Description: The data are the numerical modeling results to investigate plume-induced subduction initation on which the figures of the paper "Plume-induced subduction initiation: single- or multi-slab subduction?" by Baes, Sobolev, Gerya and Brune are based. Detailed description on how they are obtained is given in that article (Baes et al., 2020). The naming of the files is based on the number of figures in the paper. Each zipped file contains input files (init.t3c and mode.t3c) and output files (*.vtr).

Description: This data publication is supplementary material to the paper " Subduction initiation by plume-plateau interaction: Insights from numerical models" (Baes et al., 2020). In this study, using 3-d numerical models, we explore the effect of relative distance of plume head and plateau edge, age of the lithosphere and strength of the lower crust on plume-induced subduction initiation. We use I3ELVIS code which solves the momentum, continuity and energy equations based on a staggered finite difference scheme combined with a marker-in-cell technique (Gerya, 2010; Gerya et al., 2015; Baes et al., 2016). Our numerical results show four different responses (shown in Figures 2-5 in the paper of Baes et al, 2020) that are: (a) oceanic trench formation, (b) circular plateau-oceanic trench formation, (c) plateau trench formation and (d) no trench formation. The results of models in which plume head is far away from the plateau edge are compatible with the outcomes of models with uniform lithospheres. The current data set contains the figures of five models representing five different deformation regimes (shown in Fig. 7 in the paper), which result from interaction of a plume with a homogenous lithosphere. Note that in all figures the upper panels show the logarithm of viscosity within the lithosphere. The middle and lower panels illustrate compositional field of a 2d cross-section cutting through center of model and surface topography, respectively. The color bars of temperature field and surface topography are shown at the top of the figure and colour code of compositional field is at bottom of the figure.

Description: The Central Andes (~21°S) is a subduction-type orogeny formed in the last ~50 Ma from the subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American continental plate. However, the most important phases of deformation occur in the last 20 Ma. Pulses of shortening have led to the sudden growth of the by the Altiplano-Puna plateau. Previous studies have provided insights on the importance of various mechanisms on the overall shortening such as the weakening of the overriding plate from crustal eclogitization and delamination, or the importance of a relatively high friction at the subduction interface, and weak sediments in foreland. However none of them has addressed the mechanism behind these shortening pulses yet. Therefore, we built a series of high resolution 2D visco-plastic subduction models using the ASPECT geodynamic code, in which the oceanic plate is buoyancy-driven and the velocity of the continent is prescribed. We have also implemented a realistic geometry for the south American plate at ~30 Ma. We propose a new plausible mechanism (buckling and steepening of the slab) as the cause of these pulses. The buckling leads to the blockage of the trench. Consequently, the difference of velocity between the South American plate and the trench is accommodated by shortening. The data presented here includes the parameters files, for the reference model (S1) and the following alternative simulations: models with variation of the friction at the subduction interface (S2a-c), a model without eclogitization of the lower crust (S3) and a model with higher thermal conductivity of the upper crust (S4). Additionally, this publication includes the initial composition and thermal state of the lithosphere used for the models and a Readme file that gives all the instructions to run them.

Description: In the southern Central Andes (~32°S), subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American continental plate becomes horizontal. The growth of the Altiplano-Puna Plateau is covalently related to the southward migration of the flat subduction, but the role of subduction geometry and the plate strength on current and long-term deformation of the Andes remains poorly explored. This study takes a data-driven approach of integrating the previous structural and thermal model of the lithosphere of the southern central Andes into a 3D geodynamic model to explore the different parameters contributing to the localization of deformation. We simulate visco-plastic deformation using the geodynamic code ASPECT. The repository includes parameter files and input files for the reference model (S1) and the following alternative simulations: a series of models with variation in friction at the subduction interface (S2a-d), a series of models with variation in sedimentary strength (S3a-d), a series that studies the effect of topography (S4), and a series that studies the effect of plate velocities. In addition, a readme file gives all the instructions to run them.