Effects of mantle flow on hotspot motion
An example of results is shown to the right: The second panel shows the calculated
motion of hotspot plumes; arrows indicate flow in the mid-mantle (800 km
depth) which is most responsible for hotspot motion. The third panel shows
the predicted shape of plume conduits; arrows indicate flow above D'' in
the lowermost mantle. The calculations are described in a
paper published in GJI.
A more general discussion of hotspot motion, and a description of
the particular result shown here is given
in an article for an AGU
monograph. Results for 44 hotspots are compiled in another
paper published
in JGR.
This project was developed as part of my Ph.D. thesis supervised by
Richard J. O'Connell
More recent developments include detailed studies of individual hotspots, such as the Easter Island hotspot and Indian Ocean hotspots, with Dietmar Müller and Craig O'Neill and a study on the depth-dependence of plume conduit radius, and its effect on hotspot motion, with Maria Antretter.
As a part of an
Iceland plume dynamics project these calculations are done in particular
detail for the Iceland plume, with regard to the tectonic evolution of the
North Atlantic, with Peter Mihalffy and Harro Schmeling, linking global mantle flow with a high-resolution regional flow computation.
- Steinberger, B. and R.J. O'Connell (1998). Advection of plumes in mantle
flow; implications on hotspot motion, mantle viscosity and plume distribution,
Geophys. J. Int., 132, 412-434, doi:10.1046/j.1365-246x.1998.00447.x
[abstract]
[pdf]
[N&V]
- Steinberger, B. and R. J. O'Connell (2000).
Effects of mantle flow on hotspot motion, in
The History and Dynamics of Global Plate Motions,
Geophys. Mon. Ser., 121, ed. Richards, M. A., R. G. Gordon,
and R. D. van der Hilst, AGU, Washington, DC., 377-398. [abstract][pdf]
- Steinberger, B. (2000).
Plumes in a convecting mantle: Models and observations for individual
hotspots, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 11,127--11,152, doi:10.1029/1999JB900398
[abstract]
[pdf]
-
Steinberger, B. (2002).
Motion of the Easter Island hotspot relative to
hotspots on the Pacific plate,
Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 3(11), 8503, doi:10.1029/2002GC000334
[abstract]
[pdf]
- O'Neill, C., D. Mueller and B. Steinberger (2003).
Geodynamic implications of moving Indian Ocean hotspots,
Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 215, 151-168, doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00368-6
[abstract]
[pdf]
-
Steinberger, B. and M. Antretter (2006).
Conduit diameter and buoyant rising speed of mantle plumes: Implications for the motion of hotspots and shape of plume conduits,
Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 7(1), doi:10.1029/2006GC001409 [pdf]
-
Mihalffy, P., B. Steinberger and H. Schmeling (2008).
The effect of the large-scale mantle flow field on the Iceland hotspot track,
Tectonophysics, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2006.12.012 [pdf]
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