New M@TE! model:

we have provided a summary of your model as a starting point for the README, feel free to edit

Section 1: Summary of your model

Model Submitter:

Andres Felipe Rodriguez Corcho (0000-0002-1521-7910)

Model Creator(s):

• Andrés Felipe Rodríguez Corcho (0000-0002-1521-7910)
• Sara Polanco (0000-0002-1270-4377)
• Rebecca Farrington (0000-0002-2594-6965)
• Romain Beucher (0000-0003-3891-5444)
• Camilo Montes (0000-0002-3553-0787)
• Louis Moresi (0000-0003-3685-174X)

Model name:

RodriguezCorcho-2022-ArcCollision

(this will be the name of the model repository when created)

Model long name:

The Role of Lithospheric-Deep Mantle Interactions on the Style and Stress Evolution of Arc-Continent Collision

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Model Category:

• model published in study

Model Status:

• completed

Associated Publication title:

The Role of Lithospheric‐Deep Mantle Interactions on the Style and Stress Evolution of Arc‐Continent Collision

Abstract:

We investigate how the mechanical properties of intra-oceanic arcs affect the collision style and associated stress-strain evolution with buoyancy-driven models of subduction that accurately reproduce the dynamic interaction of the lithosphere and mantle. We performed a series of simulations only varying the effective arc thickness as it controls the buoyancy of intra-oceanic arcs. Our simulations spontaneously evolve into two contrasting styles of collision that are controlled by a 3% density contrast between the arc and the continental plate. In simulations with less buoyant arcs (15–31 km; effective thickness), we observe arc-transference to the overriding plate and slab-anchoring and folding at the 660 km transition zone that result in fluctuations in the slab dip, strain-stress regime, surface kinematics, and viscous dissipation. After slab-folding occurs, the gravitational potential energy is dissipated in the form of lithospheric flow causing lithospheric extension in the overriding plate. Conversely, simulations with more buoyant arcs (32–35 km; effective thickness) do not lead to arc-transference and result in slab break-off, which causes an asymptotic trend in surface kinematics, viscous dissipation and strain-stress regime, and lithospheric extension in the overriding plate. The results of our numerical modeling highlight the importance of slab-anchoring and folding in the 660 km transition zone on increasing the mechanical coupling of the subduction system.

Scientific Keywords:

• buoyancy contrast
• gravitational collapse
• arc-collision
• slab-folding
• slab-anchoring

Funder(s):

• Australian Research Council's ITRH Project
• Colombian Government PhD Scholarship
• Colombian Association of Petroleum Geologists and Geophysicists
• Auscope
• Nectar Research Cloud
• National Computational Infrastructure

Section 2: your model code, output data

** No embargo on model contents requested****Include model code:**

True

Model code existing URL/DOI:

https://github.com/andresrcorcho/Dynamics-of-Arc-Continent-Collision

Model code notes:

The model is set up using a python script and uses the Underworld 2 geodynamic code. In the GitHub repo, the original script used to run the model is available, and also the script used for post-processing.

Include model output data:

True

Model output data notes:

The output consists of xdmf and h5 files. There is one xdmf file per time step (every 0.5 Myr) and a set of h5 files that contain the distinct model properties.

Section 3: software framework and compute details

Software Framework DOI/URL:

Found software: Underworld2

Software Repository:

https://github.com/underworldcode/UWGeodynamics

Name of primary software framework:

Underworld2

Software & algorithm keywords:

• Python
• Finite Element
• MPI
• Particle-in-cell

Section 4: web material (for mate.science)

Landing page image:

Filename: landing_image.png
Caption: Stress evolution of more buoyant arc-continent collision. This style of collision results in slab break-off

Animation:

Filename: animation
Caption: Evolution of less buoyant arc-continent collision. This style of collision results in arc transference to the continental overriding plate.

Graphic abstract:

Filename: graphic_abstract.png
Caption: This research shows that a buoyancy contrast of 3% between the colliding buoyant remnant arc and the continental plate determines the style of collision. A buoyancy contrast less than 3% results in arc transference to the continental overriding plate and slab-anchoring . In contrast, a buoyancy contrast more than 3% results in slab break-off and failed arc transference.

Model setup figure:

Filename: model_setup.jpg
Caption:
Description: The model develops in a cartesian domain 3600 km in length (in the horizontal direction) and 800 km in depth. It includes an oceanic subducting plate (dark yellow), an overriding plate composed by a continental (cyan) and cratonic domain (dark blue), and a ribbon of thicker crust representing a remnant = intra-oceanic arc attached to the oceanic plate (red). The upper mantle and the upper-lower mantle boundary are included to capture deep-mantle slab interactions. Orange, yellow, and dark green dots show locations where subducting plate convergence velocity, the trench-retreat velocity and the overriding plate (OP) retreat velocity were measured. The (b–e) profiles show a schematic lithospheric cross-section of the domains considered in our model set-up. (b) Lithospheric profile of the oceanic plate which is composed by a 7 km thick oceanic crust and the cold-brittle oceanic lithospheric mantle. (c) Lithospheric profile of the cratonic continental lithosphere which is composed by a 40 km thick continental crust and a thermally mature and thicker continental lithospheric mantle. (d) Lithospheric profile of the continental plate which is composed by a 20 km thick continental crust and a thermally mature continental lithospheric mantle. (e) lithospheric profile of the intra-oceanic arc composed by an upper arc-crust of basaltic composition, and a middle-lower arc crust averaged between gabbro (same as basalt) and tonalite. Therefore, a thicker middle-lower intra-oceanic arc crust makes the arc more buoyant. Note that the effective arc thickness is defined as the overall thickness of all crustal levels: upper crust, middle-lower crust. Because the effective thickness of the upper intra-oceanic arc crust tends to be similar to the normal oceanic crust, the middle-lower arc crust can be considered as a free parameter as implemented in Leng & Gurnis [2015].