A thermomechanical model of the formation of a rift valley

A numerical model describing the thermomechanical state of the “cold” upper mantle near a mid-oceanic ridge (MOR) spreading at a moderate rate is constructed in the approximation of the boundary layer theory. The condition of rift valley formation leads to a constraint on the temperature and shows what temperature distribution corresponds to the “cold” upper mantle. Taking into account the dependence of mantle rheology on the pressure, temperature, and viscous stresses, the model distributions of the pressure and normal viscous stresses at the base of the lithosphere result in a bend of the heterogeneous lithosphere near the MOR, producing a seafloor topography typical of a rift valley with a depth of a few hundred meters and a spreading rate of ～2.5 cm/yr, characteristic of the Atlantic Ocean. The model width of the rift valley (～10–15 km) agrees with observations fairly well. The model is consistent with the typical heat-flow values observed in the spreading zone.