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Evolution of midplate hotspot swells: Numerical solutionsThe evolution of midplate hotspot swells on an oceanic plate moving over a hot, upwelling mantle plume is numerically simulated. The plume supplies a Gaussian-shaped thermal perturbation and thermally-induced dynamic support. The lithosphere is treated as a thermal boundary layer with a strongly temperature-dependent viscosity. The two fundamental mechanisms of transferring heat, conduction and convection, during the interaction of the lithosphere with the mantle plume are considered. The transient heat transfer equations, with boundary conditions varying in both time and space, are solved in cylindrical coordinates using the finite difference ADI (alternating direction implicit) method on a 100 x 100 grid. The topography, geoid anomaly, and heat flow anomaly of the Hawaiian swell and the Bermuda rise are used to constrain the models. Results confirm the conclusion of previous works that the Hawaiian swell can not be explained by conductive heating alone, even if extremely high thermal perturbation is allowed. On the other hand, the model of convective thinning predicts successfully the topography, geoid anomaly, and the heat flow anomaly around the Hawaiian islands, as well as the changes in the topography and anomalous heat flow along the Hawaiian volcanic chain.
Document ID
19900010397
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Liu, Mian (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Chase, Clement G. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.26:186462
NASA-CR-186462
Accession Number
90N19713
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-444
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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