The thermal evolution of planetary crust and lithosphere is governed by the rate of heat transfer by conduction, which is determined by the rock's thermal diffusivity, usually assumed to remain constant. Alan Whittington and colleagues show that thermal diffusivity in fact decreases strongly with increasing temperature, concluding that the hot middle and lower crust is a much more effective thermal insulator than previously thought; this removes the requirement for unusually high radiogenic heat production to achieve crustal melting temperatures.
- Alan G. Whittington
- Anne M. Hofmeister
- Peter I. Nabelek
