mechanism. In this work we use a fully 3-D mechanical numerical model to analyse the impact of the plate boundary geometry on the deformation of the upper plate. The model consists of two initially horizontal independent plates overlying an inviscid fluid and continuously pushed towards each other. The initial geometry of the contact zone between the two plates controls the stress regime and the strain pattern in the upper plate. The case with a linear plate boundary and orthogonal convergence is first considered and used as a reference model. With this simple model, the effects of some important parameters (i.e. the interplate friction and the lithosphere‐asthenosphere density contrast) are investigated. Finally, cases with curved plate boundaries are considered, and the results are used to shed light on the importance of the dip direction of the interplate plane for the upper plate strain pattern. Unnecessary oceanward convexity causes an accumulation of the subducted material beneath the upper plate and induces an important uplift of the convex area. On the contrary, the material escapes from an oceanward concavity and provokes subsidence in the forearc zone. Such a behaviour induces preferential zones of weakeness in the overriding plate and may allow for explaining some local stress regime variations along convergent margins.