Finite Element Models for Lithospheric Deformation in Collisional Orogens

岩石圈板块之间的相对收敛不能用平面构造的简单动力学规律来描述。收敛不可避免地导致一个或两个板块的变形。在大陆碰撞的情况下，汇聚会产生剧烈的变形，并伴随着隆起、侵蚀、造山和高地起伏。这个最壮观的地球构造过程是地球大陆地质的主要原因，通过连续的碰撞和机械增生形成大陆，但碰撞造山作用对古代和现代大气、生物圈和水圈的影响也很重要。造山过程影响全球大气环流模式，进而影响全球气候，但气候也通过其侵蚀过量地形的效率影响造山。了解和模拟岩石圈和大气系统之间的耦合和反馈是加拿大高级研究所地球系统进化计划的目标之一，该项目是该计划的一部分。本项目通过对造山带岩石圈变形进行数值模拟，并与地质（地表）和地球物理（地下）观测结果进行比较，重点研究地球系统的岩石圈力学过程成分。＊＊＊＊

Willet 9417766 Relative convergende between lithospheric plates cannot be described by the simple kinetic rules of plane tectonics. Convergence leads inevitably to deformation of one or both plates. In the case of continental collision, convergence produces dramatic deformation with attendant uplift, erosion, mountain building and high relief. This most spectacular of the Earth's tectonic processes is the cause of much of the Earth's conctinental geology throught eh formation fo continents by successive collisions and mechanical accretion, but also important are the impacts of cllisional orogenesis on the ancient and modern atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. Mountain building processes affect global atmospheric circulation patterns and hence global climate, but climate also affects mountain building through its effeciency in eroding excess topography. Understanding and modeling the coupling and feedback between the lithospheric and atmospheric systems is one of the goals of the Earth Systems Evolution program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research of which this project is a part. This project focuses on the lithospheric mechanical process component of the Earth system by numerical modeling of lithosoheric deformation and comparison to geological (surface) and geophysical (subsurface) observations in orogenic belts. ****