Ricard, Y.

By means of a stratified Earth model with viscoelastic rheology, we have studied the long-term global fluctuations of Relative Sea Level (RSL) induced by subducting slabs. We have computed RSL variations for both a single subduction and a realistic distribution of slabs by a numerical simulation based on a simplified model of the subduction process. RSL is determined by the offset between the geoid and the dynamic topography; our analysis demonstrates that the latter provides the prevailing contribution. We have studied, in addition, the effects of rheological stratification upon the amplitude and time-evolution of these two quantities and, consequently, of RSL fluctuations. According to our results, an upper bound for the rate of RSL associated with subduction is of the order of 0.1 mm/yr, in agreement with previous studies. This rate of sea level variation is comparable with that attributed to changes in the tectonic regime on a large scale. This preliminary result corroborates the suggestion by other authors to include subduction in the list of geophysical mechanisms which contribute to long-term RSL fluctuations.

By means of a stratified viscoelastic Earth model we study the effect of sinking slabs on the dynamic topography, the non-hydrostatic geoid and the long-term sea level variations. Sea level fluctuations due to subduction are found to be sensitive to the nature of the 670 km seismic discontinuity and to the rheological layering of the mantle. The response of our model to both a single subduction and a realistic distribution of slabs is studied by a numerical simulation based on a simplified approach. Consistent with previous results, we find that an upper bound to relative sea level time variations associated with the initiation of a new subduction in the upper mantle is ∼0.1 mm/yr. Relative sea level changes driven by the dynamic readjustment of internal mass heterogeneities may thus be comparable with those attributed to other changes in the tectonic regime on a large scale. This confirms the relevance of subduction as an important contributor to long-term sea level fluctuations.