Premium
Evolution into the stagnant lid convection regime with a non‐Newtonian water ice rheology
Author(s) -
Freeman J.,
Moresi L.,
May D. A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl019798
Subject(s) - rheology , viscosity , nusselt number , thermodynamics , newtonian fluid , convection , mechanics , geology , materials science , physics , turbulence , reynolds number
We study and compare the evolution into the stagnant lid regime with a non‐Newtonian water ice and a silicate rheology by solving the equations of thermal convection. Dislocation creep of water ice is characterized by a larger stress dependence ( n = 4) than silicates ( n = 3) and with this water ice rheology, the stagnant lid regime is attained at a temperature determined viscosity contrast greater than 10 10 and at an effective viscosity contrast of ∼10 5 . We also determine a Nusselt‐Rayleigh number scaling law for the n = 4 rheology.