Wada Ikuko

No Thumbnail Available
Last Name
Wada
First Name
Ikuko
ORCID

Filters

2011 - 2015 3
3
3
Reset filters

Settings

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Article
    Focusing of upward fluid migration beneath volcanic arcs : effect of mineral grain size variation in the mantle wedge
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2015-11-13) Wada, Ikuko ; Behn, Mark D.
    We use numerical models to investigate the effects of mineral grain size variation on fluid migration in the mantle wedge at subduction zones and on the location of the volcanic arc. Previous coupled thermal-grain size evolution (T-GSE) models predict small grain size (<1 mm) in the corner flow of the mantle wedge, a downdip grain size increase by ∼2 orders of magnitude along the base of the mantle wedge, and finer grain size in the mantle wedge for colder-slab subduction zones. We integrate these T-GSE modeling results with a fluid migration model, in which permeability depends on grain size, and fluid flow through a moving mantle matrix is driven by fluid buoyancy and dynamic pressure gradients induced by mantle flow. Our modeling results indicate that fluids introduced along the base of the mantle wedge beneath the fore arc are initially dragged downdip by corner flow due to the small grain size and low permeability immediately above the slab. As grain size increases with depth, permeability increases, resulting in upward fluid migration. Fluids released beneath the arc and the back arc are also initially dragged downdip, but typically are not transported as far laterally before they begin to travel upward. As the fluids rise through the back-arc mantle wedge, they become deflected toward the trench due to the effect of mantle inflow. The combination of downdip migration in the fore arc and trench-ward migration in the back arc results in pathways that focus fluids beneath the arc.
  • Article
    Grain-size distribution in the mantle wedge of subduction zones
    (American Geophysical Union, 2011-10-20) Wada, Ikuko ; Behn, Mark D. ; He, Jiangheng
    Mineral grain size plays an important role in controlling many processes in the mantle wedge of subduction zones, including mantle flow and fluid migration. To investigate the grain-size distribution in the mantle wedge, we coupled a two-dimensional (2-D) steady state finite element thermal and mantle-flow model with a laboratory-derived grain-size evolution model. In our coupled model, the mantle wedge has a composite olivine rheology that incorporates grain-size-dependent diffusion creep and grain-size-independent dislocation creep. Our results show that all subduction settings lead to a characteristic grain-size distribution, in which grain size increases from 10 to 100 μm at the most trenchward part of the creeping region to a few centimeters in the subarc mantle. Despite the large variation in grain size, its effect on the mantle rheology and flow is very small, as >90% of the deformation in the flowing part of the creeping region is accommodated by grain-size-independent dislocation creep. The predicted grain-size distribution leads to a downdip increase in permeability by ∼5 orders of magnitude. This increase is likely to promote greater upward migration of aqueous fluids and melts where the slab reaches ∼100 km depth compared with shallower depths, potentially providing an explanation for the relatively uniform subarc slab depth. Seismic attenuation derived from the predicted grain-size distribution and thermal field is consistent with the observed seismic structure in the mantle wedge at many subduction zones, without requiring a significant contribution by the presence of melt.
  • Article
    Sharp thermal transition in the forearc mantle wedge as a consequence of nonlinear mantle wedge flow
    (American Geophysical Union, 2011-07-08) Wada, Ikuko ; Rychert, Catherine A. ; Wang, Kelin
    In the forearc mantle wedge, the thermal field depends strongly on slab-driven mantle wedge flow. The flow is in turn affected by the thermal field via the temperature dependence of mantle rheology. Using thermal modeling, we show that the nonlinear feedback between the thermal and flow fields always leads to complete stagnation of the mantle wedge over a shallow, weakened part of the slab-mantle interface and an abrupt onset of mantle flow further down-dip. The abrupt increase in flow velocity leads to a sharp thermal transition from a cold stagnant to a hot flowing part of the wedge. This sharp thermal transition is inherent to all subduction zones, explaining a commonly observed sharp arc-ward increase in seismic attenuation.