Plume‐Slab Interactions Can Shut Off Subduction

Abstract Mantle plumes are typically considered secondary features of mantle convection, yet their surface effects over Earth's evolution may have been significant. We use 2‐D convection models to show that can in fact cause the termination a subduction zone. This extreme case plume‐slab interaction is found when slab readily weakened, for example, by damage‐type rheology, and subducting young. posit this mechanism be relevant, particularly early Earth, subdued version these interactions remain relevant modern zones. Such core‐mantle boundary–surface behind some complexity tomographically imaged structures, South America. More generally, plume “talk back” zones make plate tectonics more episodic.