2,3,4,6,- 1State Key Laboratory of Deep Earth and Mineral Exploration, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
- 2Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
- 3State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 4College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 5State Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- 6CENPES, Petrobrás, 21941-915 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 7Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
Mantle plumes are commonly believed to generate uplift of their overlying lithosphere, while also impacting climate and life. However, sedimentary deposits show a component of subsidence during plume-lithosphere interaction, challenging traditional uplift-only models of plume-lithosphere interaction. We investigate whether plume-induced delamination can induce subsidence as well as uplift through computations of plume-lithosphere interaction. When a denser lithospheric keel delaminates, initial plume ascent will induce ~2 km of uplift, followed by a more rapid ~2 km of subsidence over a few millions of years as the dense lithospheric keel delaminates. Delamination, distinct from back-arc extension and slab-induced flow, may explain observed subsidence patterns during continental flood basalt activity, such as those seen in the Paraná Flood Basalt, Columbia River Flood Basalt, Deccan Traps and Congo Basin regions.
How to cite: Shi, Y.-N., Morgan, J., Chen, L., Hou, Z., Zhao, L., Li, Z.-H., Araujo, M., and Gurnis, M.: Subsidence Amidst Uplift: Lithosphere Delamination During Plume-Lithosphere Interaction, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-3735, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-3735, 2026.
