In plate tectonics, slab detachment or slab break-off may occur during continent-continent or arc-continent collisions. When the continental margin of the subducting plate reaches the oceanic trench of the subduction zone, the more buoyant continental crust will in normal circumstances experience only a limited amount of subduction into the asthenosphere. The slab pull forces will, however, still be present and this normally leads to the breaking off or detachment of the descending slab from the rest of the plate.[1] The isostatic response to the detachment of the downgoing slab is rapid uplift. Slab detachment is also followed by the upwelling of relatively hot asthenosphere to fill the gap created, leading in many cases to magmatism.[2]
The uncritical use of the slab-detachment model to explain disparate observations of magmatism, uplift and exhumation in continental collision zones has been criticised.[3][4]
- ^ van Hunen, Jeroen; Allen, Mark B. (February 2011). "Continental collision and slab break-off: A comparison of 3-D numerical models with observations". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 302 (1–2): 27–37. Bibcode:2011E&PSL.302...27V. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.11.035.
- ^ Huw Davies, J.; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm (1 January 1995). "Slab breakoff: A model of lithosphere detachment and its test in the magmatism and deformation of collisional orogens". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 129 (1): 85–102. Bibcode:1995E&PSL.129...85D. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(94)00237-S.
- ^ Niu, Yaoling (April 2017). "Slab breakoff: a causal mechanism or pure convenience?". Science Bulletin. 62 (7): 456–461. Bibcode:2017SciBu..62..456N. doi:10.1016/j.scib.2017.03.015. PMID 36659252.
- ^ Garzanti, Eduardo; Radeff, Giuditta; Malusà, Marco G. (February 2018). "Slab breakoff: A critical appraisal of a geological theory as applied in space and time". Earth-Science Reviews. 177: 303–319. Bibcode:2018ESRv..177..303G. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.11.012.