Ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction instability: Unveiling the dynamics and evolution with 3-D numerical simulations

Ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction instability: Unveiling the dynamics and evolution with 3-D numerical simulations | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction instability: Unveiling the dynamics and evolution with 3-D numerical simulations Fernando Marques, Attila Balazs, Taras Gerya, Anthony Hildenbrand This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4712709/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Earth & Environment → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The most important form of plate evolution occurs where three tectonic plates meet, a triple junction 1 (TJ). Ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) TJs are unique because they are stable at all ridge configurations and spreading velocities 1 . This idealised and simplified RRR TJ with three straight rifts is challenged here by showing that it does not apply if at least one rift is not straight (sigmoidal). Despite its great importance for plate tectonics, how and why a stable RRR TJ configuration becomes unstable is unclear. The state-of-the-art 3-D numerical simulations reported here using the Azores TJ (ATJ) as a prototype bring a new understanding of RRR TJ stability and evolution. The current knowledge and critical similarities in both the simulations and prototype in terms of timing, transient grabens distribution, rift and triple junction jump, diffuse plate boundary, depth of the main rift, and rift shoulder uplift indicate that the ATJ is unstable because of the sigmoidal shape of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone and how Nubia has moved relative to Eurasia in the last 4 Ma. Consequently, the fracture zone that turned into a first-order plate boundary became unstable, and the Azores block moved from Eurasia to Nubia. Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Geodynamics Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Tectonics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Earth & Environment → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4712709","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":337847959,"identity":"f02b1199-0049-4675-9e01-6c8df1d1873f","order_by":0,"name":"Fernando Marques","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAzklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYUloEFYS08B1BYBhKkaJFIAJNEaGHvTvxcUXZYTn7m86sbfhRIMPC3dyfg18JzdrPkmXOHjQ1u55Td7AE6TOLM2Q14tdhL5G6QbGw7nLhBOiftBg9QiwFQBL8tErmbfwK11M+feSbt5h8itWwD2ZLAcIP92G3ibOE5u82y4Vy64YYzOWy3ZQwkeAj6hYe9d/PNhjJrefn2489uvvljI8ff3otfCwSwgXUbgEkilMO1sD8gUvUoGAWjYBSMNAAAJ+JIPN14q7UAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9163-6084","institution":"University of Lisbon","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fernando","middleName":"","lastName":"Marques","suffix":""},{"id":337847960,"identity":"9ca9821d-2048-45de-a12f-1d3dfbd91081","order_by":1,"name":"Attila Balazs","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2948-0397","institution":"ETH-Zürich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Attila","middleName":"","lastName":"Balazs","suffix":""},{"id":337847961,"identity":"34bf4d79-6a08-4592-8357-0a3f0d735d38","order_by":2,"name":"Taras Gerya","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1062-2722","institution":"ETH-Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Taras","middleName":"","lastName":"Gerya","suffix":""},{"id":337847962,"identity":"f3c72d0d-3a5c-4ff1-917e-2320a5279c21","order_by":3,"name":"Anthony Hildenbrand","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1406-7252","institution":"Lab. 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Ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) TJs are unique because they are stable at all ridge configurations and spreading velocities\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e. This idealised and simplified RRR TJ with three straight rifts is challenged here by showing that it does not apply if at least one rift is not straight (sigmoidal). Despite its great importance for plate tectonics, how and why a stable RRR TJ configuration becomes unstable is unclear. The state-of-the-art 3-D numerical simulations reported here using the Azores TJ (ATJ) as a prototype bring a new understanding of RRR TJ stability and evolution. The current knowledge and critical similarities in both the simulations and prototype in terms of timing, transient grabens distribution, rift and triple junction jump, diffuse plate boundary, depth of the main rift, and rift shoulder uplift indicate that the ATJ is unstable because of the sigmoidal shape of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone and how Nubia has moved relative to Eurasia in the last 4 Ma. Consequently, the fracture zone that turned into a first-order plate boundary became unstable, and the Azores block moved from Eurasia to Nubia.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction instability: Unveiling the dynamics and evolution with 3-D numerical simulations","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-09-04 18:27:56","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4712709/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"communications-earth-and-environment","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"commsenv","sideBox":"Learn more about [Communications Earth and Environment](https://www.nature.com/commsenv/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Communications Earth \u0026 Environment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Communications Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fdb022d3-9ced-45ee-9639-6882a41a2551","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 4th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":35790647,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Geodynamics"},{"id":35790648,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Tectonics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-04-19T07:09:37+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4712709","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02255-8","journal":{"identity":"communications-earth-and-environment","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Communications Earth \u0026 Environment"},"publishedOn":"2025-04-18 04:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 18th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-04 18:27:56","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s43247-025-02255-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02255-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4712709","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4712709","identity":"rs-4712709","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}