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Abstract Using a 3‐D mantle wedge flow field for a generic oblique subduction system, we calculate elastic tensors of mineral aggregates in the mantle wedge for A‐, B‐, C‐, and E‐type olivine crystal preferred orientations (CPO) and apply the calculated elastic tensor in the forward calculation of shear‐wave splitting (SWS) through the mantle wedge. We find that the hexagonal approximation of the full tensor does not affect the SWS parameters (the fast direction and the delay time) significantly for all CPO types except that the delay time for C‐type CPO becomes shorter. Additionally, we find that despite the 3‐D mantle flow field that results from oblique subduction, the fast direction is margin‐normal for A‐, C‐ and E‐type CPOs and margin‐parallel for B‐type CPO.
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This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2026
Freezing of Crystal Preferred Orientation in the Mantle Wedge Corner and Shear Wave Splitting
Abstract Using numerical models, we compute the evolution of the mantle flow field and the crystal preferred orientation (CPO) of mineral aggregates in the mantle wedge of generic subduction systems from their nascent to mature stage and investigate shear wave splitting (SWS) through the forearc mantle wedge corner and overriding crust. Upon subduction initiation, the maximum depth of slab‐mantle decoupling (MDD) is relatively shallow (∼20 km depth), resulting in mantle flow and CPO development in the wedge corner. As subduction continues, the MDD deepens, the wedge corner cools and stagnates, and the olivine CPO becomes frozen‐in. In the cool wedge corner, antigorite can form if water is available. In non‐deforming mantle, antigorite CPO develops relative to the host olivine CPO through topotactic growth. We calculate splitting parameters of synthetic local S waves based on the model‐predicted A‐ and B‐type olivine CPOs and topotactically grown antigorite CPO that replaces A‐type olivine CPO in the wedge corner. The fast direction is trench‐normal for A‐type olivine and antigorite CPOs and trench‐parallel for B‐type. When the delay times are long enough (>0.1 s), we find them positively correlated with the thickness of the mantle wedge corner. In NE Japan, where the results of detailed analyses on the spatial variation of the SWS parameters are available, such correlation is not observationally reported. However, the addition of an anisotropic overriding crust provides delay times (∼0.1 s) and trench‐normal fast directions that are consistent with the local SWS observations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1847612
- PAR ID:
- 10616673
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Geophysical Union
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
- Volume:
- 130
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 2169-9313
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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