Effect of buoyant sediment overlying subducting plates on trench
geometry: 3D viscoelastic free subduction modeling
Abstract
Buoyant trench sediment generates an isostatic restoring force, which
opposes the slab pull of subducting plates, but the influence of this
force on subduction dynamics is poorly understood. Here, we performed 3D
free subduction simulations adopting a variety of sediment distributions
along a trench to investigate the correlation between trench kinematics
and heterogeneous buoyant force. Two endmembers, sediment-rich and
sediment-starved centers, induced convex and concave trenches,
respectively. The trench curvatures obtained from natural subduction
zones are well constrained by our models over wide magnitudes (1-9 km)
and wavelengths (100-400 km) of deficient and excess sediment.
Conversely, uniform sediment distribution leads to an extremely narrow
range of trench curvature. These results imply that trench sediment
contributes to the diversity of trench shapes. Finally, we observed
stress localization in slab hinges beneath abundant sedimentation,
thereby clarifying the relationship between sediment thickness and
subduction earthquakes.