Partial melting in one-plate planets: Implications for thermo-chemical and atmospheric evolution

In the present work, we investigate the influence of partial melting on mantle dynamics, crustal formation, and volcanic outgassing of a one-plate planet using a 2D mantle convection code. When melt is extracted to form crust, the mantle material left behind is more buoyant than its parent material and depleted in radioactive heat sources. The extracted heat-producing elements are then enriched in the crust, which also has an insulating effect due to its lower thermal conductivity compared to the mantle. In addition, partial melting can influence the mantle rheology through the dehydration (water depletion) of the mantle material by volcanic outgassing. As a consequence, the viscosity of water-depleted regions increases more than two orders of magnitude compared to water-saturated rocks resulting in slower cooling rates. The most important parameter influencing the thermo-chemical evolution is the assumed density difference between the primitive and the depleted mantle material (i.e., between peridotite and harzburgite). With small or negligible values of compositional buoyancy, crustal formation including crustal delamination is very efficient, also resulting in efficient processing and degassing of the mantle. The convecting mantle below the stagnant lid depletes continuously with time. In contrast, with increasing compositional buoyancy, crustal formation and mantle degassing are strongly suppressed although partial melting is substantially prolonged in the thermal evolution. The crust shows strong lateral variations in thickness, and crustal delamination is reduced and occurs only locally. Furthermore, two to four different mantle reservoirs can form depending on the initial temperature distribution. Two of these reservoirs can be sustained during the entire evolution – a scenario possibly valid for Mars as it may explain the isotope characteristic of the Martian meteorites.