A numerical study of the interaction between the mantle wedge, subducting slab, and overriding plate

We have formulated a numerical model with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity to calculate thermal structure and flow-field in subduction zones. One important particularity of the model is that the overriding plate is not fixed over its whole thickness in order to allow material exchange between the wedge and the upper lithosphere. Numerical problems due to very high-viscosity contrasts are avoided by coupling a finite difference method and a finite element method for solving the energy conservation equation and the Stockes equation, respectively. In this model, a temperature decrease from 1400 to 1300 degreesC increases the viscosity by an order of magnitude. We study the temperature structure and the velocity field of the subducting slab and mantle wedge. Surface heat flow, velocity anomalies, and geometry of the partial melting zone are also calculated. To study the effect that boundary conditions play on the interaction between the mantle wedge, overriding plate and subducting plate, we examine models with both fixed and free-slip conditions applied to the overriding plate. When the overriding plate is allowed to move laterally (free-slip), the subducting slab is thick, and both the temperature field and the convective motions in the mantle wedge are similar to those observed when using constant viscosity numerical models or analytical corner flow models. If the surface of the overriding plate is fixed, the subducting slab is thin and the mantle wedge impinges upon the overriding plate forming a high-temperature nose between the overriding plate and subducting lithosphere. Furthermore, viscous decoupling occurs implicitly at shallow depth between the slab and the wedge because hot material from the wedge is entrained close to the trench. In that case, the subducting slab tectonically erodes the lower lithosphere of the overriding plate leading to high-temperatures, low seismic velocities, high attenuation and high heat flow beneath volcanic arc, in agreement with geophysical observations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.