Abstract
THE thermal model for oceanic lithosphere developed by McKenzie1 assumes that oceanic plates are slabs of constant thickness. The model has been used successfully to reproduce both the heat flow and the topographic patterns observed in oceanic lithosphere2. There is, however, no reason to assume that the lithosphere has a constant thickness; indeed, it is likely to thicken as it moves away from the ridge and cools.
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References
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CROUGH, S. Thermal model of oceanic lithosphere. Nature 256, 388–390 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/256388a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/256388a0
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