Published 1993
| public
Book Section - Chapter
A mechanism for spontaneous self-perpetuating volcanism on the terrestrial planets
- Creators
- Tackley, P. J.
-
Stevenson, D. J.
- Others:
- Stone, David B.
- Runcorn, S. K.
Abstract
We present a model for self-perpetuating magmatism resulting from Rayleigh-Taylor like instabilities developing spontaneously in regions that are partially molten, or at the solidus. The mechanism is capable of generating large volumes of magma without the need of a plume, or other deep source. Numerical models have been used to determine characteristic timescales, spacings and eruption rates in terms of nondimensional parameters. Scaled to realistic parameter space, the results correspond to timescales and eruption rates compatible with observations of small-scale intra-plate volcanism. Applications to oceanic seamount production, volcano spacing and rapid lithospheric erosion are discussed.
Additional Information
© 1993 Kluwer Academic Publishers. We are grateful to David Scott for furnishing us with his finite element code. We thank Don Anderson for a thoughtful review of the manuscript and helpful suggestions, and Craig Scrivner and Helen Qian for improving the quality of the text. The work benefitted from discussions with Geoff Davies. Supported by NSF grant EAR9017893. Contribution Number 5147, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 39735
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130802-125515375
- EAR9017893
- NSF
- Created
-
2013-08-19Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2019-10-03Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Series Name
- NATO ASI series E
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 391
- Other Numbering System Name
- Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 5147