Delamination vs. break-off: the fate of continental collision

Magni, V.; Faccenna, C.; van Hunen, J.; Funiciello, F.

doi:10.1002/grl.50090

Delamination vs. break-off: the fate of continental collision

Magni, V.; Faccenna, C.; van Hunen, J.; Funiciello, F.

Authors

V. Magni

C. Faccenna

Professor Jeroen Van Hunen jeroen.van-hunen@durham.ac.uk
Professor

F. Funiciello

Abstract

The fate of a convergent continental margin is investigated. We perform a set of 2D numerical models to study how and why continental collision can evolve in different scenarios. Since the rheology of continental lithosphere has a major control on the dynamics of subduction, we explore a range of different lithosphere and lower crust viscosity values to understand their sensitivity on the possible scenarios. We find that with a rheologically layered crust both delamination and break-off are feasible. We identify three modes: (1) slab detachment, in which the lithospheric mantle and the crust are strongly coupled, subduction slows down and the slab eventually breaks; (2) delamination of the lithospheric mantle that separates from the crust and continue to subduct and (3) an intermediate mode where the lithospheric mantle and the crust remain partially coupled, resulting in an initial stage of delamination followed by the slow down and cessation of subduction.

Citation

Magni, V., Faccenna, C., van Hunen, J., & Funiciello, F. (2013). Delamination vs. break-off: the fate of continental collision. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(2), 285-289. https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50090

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Jan 28, 2013
Deposit Date	May 9, 2013
Publicly Available Date	Aug 17, 2015
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Print ISSN	0094-8276
Electronic ISSN	1944-8007
Publisher	Wiley
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	40
Issue	2
Pages	285-289
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50090
Keywords	Continental collision, Delamination, Slab detachment, Numerical modelling.

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Copyright Statement
Magni, V., Faccenna, C., Van Hunen, J. and Funiciello, F., (2013), Delamination vs. break-off: the fate of continental collision,, Geophysical Research Letters, 40(2), 285-289, 10.1002/grl.50090 (DOI). To view the published open abstract, go to http://dx.doi.org and enter the DOI.