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The effect of sedimentary cover on the flexural strength of continental lithosphere

Nature volume 389, pages 476–479 (1997)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 April 1998

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Abstract

The factors that control the flexural rigidity — or effective elastic thickness (EET) — of continental lithosphere have been extensively studied over the past two decades. Using EET estimates derived from the analysis of topography, basin structures and gravity anomalies, several authors1,2,3,4,5 have shown that crustal thickness, geothermal gradient, strain rate, rheology and plate curvature all affect the flexural strength of continents. Recognition that certain combinations of these parameters result in a significant reduction of flexural strength caused by decoupling of the crust and the upper mantle3,5 has been a critical step in understanding why many continental areas have estimated EETs that are thin compared with the total mechanical thickness of the continental lithosphere5. Here we develop a semi-analytical model of the EET through a parametrization of the yield stress envelope6,7 that includes the effects of crust–mantle decoupling. We perform a detailed comparison of EET estimates at foreland basins and mountain belts to values predicted by our model and find that, to predict the EET estimates successfully, we need to take into account the effect of the sediment cover and to use a strong plagioclase-controlled rheology. The effect of sediment cover is to weaken the lithosphere because of the lower density of sediments relative to crystalline crust5,8,9 and by thermally insulating the lower crust9,10,11.

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Figure 1: YSE of the continental lithosphere defining the maximum stress for which the lithosphere behaves like an elastic solid.
Figure 2: a, For 1,000-Myr-old lithosphere with a crust 35 km thick (dotted line), the EET decreases as curvature increases, but the lithosphere does not decouple.
Figure 3: Plot of the predicted values of EET against observed values of EET.

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Change history

  • 01 April 1998

    Nature 389, 476–479 (1997) The last term on the right-hand side of equation (1) should read to make it consistent with an integration over the variable z rather than over the function u(z).

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. Coakley, C. Ebinger, R. Newman and N. White for constructive comments that improved the paper. We thank the NSF Earth Sciences, and F. Brigaud and Elf-Aquitaine Exploration Production, for support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, PO Box 1000, RT 9W, Palisades, 109648000, New York, USA

    Luc L. Lavier & Michael S. Steckler

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, PO Box 1000, RT 9W, Palisades, 109648000, New York, USA

    Luc L. Lavier

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Correspondence to Luc L. Lavier.

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Lavier, L., Steckler, M. The effect of sedimentary cover on the flexural strength of continental lithosphere. Nature 389, 476–479 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/39004

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