GD
Geodynamics

mantle flow

Rheological Laws: Atoms on the Move

January 17, 2018
Rheological Laws: Atoms on the Move
Opportunistic defects and sneaky, introvert atoms... much is happening within a rock across all scales. Left image by Brian Skinner and right image from Snorgtees

The Geodynamics 101 series serves to showcase the diversity of research topics and methods in the geodynamics community in an understandable manner. We welcome all researchers – PhD students to Professors – to introduce their area of expertise in a lighthearted, entertaining manner and touch upon some of the outstanding questions and problems related to their fields. For our first ‘101’ ...[Read More]

Going with the toroidal mantle flow

October 25, 2017
Going with the toroidal mantle flow
Topography and bathymetry in the region of the northwestern Pacific. This area characterized by multiple subduction zones as indicated by a deep trench (darkest blue), such as that along Japan. Credit: NOAA

Subduction zones host one of the most complex and fascinating tectonic systems on the planet. Numerical models by Király and colleagues recently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters reveal that the strength of the toroidal flow depends on the mantle viscosity and the magnitude of the slab pull force while the characteristic size of the toroidal cells mainly depends on the size of the c ...[Read More]