LIP formation and protracted lower mantle upwelling induced by rifting and delamination

Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are commonly attributed to mantle plumes, hot upwellings from the deep lower mantle, apparently unrelated to plate motions. However, LIPs often form in association with rifting and breakup. Using numerical modelling, we introduce a novel idea that explains plume-like m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific Reports
Main Authors: Petersen, Kenni Dinesen, Schiffer, Christian, Nagel, Thorsten
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group UK 2018
Subjects:
Article
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6224380/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30410091
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-34194-0
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Summary:Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are commonly attributed to mantle plumes, hot upwellings from the deep lower mantle, apparently unrelated to plate motions. However, LIPs often form in association with rifting and breakup. Using numerical modelling, we introduce a novel idea that explains plume-like mantle upwelling by plate tectonic processes. Our model indicates that rifting-induced delamination of orogenic lithosphere can perturb the thermochemical mantle stratification and induce lower mantle upwelling which causes syn-rift LIP formation followed by protracted and enhanced mid ocean ridge basalt (MORB) generation. Our model provides an explanation for the geographical correlation between the Caledonian suture, the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) and present-day Icelandic magmatism.

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