Slow subduction of old lithosphere in the lesser antilles

Seth Stein; Joseph F. Engeln; Douglas A. Wiens; Robert C. Speed; Kazuya Fujita

doi:10.1016/0040-1951(83)90099-9

Slow subduction of old lithosphere in the lesser antilles

Seth Stein^*, Joseph F. Engeln, Douglas A. Wiens, Robert C. Speed, Kazuya Fujita

^*Corresponding author for this work

IPR - Institute for Policy Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Lesser Antilles subduction zone is an extreme case of the subduction of old (~ 90 m.y.) lithosphere at a slow (~ 2 cm/y) convergence rate. Focal mechanisms of the largest earthquakes in the area have been obtained using body and surface wave data. During the time period (1950-1978) studied the subduction seismicity appears to represent primarily intraplate rather than interplate deformation. All three large (magnitude seven) earthquakes were from intraplate normal faults; no large thrust faulting earthquakes and few small ones occurred. These observations suggest that the plate boundary is largely decoupled, that subduction is at least partially aseismic, and that the downgoing slab is in a state of extension.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	139-148
Number of pages	10
Journal	Tectonophysics
Volume	99
Issue number	2-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(83)90099-9
State	Published - Dec 1983

Funding

We have benefited from discussions with and assistance from colleagues in the Barbados Regional Synthesis group: Bernard Biju-Duval, John Ladd, Casey Moore, John Saunders, Jane Schoonmaker, Jean-Francois Stephan and Graham Westbrook. We also thank Carl Bowin, Kevin Burke, Wai-Ying Chung, Richard Gordon, Glenn Kroeger, Jason Morgan, Frank Richter, Tetsuzo Seno and Norman Sleep for valuable discussions, Jacques Dorel and John Tomblin for their results prior to publication, and Craig Bina and April Poelvoorde for technical assistance. This research was supported by Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., NSF grant EAR 8007363, a Cottrell Research grant and a Petroleum Research Fund (American Chemical Society) grant at Northwestern, and NSF grant EAR 8025267a t Michigan State.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
Earth-Surface Processes

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10.1016/0040-1951(83)90099-9

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title = "Slow subduction of old lithosphere in the lesser antilles",

abstract = "The Lesser Antilles subduction zone is an extreme case of the subduction of old (~ 90 m.y.) lithosphere at a slow (~ 2 cm/y) convergence rate. Focal mechanisms of the largest earthquakes in the area have been obtained using body and surface wave data. During the time period (1950-1978) studied the subduction seismicity appears to represent primarily intraplate rather than interplate deformation. All three large (magnitude seven) earthquakes were from intraplate normal faults; no large thrust faulting earthquakes and few small ones occurred. These observations suggest that the plate boundary is largely decoupled, that subduction is at least partially aseismic, and that the downgoing slab is in a state of extension.",

author = "Seth Stein and Engeln, {Joseph F.} and Wiens, {Douglas A.} and Speed, {Robert C.} and Kazuya Fujita",

note = "Funding Information: We have benefited from discussions with and assistance from colleagues in the Barbados Regional Synthesis group: Bernard Biju-Duval, John Ladd, Casey Moore, John Saunders, Jane Schoonmaker, Jean-Francois Stephan and Graham Westbrook. We also thank Carl Bowin, Kevin Burke, Wai-Ying Chung, Richard Gordon, Glenn Kroeger, Jason Morgan, Frank Richter, Tetsuzo Seno and Norman Sleep for valuable discussions, Jacques Dorel and John Tomblin for their results prior to publication, and Craig Bina and April Poelvoorde for technical assistance. This research was supported by Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., NSF grant EAR 8007363, a Cottrell Research grant and a Petroleum Research Fund (American Chemical Society) grant at Northwestern, and NSF grant EAR 8025267a t Michigan State.",

year = "1983",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/0040-1951(83)90099-9",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Stein, Seth

AU - Engeln, Joseph F.

AU - Wiens, Douglas A.

AU - Speed, Robert C.

AU - Fujita, Kazuya

N1 - Funding Information: We have benefited from discussions with and assistance from colleagues in the Barbados Regional Synthesis group: Bernard Biju-Duval, John Ladd, Casey Moore, John Saunders, Jane Schoonmaker, Jean-Francois Stephan and Graham Westbrook. We also thank Carl Bowin, Kevin Burke, Wai-Ying Chung, Richard Gordon, Glenn Kroeger, Jason Morgan, Frank Richter, Tetsuzo Seno and Norman Sleep for valuable discussions, Jacques Dorel and John Tomblin for their results prior to publication, and Craig Bina and April Poelvoorde for technical assistance. This research was supported by Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., NSF grant EAR 8007363, a Cottrell Research grant and a Petroleum Research Fund (American Chemical Society) grant at Northwestern, and NSF grant EAR 8025267a t Michigan State.

PY - 1983/12

Y1 - 1983/12

N2 - The Lesser Antilles subduction zone is an extreme case of the subduction of old (~ 90 m.y.) lithosphere at a slow (~ 2 cm/y) convergence rate. Focal mechanisms of the largest earthquakes in the area have been obtained using body and surface wave data. During the time period (1950-1978) studied the subduction seismicity appears to represent primarily intraplate rather than interplate deformation. All three large (magnitude seven) earthquakes were from intraplate normal faults; no large thrust faulting earthquakes and few small ones occurred. These observations suggest that the plate boundary is largely decoupled, that subduction is at least partially aseismic, and that the downgoing slab is in a state of extension.

AB - The Lesser Antilles subduction zone is an extreme case of the subduction of old (~ 90 m.y.) lithosphere at a slow (~ 2 cm/y) convergence rate. Focal mechanisms of the largest earthquakes in the area have been obtained using body and surface wave data. During the time period (1950-1978) studied the subduction seismicity appears to represent primarily intraplate rather than interplate deformation. All three large (magnitude seven) earthquakes were from intraplate normal faults; no large thrust faulting earthquakes and few small ones occurred. These observations suggest that the plate boundary is largely decoupled, that subduction is at least partially aseismic, and that the downgoing slab is in a state of extension.

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Slow subduction of old lithosphere in the lesser antilles

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