The goal of this session is to reconcile short-time/small-scale and long-time/large-scale observations, including the regions of particularly slow deformation, and models allowing to assess the rheological properties of the lithosphere defining its response to (and role in) geodynamic processes such as subduction, collision, rifting or mantle-lithosphere interactions. Despite the remarkable advances in experimental rock-mechanics, the implications of rock-mechanics data for large temporal and spatial scale tectonic processes are still not straightforward,
since the latter are strongly controlled by local and regional conditions such as lithology and rheological stratification of
the lithosphere, its thermal structure, fluid content, tectonic heritage, metamorphic reactions and deformation rates.

This is no better demonstrated by the abundance of the proposed rheological yield stress envelopes and their sometimes
questioned match to the inferences from geological-scale observations such as the estimates of the equivalent elastic thickness of the lithosphere. In terms of long-term deformation, special consideration will be given to the regions of the Earth deforming at sub-centimetre rates, due to their particular sensitivity to the interplays between the rheological properties, heat transport and gravitational instabilities. Such deformation raises important issues both for understanding lithospheric tectonics and assessing the resulting earthquake hazards.

We therefore invite the researchers from different domains (rock mechanics, geodynamic and small-scale thermo-mechanical modelling, flexural studies, structural geology, geodesy and geophysics) to share their views on the way forward for improving our knowledge of the long-term rheology and mechanical behavior of the lithosphere.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

David Bercovici (Yale University)
Sascha Brune (University of Sydney)
Georg Dresen (GFZ Potsdam)
Claudio Faccenna (University of Rome TRE)
Gregory Houseman (Leeds University)
Fabrice Gaillard (ISTO-CNRS Orlèans)