Horizontal thermal contractional strain of oceanic lithosphere: The ultimate limit to the rigid plate hypothesis

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dc.contributor.advisorGordon, Richard G.en_US
dc.creatorKumar, Ravi Ranjanen_US
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-03T21:07:38Zen_US
dc.date.available2009-06-03T21:07:38Zen_US
dc.date.issued2007en_US
dc.description.abstractDepth-averaged horizontal strain rates in oceanic lithosphere due to thermal contraction are determined. Calculated strain rates range from ≈10 -2 Myr-1 (near the mid-ocean ridge) to ≈10 -5 Myr-1 (for the oldest oceanic lithosphere). The average thermal contractional strain rate in oceanic lithosphere is ≈10 -4 Myr-1. Newly created lithosphere is displaced toward old ocean basins at a rate that is 1.35% of the half-rate of seafloor spreading, giving displacement rates of 0.1 to 1.1 km Myr-1. The bias in plate displacement rates estimated from marine magnetic anomalies, expressed as a percentage of the full spreading rate, is 0.60% or 0.85% depending on the age of the magnetic isochron used to estimate current plate velocity. The displacement rate due to thermal contraction parallel to a mid-ocean ridge could be as large as ≈10 mm/yr. Strain rates due to thermo-elastic stresses are an order of magnitude smaller than the strain rate calculated when these stresses are neglected.en_US
dc.format.extent69 p.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.callnoTHESIS GEOL. 2007 KUMARen_US
dc.identifier.citationKumar, Ravi Ranjan. "Horizontal thermal contractional strain of oceanic lithosphere: The ultimate limit to the rigid plate hypothesis." (2007) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/20517">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/20517</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/20517en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectGeophysicsen_US
dc.titleHorizontal thermal contractional strain of oceanic lithosphere: The ultimate limit to the rigid plate hypothesisen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentEarth Scienceen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNatural Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Artsen_US
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