Dynamics of Plate Tectonics and Mantle Convection

Joao C. Duarte

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780323857338
• eBook ISBN:
  9780323885867
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Geophysics

Dynamics of Plate Tectonics and Mantle Convection, written by specialists in the field, gathers state-of-the-art perspectives on the dynamics of plate tectonics and mantle convection. Plate tectonics is a unifying theory of solid Earth sciences. In its initial form, it was a kinematic theory that described how the planet's surface is fragmented into several rigid lithospheric plates that move in relation to each other over the less viscous asthenosphere. Plate tectonics soon evolved to describe the forces that drive and resist plate movements. The Earth sciences community is now developing a new perspective that looks at plate tectonics and mantle convection as part of a single system. Why does our planet have plate tectonics, and how does it work? How does mantle convection drive the supercontinent cycle? How have tectono-convective modes evolved over the Earth's history? How did they shape the planet and impact life? Do other planets have mantle convection and tectonics? These are some of the fascinating questions explored in this book. This book started with a challenge from the editor to the authors to provide perspectives from their vantage point and open the curtain to the endeavors and stories behind the science. - Provides diverse perspectives from different experts around the world in plate tectonics and geodynamics - Includes the most up-to-date knowledge on plate tectonics and mantle convection - Sets the scene for the developments and challenges likely to be faced by researchers in the future of geodynamics

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• List of Illustrations
• List of Tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction to Dynamics of Plate Tectonics and Mantle Convection
• Chapter 2: The Physics and Origin of Plate Tectonics From Grains to Global Scales
• Chapter 3: Energetics of the Solid Earth: Implications for the Structure of Mantle Convection
• Chapter 4: Influence of Mantle Rheology on the Formation of Plate Tectonic Style of Mantle Convection
• Chapter 5: Tectonic Strain Rates, Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundaries, and the Plate Tectonic Approximation
• Chapter 6: Tectonics is a Hologram
• Chapter 7: Internal Planetary Feedbacks, Mantle Dynamics, and Plate Tectonics
• Chapter 8: Tectono-Convective Modes on Earth and Other Terrestrial Bodies
• Chapter 9: The Past and the Future of Plate Tectonics and Other Tectonic Regimes
• Chapter 10: How Mantle Convection Drives the Supercontinent Cycle: Mechanism, Driving Force, and Substantivity
• Chapter 11: Observations and Models of Dynamic Topography: Current Status and Future Directions
• Chapter 12: Feedbacks Between Internal and External Earth Dynamics
• Chapter 13: Co-Evolution of Life and Plate Tectonics: The Biogeodynamic Perspective on the Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic Transitions
• Chapter 14: Subduction Zones: A Short Review
• Chapter 15: An Evolutionary Perspective on Subduction Initiation
• Chapter 16: Lithosphere–Mantle Interactions in Subduction Zones
• Chapter 17: Mantle Plumes and Their Interactions
• Chapter 18: Evolution of Mantle Plumes and Lower Mantle Structure in Numerical Models Using Tectonic Reconstructions as Boundary Conditions
• Chapter 19: Rifting Continents
• Chapter 20: Mid-Ocean Ridges: Geodynamics Written in the Seafloor
• Chapter 21: Roles of Serpentinization in Plate Tectonics and the Evolution of Earth’s Mantle
• Chapter 22: Numerical Modeling of Subduction
• Chapter 23: Literate, Reusable, Geodynamic Modeling
• Chapter 24: Perspectives on Planetary Tectonics
• Index