Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Mar 2012
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012apj...748...41s&link_type=abstract
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 748, Issue 1, article id. 41 (2012).
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Convection, Earth, Planets And Satellites: General, Planets And Satellites: Interiors, Planets And Satellites: Physical Evolution, Planets And Satellites: Tectonics
Scientific paper
We study the thermal evolution of super-Earths with a one-dimensional (1D) parameterized convection model that has been adopted to account for a strong pressure dependence of the viscosity. A comparison with a 2D spherical convection model shows that the derived parameterization satisfactorily represents the main characteristics of the thermal evolution of massive rocky planets. We find that the pressure dependence of the viscosity strongly influences the thermal evolution of super-Earths—resulting in a highly sluggish convection regime in the lower mantles of those planets. Depending on the effective activation volume and for cooler initial conditions, we observe with growing planetary mass even the formation of a conductive lid above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), a so-called CMB-lid. For initially molten planets our results suggest no CMB-lids but instead a hot lower mantle and core as well as sluggish lower mantle convection. This implies that the initial interior temperatures, especially in the lower mantle, become crucial for the thermal evolution—the thermostat effect suggested to regulate the interior temperatures in terrestrial planets does not work for massive planets if the viscosity is strongly pressure dependent. The sluggish convection and the potential formation of the CMB-lid reduce the convective vigor throughout the mantle, thereby affecting convective stresses, lithospheric thicknesses, and heat fluxes. The pressure dependence of the viscosity may therefore also strongly affect the propensity of plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the generation of a magnetic field of super-Earths.
Breuer Doris
Noack Lena
Spohn Tilman
Stamenkovic Vlada
No associations
LandOfFree
The Influence of Pressure-dependent Viscosity on the Thermal Evolution of Super-Earths does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Influence of Pressure-dependent Viscosity on the Thermal Evolution of Super-Earths, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Influence of Pressure-dependent Viscosity on the Thermal Evolution of Super-Earths will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1365378