Abstract
Fundamental to plate tectonics is the subduction of cold and mechanically strong oceanic plates. While the subducted plates are conventionally regarded to be impermeable to mantle flow and separate the mantle wedge and the sub slab region, isolated openings have been proposed. by combining new shear wave splitting measurements with results from geodynamic modeling and recent seismic tomography and geochemical observations, we show that the upper ~200 km of the Cocos slab in northern Central America is intensively fractured. the slab there is strong enough to produce typical arc volcanoes and Benioff Zone earthquakes but allows mantle flow to traverse from the sub slab region to the mantle wedge. Upwelling of hot sub slab mantle flow through the slab provides a viable explanation for the behind-the-volcanic-front volcanoes that are geochemically distinct from typical arc volcanoes, and for the puzzling high heat flow, high elevation, and low Bouguer gravity anomalies observed in northern Central America.
Recommended Citation
T. Xue et al., "Ongoing Fragmentation of the Subducting Cocos Slab, Central America," Geology, vol. 51, no. 12, pp. 1106 - 1110, Geological Society of America, Jan 2023.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1130/G51403.1
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Second Department
Chemistry
Publication Status
Available Access
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1943-2682; 0091-7613
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Geological Society of America, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2023
Included in
Analytical Chemistry Commons, Engineering Commons, Geochemistry Commons, Geology Commons, Geophysics and Seismology Commons
Comments
National Science Foundation, Grant 1321656