Dissecting the puzzle of tectonic lid regimes in terrestrial planets.

ABSTRACT: The surface tectonic style of rocky planets controls interior evolution, geologic activity, dynamo action, atmospheric composition, and thus, habitability. In the solar system, Earth is unique in exhibiting plate tectonics, but it also displays a protracted history of diverse tectonic regimes. To understand the dynamics of the coupled plate-mantle system, here we explore 2D hemispheric-scale thermochemical mantle convection models with self-consistent magmatism that reach the statistical steady state. By statistical analysis of model predictions, we quantitatively distinguish between six tectonic regimes, including the mobile, stagnant, sluggish, plutonic-squishy and episodic lids. In addition, we discover the episodic-squishy lid regime, characterized by alternating episodes of plutonic-s

SUBMITTER: Lyu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12644805 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature