Symwa. Ton et Mjr. Wortel, SLAB DETACHMENT IN CONTINENTAL COLLISION ZONES - AN ANALYSIS OF CONTROLLING PARAMETERS, Geophysical research letters, 24(16), 1997, pp. 2095-2098
During the early stages of continental collision when continental lith
osphere is subducted after a prolonged period of normal oceanic subduc
tion, changes in the temperature distribution and stress field of the
subducting lithosphere can lead to failure within the lithosphere, and
result in detachment of the deeper portion of subducted lithosphere (
slab detachment or slab breakoff). We use a 2D rime-dependent numerica
l model to identify the parameters controlling slab detachment and to
estimate breakoff depths and time lengths. Temperature and rheology of
subducting continental lithosphere are found to control slab detachme
nt.