Foulger Plates vs Plumes

A Geological Controversy
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4443-4832-3
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 364 Seiten, E-Book

Since the advent of the mantle plume hypothesis in 1971, scientistshave been faced with the problem that its predictions are notconfirmed by observation. For thirty years, the usual reaction hasbeen to adapt the hypothesis in numerous ways. As a result, themultitude of current plume variants now amounts to an unfalsifiablehypothesis.
In the early 21st century demand became relentless for a theorythat can explain melting anomalies in a way that fits theobservations naturally and is forward-predictive. From this thePlate hypothesis emerged-the exact inverse of the Plumehypothesis. The Plate hypothesis attributes melting anomalies toshallow effects directly related to plate tectonics. It rejects thehypothesis that surface volcanism is driven by convection in thedeep mantle.
Earth Science is currently in the midst of the kind ofparadigm-challenging debate that occurs only rarely in any field.This volume comprises its first handbook. It reviews the Plate andPlume hypotheses, including a clear statement of the former.Thereafter it follows an observational approach, drawing widelyfrom many volcanic regions in chapters on vertical motions ofEarth's crust, magma volumes, time-progressions of volcanism,seismic imaging, mantle temperature and geochemistry.
This text:
* Deals with a paradigm shift in Earth Science - some say themost important since plate tectonics
* Is analogous to Wegener's The Origin of Continents andOceans
* Is written to be accessible to scientists and students from allspecialities
This book is indispensable to Earth scientists from allspecialties who are interested in this new subject. It is suitableas a reference work for those teaching relevant classes, and anideal text for advanced undergraduates and graduate studentsstudying plate tectonics and related topics.
Visit Gillian's own website at http://www.mantleplumes.org

Autoren/Hrsg.

Foulger, Gillian R.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface, ix
1 From plate tectonics to plumes, and back again, 1
1.1 Volcanoes, and exceptional volcanoes, 1
1.2 Early beginnings: Continental drift and its rejection, 1
1.3 Emergence of the Plume hypothesis, 6
1.4 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 11
1.5 Lists of plumes, 13
1.6 Testing plume predictions, 21
1.7 A quick tour of Hawaii and Iceland, 23
1.8 Moving on: Holism and alternatives, 26
1.9 The Plate hypothesis, 26
1.10 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 35
1.11 Testing the Plate hypothesis, 35
1.12 Revisiting Hawaii and Iceland, 36
1.13 Questions and problems, 37
1.14 Exercises for the student, 37
2 Vertical motions, 38
2.1 Introduction, 38
2.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 39
2.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 40
2.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plume and Platehypotheses, 43
2.5 Observations, 43
2.6 Plume variants, 73
2.7 Discussion, 74
2.8 Exercises for the student, 76
3 Volcanism, 78
3.1 Introduction, 78
3.2 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 84
3.3 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 86
3.4 Comparison of the predictions of the Plate and Plumehypotheses, 91
3.5 Observations, 92
3.6 Plume variants, 113
3.7 Discussion, 114
3.8 Exercises for the student, 116
4 Time progressions and relative fi xity of meltinganomalies, 118
4.1 Introduction, 118
4.2 Methods, 120
4.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 122
4.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 122
4.5 Observations, 123
4.6 Hotspot reference frames, 134
4.7 Plume variants, 1370
4.8 Discussion, 140
4.9 Exercises for the student, 141
5 Seismology, 143
5.1 Introduction, 143
5.2 Seismological techniques, 148
5.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 153
5.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 154
5.5 Observations, 155
5.6 Global observations, 179
5.7 Plume variants, 184
5.8 Discussion, 185
5.9 Exercises for the student, 188
6 Temperature and heat, 189
6.1 Introduction, 189
6.2 Methods, 195
6.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 203
6.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 205
6.5 Observations, 206
6.6 Variants of the Plume hypothesis, 222
6.7 Discussion, 223
6.8 Exercises for the student, 225
7 Petrology and geochemistry, 227
7.1 Introduction, 227
7.2 Some basics, 230
7.3 Predictions of the Plume hypothesis, 245
7.4 Predictions of the Plate hypothesis, 246
7.5 Proposed deep-mantle- and coremantle-boundary tracers,246
7.6 A few highlights from melting anomalies, 252
7.7 Plume variants, 261
7.8 Discussion, 263
7.9 Exercises for the student, 265
8 Synthesis, 267
8.1 Introduction, 267
8.2 Mantle convection, 275
8.3 An unfalsifi able hypothesis, 277
8.4 Diversity: a smoking gun, 284
8.5 The need for joined-up science, 284
8.6 The future, 286
8.7 Exercises for the student, 287
References, 288
Index, 319
Colour plate section (starting after page 180)

Über Autor(innen)

Gillian Foulger is Professor of Geophysics at the University of Durham where she has worked since 1985 on earthquake seismology and plate tectonics. She lived and researched in Iceland for seven years, where she acquired a mistrust of theories that do not fit practical observations without contortion. She manages the world-famous website www.mantleplumes.org and is widely acclaimed for leading the global debate regarding the existence of mantle plumes. For this she was awarded the prestigious Price Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society in 2005.