Analogue experiments of asthenospheric flow and asthenosphere-lithosphere interaction driving back-arc extension performed in the Tectonic modelling laboratory (TecLab) at Utrecht University: top-view photographs and CT scan images
The present dataset contains data obtained from 10 lithosphere to asthenosphere-scale analogue modelling experiments. These models were built to develop, test and validate a novel analogue modelling approach in which lithospheric deformation is controlled by gravity-driven asthenospheric flow. All models are built in a rectangular tank 56.9 cm long, 39.4 cm wide and 9.8 cm tall/deep. The models are either one-layer “asthenosphere only” models (CMF VT3 – CMF VT8), two-layer asthenosphere and lithospheric mantle model (CMF VT9) or with three-layer lithosphere overlying asthenospheric layer (CMF 13, CMF 17 and CMF 18). The mixture of feldspar and plastic sand was used for brittle crust, viscous Newtonian mixtures of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS silicone polymer), silicone oil and corundum were used for asthenosphere and ductile crust, while the mixture of PDMS, organic plasticine, silicone oil and corundum with power-law behaviour was used for lithospheric mantle. The properties of the used materials are described in Krstekanić et al. (in prep.), Willingshofer et al. (2018a,b) and Broerse et al. (2019). Deformation is induced in all models by opening outlet in a side wall, which allows for the lowermost, asthenospheric layer to flow out of the tank. The material that flowed out of the thank is then replaced in the side compartments that allow for it to defuse back into the model. In this way, the flow is established in the lowermost layer, which further transfers to deformation in the overlying layers. In these models, we change outlet height to change flow velocity as a boundary condition and/or we change rheology (one-, two- or four-layer models) with different thicknesses. For more details about the models’ setup , see Krstekanić et al. (in prep.). The scaling of our models follows the principles of geometrical, rheological and kinematical similarities between nature and models (Hubbert, 1937; Ramberg, 1981; Weijermars and Schmeling, 1986; Davy and Cobbold, 1991). The data will be provided in 10 subfolders. Detailed information about the files as well as information on how the data is processed is given in the explanatory file krstekanic-et-al-2024-data-documentation.pdf.
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