Computational Investigations of Earth Viscosity Structure Using Surficial Geophysical Observables Related to Isostatic Adjustment

Abstract

The research presented in this thesis seeks to address meaningful geodynamic problems related to the viscosity structure of the Earth’s interior. Isostatic adjustment is a process which is dependent upon the mechanical properties of the lithosphere and mantle. By performing computational simulations of the isostatic response for various surface-loading scenarios and numerous viscosity structures, insight can be gained into the mechanical structure of the Earth and geodynamic processes related to that structure. The modelled isostatic signal for a given set of Earth model parameters can be compared to real-world observational data in order to identify valid Earth model configurations. In Chapter 2, the “Transition Zone Water Filter” theory is tested by modelling the geophysical effects of a low-viscosity melt-rich layer atop the 410 km discontinuity. The thickness and viscosity of this layer, and the surrounding mantle, is constrained using observations of relative sea level and the geodetic J ̇_2 parameter, as well as multiple ice-loading scenarios by which the isostatic adjustment process is driven. The relative sea level data, being most sensitive to the upper mantle and the theorized melt-rich layer it contained, constrain layer properties more effectively than the J ̇_2 observation, which is strongly dependent on the lower mantle. Constraints on the viscosity of the melt-rich layer vary according to thickness, with thicker layers requiring stiffer viscosities to satisfy observations. For instance, a 20 km thick layer would require a viscosity of 10^17 Pas or greater, but any of the considered viscosities could be possible for a 1 km thick layer. Similarly, a broad range of upper mantle viscosities are possible, but they must be balanced by variations in the lower mantle. However, J ̇_2 results show a strong preference for a high-viscosity lower mantle (≥10^22 Pas). For every evaluated Earth model parameter, there is evidence of ice-model sensitivity in the inversion results. Although the results of this study demonstrate that observables related to glacial isostatic adjustment can provide constraints on the properties of this theorized melt-rich layer, the confounding effect of parameter trade-off prevents a more definitive test of this model of mantle geodynamics. The purpose of the study presented in Chapter 3 is to analyze the nature of solid-Earth deformation beneath the Lower Mississippi River, most crucially in the Mississippi Delta region where subsidence is an ongoing and costly problem. The study uses the displacement of the long profile of the Lower Mississippi River over the last 80 kyr to constrain isostatic deformation and determine constraints on the mechanical structure of both the mantle and lithosphere. Deformation recorded in the northern portion of the long profile is dominated by the effect of glacial isostatic adjustment, whereas the southern portion is governed by sediment isostatic adjustment. However, the southern portion is also potentially affected by past fault displacement, and to account for this the observational data are corrected using two distinct faulting scenarios. Displacement of the long profile is modelled using either an entirely elastic lithosphere or a lithosphere with internal viscoelastic structure, the latter of which is derived from two end-member geothermal profiles. Between the elastic and viscous lithosphere models, the viscous models are better able to replicate the observational data for each faulting scenario – both of which prefer a viscous lithosphere corresponding to the warmer geotherm. The chosen faulting scenario exerts no control over the optimal mantle model configuration, however the optimal mantle for the viscous lithosphere models is much stiffer than was determined for their elastic counterparts, reflecting significant parameter trade-off between mantle and lithosphere mechanical structure. These study results demonstrate the utility of the long profile displacement data set for constraining Earth viscosity structure, as well as the importance of considering more-complex models of lithosphere mechanical structure when addressing surface-loading problems similar to those encountered in the Mississippi Delta region.