Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4679047 | Earth and Planetary Science Letters | 2009 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Small-scale convection in the suboceanic mantle, if present, is commonly thought to manifest in surface heat flux, and the steady-state scaling of sublithospheric convection has often been used to interpret heat flow data from old ocean basins. Relations among small-scale convection, surface heat flux, and the steady-state scaling, however, have been vague. A series of transient cooling modeling are conducted here to quantify such relations. Given the strong temperature-dependency of mantle viscosity, results suggest that small-scale convection could take place without noticeably disturbing surface heat flux, and that the use of steady-state scaling may not be warranted for the present-day suboceanic mantle.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth and Planetary Sciences (General)
Authors
Jun Korenaga,