Plate tectonic modelling: review and perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTIAN VÉRARD
Keyword(s):  
Plate Boundaries ◽  
Dual Control ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Joint Effort ◽  
Tectonic Plate ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Tectonic Plates ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
New Frontier ◽  
Tectonic Boundaries

AbstractSince the 1970s, numerous global plate tectonic models have been proposed to reconstruct the Earth's evolution through deep time. The reconstructions have proven immensely useful for the scientific community. However, we are now at a time when plate tectonic models must take a new step forward. There are two types of reconstructions: those using a ‘single control’ approach and those with a ‘dual control’ approach. Models using the ‘single control’ approach compile quantitative and/or semi-quantitative data from the present-day world and transfer them to the chosen time slices back in time. The reconstructions focus therefore on the position of tectonic elements but may ignore (partially or entirely) tectonic plates and in particular closed tectonic plate boundaries. For the readers, continents seem to float on the Earth's surface. Hence, the resulting maps look closer to what Alfred Wegener did in the early twentieth century and confuse many people, particularly the general public. With the ‘dual control’ approach, not only are data from the present-day world transferred back to the chosen time slices, but closed plate tectonic boundaries are defined iteratively from one reconstruction to the next. Thus, reconstructions benefit from the wealth of the plate tectonic theory. They are physically coherent and are suited to the new frontier of global reconstruction: the coupling of plate tectonic models with other global models. A joint effort of the whole community of geosciences will surely be necessary to develop the next generation of plate tectonic models.

Plate tectonic chain reaction constrained from noise in the Cretaceous Quiet Zone

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derya Gürer ◽  
Roi Granot ◽  
Douwe J.J. van Hinsbergen
Keyword(s):  
Subduction Zones ◽  
Kinematic Model ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Plate Boundaries ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Tectonic Plates

<p>The relative motions of the tectonic plates show remarkable variation throughout Earth’s history. Major changes in relative motion between the tectonic plates are traditionally viewed as spatially and temporally isolated events linked to forces acting on plate boundaries (i.e., formation of same-dip double subduction zones, changes in the strength of the boundary), or thought to be associated with mantle dynamics. A Cretaceous global plate reorganization event has been postulated to have affected all major plates. The Cretaceous ‘swing’ in Africa-Eurasia relative plate motion provides an ideal test-bed for assessing the temporal and spatial evolution of both relative plate motions and surrounding geological markers. Here we show a novel plate kinematic model for the closure of the Tethys Ocean by implementing intra-Cretaceous Quiet Zone time markers and combine the results with the geological constraints found along the convergent plate boundary. Our results allow to assess the order, causes and consequences of geological events and unravel a chain of tectonic events that set off with the onset of horizontally-forced double subduction ~105 Myr ago, followed by a 40 Myr long period of acceleration of the Africa relative to Eurasia that peaked at 80 Myr ago (at rates four times as high as previously predicted). This acceleration, which was likely caused by the pull of two same-dip subduction zones was followed by a sharp decrease in plate velocity, when double subduction terminated with ophiolite obduction onto the African margin. These tectonic forces acted on the eastern half of the Africa-Eurasia plate boundary, which led to counterclockwise rotation of Africa and sparked new subduction zones in the western Mediterranean region. Our analysis identifies the Cretaceous double subduction episode between Africa and Eurasia as a link in the global plate tectonic chain reaction and provides a dynamic view on plate reorganizations.</p>

Implications of the detrital zircon record for global plate tectonic reconstructions in deep time

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongchuan Jian ◽  
Simon Williams ◽  
Shan Yu ◽  
Guochun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Classification Method ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Plate Boundaries ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Plate Reconstructions ◽  
Competing Models ◽  
Tectonic Reconstructions

<p>Full-plate reconstructions describe the history of both past continental motions and how plate boundaries have evolved to accommodate these motions. The fluxes of material into and out of the mantle at plate boundaries is thought to deeply influence the evolution of deep Earth structure, surface environments and biological systems through deep time. Traditionally, plate tectonic reconstructions have relied on geophysical data from the oceans, which provides details of how Pangea broke apart (since ca. 200 Myr) while paleomagnetism is the primary quantitative constraint prior to Pangea formation. However, these data do not directly constrain the extent of subduction zones or other plate boundaries, so reconstructing the past plate configurations of past supercontinents must rely on alternative methods. One source of data that can resolve this problem is to use observations from detrital zircons. Previous studies have proposed classification schemes to determine tectonic settings where samples were deposited, based on the different characteristic shapes of detrital zircon age spectra found in convergent, collisional and extensional settings.</p><p>Here, we investigate the applicability of this method to test and refine global full-plate tectonic reconstructions in deep time, using a published database of zircon ages. We first use reconstructions for relatively recent times (<100 Ma), where reconstructions are reasonable well constrained, to evaluate the effectiveness of the classification method. For older times, where uncertainties in the reconstructions are far larger, we can use the results to discriminate between competing models. We analysed the proximity between reconstructed plate boundaries and zircon sample sites assigned to different tectonic classifications, and found that the classification method does well (~64－79% success depending on distance threshold used) in distinguishing convergent settings. The ability of the classification to define extensional settings such as rift basins is less clear, though samples in this class do lie preferentially further from convergent settings. Based on these insights, we apply the method to evaluate full-plate reconstructions for the Neoproterozoic as well as other competing models for the configuration of Rodinia.</p>

scholarly journals Revised tectonic boundaries in the Cocos Plate off Costa Rica: Implications for the segmentation of the convergent margin and for plate tectonic models

2001 ◽  
Vol 106 (B9) ◽  
pp. 19207-19220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Barckhausen ◽  
Cesar R. Ranero ◽  
R. von Huene ◽  
Steven C. Cande ◽  
Hans A. Roeser
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Cocos Plate ◽  
Convergent Margin ◽  
Tectonic Boundaries

scholarly journals Plate tectonic raster reconstruction in GPlates

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 793-830
Author(s):  
J. Cannon ◽  
E. Lau ◽  
R. D. Müller
Keyword(s):  
Graphics Hardware ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Raster Data ◽  
Tectonic Plates ◽  
Tectonic Reconstruction ◽  
Reconstruction Software ◽  
Plate Reconstructions ◽  
Simple Implementation ◽  
Novel Method

Abstract. We describe a novel method implemented in the GPlates plate tectonic reconstruction software to interactively reconstruct arbitrarily high-resolution raster data to past geological times using a rotation model. The approach is based on the projection of geo-referenced raster data into a cube map followed by a reverse projection onto rotated tectonic plates on the surface of the globe. This decouples the rendering of a geo-referenced raster from its reconstruction, providing a number of benefits including a simple implementation and the ability to combine rasters with different geo-referencing or inbuilt raster projections. The cube map projection is accelerated by graphics hardware in a wide variety of computer systems manufactured over the last decade. Furthermore, by integrating a multi-resolution tile partitioning into the cube map we can provide on-demand tile streaming, level-of-detail rendering and hierarchical visibility culling enabling researchers to visually explore essentially unlimited resolution geophysical raster data attached to tectonic plates and reconstructed through geological time. This capability forms the basis for interactively building and improving plate reconstructions in an iterative fashion, particularly for tectonically complex regions.

Investigating the plate kinematics of continental blocks and their role on the deformation experienced along the Iberia-Eurasia plate boundary using deformable plate tectonic models

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael King ◽  
Kim Welford ◽  
Patricia Cadenas ◽  
Julie Tugend
Keyword(s):  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Magnetic Anomalies ◽  
Collective Impact ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Alpine Orogeny ◽  
Tectonic Plates ◽  
Plate Models ◽  
Plate Reconstructions ◽  
Kinematic Models ◽  
Plate Kinematics

<p>The kinematics of the Iberian plate during Mesozoic extension and subsequent Alpine compression and their implications on the partitioning of strain experienced across the Iberia-Europe plate boundary continue to be a subject of scientific interest, and debate. To date, the majority of plate tectonic models only consider the motion of rigid tectonic plates. In addition, the lack of consideration for the kinematics of intra-continental domains and intervening continental blocks in-between has led to numerous discrepancies between rigid plate kinematic models of Iberia, based mainly on tight-fit reconstruction of M-series magnetic anomalies, and their ability to reconcile geological and geophysical observations. To address these discrepancies, deformable plate tectonic models constrained by previous plate reconstructions, geological, and geophysical studies are built using the GPlates software to study the evolution of deformation experienced along the Iberia-Eurasia plate boundary from the Triassic to present day. These deformable plate models consider the kinematics of small intra-continental blocks such as the Landes High and Ebro Block situated between large tectonic plates, their interplay with pre-existing structural trends, and the collective impact of these phenomena on the deformation experienced during Mesozoic rifting and Alpine compressional re-activation along the Iberia-European plate boundary. Preliminary results suggest that the independent kinematics of the Landes High played a key role on the distribution of oblique extension between different rift arms and resultant deformation within the Bay of Biscay. Within the Pyrenean realm, deformation experienced prior to and during the Alpine Orogeny was more largely controlled by the interplay between the Ebro Block kinematics and rift segmentation induced by the orientation of inherited trends.</p>

Emergence of plate tectonic during the Archean: insights from 3D numerical modelling.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Piccolo ◽  
Boris Kaus ◽  
Richard White ◽  
Nicolas Arndt ◽  
Nicolas Riel
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Subduction Zones ◽  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Secular Change ◽  
Plate Boundaries ◽  
Plate Tectonic ◽  
Subduction Initiation ◽  
The Earth

<p>In the plate tectonic convection regime, the external lid is subdivided into discrete plates that move independently. Although it is known that the system of plates is mainly dominated by slab-pull forces, it is not yet clear how, when and why plate tectonics became the dominant geodynamic process in our planet. It could have started during the Meso-Archean (3.0-2.9 Ga). However, it is difficult to conceive a subduction driven system at the high mantle potential temperatures (<strong>Tp</strong>) that are thought to have existed around that time, because <strong>Tp</strong> controls the thickness and the strength of the compositional lithosphere making subduction unlikely. In recent years, however, a credible solution to the problem of subduction initiation during the Archean has been advanced, invoking a plume-induced subduction mechanism[1] that seems able to generate plate-tectonic like behaviour to first order. However, it has not yet been demonstrated how these tectonic processes interact with each other, and whether they are able to eventually propagate to larger scale subduction zones.</p><p>The Archean Eon was characterized by a high <strong>Tp</strong>[2]<strong>, </strong>which generates weaker plates, and a thick and chemically buoyant lithosphere. In these conditions, slab pull forces are inefficient, and most likely unable to be transmitted within the plate. Therefore, plume-related proto-plate tectonic cells may not have been able to interact with each other or showed a different interaction as a function of mantle potential temperature and composition of the lithosphere. Moreover, due to secular change of <strong>Tp, </strong>the dynamics may change with time. In order to understand the complex interaction between these tectonic seeds it is necessary to undertake large scale 3D numerical simulations, incorporating the most relevant phase transitions and able to handle complex constitutive rheological model.</p><p>Here, we investigate the effects of the composition and <strong>Tp </strong>independently to understand the potential implications of the interaction of plume-induced subduction initiation. We employ a finite difference visco-elasto-plastic thermal petrological code using a large-scale domain (10000 x 10000 x 1000 km along x, y and z directions) and incorporating the most relevant petrological phase transitions. We prescribed two oceanic plateaus bounded by subduction zones and we let the negative buoyancy and plume-push forces evolve spontaneously. The paramount question that we aim to answer is whether these configurations allow the generation of stable plate boundaries. The models will also investigate whether the presence of continental terrain helps to generate plate-like features and whether the processes are strong enough to generate new continental terrains <span>or assemble them </span></p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>[1]       T. V. Gerya, R. J. Stern, M. Baes, S. V. Sobolev, and S. A. Whattam, “Plate tectonics on the Earth triggered by plume-induced subduction initiation,” Nature, vol. 527, no. 7577, pp. 221–225, 2015.</p><p>[2]       C. T. Herzberg, K. C. Condie, and J. Korenaga, “Thermal history of the Earth and its petrological expression,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., vol. 292, no. 1–2, pp. 79–88, 2010.</p><p>[3]       R. M. Palin, M. Santosh, W. Cao, S.-S. Li, D. Hernández-Uribe, and A. Parsons, “Secular metamorphic change and the onset of plate tectonics,” Earth-Science Rev., p. 103172, 2020.</p>

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