Quantifying the net slab pull force as a driving mechanism for plate tectonics

W. P. Schellart

doi:10.1029/2004GL019528

Quantifying the net slab pull force as a driving mechanism for plate tectonics

W. P. Schellart^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

166 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

It has remained unclear how much of the negative buoyancy force of the slab (F_B) is used to pull the trailing plate at the surface into the mantle. Here I present three-dimensional laboratory experiments to quantify the net slab pull force (F_NSP) with respect to F_B during subduction. Results show that F_NSP increases with increasing slab length and dip up to ∼8-12% of F_B, making F_NSP up to twice as large as the ridge push force. The remainder of F_B is primarily used to drive rollback-induced mantle flow (∼70%), to bend the subducting plate at the trench (∼15-30%) and to overcome shear resistance between slab and mantle (0-8%).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L07611 1-5
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	31
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL019528
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2004
Externally published	Yes

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10.1029/2004GL019528

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abstract = "It has remained unclear how much of the negative buoyancy force of the slab (FB) is used to pull the trailing plate at the surface into the mantle. Here I present three-dimensional laboratory experiments to quantify the net slab pull force (FNSP) with respect to FB during subduction. Results show that FNSP increases with increasing slab length and dip up to ∼8-12% of FB, making FNSP up to twice as large as the ridge push force. The remainder of FB is primarily used to drive rollback-induced mantle flow (∼70%), to bend the subducting plate at the trench (∼15-30%) and to overcome shear resistance between slab and mantle (0-8%).",

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Quantifying the net slab pull force as a driving mechanism for plate tectonics

Abstract

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