Fig. 3: Geodynamic simulations of convective erosion of lithospheric keels and lateral transport of removed domains.
From: Enriched mantle generated through persistent convective erosion of continental roots
a, Simulations showing convective removal of lithospheric keels, which migrates towards cratonic interiors over time9,10; enriched material is removed and transported rift-wards and into the suboceanic asthenosphere (left of dashed line) where it is then transported upwards by convection cells. b, Top: flow rate of decoupled lithospheric material—crossing a transect 200 km from the COB (dashed vertical line in a)—into the suboceanic asthenosphere (SOA) over time, exhibiting pulsing behaviour. Three alternative models are shown in red, green and grey (Methods), and a slow divergence scenario is also considered (Extended Data Fig. 3). Bottom: the cumulative frequency of SCLM entering the SOA for these different models, with the growth rate of this SCLM addition declining over time. c, Histogram and PDF of time estimates for decoupled SCLM to travel from the transect below the proto-rift (see a) to the base of the oceanic lithosphere (Extended Data Fig. 6) from two locations (150 and 200 km from COB; see dashed line in a). d, The same data as an empirical cumulative distribution function.
