Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region
Subduction zones and their associated slabs are the main drivers of plate tectonics and mantle flow, but how these zones initiate remains enigmatic. In the Scotia Sea region, subduction started in the Late Cretaceous/Early Cenozoic in a pristine ocean basin setting devoid of other subduction/collisi...
Published in: | Earth-Science Reviews |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2023
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Online Access: | https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825222003610 |
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ftvuamstcris:oai:research.vu.nl:publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 2024-06-23T07:47:07+00:00 Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region Schellart, W.P. Strak, V. Beniest, A. Duarte, J.C. Rosas, F.M. 2023-01 https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825222003610 eng eng https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Schellart , W P , Strak , V , Beniest , A , Duarte , J C & Rosas , F M 2023 , ' Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region ' , Earth-Science Reviews , vol. 236 , 104277 , pp. 1-22 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Geodynamics Numerical model Patagonia Plate tectonics Polarity reversal Reconstruction Scotia Sea South America South Georgia Island South Orkney microcontinent South Sandwich arc Subduction Subduction initiation Tierra del Fuego Weddell Sea article 2023 ftvuamstcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 2024-06-13T00:44:09Z Subduction zones and their associated slabs are the main drivers of plate tectonics and mantle flow, but how these zones initiate remains enigmatic. In the Scotia Sea region, subduction started in the Late Cretaceous/Early Cenozoic in a pristine ocean basin setting devoid of other subduction/collision zones. How this subduction zone initiated remains intensely debated, as exemplified by the variability of published plate tectonic reconstructions. Despite such variability, several works argue for a subduction initiation mechanism, in which a South America-Antarctica relative plate motion change, in combination with a particular plate boundary geometry in the western Weddell Sea, caused convergence across a transform plate boundary segment that subsequently evolved into a subduction zone. Here we discuss this kinematic model of subduction initiation, and, following geometric and kinematic arguments, highlight several unsolved issues that call for alternative explanations. Furthermore, we present new tectonic reconstructions of the Scotia region involving a simpler middle-Late Cretaceous plate boundary configuration, which avoid the geometric and kinematic problems of earlier reconstructions and that call for a new mechanism of subduction initiation. We refer to this mechanism as Subduction Invasion Polarity Switch (SIPS), which involves a long-lived and wide subduction zone (South American-Antarctic subduction zone) with lower mantle slab penetration, which imposes major horizontal trench-normal compressive deviatoric stresses on the overriding plate. This plate consists of a narrow continental lithospheric (land) bridge at the trench (Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic Antarctica-South America land bridge) with oceanic lithosphere behind it (Weddell Sea-Atlantic Ocean). The stresses cause shortening and thrusting at the continent-ocean boundary in the backarc region of the overriding plate, forcing oceanic lithosphere under continental lithosphere, starting the subduction initiation process, and eventually leading to a ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Scotia Sea South Georgia Island Weddell Sea Tierra del Fuego Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn ENVELOPE(-135.021,-135.021,61.583,61.583) Pacific Patagonia Scotia Sea South Georgia Island ENVELOPE(-36.750,-36.750,-54.250,-54.250) Weddell Weddell Sea Earth-Science Reviews 236 104277 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftvuamstcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Geodynamics Numerical model Patagonia Plate tectonics Polarity reversal Reconstruction Scotia Sea South America South Georgia Island South Orkney microcontinent South Sandwich arc Subduction Subduction initiation Tierra del Fuego Weddell Sea |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Geodynamics Numerical model Patagonia Plate tectonics Polarity reversal Reconstruction Scotia Sea South America South Georgia Island South Orkney microcontinent South Sandwich arc Subduction Subduction initiation Tierra del Fuego Weddell Sea Schellart, W.P. Strak, V. Beniest, A. Duarte, J.C. Rosas, F.M. Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
topic_facet |
Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Geodynamics Numerical model Patagonia Plate tectonics Polarity reversal Reconstruction Scotia Sea South America South Georgia Island South Orkney microcontinent South Sandwich arc Subduction Subduction initiation Tierra del Fuego Weddell Sea |
description |
Subduction zones and their associated slabs are the main drivers of plate tectonics and mantle flow, but how these zones initiate remains enigmatic. In the Scotia Sea region, subduction started in the Late Cretaceous/Early Cenozoic in a pristine ocean basin setting devoid of other subduction/collision zones. How this subduction zone initiated remains intensely debated, as exemplified by the variability of published plate tectonic reconstructions. Despite such variability, several works argue for a subduction initiation mechanism, in which a South America-Antarctica relative plate motion change, in combination with a particular plate boundary geometry in the western Weddell Sea, caused convergence across a transform plate boundary segment that subsequently evolved into a subduction zone. Here we discuss this kinematic model of subduction initiation, and, following geometric and kinematic arguments, highlight several unsolved issues that call for alternative explanations. Furthermore, we present new tectonic reconstructions of the Scotia region involving a simpler middle-Late Cretaceous plate boundary configuration, which avoid the geometric and kinematic problems of earlier reconstructions and that call for a new mechanism of subduction initiation. We refer to this mechanism as Subduction Invasion Polarity Switch (SIPS), which involves a long-lived and wide subduction zone (South American-Antarctic subduction zone) with lower mantle slab penetration, which imposes major horizontal trench-normal compressive deviatoric stresses on the overriding plate. This plate consists of a narrow continental lithospheric (land) bridge at the trench (Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic Antarctica-South America land bridge) with oceanic lithosphere behind it (Weddell Sea-Atlantic Ocean). The stresses cause shortening and thrusting at the continent-ocean boundary in the backarc region of the overriding plate, forcing oceanic lithosphere under continental lithosphere, starting the subduction initiation process, and eventually leading to a ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schellart, W.P. Strak, V. Beniest, A. Duarte, J.C. Rosas, F.M. |
author_facet |
Schellart, W.P. Strak, V. Beniest, A. Duarte, J.C. Rosas, F.M. |
author_sort |
Schellart, W.P. |
title |
Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
title_short |
Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
title_full |
Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
title_fullStr |
Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
title_full_unstemmed |
Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region |
title_sort |
subduction invasion polarity switch from the pacific to the atlantic ocean: a new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the scotia sea region |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85144802348&partnerID=8YFLogxK https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825222003610 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-135.021,-135.021,61.583,61.583) ENVELOPE(-36.750,-36.750,-54.250,-54.250) |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Pacific Patagonia Scotia Sea South Georgia Island Weddell Weddell Sea |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Cape Horn Pacific Patagonia Scotia Sea South Georgia Island Weddell Weddell Sea |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Scotia Sea South Georgia Island Weddell Sea Tierra del Fuego |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Scotia Sea South Georgia Island Weddell Sea Tierra del Fuego |
op_source |
Schellart , W P , Strak , V , Beniest , A , Duarte , J C & Rosas , F M 2023 , ' Subduction invasion polarity switch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean: A new geodynamic model of subduction initiation based on the Scotia Sea region ' , Earth-Science Reviews , vol. 236 , 104277 , pp. 1-22 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 |
op_relation |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/49c837c0-032d-4952-a8a2-f408a78225c7 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104277 |
container_title |
Earth-Science Reviews |
container_volume |
236 |
container_start_page |
104277 |
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1802651038617960448 |