Thesis
Exploring the decoupling and removal of dense material during lithospheric thickening as applicable to Craton formation
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102287
Abstract
Cratons are areas of continental crust and lithosphere that have not deformed for billions of years comprising the most stable regions on the Earth's surface. The processes that lead to craton formation, however, introduce the potential for deformation or removal. For example, cratons formed via the stacking of buoyant oceanic lithosphere would pose some potentially serious buoyancy complications, as basaltic crust tends to transform into much denser eclogite at depth. Thus, if basaltic crust is a significant portion of buoyant oceanic lithosphere, the entire thickened package could be overwhelmed by the transition to eclogite. This could in turn promote instability, foundering and failure to produce thick cratonic lithosphere. Alternatively, forming thick cratonic lithosphere via the amalgamation of arc continental material also introduces instability. Achieving the required integrated buoyancy from island arc material requires a secondary removal process of mafic/ultramafic cumulates during collision. This leads to several testable questions: how much dense material can the system maintain before becoming unstable? Does the relative location of the dense material effect stability? v Does the dense material need to be entirely removed or may some dense material remain? I will present numerical models exploring the decoupling and removal of dense material during lithospheric thickening. I have also calculated the isopycnicity of the thickened lithospheric material in our simulations to determine whether stability can be achieved with a portion of dense material still remaining in the lithosphere.
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Details
- Title
- Exploring the decoupling and removal of dense material during lithospheric thickening as applicable to Craton formation
- Creators
- Rachel Jean Wood
- Contributors
- Catherine M. Cooper (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525172701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis