Quantifying the net slab pull force as a driving mechanism for plate tectonics
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It has remained unclear how much of the negative buoyancy force of the slab (FB) is used to pull the trailing plate at the surface into the mantle. Here I present three‐dimensional laboratory experiments to quantify the net slab pull force (FNSP) with respect to FB during subduction. Results show that FNSP increases with increasing slab length and dip up to ∼8–12% of FB, making FNSP up to twice as large as the ridge push force. The remainder of FB is primarily used to drive rollback‐induced mantle flow (∼70%), to bend the subducting plate at the trench (∼15–30%) and to overcome shear resistance between slab and mantle (0–8%).
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The gravitational pull of subducting slabs is the dominant driving force for surface plate motion.
“with the gravitational pull of subducting slabs now understood to be the dominant driving force for surface plate motion”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Schellart, 2004
The Introduction (section 1; page unavailable) says slab pull is generally thought to be the main driving force for plate tectonics. But it also says the forces’ relative contributions remain debated, so the claim’s “now understood” wording presents a tentative view as settled. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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References 17 · Cited by 188
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Artyushkov, E. V. (1983), Geodynamics, 312 pp., Elsevier Sci., New York.
- Authors
- Schellart, W. P.
- Affiliations
- Monash University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Schellart, W. P.
- ORCID
- Schellart, W. P.
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2004-04-07
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 7
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W1609114327
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 6.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geology › Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › earthquake and tectonic studies
- Keywords
- plate tectonics, subduction, slab length, slab dip, mantle flow
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