TY - JOUR
T1 - A note on continents and the Earth's Urey ratio
AU - Lenardic, Adrian
AU - Cooper, C
AU - Moresi, Louis-Noel
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The Urey ratio (mantle heat production divided by heat loss) is a key constraint for thermal history models. Recent Urey ratio estimates are in the range of 0.21-0.49. It has been well noted in the literature that classic thermal history models predict a larger value. The extent of the discrepancy is considered significant enough to be deemed a paradox. The Urey ratio paradox has motivated a number of studies and some considerable debates. Classic thermal history models, and the majority of those that have followed, do not explicitly consider the effects of continents. For consistency, the present day observations they seek to match should be adjusted to account for continents. We use mantle convection simulations with continents to argue that the adjusted ratio shifts to 0.33-0.76. Classic thermal history models predict a Urey ratio that, although at the high end, is within this range. This suggests that the paradox has been exaggerated. It also points toward a first-order role for continents in the Earth s thermal evolution
AB - The Urey ratio (mantle heat production divided by heat loss) is a key constraint for thermal history models. Recent Urey ratio estimates are in the range of 0.21-0.49. It has been well noted in the literature that classic thermal history models predict a larger value. The extent of the discrepancy is considered significant enough to be deemed a paradox. The Urey ratio paradox has motivated a number of studies and some considerable debates. Classic thermal history models, and the majority of those that have followed, do not explicitly consider the effects of continents. For consistency, the present day observations they seek to match should be adjusted to account for continents. We use mantle convection simulations with continents to argue that the adjusted ratio shifts to 0.33-0.76. Classic thermal history models predict a Urey ratio that, although at the high end, is within this range. This suggests that the paradox has been exaggerated. It also points toward a first-order role for continents in the Earth s thermal evolution
UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031920111001300
U2 - 10.1016/j.pepi.2011.06.008
DO - 10.1016/j.pepi.2011.06.008
M3 - Article
VL - 188
SP - 127
EP - 130
JO - Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
JF - Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
SN - 0031-9201
ER -