Influence of Upper Plate Structure on Flat‐Slab Depth: Numerical Modeling of Subduction Dynamics

Western North and South America have been affected by flat‐slab subduction where a segment of the subducting plate becomes horizontal below the overlying continent. Modern observations and constraints on past geometries show that the depth of the flat‐slab varies from just below the continental Moho to >100 km depth. Thus, in some areas, there is little to no continental mantle lithosphere (CML) above the flat‐slab, whereas other flat‐slab...