This review of subduction and geodynamic models is organized around three central questions: (1) Why is subduction asymmetric? (2) Are subducted slabs strong or weak? (3) How do subducted slabs interact with phase transformations, changes in mantle rheology, and possibly chemical boundaries in the mantle? Based on laboratory measurements of the temperature dependence of olivine, one would concl...

Much of my research career has been spent working both on modern oceanic volcanic systems and at the same time looking at their Archaean counterparts. Many authors have attempted to make inferences on early Earth models based on modern processes which can be increasingly well constrained. In this short review I show how we are beginning to understand and quantify inputs to modern subduction sys...

[1] Although mantle slabs ultimately drive plate motions, the mechanism by which they do so remains unclear. A detached slab descending through the mantle will excite mantle flow that exerts shear tractions on the base of the surface plates. This ‘‘slab suction’’ force drives subducting and overriding plates symmetrically toward subduction zones. Alternatively, cold, strong slabs may effectivel...

TEMSPOL is an open MATLAB code suitable for calculating temperature and lateral anomaly of density distributions in deep subduction zones, taking into account the olivine to spinel phase transformation in a selfconsistent manner. The code solves, by means of a finite difference scheme, the heat transfer equation including adiabatic heating, radioactive heat generation, latent heat associated wi...

Subduction zones generate voluminous magma and mediate global element cycling. Fluids are essential to this activity, yet their behavior is perhaps the most poorly understood aspect of the subduction process. Though many volatile components are subducted, H2O is the most abundant, is preferentially fractionated into the fluid phase, and, among terrestrial volatiles, is by far the most effective...

It is widely accepted that water-rich serpentinite domains are commonly present in the mantle above shallow subducting slabs and play key roles in controlling the geochemical cycling and physical properties of subduction zones. Thermal and petrological models show the dominant serpentine mineral is antigorite. However, there is no good consensus on the amount, distribution and alignment of this...

The role of decoupling in the low-velocity zone is crucial for understanding plate tectonics and mantle convection. Mantle convection models fail to integrate plate kinematics and thermodynamics of the mantle. In a first gross estimate, we computed at about 306 km/yr the volume of the plates lost along subduction zones. Mass balance predicts that slabs are compensated by broad passive upwelling...

Understanding variations of slip distance along major thrust systems at convergent margins is an important issue for evaluation of near-trench slip and the potential generation of large tsunamis. We derived quantitative estimates of slip along ancient subduction fault systems by using the maturity of carbonaceous material (CM) of discrete slip zones as a proxy for temperature. We first obtained...