Controls of the structure of subducted slabs (original) (raw)

Nature volume 335, pages 317–321 (1988) Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 27 October 1988

Abstract

Numerical simulations of subducting slabs are formulated in which the shape and dip of the slab are determined by the dynamics of the flow, rather than imposed a priori. The dip of slabs is a function of the time since the initiation of subduction. Slabs fold, develop a kink in dip, and thicken on entry into a high-viscosity lower mantle. Comparison of the simulations with seismic observations suggest that the lower mantle is at least 10–30 times more viscous than the upper mantle.

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Author notes

  1. Michael Gurnis
    Present address: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125, USA
    Michael Gurnis & Bradford H. Hager

Authors

  1. Michael Gurnis
  2. Bradford H. Hager

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Gurnis, M., Hager, B. Controls of the structure of subducted slabs.Nature 335, 317–321 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/335317a0

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