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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 25, NO. 9, PAGES 1463–1466, 1998

The Influence of Thermodynamic Formulation on Simulations of Subduction Zone Geometry and History

Joel Ita

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana


Scott D. King

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana


Abstract

We introduce varying approximations to the thermodynamic properties of a convecting system similar to Earth’s mantle. A realistic geometry, rheology and faults are included to insure that the variations we see are robust in a dynamic, self-buffering environment. We find two levels of response in the system. First, some approximations lead to very different patterns of flow in the simulations. Second, other sets of approximations lead to similar patterns of flow, but the time history of the flow varies significantly with the formulation used. Last, we note that only minor changes to an existing code would be needed to integrate a complex thermodynamic model.

Received 9 January 1998; accepted 18 March 1998.

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Citation: Ita, J., and S. D. King (1998), The Influence of Thermodynamic Formulation on Simulations of Subduction Zone Geometry and History, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25(9), 1463–1466.