Open AccessLarge‐scale gravity profiles across subducted plates
Author(s) -
Rabinowicz M.,
Lago B.,
Souriau M.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1983.tb03319.x
Subject(s) - geology , subduction , slab , trench , convection , geophysics , heat flow , geodesy , seismology , mechanics , meteorology , tectonics , physics , thermal , chemistry , organic chemistry , layer (electronics)
Summary. The mean gravity profiles, across Central and South America and Eurasia, in the direction normal to the subduction zone are deduced from the Gem 10B gravity model. They have a typical shape: a maximum close to the trench, a negative slope towards the interior of the plate over a 3000 km wide distance, usually followed by a local maximum. It is found that large convective cells driven by the heat sink of the sinking slab have an associated gravity signal having such a typical shape. A detailed comparison between observed and theoretical data supports this point of view and thus constrains the possible structure of the convective flow under these plates.