Description:
AbstractLithosphere necking evolution determines the 3‐D architecture of crustal and upper mantle thinning and related basins, and the heat flow distribution in rifted regions. Despite a large number of studies, lithosphere necking evolution is still a matter of debate. We present the result from lithospheric‐scale analog models designed for investigating the necking shape during extension and the vertical distribution of finite deformation in the mechanical lithosphere. In our experiments, lithosphere necking is asymmetric and, in particular, the 3‐D distribution of thinning is cylindrical in the crust and very heterogeneous in the mantle. Overall, the evolution of rifting and necking progresses from delocalized to localized deformation.