CAREER: When Subduction Fails - Dynamical Models of Oceanic Plateau Collision and Crustal-Fragment Accretion

俯冲动力学的研究大多试图确定典型大洋岩石圈长期俯冲的过程。虽然活跃的俯冲板块具有地震活动性，表明不同深度的强烈内部变形，但板块继续直接将应力传递到表面板块。只有在特殊的条件下，板块才会变得足够弱，或者表面板块的正浮力足够大，导致俯冲失败。通过观察俯冲失败的案例，我们可以了解维持长期俯冲所需的过程。三维热力学模型被用来研究俯冲失败的两个过程：1）尝试的大洋高原俯冲是如何导致俯冲失败的？2)在正常的俯冲过程中，地壳碎片是如何流失的？这些研究集中在一阶，基本的过程，如基本的流变分层的海洋板块和本地化过程，相变改变流变学和/或密度，结构的大小和几何形状，和收敛性。该项目的教育部分直接建立在研究目标上，通过使用动态模型结果作为合成数据集，帮助学生掌握3D空间思维技能。实验室和家庭作业练习正在开发的数值模型的结果，要求学生创建一个地下结构的横截面从结构方向（走向，倾角）从合成三维模型的映射数据。练习的这一部分模拟了学生通常使用野外采集的实际地图数据进行的解释练习。然而，与现场体验不同的是，学生们在使用可视化软件探索实际的3D结构后，有机会纠正他们的初始横截面，这使他们能够创建任何方向的横截面，并将3D结构视为等值面。此外，可视化软件还增加了一项新功能，允许使用任何预定义的2D地形表面（而不是简单的平面）对3D数值数据的表面进行切片。该工具允许学生直接探索地形如何影响3D地下结构的表面露头（例如，倾斜断层与山谷和山脊的交叉点）。

Most studies of subduction dynamics attempt to determine the processes responsible for sustaining long-term subduction of typical oceanic lithosphere. While active subducting slabs have seismicity evident of intense internal deformation to various depths, the slab continues to directly transmit stresses to the surface plate. Only under special conditions does the slab become sufficiently weak or the positive buoyancy of the surface plate sufficiently large to cause subduction to fail. By looking at cases when subduction fails we can learn about the processes required to sustain longterm subduction. Three-dimensional thermo-mechanical models are being used to address two processes of subduction failure: 1) How does attempted oceanic plateau subduction cause subduction to fail? 2) How does crustal-fragment loss occur during normal subduction? These studies focus on the first-order, essential processes, such as the basic rheologic layering of the oceanic plate and localization processes, phase transformations that change rheology and/or density, the size and geometry of structures, and obliquity of convergence. The educational components of this project build directly on the research objectives, by using the dynamical model results as synthetic data sets to help students master 3D spatial thinking skills. Laboratory and homework exercises are being developed from the numerical model results that ask students to create a cross section of the subsurface structure from mapped data of structure orientations (strike, dip) taken from the synthetic 3D models. This part of the exercise simulates the interpretive exercise students normally carry out with actual mapped data taken in the field. However, unlike the field experience, the students are then given the opportunity to correct their initial cross section after exploring the actual 3D structure using visualization software, which allows them to create cross sections of any orientation and view the 3D structures as isosurfaces. In addition, a new feature is being added to the visualization software that allows the surface of the 3D numerical data to be sliced with any pre-defined 2D topographic surface (instead of a simple plane). This tool allows students to explore directly how topography influences the surface outcrop of 3D subsurface structures (e.g., intersection of a dipping fault with a valley versus a ridge).