Effects of serpentinized mantle on subduction dynamics and water influx estimates: Numerical modeling of the Mariana Trench
Abstract
Abstract The serpentinized mantle in subduction zones plays a key role in transporting water into Earth’s interior and influencing subduction dynamics. However, estimates of serpentinization vary significantly across and within different trenches. Using 2-D thermomechanical numerical models, we investigate how variations in subduction angle, thickness, and serpentinization degree influence subduction processes in the southern and central Mariana Trench. Our models reveal three distinct subduction regimes: stable subduction, crustal exhumation, and crustal accretion, which depend on the thickness and degree of serpentinization. Stable subduction occurs in the southern and central Mariana regions where the serpentinized mantle is
Fields of Study & Subjects
High-pressure geophysics and materials
Geological and Geochemical Analysis
earthquake and tectonic studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Geological Society of America Bulletin
- Volume
- 138
- Issue
- 7-8
- Pages
- 3569–3580
- Publication date
- 17 February 2026
- Language
- EN