Papers

Peer-reviewed
Apr, 2013

Supply rate of continental materials to the deep mantle through subduction channels

TECTONOPHYSICS
  • Hiroki Ichikawa
  • ,
  • Kenji Kawai
  • ,
  • Shinji Yamamoto
  • ,
  • Masanori Kameyama

Volume
592
Number
First page
46
Last page
52
Language
English
Publishing type
Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI
10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.001
Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Geological studies have revealed that continental materials subduct from the Earth's surface via the following three mechanisms: tectonic erosion, sediment subduction, and direct subduction of immature oceanic arcs. Then, the continental materials are transported through subduction channels that are located between subducting slabs and mantle wedges. However, the depth that a subduction channel reaches and the magnitude of the flux of subducted materials at that depth are not clear. Here, in order to estimate the supply rate of continental materials to the deep mantle, we have conducted a numerical simulation of a subduction channel based on the finite difference method. We have found that a sustainable thickness of the channel in the deep mantle is similar to 2-3 km and its corresponding flux of continental materials integrated over the length of the current subduction zones is 2.2 km(3)/yr. These results indicate that almost all of the continental material that is subducted through the channel is capable of reaching the depth of the mantle transition zone. The total amount of continental materials conveyed to the deep mantle over 4 Gyr is estimated to be about 10(10) km(3), which is greater than the volume of the present continental crust at the surface of the Earth. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.001
Web of Science
https://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=JSTA_CEL&SrcApp=J_Gate_JST&DestLinkType=FullRecord&KeyUT=WOS:000318136400005&DestApp=WOS_CPL
URL
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84875806140&origin=inward
ID information
  • DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.001
  • ISSN : 0040-1951
  • SCOPUS ID : 84875806140
  • Web of Science ID : WOS:000318136400005

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