Localized subcritical convective cells in temperature-dependent viscosity fluids

Numerical simulations of infinite Prandtl number convection in the stagnant lid regime of temperature-dependent viscosity convection demonstrate the existence of spatially localized, stable convective cells below the critical Rayleigh number (subcritical convection). These solutions are in stark contrast to the usual, supercritical, convective planforms, where convective cells form in the entire layer. The isolated cell has a shape of an axisymmetric dome with an upwelling at the center and thus appears as a very weak plume. Formation of these structures requires subcritical conditions and a localized initial temperature perturbation but does not require any spatial heterogeneity in the material properties or the heat flux. When several localized plumes form, they tend to attract to each other and form stable clusters. This type of subcritical convection may play a role in the formation and longevity of localized features on planetary bodies, including the crustal dichotomy and Tharsis region on Mars and the asymmetric pattern of volcanism on Mercury.