0000000000268680
AUTHOR
Georg Reuber
Subduction metamorphism in the Himalayan ultrahigh-pressure Tso Morari massif: an integrated geodynamic and petrological modelling approach
The Tso Morari massif is one of only two regions where ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphism of subducted crust has been documented in the Himalayan Range. The tectonic evolution of the massif is enigmatic, as reported pressure estimates for peak metamorphism vary from ∼2.4 GPa to ∼4.8 GPa. This uncertainty is problematic for constructing large-scale numerical models of the early stages of India–Asia collision. To address this, we provide new constraints on the tectonothermal evolution of the massif via a combined geodynamic and petrological forward-modelling approach. A prograde-to-peak pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) path has been derived from thermomechanical simulations tailored for E…
Inferring rheology and geometry of subsurface structures by adjoint-based inversion of principal stress directions
SUMMARY Imaging subsurface structures, such as salt domes, magma reservoirs or subducting plates, is a major challenge in geophysics. Seismic imaging methods are, so far, the most precise methods to open a window into the Earth. However, the methods may not yield the exact depth or size of the imaged feature and may become distorted by phenomena such as seismic anisotropy, fluid flow, or compositional variations. A useful complementary method is therefore to simulate the mechanical behaviour of rocks on large timescales, and compare model predictions with observations. Recent studies have used the (non-linear) Stokes equations and geometries from seismic studies in combination with an adjoi…
Nonlithostatic pressure during subduction and collision and the formation of (ultra)high-pressure rocks
The mechanisms that result in the formation of high-pressure (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) rocks are controversial. The usual interpretation assumes that pressure is close to lithostatic, petrological pressure estimates can be transferred to depth, and (U)HP rocks have been exhumed from great depth. An alternative explanation is that pressure can be larger than lithostatic, particularly in continental collision zones, and (U)HP rocks could thus have formed at shallower depths. To better understand the mechanical feasibility of these hypotheses, we performed thermomechanical numerical simulations of a typical subduction and collision scenario. If the subducting crust is laterally homogen…
Deriving scaling laws in geodynamics using adjoint gradients
Abstract Whereas significant progress has been made in modelling of lithospheric and crustal scale processes in recent years, it often remains a challenge to understand which of the many model parameters is of key importance for a particular simulation. Determining this is usually done by manually changing the model input parameters and performing new simulations. For a few cases, such as for folding or Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, one can use thick-plate stability analysis to derive scaling laws to obtain such insights. Yet, for more general cases, it is not straightforward to do this (apart from running many simulations). Here, we discuss a numerically cheaper approach to compute scalin…
Plume — Lid interactions during the Archean and implications for the generation of early continental terranes
Abstract Many Archean terranes are interpreted to have a tectonic and metamorphic evolution that indicates intra-crustal reorganization driven by lithospheric-scale gravitational instabilities. These processes are associated with the production of a significant amount of felsic and mafic crust, and are widely regarded to be a consequence of plume-lithosphere interactions. The juvenile Archean felsic crust is made predominantly of rocks of the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suite, which are the result of partial melting of hydrous metabasalts. The geodynamic processes that have assisted the production of juvenile felsic crust, are still not well understood. Here, we perform 2D and …
Adjoint-based inversion for porosity in shallow reservoirs using pseudo-transient solvers for non-linear hydro-mechanical processes
Abstract Porous flow is of major importance in the shallow subsurface, since it directly impacts on reservoir-scale processes such as waste fluid sequestration or oil and gas exploration. Coupled and non-linear hydro-mechanical processes describe the motion of a low-viscous fluid interacting with a higher viscous porous rock matrix. This two-phase flow may trigger the initiation of solitary waves of porosity, further developing into vertical high-porosity pipes or chimneys. These preferred fluid escape features may lead to localised and fast vertical flow pathways potentially problematic in the case of for instance CO2 sequestration. Constraining the porosity and the non-linearly related pe…