Thermal and mechanical modelling of convergent plate margins

Abstract

In this thesis, the thermal and mechanical structure of convergent plate margins will be investigated by means of numerical modelling. In addition, we will discuss the implications of modelling results for geological processes such as metamorphism or the break-up of a plate at a convergent plate margin. Both the thermal models (chapters 2 and 3) and the mechanical models (chapters 4 and 5) focus on the more shallow part of a subduction zone, where the downgoing plate is still in contact with the upper plate and has not yet been subducted into the mantle. This enables us to make a more detailed investigation of the thermo-mechanical structure of the upper part of a subduction zone. Throughout this thesis, numerical modelling techniques such as finite difference methods (for the thermal models) and finite element methods (for the mechanical models) have been used.