IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v450y2007i7173d10.1038_nature06429.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trench-parallel flow and seismic anisotropy in the Mariana and Andean subduction systems

Author

Listed:
  • Erik A. Kneller

    (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA)

  • Peter E. van Keken

    (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA)

Abstract

Shear-wave splitting measurements above the mantle wedge of the Mariana1 and southern Andean2,3 subduction zones show trench-parallel seismically fast directions close to the trench and abrupt rotations to trench-perpendicular anisotropy in the back arc. These patterns of seismic anisotropy may be caused by three-dimensional flow associated with along-strike variations in slab geometry1,2,3,4,5. The Mariana and Andean subduction systems are associated with the largest along-strike variations of slab geometry observed on Earth6,7 and are ideal for testing the link between slab geometry and solid-state creep processes in the mantle. Here we show, with fully three-dimensional non-newtonian subduction zone models, that the strong curvature of the Mariana slab and the transition to shallow slab dip in the Southern Andes give rise to strong trench-parallel stretching in the warm-arc and warm-back-arc mantle and to abrupt rotations in stretching directions that are accompanied by strong trench-parallel stretching. These models show that the patterns of shear-wave splitting observed in the Mariana and southern Andean systems may be caused by significant three-dimensional flow induced by along-strike variations in slab geometry.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik A. Kneller & Peter E. van Keken, 2007. "Trench-parallel flow and seismic anisotropy in the Mariana and Andean subduction systems," Nature, Nature, vol. 450(7173), pages 1222-1225, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:450:y:2007:i:7173:d:10.1038_nature06429
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06429
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature06429
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature06429?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:450:y:2007:i:7173:d:10.1038_nature06429. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.