The Asthenosphere Melting Regimes Alteration due to Changing Conditions of Upper Mantle

Abstract:

Analyzed in the article are different asthenosphere magma generation regimes above the upper mantle hot spots as thermodynamic and geometric parameters of the upper mantle and the conditions on its boundaries vary. The two-layer mantle model is applied to consider the formation of decompression melting areas. The thickness of metasomatically altered lithospheric mantle is determined by the mantle substance rheology and the location of the upper boundary of asthenosphere. We also take into consideration the principal solid state phase transitions by using the mantle substance state equation. The sizes and distribution of hot spots as well as their maximal temperature were defined by the thermodynamic conditions of the perovskite transition existence. The numerical analysis results demonstrate the manifestation of three main mantle dynamics modes; the conditions necessary to form the partial melting zones are not reached; some melting areas with the 30 to 65 Ma existence time do occur; the melting areas that are formed exist permanently. The permanently existing asthenosphere zones are marked by quasiperiodical variation in thickness and the degree of melting. The typical temperatures of a hot spot sharing these modes are the 1740°С and 2020°С correspondingly. The originally presupposed heating degree and the temperature ratio of the upper mantle do influence the decompression melting degree substantially and – to a lesser extent – they influence the size of melting zones. The primary evolution of the second mode is described by the development of a complex system of asthenosphere zones that lead to the occurrence of additional convectional cells dividing the partial melting zone. The variation in the rheological properties of the mantle substance also contributes to the manifestation of the complex structure of asthenosphere zone.

The work was made with support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant #12-05-00625.