Questions tagged [subduction]
The process where denser oceanic crust is forced under continental crust. These convergent boundaries are sites for volcanic arcs.
36 questions
1
vote
1
answer
240
views
How does gold condense into nuggets deep in the Earth after being mixed with dirt and spread out on the surface?
After being ground down and eroded into powder on the surface, it's hard for me to see how gold dust collects again after being subducted and mixed with melted rocks by convection.
I know that gold is ...
2
votes
2
answers
147
views
How does slab pull work?
My understanding is rocks are very weak in tension. How can a subducting slab "pull" an entire lithospheric plate behind it?
- 71
1
vote
0
answers
64
views
Where are the youngest and oldest subduction zones in the world? Is the dip of the subducting slab proportional with the age of subduction?
I want to learn where the youngest subduction is in the world. Where is the most recently started subduction zone? (The most recent place on Earth that arc magmatism has started)
And the oldest ...
- 1,113
2
votes
1
answer
106
views
Is there any diferrence between arc magmatism and post-collisional extension magmatism?
There is subduction-related arc magmatism, such as the Andes, Indonesia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. In the same tectonic environment there's post-collisional extension magmatism such as in New ...
- 1,113
7
votes
3
answers
350
views
Do tidal forces affect subduction?
I know subduction in plate tectonics is mainly density driven.
Probably a hypothetical question, but can weaknesses caused by tidal forces have an influence on the start of a subduction zone? Would ...
user29219
3
votes
0
answers
119
views
Can $\ce{CaCO3}$ shells contribute to $\ce{CO2}$ emissions in volcanoes within subduction zones?
CaCO3 dissolves below the Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD).
However, this paper suggests that some CaCO3 can exist below the CCD.
My question arises from a discussion in this answer.
The question is ...
user28185
4
votes
2
answers
342
views
What forces plays the role in order to subduct the denser tectonic plate under the lighter plate?
I am a 10th grade student and I don't know much about geology but I'm learning about subduction online. It's always mentioned that the denser plate gets subducted under the lesser denser plate. I want ...
- 41
5
votes
2
answers
563
views
How is felsic magma produced at island arcs?
I previously believed that continental crust owes its lower density to the partial melting of oceanic crust; the mantle would partially melt at mid-ocean ridges to produce basaltic crust, and when ...
- 51
2
votes
1
answer
293
views
Tectonic plates terminology
I have a very basic doubt regarding what the tectonic plates mean. In Wiki article Subduction is defined as:
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the ...
- 121
3
votes
2
answers
510
views
When did the proto-Himalayas become non-volcanic?
In the normal course of events, when continents move toward each other, at least one coast will be associated with a subduction zone and corresponding volcanic activity. When the Indian subcontinent ...
- 705
3
votes
1
answer
231
views
Slab-breakoff - always connected to continent/continent collision?
The question came to me when pondering the Andes:
Is a slab-breakoff always connected to the transition from subduction of oceanic crust to a continent/continent collision?
Current understanding is ...
user22279
1
vote
2
answers
525
views
Why are there no subduction trenches on continental land?
The ocean has some of the deepest locations on earth, typically caused by subduction zones. Why are there no subduction trenches on land?
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
136
views
Is COMSOL Multiphysics good for subduction CFD modelling? Are there alternatives?
As a beginner for CFD modelling of plate subduction, I heard comsol to be a good software. Can anybody suggests alternatives and the demerits of using COMSOL Multiphysics? Thank you.
- 55
1
vote
4
answers
1k
views
Can garbage be sent into the (near-)center of the world?
I've been thinking about how difficult it is to eliminate toxic chemical waste -- it usually needs high temperatures and pressures. So: would it be feasible (and maybe cheaper) to send it into the ...
- 159
2
votes
1
answer
398
views
Will California become a subduction zone in the distant future
California is one of the few places in the world that lie on a transform fault. My question is why considering the fact that North American Plate is moving westward shouldn't California be a ...
