Deep mantle forces and the uplift of the Colorado Plateau

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 36; no. 19; pp. L19310 - n/a
• Main Authors: Moucha, Robert, Forte, Alessandro M., Rowley, David B., Mitrovica, Jerry X., Simmons, Nathan A., Grand, Stephen P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Geophysical Union 01-10-2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Basins; Canyons; COLORADO PLATEAU; Continental dynamics; Continental neotectonics; CONVECTION; convection currents, and mantle plumes; Convection modes; Dynamics; Dynamics of lithosphere and mantle; EARTH CRUST; EARTH MANTLE; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Evolution; Exact sciences and technology; GEOSCIENCES; GULF OF CALIFORNIA; Heterogeneity; HYPOTHESIS; MAGMATISM; Mantle; mantle convection; OPENINGS; PLATE TECTONICS; PLATES; Progressions; Tectonics and landscape evolution; Tectonics and magmatism; Tectonophysics; Tracking; uplift; UPWELLING; Grand Canyon; Basin and Range Province; Colorado Plateau; United States; Arizona; uplift; Colorado Plateau; mantle convection; models; extension; Central Basin; global; swells; North America; heterogeneity; volcanism; convection; dynamics; magmatism; upwelling; uplifts; mantle
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2009GL039778

We introduce a quantitative model of global mantle convection that reconstructs the detailed motion of a warm mantle upwelling over the last 30 Ma towards the interior of the southwestern USA from observed present‐day mantle heterogeneity. The onset and evolution of uplift in the central Basin and Range province and Colorado Plateau during this time is determined by tracking the topographic swell due to this mantle upwelling. We show that: (1) the extension and basaltic volcanism (post 25 Ma) in the central Basin and Range coincides with the arrival and eastward progression of this upwelling, and (2) dynamic uplift of the southern Colorado Plateau, totaling about 1 km, transpired in the last 20 Ma. Since 10 Ma, the center of uplift continued northeastward from the southwestern rim of the plateau consistent with a young Grand Canyon model and eastward sweep of magmatism in the western Colorado Plateau.