Lithospheric instabilities

In this paper we define a mantle geoid. This is the height that hot solid mantle rock from the asthenosphere would attain if it were not confined by the lithosphere. The mantle geoid lies 3.25 km below the hydrogeoid (sea level). Hot mantle rock cannot entirely penetrate the continental lithosphere. One consequence of this partial penetration is rifting; as a result of rifting an accreting plate margin may be created. Hot mantle rock from the asthenosphere can penetrate through the oceanic lithosphere if the sea floor lies below the mantle geoid. Penetration of the oceanic lithosphere by this solid mantle rock is a necessary condition for the initiation of subduction. We argue that the same processes that are associated with rifting in continental lithosphere will be associated with behind arc spreading and the initiation of subduction in the oceanic lithosphere.