Lithospheric-Scale Stresses and Shear Localization Induced by Density-Driven Instabilities

Abstract: The initiation of subduction requires the formation of lithospheric plates which mostly deform at their edges. Shear heating is a possible candidate for producing such localized deformation. In this thesis we employ a 2D model of the mantle with a visco-elasto-plastic rheology and enabled shear heating. We are able to create a shear heating instability both in a constant strain rate and a constant stress boundary condition setup. For the rst case, localized deformation in our specic setup is found for strain rates of 10-15 1/s and mantle temperatures of 1300°C. For constant stress boundaries, the conditions for a setup to localize are more restrictive. Mantle motion is induced by large cold and hot temperature perturbations. Lithospheric stresses scale with the size of these perturbations; maximum stresses are on the order of the yield stress (1 GPa). Adding topography or large inhomogeneities does not result in lithospheric-scale fracture in our model. However, localized deformation does occur for a restricted parameter choice presented in this thesis. The perturbation size has little effect on the occurrence of localization, but large perturbations shorten its onset time.