Open AccessRise and deflection of mantle plume tails
Author(s) -
Kerr Ross C.,
Lister John R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2008gc002124
Subject(s) - plume , geology , buoyancy , panache , mantle plume , geophysics , mantle (geology) , deflection (physics) , shearing (physics) , shear velocity , thermal , shear (geology) , mechanics , meteorology , seismology , lithosphere , physics , classical mechanics , petrology , geotechnical engineering , turbulence , tectonics
Experimental observations by Kerr and Mériaux (2004) of the deflection of thermal plume tails by an imposed background shear are reanalyzed using a corrected velocity profile. The deflected plumes are found to be accurately described by a constant vertical rise velocity (equation (14)) that depends primarily on the plume buoyancy flux and the ambient viscosity. Our results can be used to further improve the predictions of numerical models of the shearing of plume tails in the Earth's mantle.