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