What question did this study set out to answer?

To model large-scale, long-term continental lithosphere deformation during continent-continent collisions by treating the lithosphere as a thin viscous sheet.

August 1, 1982Geophysical Journal InternationalOpen Access

A thin viscous sheet model for continental deformation

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Authors

PEPhilip EnglandUniversity of Oxford DMDavid R. McKenzieBerry College

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Implication

Numerical modeling demonstrates that power-law rheology and crustal thickness forces govern continental deformation, explaining observed lateral movement and extension across the Tibetan plateau.

Key Points

To model large-scale, long-term continental lithosphere deformation during continent-continent collisions by treating the lithosphere as a thin viscous sheet.
Simulated lithospheric deformation using a continuum numerical model with Newtonian (n=1) and power-law (n=3, n=5) rheologies over an inviscid substrate.
Analyzed flow behavior under boundary indentation as a function of the power-law stress exponent (n) and the Argand number (Ar), representing crustal thickness stress versus deformation stress.
Power-law rheology (n=3, 5) confines deformation to a lateral zone matching indenter width, whereas Newtonian rheology (n=1) distributes deformation across a much wider lateral area.
Deviatoric stresses between 100 bar and 1 kbar generate crustal thickness profiles matching the India-Asia collision zone, while weak media (Ar > 10) fail to sustain crustal elevation contrasts.
Internal forces from crustal thickness contrasts induce net lateral extrusion and extension perpendicular to the convergence direction, reproducing active east-west extension observed in Tibet.

Cite This Study

England et al. (1982) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a733253c757bd4228c3fa61 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.1982.tb04969.x

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Implication

Numerical modeling demonstrates that power-law rheology and crustal thickness forces govern continental deformation, explaining observed lateral movement and extension across the Tibetan plateau.

A thin viscous sheet model for continental deformation

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

A thin viscous sheet model for continental deformation

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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