Asymmetric delamination and convective removal numerical modeling: Comparison with evolutionary models for the Alboran sea region

Convective removal and mantle delamination are geodynamical mechanisms proposed to explain the presence of extension in the Alboran Sea within a regional context of compression. Using a new thermo-mechanical algorithm, we present here a quantitative evaluation and comparison of conceptual models based on these geodynamical mechanisms. In contrast to the in situ convective removal process, the laterally propagating delamination mechanism is shown here to be consistent with first-order features of the Alboran Sea such as the thinning/thickening distribution, intermediate-depth seismicity and upper mantle structure imaged by seismic tomography. The lower crust is predicted to reach depths of 100–150 km in some areas, due to mechanically-driven viscous drag of the downwelling mantle.This work was funded by the Spanish Plan Nacional del MEC projects CTM2006- 13666-C02-02/MAR and CTM2005-08071-C03-03/MAR; and funding for UCM Research Groups. This is a contribution of the Consolider-Ingenio 2010 team CSD2006- 00041 (TOPO-IBERIA). J. L. Valera acknowledges the support of a UCM grant. Figure 2 has been made with the graphic program P developed by Wim Spakman. Calculations were partially carried out in the Fiswulf cluster of the Faculty of Physics.Peer reviewe