Articles | Volume 14, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-353-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-353-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Plume–ridge interactions: ridgeward versus plate-drag plume flow
Fengping Pang
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University,
Guangzhou 510275, China
Jie Liao
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University,
Guangzhou 510275, China
Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geodynamics and Geohazards, Guangzhou
510275, China
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai),
Zhuhai 519000, China
Maxim D. Ballmer
Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London,
UK
Lun Li
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University,
Guangzhou 510275, China
Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geodynamics and Geohazards, Guangzhou
510275, China
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai),
Zhuhai 519000, China
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Matteo Desiderio, Anna Johanna Pia Gülcher, and Maxim Dionys Ballmer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2402, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2402, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Lava samples and seismic signals show that Earth's lower mantle is not well-mixed, but how this heterogeneity relates to the mantle's long-term history remains unclear. We study this with computer simulations of secular movements of masses in the mantle, with various materials to represent recycled and ancient rocks with different properties. We find that deep strong piles of recycled rock can help large ancient blobs survive, linking current deep-Earth observations to Earth's earliest infancy.
Antonio Manjón-Cabeza Córdoba and Maxim D. Ballmer
Solid Earth, 13, 1585–1605, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1585-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1585-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The origin of many volcanic archipelagos on the Earth remains uncertain. By using 3D modelling of mantle flow and melting, we investigate the interaction between the convective mantle near the continental–oceanic transition and rising hot plumes. We believe that this phenomenon is the origin behind some archipelagos, in particular the Canary Islands. Analysing our results, we reconcile observations that were previously enigmatic, such as the complex patterns of volcanism in the Canaries.
Anna Johanna Pia Gülcher, Maxim Dionys Ballmer, and Paul James Tackley
Solid Earth, 12, 2087–2107, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2087-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2087-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The lower mantle extends from 660–2890 km depth, making up > 50 % of the Earth’s volume. Its composition and structure, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate several hypotheses with computer simulations of mantle convection that include different materials: recycled, dense rocks and ancient, strong rocks. We propose a new integrated style of mantle convection including
piles,
blobs, and
streaksthat agrees with various observations of the deep Earth.
Antonio Manjón-Cabeza Córdoba and Maxim D. Ballmer
Solid Earth, 12, 613–632, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-613-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-613-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The study of intraplate volcanism can inform us about underlying mantle dynamic processes and thermal and/or compositional anomalies. Here, we investigated numerical models of mantle flow and melting of edge-driven convection (EDC), a potential origin for intraplate volcanism. Our most important conclusion is that EDC can only produce moderate amounts of mantle melting. By itself, EDC is insufficient to support the formation of voluminous island-building volcanism over several millions of years.
Daniela Paz Bolrão, Maxim D. Ballmer, Adrien Morison, Antoine B. Rozel, Patrick Sanan, Stéphane Labrosse, and Paul J. Tackley
Solid Earth, 12, 421–437, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use numerical models to investigate the thermo-chemical evolution of a solid mantle during a magma ocean stage. When applied to the Earth, our study shows that the solid mantle and a magma ocean tend toward chemical equilibration before crystallisation of this magma ocean. Our findings suggest that a very strong chemical stratification of the solid mantle is unlikely to occur (as predicted by previous studies), which may explain why the Earth’s mantle is rather homogeneous in composition.
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Short summary
Plume–ridge interaction is an intriguing geological process in plate tectonics. In this paper, we address the respective role of ridgeward vs. plate-drag plume flow in 2D thermomechanical models and compare the results with a compilation of observations on Earth. From a geophysical and geochemical analysis of Earth plumes and in combination with the model results, we propose that the absence of plumes interacting with ridges in the Pacific is largely caused by the presence of plate drag.
Plume–ridge interaction is an intriguing geological process in plate tectonics. In this paper,...