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The many surface expressions of mantle dynamics

Nature Geoscience volume 3, pages 825–833 (2010)Cite this article

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An Author Correction to this article was published on 10 May 2022

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Abstract

Plate tectonic theory suggests that present-day topography can be explained by the repeated interactions between the tectonic plates moving along Earth's surface. However, mounting evidence indicates that a significant proportion of Earth's topography results from the viscous stresses created by flow within the underlying mantle, rather than by the moving plates. This dynamic topography is transient, varying as mantle flow changes, and is characterized by small amplitudes and long wavelengths. It is therefore often hidden by or confused with the more obvious topographic anomalies resulting from horizontal tectonic movements. However, dynamic topography can influence surface processes and thus enter the geological record; it has, for example, played a role in the establishment of Amazon drainage patterns. In turn, surface processes such as the erosion of topographical anomalies could affect mantle flow. This emerging view of dynamic topography suggests that the concept of plate tectonics as the driver of surface deformation needs to be extended to include the vertical coupling between the mantle and the surface. Unravelling this coupling back in time with the help of models and the geological record can potentially provide unprecedented insights into past mantle dynamics.

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Figure 1: Dynamic topography.
Figure 2: Estimates of present-day dynamic topography.
Figure 3: Components needed to compute past dynamic topography.
Figure 4: The advection of present-day mantle-flow models backwards in time.
Figure 5: Example of computed dynamic topography and its comparison to the geological record.
Figure 6: How eroding dynamic topography can affect mantle flow.
Figure 7: Earth's erosion rate compared with mantle anomalies' rising velocity.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank S. Braun, T. Gerya and B. Steinberger for constructive comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

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  1. Laboratoire de Géodynamique des Chaînes Alpines, Université Joseph Fourier de Grenoble, 38041, Grenoble, France

    Jean Braun

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Braun, J. The many surface expressions of mantle dynamics. Nature Geosci 3, 825–833 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1020

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