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  • Tectonics Of A Celestial Object Driven By Material Differentiation And Migration In Temperature Gradient Under Tidal Deformations.

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    Introduction.
    How a celestial object and its satellite could be formed, was suggested in my
    "The Formation Of A Satellite Of A Celestial Object By The Differentiation Of Particles' Speed Vectors."
    http://divergent-boundaries.blogspot.com/2011/10/formation-of-satellite-of-celestial.html
    and
    "The Double Moon Formation. The "Condensation/Ejected Ring" Concept. (The Formation Of Multiple Satellites Of A Celestial Object)."
    http://divergent-boundaries.blogspot.com/2011/10/double-moon-formation.html
    In other posts of my "Sergey D. Sukhotinsky's Blog" (sukhotinsky.blogspot.com and divergent-boundaries.blogspot.com) I suggested that the driving force of Earth Tectonics originates within the divergent boundaries due to tidal deformations and temperature gradient. The important point was that the driving force keeps a divergent boundary under compressional stress, not extensional stress. Now let's try to fill the gap between the two themes. Let's elaborate on how tidal interaction between a celestial object and its satellite could be developing tectonic processes on the object.

    Local "negative feedback" of the dry surface.
    - When crust is formed and there is no liquid over crust, the crust is cooled through its surface by radiation. A developing fracture would cause magma/lava to pump up according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The magma/lava would cool down and the place around the fracture would be getting thicker and, thus, stronger against deformations.

    - The thinner crust is in some location, the faster gets the process of magma solidification on its bottom, the sooner the thickness of local crust would match the thickness of neighboring crust.

    The above two mechanisms feature local negative feedback (so to say), thus, are unable to grow to cause global tectonic processes.

    Global process due to presence of liquid over the surface of crust. A model.
    A developing fracture in crust is getting filled with liquid. Let's postulate that the material within the fracture has to differentiate under the deformations and the differentiated components have to migrate within the deforming zone. Let's leave to prove the postulate to future generation of scientists.
    Now we can suggest a model of two fracture zones in crust under an ocean of some liquid. The fracture zones are parallel to each other and the distance between them is roughly equal to their dimensions. The question is, how would the two fracture zones develop over time, taking into account they both develop compressional stress in the crust? Would they live independent lives developing similar chemical compositions, or would one fracture zone act on another zone the way, the second zone will be developing different chemical composition?

    In other words would one fracture zone be able to develop stronger composition due to faster well-cooled spreading of the crust? Would the second zone become a convergent zone due to the compressional stress developed by the first zone? Yes, I think, the second zone would be getting contaminated with sediment when consuming oceanic crust, the zone would be getting "weak", the thermal gradient would drop, the strongest and heaviest components would be getting washed off the zone, fresh magma finally would be blocked from reaching the surface in the second zone. And, finally the second fracture zone would became a convergent zone under the compressional stress developed by the first zone. The examples of the second type of fracture zone can be Hawaii chain and Lousville seamount ridge, in my opinion.

    Some reasons to differentiate.
    - Difference in melting temperature. Naturally, under the zone deformations, the solidifying material (the material with highest melting temperature), on reaching the cooled surface, would get stuck between the divergent boundaries, the more ductile material would be getting "washed" down between the boundaries.
    - Difference in hardness(firmness) in solidifying state. The less strong material is getting crushed under the deformations and is getting "washed" down between the boundaries.
    - Difference in the density. Gravitation gives the denser material less chances to reach surface.

    The scales of migration.
    The Second Law of Thermodynamics makes material differentiation and migration in temperature gradient under deformations to work for the entire scale from micro (molecular) level up to the range of full Universe. For a particular scale the specific implementation of the mechanism could be described as working over the smaller scale mechanisms. In the case of the Earth, I'd like to think, it could be possible to describe the next (among others) effects:
    - On micro level it could be differentiation of isotopes;
    - On the greater scale it could be the process of the development of intrusions within the solidifying material.
    - On even greater scale, it could be the process of, say, the development of magma chambers under a volcano.
    - Further, it could be the process of developing the difference between the material in convergent and divergent boundaries.
    - Even further, it could be the process of developing the difference between the material in Earth's core and its outer layer. The 3-D mechanism of magma transportation for this case is beyond the scope of this post. But the surface-related mechanism, the crust recycling mechanism is worth to be mentioned here. The magma's material captured by the divergent boundaries is the product of magma differentiation, and under some conditions the composition could contain some dense elements in greater proportion then the original magma contains itself. Later on subduction and heating, the slab would loose the less dense (say, water-related) components, and the resulting slab would became quite dense, even, possibly, denser than the surrounding magma. Such a slab would be able to reach extraordinary depths.

    The material differentiation and migration under deformations may not necessarily be fully responsible for all the above effects. The above effects can go even without it. Say, gravitation on its own could be causing the differentiation on the density even without the presence of deformations of the material. And on molecular level under the thermal gradient without deformations the differentiation would take place because the objects of the layer, molecules are "vibrating" already.

    The importance of understanding how material differentiate and migrate in temperature gradient under deformations.
    The importance of understanding how material differentiate and migrate in temperature gradient under deformations can't be overestimated. It not only may give a key to theoretic questions such as "How does a celestial object develop", but is of great practical importance. Some of the aspects of practical importance were outlined by me in my:
    Sergey D. Sukhotinsky's Blog
    http://weblogs.asp.net/sergeys/archive/2011/08/30/code-first-model-first-or-behavior-first-talking-on-plate-tectonics-earth-science.aspx
    "Code First, Model First, or Behavior First? (Talking On Plate Tectonics, Earth Science)."
    http://divergent-boundaries.blogspot.com/2011/08/code-first-model-first-or-behavior.html
    "Porphyry Copper. More On Reshaping Pangaea (Gondwana)."
    http://divergent-boundaries.blogspot.com/2011/07/porphyry-copper-more-on-reshaping.html

    © 2011 Sergey D. Sukhotinsky.
    http://sukhotinsky.blogspot.com/
    http://weblogs.asp.net/SergeyS
    --
    Message-ID: <BLU138-W6B9467391C2598093C199DBD20@phx.gbl>
    From: Sergey Sukhotinsky <    sukhotinsky@live.com>
    To: Sergey Sukhotinsky <    cognitive.walkthrough@gmail.com>
    Subject: Tectonics Of A Celestial Object Driven By Material Differentiation
     And Migration In Temperature Gradient Under Tidal Deformations.
    Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 03:47:40 +0300

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  • Hawaii Convergent, Part 2. Introducing The Concept Of Geofracture (not Plate) Tectonics.

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    Message-ID: BLU138-W6990FC2FFFC5180FD81B7DBF80@phx.gbl
    From: sukhotinsky@live.com
    To: cognitive.walkthrough@gmail.com
    Subject: Hawaii Convergent, Part 2. Introducing The Concept Of Geofracture (not Plate) Tectonics.
    Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 14:21:30 +0700

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  • Hawaii Hotspot Puzzle. Suggesting Hawaii As A Moving Convergent "Coldspot".

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    Two microplates - two pieces of the puzzle.

       I'm sure I am not the first to point out the next fundamental controversy about Hawaii Hotspot. Let's consider the border between the two microplates:
    - first: the microplate between Mendocino and Murray Fracture Zones. Let's assume Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll belong to this microplate.
    - second: the microplate between Murray and Molokai Fracture Zones. Let's assume Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Laysan Island belong to this microplate.

    Rolling events back.
       Murray Fracture Zone points roughly to Pearl and Hermes Atoll that is approx 2,300 from Kilauea, current location of the hotspot. Rolling events back, we may suggest that at proposed 8-9 sm/year speed, the hotspot was at Pearl and Hermes Atoll location some 25-30 million years ago.

       To see how the microplates were positioned one relative to another back 25 MY ago, let's just cut the oceanic crust that was spread for the past 25 MY (including the crust that has been overridden by the NA continent). There is huge difference between the amount of crust that was spread by the microplates. Roughly, the second plate added approx more than 400km of it's length than the first microplate did.

    Hotspot motion.
      Back 25 MY:
    - the oceanic floor of Pearl and Hermes Atoll was approx 400km east relative to Midway Atoll .
    - then in no time the hot spot must had jumped from Midway Atoll over that 400km east to build Pearl and Hermes Atoll. 
    - then the hotspot slowly returns to its normal position; the Pearl and Hermes Atoll, that was left behind the hotspot, returns back on the faster moving microplate to get in line with Kure and Midway Atolls. This concept of "smart" oscillating hotspot looks unrealistic to me.

       Some break in the path around Pearl and Hermes Atoll seems to exist, but as the break distance is considerably less than expected 400km, we may conclude that the microplates did spread at different rates, but the spot is the feature of geometry of global tectonic forces around the region.

    Suggesting another mechanism for Hawaii - moving convergent "coldspot".
       The microplates are spreading out at different rates and are bumping into the wall of oldest crust. There must be convergent/divergent zones to accommodate the different rates of the crust spreading. Why not to suggest Hawaii to be a part in the convergent process?

    Comparing magma beneath the divergent boundary to the stuff beneath a convergent "coldspot".
       The material of the accommodated crust is not exactly the same as the material of the fresh magma coming from bottom into the divergent boundary. Accommodated sediments change chemical composition and melting point of the stuff beneath the convergent "spot". In fact as the melting point gets lower, the spot along the path better be called "coldspot", not "hotspot". Many other parameters should be different between the fresh magma and the stuff beneath the spot, but, I, Sergey D. Sukhotinsky, the author of this post, think that this probably should be the theme for another post.

    Conditions to maintain the process of pumping magma/lava up.
    - sufficient temperature gradient along the magma/lava path;
    - deformations within the spot of the amplitude and speed to cause sufficient local displacements of magma/lava;

    Conditions the process of pumping magma/lava stops at:- too much oceanic crust is brought up and down by the convergent coldspot:
       a)the cold layer gets too thick, the temperature gradients gets too low;
       b)the spot "diffuses"; the greater region gets the deformations, local displacements of magma/lava diminishes;
    - the spot moves off the focus of global tectonic forces, the amplitude of crust deformations drops. 
    The regions cools down as magma stops pumping up; the region gets resistant to deformations due to the increased thickness of crust.

    The focus of global tectonic forces probably is the intersection of the two lines:
    - North to South fracture line through the Pacific plate.
    - West to East probable fracture line connecting south borders of Asia and North America. Thick and rigid continents prevent Pacific plate from bending between continents along West-East line when Moon's plane of orbit gets North. Thus the max bending stress of Pacific plate would be along the probable WE fracture line connecting south borders of Asia and North America.

    The "coldspot" process resumes:
    - the focus of global tectonic forces moves south-east on the plate as the plate itself moves north-west;
    - magma under the new location is not spoiled with sediments;
    - the amplitude of crust deformations is good at the location because the crust here is pre-bent by the load of the chain of volcanoes and the chain itself ceased to bend due to the increased thickness.
      New fracture segment develops south-east to the old sub-chain of volcanoes.  The fracture pumps magma up developing new segment of the volcano chain.

    How to tell if the concept is correct.
       I need more time to figure it out; right now I got a couple of ideas on where to look for the evidences:
    - the relief of the chain of volcanoes should show that the region is under west-east compression, that contradicts slab-pull concept but is in line with ridge-push concept; 
    - there should be a gap in the age of the sediments (and crust) on the both west and east sides of the chain because some crust was consumed to build the volcanoes and to recycle the bottom of the spot into underlying magma. The time-width of the time-gap should roughly be equal to the time span a volcano was active within. That is somewhat greater time than it is now usually thought of. That's because the evidence of early activity of a segment of volcano chain is hidden deep within the volcano or even got molten and got recycled into the underlying magma. I'd like to estimate the time gap could be as great as up to 10MY.
    --

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  • PC Hardware Architecture Perspective.

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    These 3 items: CPU, RAM, Videocard are logically pretty much decoupled from the rest of the PC System Unit. And when the RAM will be getting nonvolatile, - I don't see why this "brain" should not get physically decoupled from the rest of hardware on the Mother Board. I'd call the rest of hardware - the "spinal column".

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  • Blank-Powerful-Client Architecture

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    Imagine a client is based not on a CPU like Intel Core, and not even on a GPU like the one built in a video card by NVIDIA or AMD/ATI. Imagine a client's main brain were some CPLD or FPGA, that could be configured dynamically.

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