Episodic Plate Motion and Thermal Structure in Subduction Zones Caused by Slab Folding in the Transition Zone
Abstract: Although most present-day subduction zones are in trench retreat, plate reconstructions and geological observations show that individual margins experience episodes of advancing, retreating or stationary trench motion with time-variable subduction rates. However, most laboratory and numerical simulations predict steady plate velocities and sustained trench retreat unless the slab experiences folding in the...