Geochemical Constraints on Core-Mantle Interaction from Fe/Mn Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Humayun, M.; Qin, L.

2003-12-01

The greater density of liquid iron alloy, and its immiscibility with silicate, maintains the physical separation of the core from the mantle. There are no a priori reasons, however, why the Earth's mantle should be chemically isolated from the core. Osmium isotopic variations in mantle plumes have been interpreted in terms of interaction between outer core and the source regions of deep mantle plumes. If chemical transport occurs across the core-mantle boundary its mechanism remains to be established. The Os isotope evidence has also been interpreted as the signatures of subducted Mn-sediments, which are known to have relatively high Pt/Os. In the mantle, Fe occurs mainly as the divalent ferrous ion, and Mn occurs solely as a divalent ion, and both behave in a geochemically coherent manner because of similarity in ionic charge and radius. Thus, the Fe/Mn ratio is a planetary constant insensitive to processes of mantle differentiation by partial melting. Two processes may perturb the ambient mantle Fe/Mn of 60: a) the subduction of Mn-sediments should decrease the Fe/Mn ratio in plume sources, while b) chemical transport from the outer core may increase the Fe/Mn ratio. The differentiation of the liquid outer core to form the solid inner core may increase abundances of the light element constituents (FeS, FeO, etc.) to the point of exsolution from the core at the CMB. The exact rate of this process is determined by the rate of inner core growth. Two end-member models include 1) inner core formation mainly prior to 3.5 Ga with heat release dominated by radioactive sources, or 2) inner core formation occurring mainly in the last 1.5 Ga with heat release dominated by latent heat. This latter model would imply large fluxes of Fe into the sources of modern mantle plumes. Existing Fe/Mn data for Gorgona and Hawaiian samples place limits on both these processes. We describe a new procedure for the precise determination of the Fe/Mn ratio in magmatic rocks by ICP-MS. This

A wet, heterogeneous lunar interior: Lower mantle and core dynamo evolution

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Evans, A. J.; Zuber, M. T.; Weiss, B. P.; Tikoo, S. M.

2014-05-01

While recent analyses of lunar samples indicate the Moon had a core dynamo from at least 4.2-3.56 Ga, mantle convection models of the Moon yield inadequate heat flux at the core-mantle boundary to sustain thermal core convection for such a long time. Past investigations of lunar dynamos have focused on a generally homogeneous, relatively dry Moon, while an initial compositionally stratified mantle is the expected consequence of a postaccretionary lunar magma ocean. Furthermore, recent re-examination of Apollo samples and geophysical data suggests that the Moon contains at least some regions with high water content. Using a finite element model, we investigate the possible consequences of a heterogeneously wet, compositionally stratified interior for the evolution of the Moon. We find that a postoverturn model of mantle cumulates could result in a core heat flux sufficiently high to sustain a dynamo through 2.5 Ga and a maximum surface, dipolar magnetic field strength of less than 1 μT for a 350-km core and near ˜2 μT for a 450-km core. We find that if water was transported or retained preferentially in the deep interior, it would have played a significant role in transporting heat out of the deep interior and reducing the lower mantle temperature. Thus, water, if enriched in the lower mantle, could have influenced core dynamo timing by over 1.0 Gyr and enhanced the vigor of a lunar core dynamo. Our results demonstrate the plausibility of a convective lunar core dynamo even beyond the period currently indicated by the Apollo samples.

Density Anomalies in the Mantle and the Gravitational Core-Mantle Interaction

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Kuang, Weijia; Liu, Lanbo

2003-01-01

Seismic studies suggest that the bulk of the mantle is heterogeneous, with density variations in depth as well as in horizontal directions (latitude and longitude). This density variation produces a three- dimensional gravity field throughout the Earth. On the other hand, the core density also varies in both time and space, due to convective core flow. Consequently, the fluid outer core and the solid mantle interact gravitationally due to the mass anomalies in both regions. This gravitational core-mantle interaction could play a significant role in exchange of angular momentum between the core and the mantle, and thus the change in Earth's rotation on time scales of decades and longer. Aiming at estimating the significance of the gravitational core-mantle interaction on Earth's rotation variation, we introduce in our MoSST core dynamics model a heterogeneous mantle, with a density distribution derived from seismic results. In this model, the core convection is driven by the buoyancy forces. And the density variation is determined dynamically with the convection. Numerical simulation is carried out with different parameter values, intending to extrapolate numerical results for geophysical implications.

Topography Estimation of the Core Mantle Boundary with ScS Reverberations and Diffraction Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, B. E.; Nakata, N.

2017-12-01

In this study, we use the propagation of global seismic waves to study the Core Mantle Boundary (CMB). We focus on the use of S-wave reflections at the CMB (ScS reverberations) and outer-core diffracted waves. It is difficult imaging the CMB with the ScS wave because the complexity of the structure in the near surface ( 50 km); the complex structure degrades the signal-to-noise ratio of of the ScS. To avoid estimating the structure in the crust, we rely on the concept of seismic interferometry to extract wave propagation through mantle, but not through the crust. Our approach is compute the deconvolution between the ScS (and its reverberation) and direct S waves generated by intermediate to deep earthquakes (>50 km depth). Through this deconvolution, we have the ability to filter out the direct S wave and retrieve the wave field propagating from only the hypocenter to the outer core, but not between the hypocenter to the receiver. After the deconvolution, we can isolate the CMB reflected waves from the complicated wave phenomena because of the near-surface structure. Utilizing intermediate and deep earthquakes is key since we can suppress the near-surface effect from the surface to the hypocenter of the earthquakes. The variation of such waves (e.g., travel-time perturbation and/or wavefield decorrelation) at different receivers and earthquakes provides the information of the topography of the CMB. In order to get a more detailed image of the topography of the CMB we use diffracted seismic waves such as Pdiff , Sdiff, and P'P'. By using two intermediate to deep earthquakes on a great circle path with a station we can extract the wave propagation between the two earthquakes to simplify the waveform, similar to how it is preformed using the ScS wave. We generate more illumination of the CMB by using diffracted waves rather than only using ScS reverberations. The accurate topography of CMB obtained by these deconvolution analyses may provide new insight of the

Lower-mantle plume beneath the Yellowstone hotspot revealed by core waves

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Nelson, Peter L.; Grand, Stephen P.

2018-04-01

The Yellowstone hotspot, located in North America, is an intraplate source of magmatism the cause of which is hotly debated. Some argue that a deep mantle plume sourced at the base of the mantle supplies the heat beneath Yellowstone, whereas others claim shallower subduction or lithospheric-related processes can explain the anomalous magmatism. Here we present a shear wave tomography model for the deep mantle beneath the western United States that was made using the travel times of core waves recorded by the dense USArray seismic network. The model reveals a single narrow, cylindrically shaped slow anomaly, approximately 350 km in diameter that we interpret as a whole-mantle plume. The anomaly is tilted to the northeast and extends from the core-mantle boundary to the surficial position of the Yellowstone hotspot. The structure gradually decreases in strength from the deepest mantle towards the surface and if it is purely a thermal anomaly this implies an initial excess temperature of 650 to 850 °C. Our results strongly support a deep origin for the Yellowstone hotspot, and also provide evidence for the existence of thin thermal mantle plumes that are currently beyond the resolution of global tomography models.

Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wicks, J.K.; Jackson, J.M.; Sturhahn, W.

2010-01-01

The sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O have been measured to 121 GPa at ambient temperature using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. The effect of electronic environment of the iron sites on the sound velocities were tracked in situ using synchrotron Moessbauer spectroscopy. We found the sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O to be much lower than those in other presumed mantle phases at similar conditions, most notably at very high pressures. Conservative estimates of the effect of temperature and dilution on aggregate sound velocities show that only a small amount of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O can greatly reduce the average sound velocity of an assemblage. We propose that iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O be a source of ultra-low velocity zones. Other properties of this phase, such as enhanced density and dynamic stability, strongly support the presence of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O in localized patches above the core-mantle boundary.

Constraints on The Coupled Thermal Evolution of the Earth's Core and Mantle, The Age of The Inner Core, And The Origin of the 186Os/188Os Core(?) Signal in Plume-Derived Lavas

Science.gov (United States)

Lassiter, J. C.

2005-12-01

Thermal and chemical interaction between the core and mantle has played a critical role in the thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth's interior. Outer core convection is driven by core cooling and inner core crystallization. Core/mantle heat transfer also buffers mantle potential temperature, resulting in slower rates of mantle cooling (~50-100 K/Ga) than would be predicted from the discrepancy between current rates of surface heat loss (~44 TW) and internal radioactive heat production (~20 TW). Core/mantle heat transfer may also generate thermal mantle plumes responsible for ocean island volcanic chains such as the Hawaiian Islands. Several studies suggest that mantle plumes, in addition to transporting heat from the core/mantle boundary, also carry a chemical signature of core/mantle interaction. Elevated 186Os/188Os ratios in lavas from Hawaii, Gorgona, and in the 2.8 Ga Kostomuksha komatiites have been interpreted as reflecting incorporation of an outer core component with high time-integrated Pt/Os and Re/Os ( Brandon et al., 1999, 2003; Puchtel et al., 2005). Preferential partitioning of Os relative to Re and Pt into the inner core during inner core growth may generate elevated Re/Os and Pt/Os ratios in the residual outer core. Because of the long half-life of 190Pt (the parent of 186Os, t1/2 = 489 Ga), an elevated 186Os/188Os outer core signature in plume lavas requires that inner core crystallization began early in Earth history, most likely prior to 3.5 Ga. This in turn requires low time-averaged core/mantle heat flow (<~2.5 TW) or large quantities of heat-producing elements in the core. Core/mantle heat flow may be estimated using boundary-layer theory, by measuring the heat transported in mantle plumes, by estimating the heat transported along the outer core adiabat, or by comparing the rates of heat production, surface heat loss, and secular cooling of the mantle. All of these independent methods suggest time-averaged core/mantle heat flow of ~5

The mechanism of translational displacements of the core of the Earth at inversion molten and solidification of substance at core-mantle boundary in opposite hemispheres

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Barkin, Yu. V.

2009-04-01

thermal energy. The directed mechanical influences of the bottom shell on top (of the core on the mantle) on geological intervals of time will result in enormous additional variations of the tension state of the top shell, also ordered in space and time (besides in various time scales). This influence will be transferred to all natural processes which will have similar properties of cyclicity and orderliness. Thermodynamic stimulation of layer D " by the relative displacements of the core and mantle will result in formation of ascending mantle streams - plumes. Relative oscillations of the top shells of the Earth with boundaries on depths of 670 km, 430 km and oth. will generate the fluid formations (lenses and chambers) from a magmatic materials and fusions. Ascending fluid streams in the top mantle on system of breaks and cracks move in the top layers and on a surface of the Earth. So magmatic and volcanic activity of the Earth is realized. Over this activity again "supervise" mutually - displaced and deformed shells of the Earth. The last, in turn, are in strict "submission" at the Moon and the Sun and «are sensitively listen» to the slightest changes of their orbital motions." (Barkin, 2002, pp. 45, 46). "The powerful impacts repeating cyclically, on zones of a congestion of fluid masses (astenosphere lenses, magmatic chambers etc.) result in their growth and expansion, and at significant subsequent impacts to a effects of wedging of the top layers of lithosphere and the crust, i.e. to formation of new or to stimulation and expansion of old cracks and lineaments. Subsequent or more powerful impacts (influences) of the bottom shell on a direction of wedging will result in transport of molten mantle substances from the bottom layers in top, including outpourings of magmas and other fluids on a surface of a planet (the Earth). " (Barkin, 2002, with. 47). The mechanism of formation of plums and hot spots. "The most significant displacements of the centers of mass of

Moho vs crust-mantle boundary: Evolution of an idea

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, Suzanne Y.; Griffin, W. L.

2013-12-01

The concept that the Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho) does not necessarily coincide with the base of the continental crust as defined by rock-type compositions was introduced in the early 1980s. This had an important impact on understanding the nature of the crust-mantle boundary using information from seismology and from deep-seated samples brought to the surface as xenoliths in magmas, or as tectonic terranes. The use of empirically-constrained P-T estimates to plot the locus of temperature vs depth for xenoliths defined a variety of geotherms depending on tectonic environment. The xenolith geotherms provided a framework for constructing lithological sections through the deep lithosphere, and revealed that the crust-mantle boundary in off-craton regions commonly is transitional over a depth range of about 5-20 km. Early seismic-reflection data showed common layering near the Moho, correlating with the petrological observation of multiple episodes of basaltic intrusion around the crust-mantle boundary. Developments in seismology, petrophysics and experimental petrology have refined interpretation of lithospheric domains. The expansion of in situ geochronology (especially zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-isotopes; Os isotopes of mantle sulfides) has defined tectonic events that affected whole crust-mantle sections, and revealed that the crust-mantle boundary can change in depth through time. However, the nature of the crust-mantle boundary in cratonic regions remains enigmatic, mainly due to lack of key xenoliths or exposed sections. The observation that the Moho may lie significantly deeper than the crust-mantle boundary has important implications for modeling the volume of the crust. Mapping the crust using seismic techniques alone, without consideration of the petrological problems, may lead to an overestimation of crustal thickness by 15-30%. This will propagate to large uncertainties in the calculation of elemental mass balances relevant to crust-formation processes

Sulfur in Earth's Mantle and Its Behavior During Core Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Chabot, Nancy L.; Righter,Kevin

2006-01-01

The density of Earth's outer core requires that about 5-10% of the outer core be composed of elements lighter than Fe-Ni; proposed choices for the "light element" component of Earth's core include H, C, O, Si, S, and combinations of these elements [e.g. 1]. Though samples of Earth's core are not available, mantle samples contain elemental signatures left behind from the formation of Earth's core. The abundances of siderophile (metal-loving) elements in Earth's mantle have been used to gain insight into the early accretion and differentiation history of Earth, the process by which the core and mantle formed, and the composition of the core [e.g. 2-4]. Similarly, the abundance of potential light elements in Earth's mantle could also provide constraints on Earth's evolution and core composition. The S abundance in Earth's mantle is 250 ( 50) ppm [5]. It has been suggested that 250 ppm S is too high to be due to equilibrium core formation in a high pressure, high temperature magma ocean on early Earth and that the addition of S to the mantle from the subsequent accretion of a late veneer is consequently required [6]. However, this earlier work of Li and Agee [6] did not parameterize the metalsilicate partitioning behavior of S as a function of thermodynamic variables, limiting the different pressure and temperature conditions during core formation that could be explored. Here, the question of explaining the mantle abundance of S is revisited, through parameterizing existing metal-silicate partitioning data for S and applying the parameterization to core formation in Earth.

Gravitational Core-Mantle Coupling and the Acceleration of the Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Rubincam, David Parry; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Gravitational core-mantle coupling may be the cause of the observed variable acceleration of the Earth's rotation on the 1000 year timescale. The idea is that density inhomogeneities which randomly come and go in the liquid outer core gravitationally attract density inhomogeneities in the mantle and crust, torquing the mantle and changing its rotation state. The corresponding torque by the mantle on the core may also explain the westward drift of the magnetic field of 0.2 deg per year. Gravitational core-mantle coupling would stochastically affect the rate of change of the Earth's obliquity by just a few per cent. Its contribution to polar wander would only be about 0.5% the presently observed rate. Tidal friction is slowing down the rotation of the Earth, overwhelming a smaller positive acceleration from postglacial rebound. Coupling between the liquid outer core of the Earth and the mantle has long been a suspected reason for changes in the length-of-day. The present investigation focuses on the gravitational coupling between the density anomalies in the convecting liquid outer core and those in the mantle and crust as a possible cause for the observed nonsecular acceleration on the millenial timescale. The basic idea is as follows. There are density inhomogeneities caused by blobs circulating in the outer core like the blobs in a lava lamp; thus the outer core's gravitational field is not featureless. Moreover, these blobs will form and dissipate somewhat randomly. Thus there will be a time variability to the fields. These density inhomogeneities will gravitationally attract the density anomalies in the mantle.

Inner Core Rotation from Geomagnetic Westward Drift and a Stationary Spherical Vortex in Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Voorhies, C. V.

1999-01-01

The idea that geomagnetic westward drift indicates convective leveling of the planetary momentum gradient within Earth's core is pursued in search of a differentially rotating mean state, upon which various oscillations and secular effects might be superimposed. The desired state conforms to roughly spherical boundary conditions, minimizes dissipative interference with convective cooling in the bulk of the core, yet may aide core cooling by depositing heat in the uppermost core and lower mantle. The variational calculus of stationary dissipation applied to a spherical vortex within the core yields an interesting differential rotation profile akin to spherical Couette flow bounded by thin Hartmann layers. Four boundary conditions are required. To concentrate shear induced dissipation near the core-mantle boundary, these are taken to be: (i) no-slip at the core-mantle interface; (ii) geomagnetically estimated bulk westward flow at the base of the core-mantle boundary layer; (iii) no-slip at the inner-outer core interface; and, to describe magnetic locking of the inner core to the deep outer core, (iv) hydrodynamically stress-free at the inner-outer core boundary. By boldly assuming the axial core angular momentum anomaly to be zero, the super-rotation of the inner core is calculated to be at most 1.5 degrees per year.

Iron-rich Oxides at the Core-mantle Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Wicks, J. K.; Jackson, J. M.; Sturhahn, W.; Bower, D. J.; Zhuravlev, K. K.; Prakapenka, V.

2013-12-01

Seismic observations near the base of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) have detected 5-20 km thick patches in which the seismic wave velocities are reduced by up to 30%. These ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) have been interpreted as aggregates of partially molten material (e.g. Williams and Garnero 1996, Hernlund and Jellinek, 2010) or as solid, iron-enriched residues (e.g. Knittle and Jeanloz, 1991; Mao et al., 2006; Wicks et al., 2010), typically based on proposed sources of velocity reduction. The stabilities of these structure types have been explored through dynamic models that have assembled a relationship between ULVZ stability and density (Hernlund and Tackley, 2007; Bower et al., 2010). Now, to constrain the chemistry and mineralogy of ULVZs, more information is needed on the relationship between density and sound velocity of candidate phases. We present the pressure-volume-temperature equation of state of (Mg0.06 57Fe0.94)O determined up to pressures of 120 GPa and temperatures of 2000 K. Volume was measured with X-ray diffraction at beamline 13-ID-D of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), where high pressures and temperatures are achieved in a diamond anvil cell with in-situ laser heating. Sample assemblies were prepared using dehydrated NaCl as an insulator and neon as a pressure transmitting medium. We present results with and without iron as a buffer and thermal pressure gauge. We have also determined the room temperature Debye velocity (VD) of (Mg0.06 57Fe0.94)O using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering and in-situ X-ray diffraction, up to 80 GPa at 3-ID-B of the APS. The effect of the electronic environment of the iron sites on the velocities was tracked in-situ using synchrotron Moessbauer spectroscopy. Using our measured equation of state, the seismically relevant compressional (VP) and shear (VS) wave velocities were calculated from the Debye velocities. We combine these studies with a simple mixing model to predict the properties of a solid

Mantle dynamics in Mars and Venus: Influence of an immobile lithosphere on three-dimensional mantle convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, G.; Bercovici; Glatzmaier, G.A.

1990-01-01

Numerical calculations of fully three-dimensional convection in constant viscosity, compressible spherical shells are interpreted in terms of possible convective motions in the mantles of Venus and Mars. The shells are heated both internally and from below to account for radiogenic heating, secular cooling, and heat flow from the core. The lower boundary of each of the shells is isothermal and shear stress free, as appropriate to the interface between a mantle and a liquid outer core. The upper boundary of each of the shells is rigid and isothermal, as appropriate to the base of a thick immobile lithosphere. Calculations with shear stress-free upper boundaries are also carried out to assess the role of the rigid surface condition. The ratio of the inner radius of each shell to its outer radius is in accordance with possible core sizes in both Venus and Mars. A calculation is also carried out for a Mars model with a small core to simulate mantle convection during early core formation. Different relative proportions of internal and bottom heating are investigated, ranging from nearly complete heating from within to almost all heating from below. The Rayleigh numbers of all the cases are approximately 100 times the critical Rayleigh numbers for the onset of convection. Cylindrical plumes are the prominent form of upwelling in the models independent of the surface boundary condition so long as sufficient heat derives from the core. Thus major volcanic centers on Mars, such as Tharsis and Elysium, and the coronae and some equatorial highlands on Venus may be the surface expressions of cylindrical mantle plumes

The density jump at the inner core boundary using underground nuclear explosion records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasnoshchekov, D.N.; Ovchinnikov, V.M.

2001-01-01

This paper presents the estimation of the minimum jump value using experimental wave forms reflected from the boundary between the Earth core and mantle (PcP) and the one between the inner and outer core (PKiKP) at a distance of 6 deg. Digital seismic records of underground nuclear tests conducted at the Semipalatinsk test site in 70s by Zerenda-Vostochny-Chkalovo seismic array have been used. (author)

Early episodes of high-pressure core formation preserved in plume mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Colin R. M.; Bennett, Neil R.; Du, Zhixue; Cottrell, Elizabeth; Fei, Yingwei

2018-01-01

The decay of short-lived iodine (I) and plutonium (Pu) results in xenon (Xe) isotopic anomalies in the mantle that record Earth’s earliest stages of formation. Xe isotopic anomalies have been linked to degassing during accretion, but degassing alone cannot account for the co-occurrence of Xe and tungsten (W) isotopic heterogeneity in plume-derived basalts and their long-term preservation in the mantle. Here we describe measurements of I partitioning between liquid Fe alloys and liquid silicates at high pressure and temperature and propose that Xe isotopic anomalies found in modern plume rocks (that is, rocks with elevated 3He/4He ratios) result from I/Pu fractionations during early, high-pressure episodes of core formation. Our measurements demonstrate that I becomes progressively more siderophile as pressure increases, so that portions of mantle that experienced high-pressure core formation will have large I/Pu depletions not related to volatility. These portions of mantle could be the source of Xe and W anomalies observed in modern plume-derived basalts. Portions of mantle involved in early high-pressure core formation would also be rich in FeO, and hence denser than ambient mantle. This would aid the long-term preservation of these mantle portions, and potentially points to their modern manifestation within seismically slow, deep mantle reservoirs with high 3He/4He ratios.

An Equation Governing Ultralow-Velocity Zones: Implications for Holes in the ULVZ, Lateral Chemical Reactions at the Core-Mantle Boundary, and Damping of Heat Flux Variations in the Core

Science.gov (United States)

Hernlund, J. W.; Matsui, H.

2017-12-01

Ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZ) are increasingly illuminated by seismology, revealing surprising diversity in size, shape, and physical characteristics. The only viable hypotheses are that ULVZs are a compositionally distinct FeO-enriched dense material, which could have formed by fractional crystallization of a basal magma ocean, segregation of subducted banded iron formations, precipitation of solids from the outer core, partial melting and segregation of iron-rich melts from subducted basalts, or most likely a combination of many different processes. But many questions remain: Are ULVZ partially molten in some places, and not in others? Are ULVZ simply the thicker portions of an otherwise global thin layer, covering the entire CMB and thus blocking or moderating chemical interactions between the core and overlying mantle? Is such a layer inter-connected and able to conduct electrical currents that allow electro-magnetic coupling of core and mantle angular momentum? Are they being eroded and shrinking in size due to viscous entrainment, or is more material being added to ULVZ over time? Here we derive an advection-diffusion-like equation that governs the dynamical evolution of a chemically distinct ULVZ. Analysis of this equation shows that ULVZ should become readily swept aside by viscous mantle flows at the CMB, exposing "ordinary mantle" to the top of the core, thus inducing chemical heterogeneity that drives lateral CMB chemical reactions. These reactions are correlated with heat flux, thus maintaining large-scale pressure variations atop the core that induce cyclone-like flows centered around ULVZ and ponded subducted slabs. We suggest that turbulent diffusion across adjacent cyclone streams inside a stratified region atop the core readily accommodates lateral transport and re-distribution of components such as O and Si, in addition to heat. Our model implies that the deeper core is at least partly shielded from the influence of strong heat flux variations at

Electromagnetic core-mantle coupling associated with changes in the geomagnetic dipole field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hidehumi; Yukutake, Takesi.

1975-01-01

On a shelluar earth model electromagnetic coupling between the mantle and the core is investigated when the geomagnetic dipole field changes its intensity. Besides electromagnetic interaction between the dipole change and the relative slip of the mantle to the core, coupling of the dipole change with shear motions within the core is considered. If, in the core, the dipole change is limited within a surface layer shallower than a few hundred kilometers, the electromagnetic interaction gives the same order of magnitudes and phases of mantle oscillation as suggested from observation for three different periods, 8000, 400 and 65 years, provided that the electrical conductivity of the bottom part of the mantle is 10 -9 to 10 -8 emu. It is shown that mean motion of the surface shells of the core thus calculated is compatible with the observed variations in the drift velocity of the geomagnetic secular change. Except for surface shells, those in the deep interior is confirmed to oscillate almost with the same angular velocity, like a rigid rotation, for all the periods. (auth.)

Mantle updrafts and mechanisms of oceanic volcanism

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Don L.; Natland, James H.

2014-10-01

Convection in an isolated planet is characterized by narrow downwellings and broad updrafts-consequences of Archimedes' principle, the cooling required by the second law of thermodynamics, and the effect of compression on material properties. A mature cooling planet with a conductive low-viscosity core develops a thick insulating surface boundary layer with a thermal maximum, a subadiabatic interior, and a cooling highly conductive but thin boundary layer above the core. Parts of the surface layer sink into the interior, displacing older, colder material, which is entrained by spreading ridges. Magma characteristics of intraplate volcanoes are derived from within the upper boundary layer. Upper mantle features revealed by seismic tomography and that are apparently related to surface volcanoes are intrinsically broad and are not due to unresolved narrow jets. Their morphology, aspect ratio, inferred ascent rate, and temperature show that they are passively responding to downward fluxes, as appropriate for a cooling planet that is losing more heat through its surface than is being provided from its core or from radioactive heating. Response to doward flux is the inverse of the heat-pipe/mantle-plume mode of planetary cooling. Shear-driven melt extraction from the surface boundary layer explains volcanic provinces such as Yellowstone, Hawaii, and Samoa. Passive upwellings from deeper in the upper mantle feed ridges and near-ridge hotspots, and others interact with the sheared and metasomatized surface layer. Normal plate tectonic processes are responsible both for plate boundary and intraplate swells and volcanism.

Numerical Simulations of Melting-Crystallisation Processes at the Boundaries Between Magma Oceans and Solid Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Bolrão, D. P.; Rozel, A.; Morison, A.; Labrosse, S.; Tackley, P. J.

2017-12-01

The idea that the Earth had a global magma ocean, mostly created by impacts, core formation, radiogenic and tidal heating, is well accepted nowadays. When this ocean starts to crystallise, if the melt is denser than the solid, a basal magma ocean is created below the solid part. These two magma oceans influence the dynamics and evolution of solid mantle. Near the boundaries, the vertical flow in the solid part creates a topography. If this topography is destroyed by melting/crystallisation processes in a time scale much shorter than the time needed to adjust the topography by viscous relaxation, then matter can cross the boundary. In this case, the boundary is said to be permeable. On the other hand, if this time is longer, matter cannot cross and the boundary is said impermeable. This permeability is defined by a non-dimensional phase change number, φ, introduced by Deguen, 2013. This φ is the ratio of the two timescales mentioned, and defines a permeable boundary when φ « 1, and an impermeable one when φ » 1. To understand the impact of magma oceans on the dynamics of the solid mantle, we use the convection code StagYY, with a 2D spherical annulus geometry, to compute the convection of the solid part. Our results show different convection behaviours depending on the type of boundary chosen. For the permeable case, we investigate the thermo-compositional evolution of the solid domain, explicitly taking into account the compositional evolution of the magma oceans. Reference: Deguen, R. Thermal convection in a spherical shell with melting/freezing at either or both of its boundaries. Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 24, No. 5, p. 669-682, 2013. doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0364-8

The Influence of Heat Flux Boundary Heterogeneity on Heat Transport in Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, C. J.; Mound, J. E.

2017-12-01

Rotating convection in planetary systems can be subjected to large lateral variations in heat flux from above; for example, due to the interaction between the metallic cores of terrestrial planets and their overlying silicate mantles. The boundary anomalies can significantly reorganise the pattern of convection and influence global diagnostics such as the Nusselt number. We have conducted a suite of numerical simulations of rotating convection in a spherical shell geometry comparing convection with homogeneous boundary conditions to that with two patterns of heat flux variation at the outer boundary: one hemispheric pattern, and one derived from seismic tomographic imaging of Earth's lower mantle. We consider Ekman numbers down to 10-6 and flux-based Rayleigh numbers up to 800 times critical. The heterogeneous boundary conditions tend to increase the Nusselt number relative to the equivalent homogeneous case by altering both the flow and temperature fields, particularly near the top of the convecting region. The enhancement in Nusselt number tends to increase as the amplitude and wavelength of the boundary heterogeneity is increased and as the system becomes more supercritical. In our suite of models, the increase in Nusselt number can be as large as 25%. The slope of the Nusselt-Rayleigh scaling also changes when boundary heterogeneity is included, which has implications when extrapolating to planetary conditions. Additionally, regions of effective thermal stratification can develop when strongly heterogeneous heat flux conditions are applied at the outer boundary.

Non-equilibrium effects of core-cooling and time-dependent internal heating on mantle flush events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. A. Yuen

1995-01-01

Full Text Available We have examined the non-equilibrium effects of core-cooling and time-dependent internal-heating on the thermal evolution of the Earth's mantle and on mantle flush events caused by the two major phase transitions. Both two- and three-dimensional models have been employed. The mantle viscosity responds to the secular cooling through changes in the averaged temperature field. A viscosity which decreases algebraically with the average temperature has been considered. The time-dependent internal-heating is prescribed to decrease exponentially with a single decay time. We have studied the thermal histories with initial Rayleigh numbers between 2 x 107 and 108 . Flush events, driven by the non-equilibrium forcings, are much more dramatic than those produced by the equilibrium boundary conditions and constant internal heating. Multiple flush events are found under non-equilibrium conditions in which there is very little internal heating or very fast decay rates of internal-heating. Otherwise, the flush events take place in a relatively continuous fashion. Prior to massive flush events small-scale percolative structures appear in the 3D temperature fields. Time-dependent signatures, such as the surface heat flux, also exhibits high frequency oscillatory patterns prior to massive flush events. These two observations suggest that the flush event may be a self-organized critical phenomenon. The Nusselt number as a function of the time-varying Ra does not follow the Nusselt vs. Rayleigh number power-law relationship based on equilibrium (constant temperature boundary conditions. Instead Nu(t may vary non-monotonically with time because of the mantle flush events. Convective processes in the mantle operate quite differently under non-equilibrium conditions from its behaviour under the usual equilibrium situations.

Boundary-modulated Thermal Convection Model in the Mantle

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Kurita, K.; Kumagai, I.

2008-12-01

Analog experiments have played an important role in the constructing ideas of mantle dynamics. The series of experiments by H. Ramberg is one of the successful examples. Recently, however the realm of the analog experiments seems to be overwhelmed by steady progress of computer simulations. Is there still room for the analog experiments? This might be a main and hidden subject of this session. Here we propose a working hypothesis how the convecting mantle behaves based on the analog experiments in the system of viscous fluid and particles. The essential part is the interaction of convecting flow with heterogeneities existing in the boundaries. It is proposed the preexisting topographical heterogeneity in the boundary could control the flow pattern of convecting fluid. If this kind of heterogeneity can be formed as a consequence of convective motion and mobilized by the flow, the convection also can control the heterogeneity. We can expect interactions in two ways, by which the system behaves in a self-organize fashion. To explore the mutual interactions between convection flow and heterogeneity the system of viscous fluid and particles with slightly higher density is selected as 2D Rayleigh-Benard type convection. The basic structure consists of a basal particulate layer where permeable convection transports heat and an upper viscous fluid layer. By reducing the magnitude of the density difference the convective flow can mobilize the particles and can erode the basal layer. The condition of this erosion can be identified in the phase diagram of the particle Shields"f and the Rayleigh numbers. At Ra greater than 107 the convection style drastically changed before and after the erosion. Before the erosion where the flat interface of the boundary is maintained small scaled turbulent convection pattern is dominant. After the erosion where the interface becomes bumpy the large scale convective motion is observed. The structure is coherent to that of the boundary. This

Importance of initial buoyancy field on evolution of mantle thermal structure: Implications of surface boundary conditions

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Petar Glišović

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Although there has been significant progress in the seismic imaging of mantle heterogeneity, the outstanding issue that remains to be resolved is the unknown distribution of mantle temperature anomalies in the distant geological past that give rise to the present-day anomalies inferred by global tomography models. To address this question, we present 3-D convection models in compressible and self-gravitating mantle initialised by different hypothetical temperature patterns. A notable feature of our forward convection modelling is the use of self-consistent coupling of the motion of surface tectonic plates to the underlying mantle flow, without imposing prescribed surface velocities (i.e., plate-like boundary condition. As an approximation for the surface mechanical conditions before plate tectonics began to operate we employ the no-slip (rigid boundary condition. A rigid boundary condition demonstrates that the initial thermally-dominated structure is preserved, and its geographical location is fixed during the evolution of mantle flow. Considering the impact of different assumed surface boundary conditions (rigid and plate-like on the evolution of thermal heterogeneity in the mantle we suggest that the intrinsic buoyancy of seven superplumes is most-likely resolved in the tomographic images of present-day mantle thermal structure. Our convection simulations with a plate-like boundary condition reveal that the evolution of an initial cold anomaly beneath the Java-Indonesian trench system yields a long-term, stable pattern of thermal heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle that resembles the present-day Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs, especially below the Pacific. The evolution of subduction zones may be, however, influenced by the mantle-wide flow driven by deeply-rooted and long-lived superplumes since Archean times. These convection models also detect the intrinsic buoyancy of the Perm Anomaly that has been identified as a unique

A thermodynamic recipe for baking the Earth's lower mantle and core as a whole

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Tirone, Max; Faak, Kathi

2016-04-01

nowhere to be found, while the model is only accessible on few commercial thermodynamic programs. The latest developments regarding all these related issues will be discussed in this contribution. In particular some self-consistent but preliminary results will be presented addressing the following topics: - some details regarding the implementation of the liquid model for Gibbs free energy minimizations, - the physically consistent behavior of thermodynamic properties of certain solid phases like (Fe,O,Si) BCC, FCC, HCP and liquid components, - selected phase diagrams at core conditions in the system Fe-Si-O, - derived geotherms linking the inner-outer core with the core-mantle boundary. - brief outline of the future geodynamic applications.

Constraints on the coupled thermal evolution of the Earth's core and mantle, the age of the inner core, and the origin of the 186Os/188Os “core signal” in plume-derived lavas

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Lassiter, J. C.

2006-10-01

The possibility that some mantle plumes may carry a geochemical signature of core/mantle interaction has rightly generated considerable interest and attention in recent years. Correlated 186Os- 187Os enrichments in some plume-derived lavas (Hawaii, Gorgona, Kostomuksha) have been interpreted as deriving from an outer core with elevated Pt/Os and Re/Os ratios due to the solidification of the Earth's inner core (c.f., [A.D. Brandon, R.J. Walker, The debate over core-mantle interaction, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 232 (2005) 211-225.] and references therein). Conclusive identification of a "core signal" in plume-derived lavas would profoundly influence our understanding of mantle convection and evolution. This paper reevaluates the Os-isotope evidence for core/mantle interaction by examining other geochemical constraints on core/mantle interaction, geophysical constraints on the thermal evolution of the outer core, and geochemical and cosmochemical constraints on the abundance of heat-producing elements in the core. Additional study of metal/silicate and sulfide/silicate partitioning of K, Pb, and other trace elements is needed to more tightly constrain the likely starting composition of the Earth's core. However, available data suggest that the observed 186Os enrichments in Hawaiian and other plume-derived lavas are unlikely to derive from core/mantle interaction. 1) Core/mantle interaction sufficient to produce the observed 186Os enrichments would likely have significant effects on other tracers such as Pb- and W-isotopes that are not observed. 2) Significant partitioning of K or other heat-producing elements into the core would produce a "core depletion" pattern in the Silicate Earth very different from that observed. 3) In the absence of heat-producing elements in the core, core/mantle heat flow of ˜ 6-15 TW estimated from several independent geophysical constraints suggests an inner core age (< ˜ 2.5 Ga) too young for the outer core to have developed a significant

On the stability of boundary layers in gas mantle systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, D.

1978-10-01

In this thesis a systematic investigation of the stability properties of the partially ionized boundary regions of gas mantle systems for a large class of dissipative magneto-hydrodynamic modes is presented. In the partially ionized boundary regions of gas mantle systems several strong stabilizing mechanisms arise due to coupling between various dissipative effects in certain parameter regions. The presence of neutral gas strongly enhances the stabilizing effects in a dual fashion. First in an indirect way by cooling the edge region and second in a direct way by enhancing viscous and heat conduction effects. It has, however, to be pointed out that exceptions from this general picture may be found. The stabilizing influence of neutral gas on a large class of electrostatic as well as electromagnetic modes in the boundary regions of gas blanket systems is contrary to what has been found in low density weakly ionized plasmas. In these latter cases presence of neutral gas has even been found to be responsible for the onset of entirely new classes of instabilities. Thus there is no universal stabilizing or destabilizing effect associated with plasma-neutral gas interaction effects. (author)

Understanding the effects of the core on the nutation of the Earth

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Véronique Dehant

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this review paper, we examine the changes in the Earth orientation in space and focus on the nutation (shorter-term periodic variations, which is superimposed on precession (long-term trend on a timescale of years. We review the nutation modelling involving several coupling mechanisms at the core-mantle boundary using the Liouville angular momentum equations for a two-layered Earth with a liquid flattened core. The classical approach considers a Poincaré fluid for the core with an inertial pressure coupling mechanism at the core-mantle boundary. We examine possible additional coupling mechanisms to explain the observations. In particular, we examine how we can determine the flattening of the core as well as information on the magnetic field and the core flow from the nutation observations. The precision of the observations is shown to be high enough to increase our understanding on the coupling mechanisms at the core-mantle boundary.

Lunar Core and Tides

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Williams, J. G.; Boggs, D. H.; Ratcliff, J. T.

2004-01-01

Variations in rotation and orientation of the Moon are sensitive to solid-body tidal dissipation, dissipation due to relative motion at the fluid-core/solid-mantle boundary, and tidal Love number k2 [1,2]. There is weaker sensitivity to flattening of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) [2,3,4] and fluid core moment of inertia [1]. Accurate Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurements of the distance from observatories on the Earth to four retroreflector arrays on the Moon are sensitive to lunar rotation and orientation variations and tidal displacements. Past solutions using the LLR data have given results for dissipation due to solid-body tides and fluid core [1] plus Love number [1-5]. Detection of CMB flattening, which in the past has been marginal but improving [3,4,5], now seems significant. Direct detection of the core moment has not yet been achieved.

The Interaction Between Supercontinent Cycles and Compositional Variations in the Deep Mantle

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Lowman, J. P.; Trim, S. J.

2015-12-01

Earth is the only planet known to currently feature active plate tectonics. Two features that may influence the Earth's ability to sustain plate-like surface motion are the presence of continents and the inferred chemical piles lying on the core mantle boundary. In our previous study that modelled thermochemical convection in the mantle with evolving plates, it was shown that upwellings that form on top of chemical piles are relatively weak and make a diminished contribution to lithospheric stress. Yet, surface yielding is required in order to maintain plate tectonics and form new plate boundaries. Consequently an intrinsically dense layer in the lower mantle can decrease the vigour of convection and the likelihood of surface failure. In contrast to the mantle upwellings that form above the chemically dense provinces in our models, particularly vigorous plumes form where the ambient mantle lies adjacent to the core mantle boundary and at the edges of the chemically dense piles. Continents also affect surface mobility, due to their inherent buoyancy and their distinct yield strength. In this study we employ numerical models of mantle convection featuring both tectonic plates and compositional variation in the mantle and lithosphere. Plate-like surface motion is dynamically modelled using a force-balance method that determines plate velocities based upon lithospheric stresses. Oceanic and continental margins evolve in response to the plate velocities and specified lithospheric yield stresses. Compositional variations in the deep mantle are tracked using the tracer ratio method. For a range of ratios of the ambient mantle density to the density of the compositionally enriched material, we examine the the impact of mantle compositional variation on plate evolution, the effect of continents on planetary surface mobility and the frequency of supercontinent assembly versus the mobility of compositional provinces.

Eutectic melting temperature of the lowermost Earth's mantle

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Andrault, D.; Lo Nigro, G.; Bolfan-Casanova, N.; Bouhifd, M.; Garbarino, G.; Mezouar, M.

2009-12-01

Partial melting of the Earth's deep mantle probably occurred at different stages of its formation as a consequence of meteoritic impacts and seismology suggests that it even continues today at the core-mantle boundary. Melts are important because they dominate the chemical evolution of the different Earth's reservoirs and more generally the dynamics of the whole planet. Unfortunately, the most critical parameter, that is the temperature profile inside the deep Earth, remains poorly constrained accross the planet history. Experimental investigations of the melting properties of materials representative of the deep Earth at relevant P-T conditions can provide anchor points to refine past and present temperature profiles and consequently determine the degree of melting at the different geological periods. Previous works report melting relations in the uppermost lower mantle region, using the multi-anvil press [1,2]. On the other hand, the pyrolite solidus was determined up to 65 GPa using optical observations in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC) [3]. Finally, the melting temperature of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 olivine is documented at core-mantle boundary (CMB) conditions by shock wave experiments [4]. Solely based on these reports, experimental data remain too sparse to draw a definite melting curve for the lower mantle in the relevant 25-135 GPa pressure range. We reinvestigated melting properties of lower mantle materials by means of in-situ angle dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements in the LH-DAC at the ESRF [5]. Experiments were performed in an extended P-T range for two starting materials: forsterite and a glass with chondrite composition. In both cases, the aim was to determine the onset of melting, and thus the eutectic melting temperatures as a function of pressure. Melting was evidenced from drastic changes of diffraction peak shape on the image plate, major changes in diffraction intensities in the integrated pattern, disappearance of diffraction rings

Inner core tilt and polar motion

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Dumberry, Mathieu; Bloxham, Jeremy

2002-11-01

A tilted inner core permits exchange of angular momentum between the core and the mantle through gravitational and pressure torques and, as a result, changes in the direction of Earth's axis of rotation with respect to the mantle. We have developed a model to calculate the amplitude of the polar motion that results from an equatorial torque at the inner core boundary which tilts the inner core out of alignment with the mantle. We specifically address the issue of the role of the inner core tilt in the decade polar motion known as the Markowitz wobble. We show that a decade polar motion of the same amplitude as the observed Markowitz wobble requires a torque of 1020 N m which tilts the inner core by 0.07 degrees. This result critically depends on the viscosity of the inner core; for a viscosity less than 5 × 1017 Pa s, larger torques are required. We investigate the possibility that a torque of 1020 N m with decadal periodicity can be produced by electromagnetic coupling between the inner core and torsional oscillations of the flow in the outer core. We demonstrate that a radial magnetic field at the inner core boundary of 3 to 4 mT is required to obtain a torque of such amplitude. The resulting polar motion is eccentric and polarized, in agreement with the observations. Our model suggests that equatorial torques at the inner core boundary might also excite the Chandler wobble, provided there exists a physical mechanism that can generate a large torque at a 14 month period.

Deep Subducction in a Compressible Mantle: Observations and Theory

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King, S. D.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of slab dynamics is primarily based on the results of numerical models of subduction. In such models coherent, cold slabs are clearly visible from the surface of the Earth to the core mantle boundary. In contrast, fast seismic anomalies associated with cold subducted slabs are difficult to identify below 1500-2000 km in tomographic models of Earth's mantle. One explanation for this has been the resolution, or lack thereof, of seismic tomography in the mid-mantle region; however in this work I will explore the impact of compressibility on the dynamics of subducting slabs, specifically shear heating of the slab and latent heat of phase transformations. Most geodynamic models of subduction have used an incompressible formulation, thus because subducted slabs are assumed to be cold and stiff, the primary means of thermal equilibration is conduction. With an assumed sinking velocity of approximately 0.1 m/yr, a subducted slab reaches the core-mantle boundary in approximately 30 Myrs—too fast for significant conductive cooling of the downgoing slab. In this work I consider a whole-mantle geometry and include both phase transformations with associated latent heat and density changes from the olivine-wadsleyite-ringwoodite-bridgmanite system and the pyroxene-garnet system. The goal of this work is to understand both the eventual fate and thermal evolution of slabs beneath the transition zone.

Lunar Fluid Core and Solid-Body Tides

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Williams, J. G.; Boggs, D. H.; Ratcliff, J. T.

2005-01-01

Variations in rotation and orientation of the Moon are sensitive to solid-body tidal dissipation, dissipation due to relative motion at the fluid-core/solid-mantle boundary, and tidal Love number k2 [1,2]. There is weaker sensitivity to flattening of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) [2-5] and fluid core moment of inertia [1]. Accurate Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurements of the distance from observatories on the Earth to four retroreflector arrays on the Moon are sensitive to lunar rotation and orientation variations and tidal displacements. Past solutions using the LLR data have given results for dissipation due to solid-body tides and fluid core [1] plus Love number [1-5]. Detection of CMB flattening has been improving [3,5] and now seems significant. This strengthens the case for a fluid lunar core.

Early Dynamics of the Moon's Core

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Cuk, Matija; Hamilton, Douglas; Stewart, Sarah T.

2018-04-01

The Moon has a small molten iron core (Williams et al. 2006). Remanent magnetization in lunar rocks likely derives from a past lunar dynamo (Wieczorek 2018 and references therein), which may have been powered by differential precession between the mantle and the core. The rotations of the lunar mantle and core were largely decoupled for much of lunar history, with a large mutual offset during the Cassini State Transition (Meyer and Wisdom, 2011). It is likely that the past work underestimated lunar obliquities, and therefore core offsets, during early lunar history (Cuk et al. 2016). Here we investigate the dynamics of the lunar core and mantle using a Lie-Poisson numerical integrator (Touma and Wisdom 2001) which includes interactions between triaxial core and mantle, as well as all gravitational and tidal effects included in the model of Cuk et al. (2016). Since we assume a rigid triaxial mantle, this model is applicable to the Moon only once it has acquired its current shape, which probably happened before the Moon reached 25 Earth radii. While some details of the core dynamics depend on our assumptions about the shape of the lunar core-mantle boundary, we can report some robust preliminary findings. The presence of the core does not change significantly the evolutionary scenario of Cuk et al. (2016). The core and mantle are indeed decoupled, with the core having a much smaller obliquity to the ecliptic than the mantle for almost all of the lunar history. The core was largely in an equivalent of Cassini State 2, with the vernal equinoxes (wrt the ecliptic) of the core and the mantle being anti-aligned. The core-mantle spin axis offset has been very large during the Moon's first billion years (this is true both in canonical and high-inclination tidal evolution), causing the lunar core to be sub-synchronous. If the ancient lunar magnetic dipole was rotating around the core axis that was inclined to the Moon's spin axis, then the magnetic poles would move across

Seismic Imaging of Mantle Plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Nataf, Henri-Claude

The mantle plume hypothesis was proposed thirty years ago by Jason Morgan to explain hotspot volcanoes such as Hawaii. A thermal diapir (or plume) rises from the thermal boundary layer at the base of the mantle and produces a chain of volcanoes as a plate moves on top of it. The idea is very attractive, but direct evidence for actual plumes is weak, and many questions remain unanswered. With the great improvement of seismic imagery in the past ten years, new prospects have arisen. Mantle plumes are expected to be rather narrow, and their detection by seismic techniques requires specific developments as well as dedicated field experiments. Regional travel-time tomography has provided good evidence for plumes in the upper mantle beneath a few hotspots (Yellowstone, Massif Central, Iceland). Beneath Hawaii and Iceland, the plume can be detected in the transition zone because it deflects the seismic discontinuities at 410 and 660 km depths. In the lower mantle, plumes are very difficult to detect, so specific methods have been worked out for this purpose. There are hints of a plume beneath the weak Bowie hotspot, as well as intriguing observations for Hawaii. Beneath Iceland, high-resolution tomography has just revealed a wide and meandering plume-like structure extending from the core-mantle boundary up to the surface. Among the many phenomena that seem to take place in the lowermost mantle (or D''), there are also signs there of the presence of plumes. In this article I review the main results obtained so far from these studies and discuss their implications for plume dynamics. Seismic imaging of mantle plumes is still in its infancy but should soon become a turbulent teenager.

Modelling of Equilibrium Between Mantle and Core: Refractory, Volatile, and Highly Siderophile Elements

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Righter, K.; Danielson, L.; Pando, K.; Shofner, G.; Lee, C. -T.

2013-01-01

Siderophile elements have been used to constrain conditions of core formation and differentiation for the Earth, Mars and other differentiated bodies [1]. Recent models for the Earth have concluded that the mantle and core did not fully equilibrate and the siderophile element contents of the mantle can only be explained under conditions where the oxygen fugacity changes from low to high during accretion and the mantle and core do not fully equilibrate [2,3]. However these conclusions go against several physical and chemical constraints. First, calculations suggest that even with the composition of accreting material changing from reduced to oxidized over time, the fO2 defined by metal-silicate equilibrium does not change substantially, only by approximately 1 logfO2 unit [4]. An increase of more than 2 logfO2 units in mantle oxidation are required in models of [2,3]. Secondly, calculations also show that metallic impacting material will become deformed and sheared during accretion to a large body, such that it becomes emulsified to a fine scale that allows equilibrium at nearly all conditions except for possibly the length scale for giant impacts [5] (contrary to conclusions of [6]). Using new data for D(Mo) metal/silicate at high pressures, together with updated partitioning expressions for many other elements, we will show that metal-silicate equilibrium across a long span of Earth s accretion history may explain the concentrations of many siderophile elements in Earth's mantle. The modeling includes refractory elements Ni, Co, Mo, and W, as well as highly siderophile elements Au, Pd and Pt, and volatile elements Cd, In, Bi, Sb, Ge and As.

Chemical Reactions Between Fe and H2O up to Megabar Pressures and Implications for Water Storage in the Earth's Mantle and Core

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Yuan, Liang; Ohtani, Eiji; Ikuta, Daijo; Kamada, Seiji; Tsuchiya, Jun; Naohisa, Hirao; Ohishi, Yasuo; Suzuki, Akio

2018-02-01

We investigated the phase relations of the Fe-H2O system at high pressures based on in situ X-ray diffraction experiments and first-principles calculations and demonstrate that FeHx and FeO are present at pressures less than 78 GPa. A recently reported pyrite-structured FeO2 was identified in the Fe-H2O system at pressures greater than 78 GPa after laser heating. The phase observed in this study has a unit cell volume 8%-11% larger than that of FeO2, produced in the Fe-O binary system reported previously, suggesting that hydrogen might be retained in a FeO2Hx crystal structure. Our observations indicate that H2O is likely introduced into the deep Earth through reaction between iron and water during the accretion and separation of the metallic core. Additionally, reaction between Fe and H2O would occur at the core-mantle boundary, given water released from hydrous subducting slabs that intersect with the metallic core. Accumulation of volatile-bearing iron compounds may provide new insights into the enigmatic seismic structures observed at the base of the lower mantle.

Carbonate stability in the reduced lower mantle

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Dorfman, Susannah M.; Badro, James; Nabiei, Farhang; Prakapenka, Vitali B.; Cantoni, Marco; Gillet, Philippe

2018-05-01

Carbonate minerals are important hosts of carbon in the crust and mantle with a key role in the transport and storage of carbon in Earth's deep interior over the history of the planet. Whether subducted carbonates efficiently melt and break down due to interactions with reduced phases or are preserved to great depths and ultimately reach the core-mantle boundary remains controversial. In this study, experiments in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LHDAC) on layered samples of dolomite (Mg, Ca)CO3 and iron at pressure and temperature conditions reaching those of the deep lower mantle show that carbon-iron redox interactions destabilize the MgCO3 component, producing a mixture of diamond, Fe7C3, and (Mg, Fe)O. However, CaCO3 is preserved, supporting its relative stability in carbonate-rich lithologies under reducing lower mantle conditions. These results constrain the thermodynamic stability of redox-driven breakdown of carbonates and demonstrate progress towards multiphase mantle petrology in the LHDAC at conditions of the lowermost mantle.

Equation of state fits to the lower mantle and outer core

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Butler, R.; Anderson, D. L.

1978-01-01

The lower mantle and outer core are subjected to tests for homogeneity and adiabaticity. An earth model is used which is based on the inversion of body waves and Q-corrected normal-mode data. Homogeneous regions are found at radii between 5125 and 4825 km, 4600 and 3850 km, and 3200 and 2200 km. The lower mantle and outer core are inhomogeneous on the whole and are only homogeneous in the above local regions. Finite-strain and atomistic equations of state are fit to the homogeneous regions. The apparent convergence of the finite-strain relations is examined to judge their applicability to a given region. In some cases the observed pressure derivatives of the elastic moduli are used as additional constraints. The effect of minor deviations from adiabaticity on the extrapolations is also considered. An ensemble of zero-pressure values of the density and seismic velocities are found for these regions. The range of extrapolated values from these several approaches provides a measure of uncertainties involved.

Internal loading of an inhomogeneous compressible Earth with phase boundaries

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Defraigne, P.; Dehant, V.; Wahr, J. M.

1996-01-01

The geoid and the boundary topography caused by mass loads inside the earth were estimated. It is shown that the estimates are affected by compressibility, by a radially varying density distribution, and by the presence of phase boundaries with density discontinuities. The geoid predicted in the chemical boundary case is 30 to 40 percent smaller than that predicted in the phase case. The effects of compressibility and radially varying density are likely to be small. The inner core-outer core topography for loading inside the mantle and for loading inside the inner core were computed.

Upper Mantle Dynamics of Bangladesh by Splitting Analyzes of Core Refracted SKS and SKKS Waves

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Tiwari, A. K.; Bhushan, K.; Eken, T.; Singh, A.

2017-12-01

New shear wave splitting measurements are obtained from hitherto less studied Bengal Basin using core refracted SKS and SKKS phases. Splitting parameters, time delays (δt) and fast polarization directions (Φ) were estimated through analysis of 64 high-quality waveforms (≥ 2.5 signal to noise ratio) from 29 earthquakes with magnitude ≥5.5 recorded at eight seismic stations deployed over Bangladesh. We found no evidence of splitting which indicates azimuthal isotropy beneath the region. Null measurements can be explained by near vertical axis of anisotropy or by the presence of multiple anisotropic layers with different fast polarization directions, where combined effect results in null. We consider that the presence of partial melts within the upper mantle due to Kerguelen mantle plume activities may be the potential geodynamic cause for observed null measurements. It locally perturbed mantle convection flow beneath the region and reoriented the lattice preferred orientation of the upper mantle mineral mainly olivine as this disabled the core refracted SKS and SKKS phases to scan the anisotropic characteristics of the region, and hence null measurements are obtained.

Application of supercomputers to 3-D mantle convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumgardner, J.R.

1986-01-01

Current generation vector machines are providing for the first time the computing power needed to treat planetary mantle convection in a fully three-dimensional fashion. A numerical technique known as multigrid has been implemented in spherical geometry using a hierarchy of meshes constructed from the regular icosahedron to yield a highly efficient three-dimensional compressible Eulerian finite element hydrodynamics formulation. The paper describes the numerical method and presents convection solutions for the mantles of both the earth and the Moon. In the case of the Earth, the convection pattern is characterized by upwelling in narrow circular plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary and by downwelling in sheets or slabs derived from the cold upper boundary layer. The preferred number of plumes appears to be on the order of six or seven. For the Moon, the numerical results indicate that development of a predominately L = 2 pattern in later lunar history is a plausible explanation for the present large second-degree non-hydrostatic component in the lunar figure

Dehydration of δ-AlOOH in the lower mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Piet, H.; Shim, S. H.; Tappan, J.; Leinenweber, K. D.; Greenberg, E.; Prakapenka, V. B.

2017-12-01

Hydrous phase δ-AlOOH is an important candidate for water transport and storage in the Earth's deep mantle [1]. Knowing the conditions, under which it is stable and dehydrated, is therefore important for understanding the water transportation to the deep mantle or even to the core. A few experimental studies [1, 2] have shown that δ-AlOOH may be stable in cold descending slabs while it is dehydrated into a mixture of corundum and water under normal mantle conditions, up to 25 GPa. A subsequent study [3] reported the stability of δ-AlOOH in cold descending slabs to the core-mantle boundary conditions (2300 K at 135 GPa). However, the dehydration of δ-AlOOH has not bee directly observed in the experiments conducted at pressures above 25 GPa. We have synthesized δ-AlOOH from diaspore and Al(OH)3 in multi-anvil press at ASU. The sample was mixed with Au for coupling with near IR laser beams and loaded in diamond-anvil cells. We performed the laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments at the 13IDD beamline of the Advanced Photon Source and ASU. At APS, we measured X-ray diffraction patterns at in situ high pressure and temperature. We observed the appearance of the corundum diffraction lines at 1700-2000 K and 55-90 GPa, indicating the dehydration of δ-AlOOH to Al2O3+ H2O. We found that the transition occurs over a broad range of temperature (500 K). We also observed that the dehydration of δ-AlOOH was accompanied by sudden change in laser coupling, most likely due to the release of fluids. The property change also helps us to determine the dehydration at ASU without in situ XRD. Our new experimental results indicate that δ-AlOOH would be stable in most subducting slabs in the deep mantle. However, because the dehydration occurs very close to the temperatures expected for the lower mantle, its stability is uncertain in the normal mantle. [1] Ohtani et al. 2001, Stability field of new hydrous phase, delta-AlOOH, Geophysical Research Letters 28, 3991-3993. [2

Core-Mantle Partitioning of Volatile Elements and the Origin of Volatile Elements in Earth and Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L.; Nickodem, K.

2014-01-01

Depletions of siderophile elements in mantles have placed constraints on the conditions on core segregation and differentiation in bodies such as Earth, Earth's Moon, Mars, and asteroid 4 Vesta. Among the siderophile elements there are a sub-set that are also volatile (volatile siderophile elements or VSE; Ga, Ge, In, As, Sb, Sn, Bi, Zn, Cu, Cd), and thus can help to constrain the origin of volatile elements in these bodies, and in particular the Earth and Moon. One of the fundamental observations of the geochemistry of the Moon is the overall depletion of volatile elements relative to the Earth, but a satisfactory explanation has remained elusive. Hypotheses for Earth include addition during accretion and core formation and mobilized into the metallic core, multiple stage origin, or addition after the core formed. Any explanation for volatile elements in the Earth's mantle must also be linked to an explanation of these elements in the lunar mantle. New metal-silicate partitioning data will be applied to the origin of volatile elements in both the Earth and Moon, and will evaluate theories for exogenous versus endogenous origin of volatile elements.

Non-chondritic iron isotope ratios in planetary mantles as a result of core formation

Science.gov (United States)

Elardo, Stephen M.; Shahar, Anat

2017-02-01

Information about the materials and conditions involved in planetary formation and differentiation in the early Solar System is recorded in iron isotope ratios. Samples from Earth, the Moon, Mars and the asteroid Vesta reveal significant variations in iron isotope ratios, but the sources of these variations remain uncertain. Here we present experiments that demonstrate that under the conditions of planetary core formation expected for the Moon, Mars and Vesta, iron isotopes fractionate between metal and silicate due to the presence of nickel, and enrich the bodies' mantles in isotopically light iron. However, the effect of nickel diminishes at higher temperatures: under conditions expected for Earth's core formation, we infer little fractionation of iron isotopes. From our experimental results and existing conceptual models of magma ocean crystallization and mantle partial melting, we find that nickel-induced fractionation can explain iron isotope variability found in planetary samples without invoking nebular or accretionary processes. We suggest that near-chondritic iron isotope ratios of basalts from Mars and Vesta, as well as the most primitive lunar basalts, were achieved by melting of isotopically light mantles, whereas the heavy iron isotope ratios of terrestrial ocean floor basalts are the result of melting of near-chondritic Earth mantle.

Crustal and upper mantle investigations of the Caribbean-South American plate boundary

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Bezada, Maximiliano J.

The evolution of the Caribbean --- South America plate boundary has been a matter of vigorous debate for decades and many questions remain unresolved. In this work, and in the framework of the BOLIVAR project, we shed light on some aspects of the present state and the tectonic history of the margin by using different types of geophysical data sets and techniques. An analysis of controlled-source traveltime data collected along a boundary-normal profile at ˜65°W was used to build a 2D P-wave velocity model. The model shows that the Caribbean Large Igenous Province is present offshore eastern Venezuela and confirms the uniformity of the velocity structure along the Leeward Antilles volcanic belt. In contrast with neighboring profiles, at this longitude we see no change in velocity structure or crustal thickness across the San Sebastian - El Pilar fault system. A 2D gravity modeling methodology that uses seismically derived initial density models was developed as part of this research. The application of this new method to four of the BOLIVAR boundary-normal profiles suggests that the uppermost mantle is denser under the South American continental crust and the island arc terranes than under the Caribbean oceanic crust. Crustal rocks of the island arc and extended island arc terranes of the Leeward Antilles have a relatively low density, given their P-wave velocity. This may be caused by low iron content, relative to average magmatic arc rocks. Finally, an analysis of teleseismic traveltimes with frequency-dependent kernels produced a 3D P-wave velocity perturbation model. The model shows the structure of the mantle lithosphere under the study area and clearly images the subduction of the Atlantic slab and associated partial removal of the lower lithosphere under northern South America. We also image the subduction of a section of the Caribbean plate under South America with an east-southeast direction. Both the Atlantic and Caribbean subducting slabs penetrate the

Dynamical links between small- and large-scale mantle heterogeneity: Seismological evidence

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Frost, Daniel A.; Garnero, Edward J.; Rost, Sebastian

2018-01-01

We identify PKP • PKP scattered waves (also known as P‧ •P‧) from earthquakes recorded at small-aperture seismic arrays at distances less than 65°. P‧ •P‧ energy travels as a PKP wave through the core, up into the mantle, then scatters back down through the core to the receiver as a second PKP. P‧ •P‧ waves are unique in that they allow scattering heterogeneities throughout the mantle to be imaged. We use array-processing methods to amplify low amplitude, coherent scattered energy signals and resolve their incoming direction. We deterministically map scattering heterogeneity locations from the core-mantle boundary to the surface. We use an extensive dataset with sensitivity to a large volume of the mantle and a location method allowing us to resolve and map more heterogeneities than have previously been possible, representing a significant increase in our understanding of small-scale structure within the mantle. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of scattering heterogeneities varies both radially and laterally. Scattering is most abundant in the uppermost and lowermost mantle, and a minimum in the mid-mantle, resembling the radial distribution of tomographically derived whole-mantle velocity heterogeneity. We investigate the spatial correlation of scattering heterogeneities with large-scale tomographic velocities, lateral velocity gradients, the locations of deep-seated hotspots and subducted slabs. In the lowermost 1500 km of the mantle, small-scale heterogeneities correlate with regions of low seismic velocity, high lateral seismic gradient, and proximity to hotspots. In the upper 1000 km of the mantle there is no significant correlation between scattering heterogeneity location and subducted slabs. Between 600 and 900 km depth, scattering heterogeneities are more common in the regions most remote from slabs, and close to hotspots. Scattering heterogeneities show an affinity for regions close to slabs within the upper 200 km of the

Magnetohydrodynamic Convection in the Outer Core and its Geodynamic Consequences

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Kuang, Weijia; Chao, Benjamin F.; Fang, Ming

2004-01-01

The Earth's fluid outer core is in vigorous convection through much of the Earth's history. In addition to generating and maintaining Earth s time-varying magnetic field (geodynamo), the core convection also generates mass redistribution in the core and a dynamical pressure field on the core-mantle boundary (CMB). All these shall result in various core-mantle interactions, and contribute to surface geodynamic observables. For example, electromagnetic core-mantle coupling arises from finite electrically conducting lower mantle; gravitational interaction occurs between the cores and the heterogeneous mantle; mechanical coupling may also occur when the CMB topography is aspherical. Besides changing the mantle rotation via the coupling torques, the mass-redistribution in the core shall produce a spatial-temporal gravity anomaly. Numerical modeling of the core dynamical processes contributes in several geophysical disciplines. It helps explain the physical causes of surface geodynamic observables via space geodetic techniques and other means, e.g. Earth's rotation variation on decadal time scales, and secular time-variable gravity. Conversely, identification of the sources of the observables can provide additional insights on the dynamics of the fluid core, leading to better constraints on the physics in the numerical modeling. In the past few years, our core dynamics modeling efforts, with respect to our MoSST model, have made significant progress in understanding individual geophysical consequences. However, integrated studies are desirable, not only because of more mature numerical core dynamics models, but also because of inter-correlation among the geophysical phenomena, e.g. mass redistribution in the outer core produces not only time-variable gravity, but also gravitational core-mantle coupling and thus the Earth's rotation variation. They are expected to further facilitate multidisciplinary studies of core dynamics and interactions of the core with other

HYDROGEN IN THE EARTH’S OUTER CORE, AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEEP EARTH GEODYNAMICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Rumyantsev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The content of hydrogen in the outer core of the Earth is roughly quantified from the dependence of the density of iron (viewed as the main component of the core on the amount of hydrogen dissolved in the core, with account of the most likely presence of iron hydrogen in the outer core, and the matter’s density jumps at the boundaries between the outer liquid core and the internal solid core (that is devoid of hydrogen and the mantle. Estimations for the outer liquid core show that the hydrogen content varies from 0.67 wt. % at the boundary with the solid inner core to 3.04 wt. % at the boundary with the mantle.Iron occlusion is viewed as the most likely mechanism for the iron–nickel core to capture such a significant amount of hydrogen. Iron occlusion took place at the stage of the young sun when the metallic core emerged in the cooling protoplanetary cloud containing hydrogen in high amounts, and non-volatile hydrogen was accumulated. Absorption (occlusion of molecular hydrogen was preceded by dissociation of molecules into atoms and ionization of the atoms, as proved by results of studies focused on Fe–H2 system, and hydrogen dissipation was thus prevented. The core matter was subject to gravitational compression at high pressures that contributed to the forced rapprochement of protons and electrons which interaction resulted by the formation of hydrogen atoms. Highly active hydrogen atoms reacted with metals and produced hydrides of iron and nickel, FeH and NiH. While the metallic core and then the silicate mantle were growing and consolidating, the stability of FeH and NiH was maintained due to pressures that were steadily increasing. Later on, due to the impacts of external forces on the Earth, marginal layers at the mantle–core boundary were detached and displaced, pressures decreased in the system, and iron and nickel hydrides were decomposed to produce molecular hydrogen. Consequences of the hydrides transformation into

Experiments pertaining to the formation and equilibration of planetary cores

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Jeanloz, Raymond; Knittle, Elise; Williams, Quentin

1987-01-01

The phase diagram of FeO was experimentally determined to pressures of 155 GPa and temperatures of 4000 K using shock wave and diamond-cell techniques. Researchers discovered a metallic phase of FeO at pressures greater than 70 GPa and temperatures exceeding 1000 K. The metallization of FeO at high pressures implies that oxygen can be present as the light alloying element of the Earth's outer core, in accord with the geochemical predictions of Ringwood. The high pressures necessry for this metallization suggest that the core has acquired its composition well after the initial stages of the Earth's accretion. The core forming alloy can react chemically with oxides such as those forming the mantle. The core and mantle may never have reached complete chemical equilibrium, however. If this is the case, the core-mantle boundary is likely to be a zone of active chemical reactions.

Experiments pertaining to the formation and equilibration of planetary cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeanloz, R.; Knittle, E.; Williams, Q.

1987-01-01

The phase diagram of FeO was experimentally determined to pressures of 155 GPa and temperatures of 4000 K using shock wave and diamond-cell techniques. Researchers discovered a metallic phase of FeO at pressures greater than 70 GPa and temperatures exceeding 1000 K. The metallization of FeO at high pressures implies that oxygen can be present as the light alloying element of the Earth's outer core, in accord with the geochemical predictions of Ringwood. The high pressures necessry for this metallization suggest that the core has acquired its composition well after the initial stages of the Earth's accretion. The core forming alloy can react chemically with oxides such as those forming the mantle. The core and mantle may never have reached complete chemical equilibrium, however. If this is the case, the core-mantle boundary is likely to be a zone of active chemical reactions

Core rotational dynamics and geological events

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Greff-Lefftz; Legros

1999-11-26

A study of Earth's fluid core oscillations induced by lunar-solar tidal forces, together with tidal secular deceleration of Earth's axial rotation, shows that the rotational eigenfrequency of the fluid core and some solar tidal waves were in resonance around 3.0 x 10(9), 1.8 x 10(9), and 3 x 10(8) years ago. The associated viscomagnetic frictional power at the core boundaries may be converted into heat and would destabilize the D" thermal layer, leading to the generation of deep-mantle plumes, and would also increase the temperature at the fluid core boundaries, perturbing the core dynamo process. Such phenomena could account for large-scale episodes of continental crust formation, the generation of flood basalts, and abrupt changes in geomagnetic reversal frequency.

Obliquity histories of Earth and Mars: Influence of inertial and dissipative core-mantle coupling

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Bills, Bruce G.

1990-01-01

For both the Earth and Mars, secular variations in the angular separation of the spin axis from the orbit normal are suspected of driving major climatic changes. There is considerable interest in determining the amplitude and timing of these obliquity variations. If the orientation of the orbital plane were inertially fixed, and the planet were to act as a rigid body in it response to precessional torques, the spin axis would simply precess around the orbit at a fixed obliquity and at a uniform angular rate. The precession rate parameter depends on the principal moments of inertia and rotation rate of the perturbed body, and on the gravitational masses and semiminor axes of the perturbing bodies. For Mars, the precession rate is not well known, but probably lies in the interval 8 to 10 arcsec/year. Gravitational interactions between the planets lead to secular motions of the orbit planes. In the rigid body case, the spin axis still attempts to precess about the instantaneous orbit normal, but now the obliquity varies. The hydrostatic figure of a planet represents a compromise between gravitation, which attempts to attain spherical symmetry, and rotation, which prefers cylindrical symmetry. Due to their higher mean densities the cores of the Earth and Mars will be more nearly spherical than the outer layers of these planets. On short time scales it is appropriate to consider the core to be an inviscid fluid constrained to move with the ellipsoidal region bounded by the rigid mantle. The inertial coupling provided by this mechanism is effective whenever the ellipticicy of the container exceeds the ratio of precessional to rotational rates. If the mantle were actually rigid, this would be an extremely effective type of coupling. However, on sufficiently long time scales, the mantle will deform viscously and can accommodate the motions of the core fluid. A fundamentally different type of coupling is provided by electromagnetic or viscous torques. This type of coupling

The thermal evolution of Mercury's Fe-Si core

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Knibbe, Jurriën Sebastiaan; van Westrenen, Wim

2018-01-01

We have studied the thermal and magnetic field evolution of planet Mercury with a core of Fe-Si alloy to assess whether an Fe-Si core matches its present-day partially molten state, Mercury's magnetic field strength, and the observed ancient crustal magnetization. The main advantages of an Fe-Si core, opposed to a previously assumed Fe-S core, are that a Si-bearing core is consistent with the highly reduced nature of Mercury and that no compositional convection is generated upon core solidification, in agreement with magnetic field indications of a stable layer at the top of Mercury's core. This study also present the first implementation of a conductive temperature profile in the core where heat fluxes are sub-adiabatic in a global thermal evolution model. We show that heat migrates from the deep core to the outer part of the core as soon as heat fluxes at the outer core become sub-adiabatic. As a result, the deep core cools throughout Mercury's evolution independent of the temperature evolution at the core-mantle boundary, causing an early start of inner core solidification and magnetic field generation. The conductive layer at the outer core suppresses the rate of core growth after temperature differences between the deep and shallow core are relaxed, such that a magnetic field can be generated until the present. Also, the outer core and mantle operate at higher temperatures than previously thought, which prolongs mantle melting and mantle convection. The results indicate that S is not a necessary ingredient of Mercury's core, bringing bulk compositional models of Mercury more in line with reduced meteorite analogues.

Large-scale compositional heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle

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Ballmer, M.

2017-12-01

Seismic imaging of subducted Farallon and Tethys lithosphere in the lower mantle has been taken as evidence for whole-mantle convection, and efficient mantle mixing. However, cosmochemical constraints point to a lower-mantle composition that has a lower Mg/Si compared to upper-mantle pyrolite. Moreover, geochemical signatures of magmatic rocks indicate the long-term persistence of primordial reservoirs somewhere in the mantle. In this presentation, I establish geodynamic mechanisms for sustaining large-scale (primordial) heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle using numerical models. Mantle flow is controlled by rock density and viscosity. Variations in intrinsic rock density, such as due to heterogeneity in basalt or iron content, can induce layering or partial layering in the mantle. Layering can be sustained in the presence of persistent whole mantle convection due to active "unmixing" of heterogeneity in low-viscosity domains, e.g. in the transition zone or near the core-mantle boundary [1]. On the other hand, lateral variations in intrinsic rock viscosity, such as due to heterogeneity in Mg/Si, can strongly affect the mixing timescales of the mantle. In the extreme case, intrinsically strong rocks may remain unmixed through the age of the Earth, and persist as large-scale domains in the mid-mantle due to focusing of deformation along weak conveyor belts [2]. That large-scale lateral heterogeneity and/or layering can persist in the presence of whole-mantle convection can explain the stagnation of some slabs, as well as the deflection of some plumes, in the mid-mantle. These findings indeed motivate new seismic studies for rigorous testing of model predictions. [1] Ballmer, M. D., N. C. Schmerr, T. Nakagawa, and J. Ritsema (2015), Science Advances, doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500815. [2] Ballmer, M. D., C. Houser, J. W. Hernlund, R. Wentzcovitch, and K. Hirose (2017), Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2898.

Electromagnetic torques in the core and resonant excitation of decadal polar motion

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Mound, Jon E.

2005-02-01

Motion of the rotation axis of the Earth contains decadal variations with amplitudes on the order of 10 mas. The origin of these decadal polar motions is unknown. A class of rotational normal modes of the core-mantle system termed torsional oscillations are known to affect the length of day (LOD) at decadal periods and have also been suggested as a possible excitation source for the observed decadal polar motion. Torsional oscillations involve relative motion between the outer core and the surrounding solid bodies, producing electromagnetic torques at the inner-core boundary (ICB) and core-mantle boundary (CMB). It has been proposed that the ICB torque can explain the excitation of the approximately 30-yr-period polar motion termed the Markowitz wobble. This paper uses the results of a torsional oscillation model to calculate the torques generated at Markowitz and other decadal periods and finds, in contrast to previous results, that electromagnetic torques at the ICB can not explain the observed polar motion.

Constraining lowermost mantle structure with PcP/P amplitude ratios from large aperture arrays

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Ventosa, S.; Romanowicz, B. A.

2015-12-01

Observations of weak short-period teleseismic body waves help to resolve lowermost mantle structure at short wavelengths, which is essential for understanding mantle dynamics and the interactions between the mantle and core. Their limited amount and uneven distribution are however major obstacles to solve for volumetric structure of the D" region, topography of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and D" discontinuity, and the trade-offs among them. While PcP-P differential travel times provide important information, there are trade-offs between velocity structure and core-mantle boundary topography, which PcP/P amplitude ratios can help resolve, as long as lateral variations in attenuation and biases due to focusing are small or can be corrected for. Dense broadband seismic networks help to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the target phases and signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of other mantle phases when the slowness difference is large enough. To improve SIR and SNR of teleseismic PcP data, we have introduced the slant-stacklet transform to define coherent-guided filters able to separate and enhance signals according to their slowness, time of arrival and frequency content. We thus obtain optimal PcP/P amplitude ratios in the least-square sense using two short sliding windows to match the P signal with a candidate PcP signal. This method allows us to dramatically increase the amount of high-quality observations of short-period PcP/P amplitude ratios by allowing for smaller events and wider epicentral distance and depth ranges.We present the results of measurement of PcP/P amplitude ratios, sampling regions around the Pacific using dense arrays in North America and Japan. We observe that short-period P waves traveling through slabs are strongly affected by focusing, in agreement with the bias we have observed and corrected for due to mantle heterogeneities on PcP-P travel time differences. In Central America, this bias is by far the stronger anomaly we observe

The chemical composition of the cores of the terrestrial planets and the moon

Science.gov (United States)

Kuskov, O. L.; Khitarov, N. I.

1977-01-01

Using models of the quasi-chemical theory of solutions, the activity coefficients of silicon are calculated in the melts Fe-Si, Ni-Si, and Fe-Ni-Si. The calculated free energies of solution of liquid nickel and silicon in liquid iron in the interval 0 to 1400 kbar and 1500 to 4000 K, shows that Fe-Ni-Si alloy is stable under the conditions of the outer core of the earth and the cores of the terrestrial planets. The oxidation-reduction conditions are studied, and the fugacity of oxygen in the mantles of the planets and at the core-mantle boundary are calculated. The mechanism of reduction of silicon is analyzed over a broad interval of p and T. The interaction between the matter of the core and mantle is studied, resulting in the extraction of silicon from the mantle and its solution in the material of the core. It is concluded that silicon can enter into the composition of the outer core of the earth and Venus, but probably does not enter into the composition of the cores of Mercury, Mars, and the moon, if in fact the latter possesses one.

Free convective boundary layers in variable-viscosity fluids by the method of local nonsimilarity: application to plumes in the earth's mantle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quareni, F.; Yuen, D.A.; Eby, H.E.

1983-01-01

The effects due to departures from local similarity in steady-state boundary layers ascending through a fluid with strongly variable viscosity are examined with the local-nonsimilarity method. Both the absolute temperature and the hydrostatic pressure appear in the argument of an exponential in the viscosity function. The fluid-dynamical system studied here is that which characterizes plume structures in the Earth's mantle. By means of an iterative approach, two successive nonlinear boundary value problems are solved simultaneously and the errors incurred in the locally similar solutions are then assessed from a comparison between the first (locally similar) and the second level of a system of truncated equations. Three different sources of nonsimilarity have been considered: 1) localized radiogenic hearting within the plume, 2) ambient thermal stratification, 3) pressure dependence of mantle rheology. Of particular interest is an appraisal of the degree of accuracy of the locally similar solutions as a function of viscosity contrast within the boundary layer. For the range of viscosity contrast examined, up to 10 8 , the velocity and temperature fields between the first- and second-level solutions differ at most by 20 to 30%, for the rheological parameter values relevant to the Earth's mantle

Mantle superplumes induce geomagnetic superchrons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter eOlson

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We use polarity reversal systematics from numerical dynamos to quantify the hypothesis that the modulation of geomagnetic reversal frequency, including geomagnetic superchrons, results from changes in core heat flux related to growth and collapse of lower mantle superplumes. We parameterize the reversal frequency sensitivity from numerical dynamos in terms of average core heat flux normalized by the difference between the present-day core heat flux and the core heat flux at geomagnetic superchron onset. A low-order polynomial fit to the 0-300 Ma Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS reveals that a decrease in core heat flux relative to present-day of approximately 30% can account for the Cretaceous Normal Polarity and Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchrons, whereas the hyper-reversing periods in the Jurassic require a core heat flux equal to or higher than present-day. Possible links between GPTS transitions, large igneous provinces (LIPs, and the two lower mantle superplumes are explored. Lower mantle superplume growth and collapse induce GPTS transitions by increasing and decreasing core heat flux, respectively. Age clusters of major LIPs postdate transitions from hyper-reversing to superchron geodynamo states by 30-60 Myr, suggesting that superchron onset may be contemporaneous with LIP-forming instabilities produced during collapses of lower mantle superplumes.

High-pressure metallization of FeO and implications for the earth's core

Science.gov (United States)

Knittle, Elise; Jeanloz, Raymond

1986-01-01

The phase diagram of FeO has been experimentally determined to pressures of 155 GPa and temperatures of 4000 K using shock-wave and diamond-cell techniques. A metallic phase of FeO is observed at pressures greater than 70 GPa and temperatures exceeding 1000 K. The metallization of FeO at high pressures implies that oxygen can be present as the light alloying element of the earth's outer core, in accord with the geochemical predictions of Ringwood (1977 and 1979). The high pressures necessary for this metallization suggest that the core has acquired its composition well after the initial stages of the earth's accretion. Direct experimental observations at elevated pressures and temperatures indicate that core-forming alloy can react chemically with oxides such as those forming the mantle. The core and mantle may never have reached complete chemical equilibrium, however. If this is the case, the core-mantle boundary is likely to be a zone of active chemical reactions.

Preface: Deep Slab and Mantle Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Suetsugu, Daisuke; Bina, Craig R.; Inoue, Toru; Wiens, Douglas A.

2010-11-01

We are pleased to publish this special issue of the journal Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors entitled "Deep Slab and Mantle Dynamics". This issue is an outgrowth of the international symposium "Deep Slab and Mantle Dynamics", which was held on February 25-27, 2009, in Kyoto, Japan. This symposium was organized by the "Stagnant Slab Project" (SSP) research group to present the results of the 5-year project and to facilitate intensive discussion with well-known international researchers in related fields. The SSP and the symposium were supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (16075101) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government. In the symposium, key issues discussed by participants included: transportation of water into the deep mantle and its role in slab-related dynamics; observational and experimental constraints on deep slab properties and the slab environment; modeling of slab stagnation to constrain its mechanisms in comparison with observational and experimental data; observational, experimental and modeling constraints on the fate of stagnant slabs; eventual accumulation of stagnant slabs on the core-mantle boundary and its geodynamic implications. This special issue is a collection of papers presented in the symposium and other papers related to the subject of the symposium. The collected papers provide an overview of the wide range of multidisciplinary studies of mantle dynamics, particularly in the context of subduction, stagnation, and the fate of deep slabs.

The elastic constants of MgSiO3 perovskite at pressures and temperatures of the Earth's mantle.

Science.gov (United States)

Oganov, A R; Brodholt, J P; Price, G D

2001-06-21

The temperature anomalies in the Earth's mantle associated with thermal convection can be inferred from seismic tomography, provided that the elastic properties of mantle minerals are known as a function of temperature at mantle pressures. At present, however, such information is difficult to obtain directly through laboratory experiments. We have therefore taken advantage of recent advances in computer technology, and have performed finite-temperature ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the elastic properties of MgSiO3 perovskite, the major mineral of the lower mantle, at relevant thermodynamic conditions. When combined with the results from tomographic images of the mantle, our results indicate that the lower mantle is either significantly anelastic or compositionally heterogeneous on large scales. We found the temperature contrast between the coldest and hottest regions of the mantle, at a given depth, to be about 800 K at 1,000 km, 1,500 K at 2,000 km, and possibly over 2,000 K at the core-mantle boundary.

Three Types of Earth's Inner Core Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, D.; Wen, L.

2017-12-01

The Earth's inner core boundary (ICB) is the site where the liquid outer core solidifies and the solid inner core grows. Thus, the fine-scale structure of the ICB is important for our understanding of the thermo-compositional state of the Earth's core. In this study, we collect a large set of seismic records with high-quality pre-critical PKiKP and PcP phase pairs, recorded by two dense seismic arrays, Hi-net in Japan and USArray in US. This dataset samples the ICB regions beneath East Asia, Mexico and the Bering Sea. We use differential travel times, amplitude ratios and waveform differences between PKiKP and PcP phases to constrain fine-scale structure of the ICB. The sampled ICB can be grouped into three types based on their seismic characteristics: (1) a simple ICB with a flat and sharp boundary, (2) a bumpy ICB with topographic height changes of 10 km, and (3) a localized mushy ICB with laterally varying thicknesses of 4-8 km. The laterally varying fine-scale structure of the ICB indicates existence of complex small-scale forces at the surface and a laterally varying solidification process of the inner core due to lateral variation of thermo-compositional condition near the ICB.

Using robustness and preferred locations of archeomagnetic flux patches to constrain the physics of the core

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Terra-Nova, F.; Amit, H.; Hartmann, G. A.; Trindade, R. I. F.

2017-12-01

Archaeomagnetic field models cover longer timescales than historical models and may therefore resolve the motion of geomagnetic features on the core-mantle boundary (CMB) in a more meaningful statistical sense. Here we perform a detailed appraisal of archaeomagnetic field models to infer some aspects of the physics of the outer core. We characterize and compare the identification and tracking of reversed flux patches (RFPs) in order to assess the RFPs robustness. We find similar behaviour within a family of models but differences among different families, suggesting that modelling strategy is more influential than data set. Similarities involve recurrent positions of RFPs, but no preferred direction of motion is found. The tracking of normal flux patches shows similar qualitative behaviour confirming that RFPs identification and tracking is not strongly biased by their relative weakness. We also compare the tracking of RFPs with that of the historical field model gufm1 and with seismic anomalies of the lowermost mantle to explore the possibility that RFPs have preferred locations prescribed by lower mantle lateral heterogeneity. The archaeomagnetic field model that most resembles the historical field is interpreted in terms of core dynamics and core-mantle thermal interactions. This model exhibits correlation between RFPs and low seismic shear velocity in co-latitude and a shift in longitude. These results shed light on core processes, in particular we infer toroidal field lines with azimuthal orientation below the CMB and large fluid upwelling structures with a width of about 80° (Africa) and 110° (Pacific) at the top of the core. Finally, similar preferred locations of RFPs in the past 9 and 3 kyr of the same archaeomagnetic field model suggest that a 3 kyr period is sufficiently long to reliably detect mantle control on core dynamics. This allows estimating an upper bound of 220-310 km for the magnetic boundary layer thickness below the CMB.

A Mercury-like component of early Earth yields uranium in the core and high mantle (142)Nd.

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Wohlers, Anke; Wood, Bernard J

2015-04-16

Recent (142)Nd isotope data indicate that the silicate Earth (its crust plus the mantle) has a samarium to neodymium elemental ratio (Sm/Nd) that is greater than that of the supposed chondritic building blocks of the planet. This elevated Sm/Nd has been ascribed either to a 'hidden' reservoir in the Earth or to loss of an early-formed terrestrial crust by impact ablation. Since removal of crust by ablation would also remove the heat-producing elements--potassium, uranium and thorium--such removal would make it extremely difficult to balance terrestrial heat production with the observed heat flow. In the 'hidden' reservoir alternative, a complementary low-Sm/Nd layer is usually considered to reside unobserved in the silicate lower mantle. We have previously shown, however, that the core is a likely reservoir for some lithophile elements such as niobium. We therefore address the question of whether core formation could have fractionated Nd from Sm and also acted as a sink for heat-producing elements. We show here that addition of a reduced Mercury-like body (or, alternatively, an enstatite-chondrite-like body) rich in sulfur to the early Earth would generate a superchondritic Sm/Nd in the mantle and an (142)Nd/(144)Nd anomaly of approximately +14 parts per million relative to chondrite. In addition, the sulfur-rich core would partition uranium strongly and thorium slightly, supplying a substantial part of the 'missing' heat source for the geodynamo.

Inner Core Tilt and Polar Motion: Probing the Dynamics Deep Inside the Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Dumberry, M.; Bloxham, J.

2003-12-01

A tilted inner core permits exchange of angular momentum between the core and the mantle through gravitational and pressure torques and, as a result, changes in the direction of Earth's axis of rotation with respect to the mantle. Some of the observed variations in the direction of Earth's rotation could then be caused by equatorial torques on the inner core which tilt the latter out of its alignment with the mantle. In this work, we investigate whether such a scenario could explain the decade polar motion known as the Markowitz wobble. We show that a decade polar motion of the same amplitude as the observed Markowitz wobble requires a torque of 1020 N m which tilts the inner core by 0.07 degrees. This result critically depends on the viscosity of the inner core; for a viscosity less than 5 x 1017 Pa s, larger torques are required. A torque of 1020 N m with decadal periodicity can perhaps be produced by electromagnetic coupling between the inner core and a component of the flow in the outer core known as torsional oscillations, provided that the radial magnetic field at the inner core boundary is on the order of 3 to 4 mT and satisfies certain geometrical constraints. The resulting polar motion thus produced is eccentric and polarized, in agreement with the observations. Our model suggests that equatorial torques at the inner core boundary might also excite the Chandler wobble, provided shorter wavelength torsional oscillations with higher natural frequencies have enough power or provided there exists another physical mechanism that can generate a large torque at a 14 month period.

Complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherical self-gravitating Earth model with an atmosphere-ocean-mantle-core structure

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rongjiang; Heimann, Sebastian; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Hansheng; Dahm, Torsten

2017-09-01

A hybrid method is proposed to calculate complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherically symmetric and self-gravitating Earth with a multilayered structure of atmosphere, ocean, mantle, liquid core and solid core. For large wavelengths, a numerical scheme is used to solve the geodynamic boundary-value problem without any approximation on the deformation and gravity coupling. With decreasing wavelength, the gravity effect on the deformation becomes negligible and the analytical propagator scheme can be used. Many useful approaches are used to overcome the numerical problems that may arise in both analytical and numerical schemes. Some of these approaches have been established in the seismological community and the others are developed for the first time. Based on the stable and efficient hybrid algorithm, an all-in-one code QSSP is implemented to cover the complete spectrum of seismological interests. The performance of the code is demonstrated by various tests including the curvature effect on teleseismic body and surface waves, the appearance of multiple reflected, teleseismic core phases, the gravity effect on long period surface waves and free oscillations, the simulation of near-field displacement seismograms with the static offset, the coupling of tsunami and infrasound waves, and free oscillations of the solid Earth, the atmosphere and the ocean. QSSP is open source software that can be used as a stand-alone FORTRAN code or may be applied in combination with a Python toolbox to calculate and handle Green's function databases for efficient coding of source inversion problems.

Primordial Noble Gases from Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, K.; Lu, X.; Brodholt, J. P.

2016-12-01

Recent partitioning experiment suggests helium is more compatible in iron melt than in molten silicates at high pressures (> 10 GPa) (1), thus provide the possibility of the core as being the primordial noble gases warehouse that is responsible for the high primordial/radiogenic noble gas isotopic ratios observed in plume-related basalts. However, the possible transportation mechanism of the noble gases from the core to the overlying mantle is still ambiguous, understanding how this process would affect the noble gas isotopic characteristics of the mantle is critical to validate this core reservoir model. As diffusion is a dominant mass transport process that plays an important role in chemical exchange at the core-mantle boundary (CMB), we have determined the diffusion coefficients of helium, neon and argon in major lower mantle minerals, i.e. periclase (MgO), bridgemanite (MgSiO3-Pv) and post-perovskite (MgSiO3-PPv), by first-principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT). As expected, the diffusion rate of helium is the fastest at the CMB, which is in the range of 3 × 10-10 to 1 × 10-8 m2/s. The neon diffusion is slightly slower, from 5 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-9 m2/s. Argon diffuses slowest at the rate from 1 × 10-10 to 2 × 10-10 m2/s. We have further simulated the evolution of noble gas isotopic ratios in the mantle near the CMB. Considering its close relationship with the mantle plumes and very likely to be the direct source of "hot-spot" basalts, we took a close investigation on the large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs). Under reasonable assumptions based on our diffusion parameters, the modelling results indicate that LLSVP is capable of generating all the noble gas isotope signals, e.g., 3He/4He = 55 Ra, 3He/22Ne = 3.1, 3He/36Ar = 0.82, 40Ar/36Ar = 9500, that are in good agreement with the observed values in "hot-spot" basalts (2). Therefore, this core-reservior hypothesis is a self-consistent model that can fits in multiple noble gas

Tectonic predictions with mantle convection models

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Coltice, Nicolas; Shephard, Grace E.

2018-04-01

Over the past 15 yr, numerical models of convection in Earth's mantle have made a leap forward: they can now produce self-consistent plate-like behaviour at the surface together with deep mantle circulation. These digital tools provide a new window into the intimate connections between plate tectonics and mantle dynamics, and can therefore be used for tectonic predictions, in principle. This contribution explores this assumption. First, initial conditions at 30, 20, 10 and 0 Ma are generated by driving a convective flow with imposed plate velocities at the surface. We then compute instantaneous mantle flows in response to the guessed temperature fields without imposing any boundary conditions. Plate boundaries self-consistently emerge at correct locations with respect to reconstructions, except for small plates close to subduction zones. As already observed for other types of instantaneous flow calculations, the structure of the top boundary layer and upper-mantle slab is the dominant character that leads to accurate predictions of surface velocities. Perturbations of the rheological parameters have little impact on the resulting surface velocities. We then compute fully dynamic model evolution from 30 and 10 to 0 Ma, without imposing plate boundaries or plate velocities. Contrary to instantaneous calculations, errors in kinematic predictions are substantial, although the plate layout and kinematics in several areas remain consistent with the expectations for the Earth. For these calculations, varying the rheological parameters makes a difference for plate boundary evolution. Also, identified errors in initial conditions contribute to first-order kinematic errors. This experiment shows that the tectonic predictions of dynamic models over 10 My are highly sensitive to uncertainties of rheological parameters and initial temperature field in comparison to instantaneous flow calculations. Indeed, the initial conditions and the rheological parameters can be good enough

Atlas of the underworld: Slab remnants in the mantle, their sinking history, and a new outlook on lower mantle viscosity

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer, Douwe G.; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Spakman, Wim

2018-01-01

Across the entire mantle we interpret 94 positive seismic wave-speed anomalies as subducted lithosphere and associate these slabs with their geological record. We document this as the Atlas of the Underworld, also accessible online at www.atlas-of-the-underworld.org, a compilation comprising subduction systems active in the past 300 Myr. Deeper slabs are correlated to older geological records, assuming no relative horizontal motions between adjacent slabs following break-off, using knowledge of global plate circuits, but without assuming a mantle reference frame. The longest actively subducting slabs identified reach the depth of 2500 km and some slabs have impinged on Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces in the deepest mantle. Anomously fast sinking of some slabs occurs in regions affected by long-term plume rising. We conclude that slab remnants eventually sink from the upper mantle to the core-mantle boundary. The range in subduction-age versus - depth in the lower mantle is largely inherited from the upper mantle history of subduction. We find a significant depth variation in average sinking speed of slabs. At the top of the lower mantle average slab sinking speeds are between 10 and 40 mm/yr, followed by a deceleration to 10-15 mm/yr down to depths around 1600-1700 km. In this interval, in situ time-stationary sinking rates suggest deceleration from 20 to 30 mm/yr to 4-8 mm/yr, increasing to 12-15 mm/yr below 2000 km. This corroborates the existence of a slab deceleration zone but we do not observe long-term (> 60 My) slab stagnation, excluding long-term stagnation due to compositional effects. Conversion of slab sinking profiles to viscosity profiles shows the general trend that mantle viscosity increases in the slab deceleration zone below which viscosity slowly decreases in the deep mantle. This is at variance with most published viscosity profiles that are derived from different observations, but agrees qualitatively with recent viscosity profiles suggested

Stagnant lids and mantle overturns: Implications for Archaean tectonics, magmagenesis, crustal growth, mantle evolution, and the start of plate tectonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean H. Bédard

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The lower plate is the dominant agent in modern convergent margins characterized by active subduction, as negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere sinks into the asthenosphere under its own weight. This is a strong plate-driving force because the slab-pull force is transmitted through the stiff sub-oceanic lithospheric mantle. As geological and geochemical data seem inconsistent with the existence of modern-style ridges and arcs in the Archaean, a periodically-destabilized stagnant-lid crust system is proposed instead. Stagnant-lid intervals may correspond to periods of layered mantle convection where efficient cooling was restricted to the upper mantle, perturbing Earth's heat generation/loss balance, eventually triggering mantle overturns. Archaean basalts were derived from fertile mantle in overturn upwelling zones (OUZOs, which were larger and longer-lived than post-Archaean plumes. Early cratons/continents probably formed above OUZOs as large volumes of basalt and komatiite were delivered for protracted periods, allowing basal crustal cannibalism, garnetiferous crustal restite delamination, and coupled development of continental crust and sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Periodic mixing and rehomogenization during overturns retarded development of isotopically depleted MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt mantle. Only after the start of true subduction did sequestration of subducted slabs at the core-mantle boundary lead to the development of the depleted MORB mantle source. During Archaean mantle overturns, pre-existing continents located above OUZOs would be strongly reworked; whereas OUZO-distal continents would drift in response to mantle currents. The leading edge of drifting Archaean continents would be convergent margins characterized by terrane accretion, imbrication, subcretion and anatexis of unsubductable oceanic lithosphere. As Earth cooled and the background oceanic lithosphere became denser and stiffer, there would be an increasing

A volatile-rich Earth's core inferred from melting temperature of core materials

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Morard, G.; Andrault, D.; Antonangeli, D.; Nakajima, Y.; Auzende, A. L.; Boulard, E.; Clark, A. N.; Lord, O. T.; Cervera, S.; Siebert, J.; Garbarino, G.; Svitlyk, V.; Mezouar, M.

2016-12-01

Planetary cores are mainly constituted of iron and nickel, alloyed with lighter elements (Si, O, C, S or H). Understanding how these elements affect the physical and chemical properties of solid and liquid iron provides stringent constraints on the composition of the Earth's core. In particular, melting curves of iron alloys are key parameter to establish the temperature profile in the Earth's core, and to asses the potential occurrence of partial melting at the Core-Mantle Boundary. Core formation models based on metal-silicate equilibration suggest that Si and O are the major light element components1-4, while the abundance of other elements such as S, C and H is constrained by arguments based on their volatility during planetary accretion5,6. Each compositional model implies a specific thermal state for the core, due to the different effect that light elements have on the melting behaviour of Fe. We recently measured melting temperatures in Fe-C and Fe-O systems at high pressures, which complete the data sets available both for pure Fe7 and other binary alloys8. Compositional models with an O- and Si-rich outer core are suggested to be compatible with seismological constraints on density and sound velocity9. However, their crystallization temperatures of 3650-4050 K at the CMB pressure of 136 GPa are very close to, if not higher than the melting temperature of the silicate mantle and yet mantle melting above the CMB is not a ubiquitous feature. This observation requires significant amounts of volatile elements (S, C or H) in the outer core to further reduce the crystallisation temperature of the core alloy below that of the lower mantle. References 1. Wood, B. J., et al Nature 441, 825-833 (2006). 2. Siebert, J., et al Science 339, 1194-7 (2013). 3. Corgne, A., et al Earth Planet. Sc. Lett. 288, 108-114 (2009). 4. Fischer, R. a. et al. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 167, 177-194 (2015). 5. Dreibus, G. & Palme, H. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60, 1125-1130 (1995). 6. Mc

The Role of Body Crystallization in Asteroidal Cores

Science.gov (United States)

Wasson, J. T.

1993-07-01

Large fractionations (factors of 2000-6000) in Ir/Ni and other ratios demonstrate that the magmatic groups of iron meteorites formed by fractional crystallization, and thus that the residual liquid remained well stirred during core crystallization. Past models have relied on solidification at the base or the top of the core, but body crystallization offers an attractive alternative. The simplest of the earlier models involved convective maxing induced by the liberation of heat and light elements (especially S) during upward crystallization from the center of the core. Other models involving downward crystallization from the core-mantle interface are based on the fact that temperatures at this location are slightly lower than those at the center; no whole-core stirring mechanism is provided by these models. Haack and Scott recently published a variant of the downward crystallization model involving the growth of giant (kilometer-scale) dendrites. Because crystallization creates a boundary layer enriched in S that does not participate in the convection, these models require several K of supercooling to induce crystallization (this undercooling is much greater than the temperature difference between the center of the core and the core-mantle interface). Buoyant forces will occasionally remove droplets of the basal boundary fluid; thus it was thinner and its degree of undercooling less than in that at the ceiling of the magma chamber. Homogeneous nucleation of metals is difficult to achieve; generally 200-300 K of undercooling is required, much more than could possibly occur in an asteroidal core. Crystals could, however, nucleate in the magma body on chromite, probably the first liquidus phase (A. Kracher, personal communication, notes that this is required to explain why Cr behaved like a compatible element despite having a solid/liquid D crystallize. The rate of core crystallization is limited by the rate of heat transport across the core-mantle interface. If

Lithospheric strength in the active boundary between the Pacific Plate and Baja California microplate constrained from lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths

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Chatzaras, Vasileios; van der Werf, Thomas; Kriegsman, Leo M.; Kronenberg, Andreas; Tikoff, Basil; Drury, Martyn R.

2017-04-01

The lower crust is the most poorly understood of the lithospheric layers in terms of its rheology, particularly at active plate boundaries. We studied naturally deformed lower crustal xenoliths within an active plate boundary, in order to link their microstructures and rheological parameters to the well-defined active tectonic context. The Baja California shear zone (BCSZ), located at the western boundary of the Baja California microplate, comprises the active boundary accommodating the relative motion between the Pacific plate and Baja California microplate. The basalts of the Holocene San Quintin volcanic field carry lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths, which sample the Baja California microplate lithosphere in the vicinity of the BCSZ. The lower crustal xenoliths range from undeformed gabbros to granoblastic two-pyroxene granulites. Two-pyroxene geothermometry shows that the granulites equilibrated at temperatures of 690-920 oC. Phase equilibria (P-T pseudosections using Perple_X) indicate that symplectites with intergrown pyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine and spinel formed at 3.6-5.4 kbar, following decompression from pressures exceeding 6 kbar. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the water content of plagioclase varies among the analyzed xenoliths; plagioclase is relatively dry in two xenoliths while one xenolith contains hydrated plagioclase grains. Microstructural observations and analysis of the crystallographic texture provide evidence for deformation of plagioclase by a combination of dislocation creep and grain boundary sliding. To constrain the strength of the lower crust and upper mantle near the BCSZ we estimated the differential stress using plagioclase and olivine grain size paleopiezomtery, respectively. Differential stress estimates for plagioclase range from 10 to 32 MPa and for olivine are 30 MPa. Thus the active microplate boundary records elevated crustal temperatures, heterogeneous levels of hydration, and low strength in both the lower crust and

Overturn of magma ocean ilmenite cumulate layer: Implications for lunar magmatic evolution and formation of a lunar core

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, P. C.; Parmentier, E. M.

1993-01-01

We explore a model for the chemical evolution of the lunar interior that explains the origin and evolution of lunar magmatism and possibly the existence of a lunar core. A magma ocean formed during accretion differentiates into the anorthositic crust and chemically stratified cumulate mantle. The cumulative mantle is gravitationally unstable with dense ilmenite cumulate layers overlying olivine-orthopyroxene cumulates with Fe/Mg that decreases with depth. The dense ilmenite layer sinks to the center of the moon forming the core. The remainder of the gravitationally unstable cumulate pile also overturns. Any remaining primitive lunar mantle rises to its level of neutral buoyancy in the cumulate pile. Perhaps melting of primitive lunar mantle due to this decompression results in early lunar Mg-rich magmatism. Because of its high concentration of incompatible heat producing elements, the ilmenite core heats the overlying orthopyroxene-bearing cumulates. As a conductively thickening thermal boundary layer becomes unstable, the resulting mantle plumes rise, decompress, and partially melt to generate the mare basalts. This model explains both the timing and chemical characteristics of lunar magmatism.

Birch's Mantle

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Anderson, D. L.

2002-12-01

Francis Birch's 1952 paper started the sciences of mineral physics and physics of the Earth's interior. Birch stressed the importance of pressure, compressive strain and volume in mantle physics. Although this may seem to be an obvious lesson many modern paradoxes in the internal constitution of the Earth and mantle dynamics can be traced to a lack of appreciation for the role of compression. The effect of pressure on thermal properties such as expansivity can gravitational stratify the Earth irreversibly during accretion and can keep it chemically stratified. The widespread use of the Boussinesq approximation in mantle geodynamics is the antithesis of Birchian physics. Birch pointed out that eclogite was likely to be an important component of the upper mantle. Plate tectonic recycling and the bouyancy of oceanic crust at midmantle depths gives credence to this suggestion. Although peridotite dominates the upper mantle, variations in eclogite-content may be responsible for melting- or fertility-spots. Birch called attention to the Repetti Discontinuity near 900 km depth as an important geodynamic boundary. This may be the chemical interface between the upper and lower mantles. Recent work in geodynamics and seismology has confirmed the importance of this region of the mantle as a possible barrier. Birch regarded the transition region (TR ; 400 to 1000 km ) as the key to many problems in Earth sciences. The TR contains two major discontinuities ( near 410 and 650 km ) and their depths are a good mantle thermometer which is now being exploited to suggest that much of plate tectonics is confined to the upper mantle ( in Birch's terminology, the mantle above 1000 km depth ). The lower mantle is homogeneous and different from the upper mantle. Density and seismic velocity are very insensitive to temperature there, consistent with tomography. A final key to the operation of the mantle is Birch's suggestion that radioactivities were stripped out of the deeper parts of

Stability of iron-rich magnesiowüstite in Earth's lower mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Ohta, K.; Fujino, K.; Kuwayama, Y.; Kondo, T.; Shimizu, K.; Ohishi, Y.

2012-12-01

At ambient conditions, MgO periclase and FeO wüstite form a solid solution (Mg1-xFex)O, named ferropericlase (x ≤ 0.5) and magnesiowüstite (x > 0.5). (Mg1-xFex)O ferropericlase is considered to be a major component of Earth's lower mantle, and may play an important role for its structure and dynamics. Iron-rich magnesiowüstite also needs to be considered because of possible iron enrichment at the core-mantle boundary region [e.g., Nomura et al., 2011]. Recent laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments on FeO revealed that NaCl-type (B1) structured FeO underwent an insulator-metal transition at about 70 GPa and 1800 K without any structural transformation [Fischer et al., 2011; Ohta et al., 2012]. These results imply that the metallic B1 FeO would require a two-phase field for the MgO-FeO binary system due to different chemical bonding between insulating MgO and metallic FeO. We performed simultaneous electrical conductivity and x-ray diffraction measurements on (Mg0.20Fe0.80)O and (Mg0.05Fe0.95)O magnesiowüstite up to 140 GPa and 2100 K, and then examined recovered samples by using analytical transmission electron microprobe. We obtained some evidences for the dissociation of (Mg0.05Fe0.95)O into lighter and heavier phases than starting material occurring above 70 GPa and 1900 K, which is most likely due to the metallization of FeO component. On the other hand, we did not observe such dissociation and metallization in (Mg0.20Fe0.80)O. Observed dissociation in (Mg0.05Fe0.95)O might contribute to the heterogeneity in seismic wave and electrical conductivity at the Earth's core-mantle boundary region.

Seismic Evidence for Lower Mantle Plume Under the Yellowstone Hotspot

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Nelson, P.; Grand, S.

2017-12-01

The mantle plume hypothesis for the origin of intraplate volcanism has been controversial since its inception in the 1970s. The hypothesis proposes hot narrow upwelling of rock rooted at the core mantle boundary (CMB) rise through the mantle and interact with the base of the lithosphere forming linear volcanic systems such as Hawaii and Yellowstone. Recently, broad lower mantle (>500 km in diameter) slow velocity conduits, most likely thermochemical in origin, have been associated with some intraplate volcanic provinces (French and Romanowicz, 2015). However, the direct detection of a classical thin thermal plume in the lower mantle using travel time tomography has remained elusive (Anderson and Natland, 2014). Here we present a new shear wave tomography model for the mantle beneath the western United States that is optimized to find short wavelength, sub-vertical structures in the lower mantle. Our approach uses carefully measured SKS and SKKS travel times recorded by dense North American seismic networks in conjunction with finite frequency kernels to build on existing tomography models. We find the presence of a narrow ( 300 km diameter) well isolated cylindrically shaped slow anomaly in the lower most mantle which we associate with the Yellowstone Hotspot. The conduit has a 2% reduction in shear velocity and is rooted at the CMB near the California/Arizona/Nevada border. A cross sectional view through the anomaly shows that it is slightly tilted toward the north until about 1300 km depth where it appears to weaken and deflect toward the surficial positon of the hotspot. Given the anomaly's strength, proximity to the Yellowstone Hotspot, and morphology we argue that a thermal plume interpretation is the most reasonable. Our results provide strong support for a lower mantle plume origin of the Yellowstone hotspot and more importantly the existence of deep thermal plumes.

Small scatterers in the lower mantle observed at German broadband arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, C.; Weber, M.; Wicks, C.W.; Scherbaum, F.

1999-01-01

Seismograms of earthquakes from the South Pacific recorded at a German broadband array and network show precursors to PKPdf. These precursors mainly originate from off-path scattering of PKPab or a nearby PKPbc to P (for receiver-side scattering) or from scattering of P to PKPab or PKPbc on the PKPdf path (for source-side scattering). Standard array processing techniques based on plane wave approximations (such as vespagram or frequency-wavenumber analysis) are inadequate for investigating these precursors since scattered waves cannot be approximated as plane waves for arrays and networks larger than 300 x 300 km for short-period waves. We therefore develop a migration method to estimate the location of scatterers in the mantle, at the core-mantle boundary and at the top of the outer core. With our method we are able to find isolated scatterers at the source side and the receiver side, although the depth of the scatterer is not well constrained. However, from looking at the first possible arrival time of precursors at different depth and the region where scattering can take place (scattering volume), we believe that the location of the scatterers is in the lowermost mantle. Since we have detected scatterers in regions where ultralow-velocity zones have been discovered recently, we think that the precursor energy possibly originates from scattering at partial melt at the base of the mantle. Comparing results from broadband and band-pass-filtered data the detection of small-scale structure of the ultralow-velocity zones becomes possible. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Hydrogen storage in Earth's mantle and core

Science.gov (United States)

Prewitt, Charles T.

1994-01-01

Two different approaches to explaining how hydrogen might be stored in the mantle are illustrated by a number of papers published over the past 25-30 years, but there has been little attempt to provide objective comparisons of the two. One approach invokes the presence in the mantle of dense hydrous magnesium silicates (DHMS) stable at elevated pressures and temperatures. The other involves nominally anhydrous minerals (NAM) that contain hydrogen as a minor constituent on the ppm level. Experimental studies on DHMS indicate these phases may be stable to pressures and temperatures as high at 16 GPa and 1200 C. This temperature is lower than that indicated by a mantle geotherm at 16 GPa, but may be reasonable for a subducting slab. It is possible that other DHMS could be stable to even higher pressures, but little is known about maximum temperature limits. For NAM, small amounts of hydrogen (up to several hundred ppm) have been detected in olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and garnet recovered from xenoliths in kimberlites, eclogites, and alkali basalts; it has been demonstrated that synthetic wadsleyite and perovskite can accommodate significant amounts of hydrogen. A number of problems are associated with each possibility. For NAM originating in the mantle, one would like to assume that the hydrogen measured in samples recovered on Earth's surface was incorporated when the phase-crystallized at high temperatures and pressures, but it could have been introduced during transport to the surface. Major problems for the DHMS proponents are that none of these phases have been found as minerals and little is yet known about their stabilities in systems containing other cations such as Fe, Al, and Ca.

Reconciling laboratory and observational models of mantle rheology in geodynamic modelling

Science.gov (United States)

King, Scott D.

2016-10-01

Experimental and geophysical observations constraining mantle rheology are reviewed with an emphasis on their impact on mantle geodynamic modelling. For olivine, the most studied and best-constrained mantle mineral, the tradeoffs associated with the uncertainties in the activation energy, activation volume, grain-size and water content allow the construction of upper mantle rheology models ranging from nearly uniform with depth to linearly increasing from the base of the lithosphere to the top of the transition zone. Radial rheology models derived from geophysical observations allow for either a weak upper mantle or a weak transition zone. Experimental constraints show that wadsleyite and ringwoodite are stronger than olivine at the top of the transition zone; however the uncertainty in the concentration of water in the transition zone precludes ruling out a weak transition zone. Both observational and experimental constraints allow for strong or weak slabs and the most promising constraints on slab rheology may come from comparing inferred slab geometry from seismic tomography with systematic studies of slab morphology from dynamic models. Experimental constraints on perovskite and ferropericlase strength are consistent with general feature of rheology models derived from geophysical observations and suggest that the increase in viscosity through the top of the upper mantle could be due to the increase in the strength of ferropericlase from 20-65 GPa. The decrease in viscosity in the bottom half of the lower mantle could be the result of approaching the melting temperature of perovskite. Both lines of research are consistent with a high-viscosity lithosphere, a low viscosity either in the upper mantle or transition zone, and high viscosity in the lower mantle, increasing through the upper half of the lower mantle and decreasing in the bottom half of the lower mantle, with a low viscosity above the core. Significant regions of the mantle, including high

Lower Mantle S-wave Velocity Model under the Western United States

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, P.; Grand, S. P.

2016-12-01

Deep mantle plumes created by thermal instabilities at the core-mantle boundary has been an explanation for intraplate volcanism since the 1970's. Recently, broad slow velocity conduits in the lower mantle underneath some hotspots have been observed (French and Romanowicz, 2015), however the direct detection of a classical thin mantle plume using seismic tomography has remained elusive. Herein, we present a seismic tomography technique designed to image a deep mantle plume under the Yellowstone Hotspot located in the western United States utilizing SKS and SKKS waves in conjunction with finite frequency tomography. Synthetic resolution tests show the technique can resolve a 235 km diameter lower mantle plume with a 1.5% Gaussian velocity perturbation even if a realistic amount of random noise is added to the data. The Yellowstone Hotspot presents a unique opportunity to image a thin plume because it is the only hotspot with a purported deep origin that has a large enough aperture and density of seismometers to accurately sample the lower mantle at the length scales required to image a plume. Previous regional tomography studies largely based on S wave data have imaged a cylindrically shaped slow anomaly extending down to 900km under the hotspot, however they could not resolve it any deeper (Schmandt et al., 2010; Obrebski et al., 2010).To test if the anomaly extends deeper, we measured and inverted over 40,000 SKS and SKKS waves' travel times in two frequency bands recorded at 2400+ stations deployed during 2006-2012. Our preliminary model shows narrow slow velocity anomalies in the lower mantle with no fast anomalies. The slow anomalies are offset from the Yellowstone hotspot and may be diapirs rising from the base of the mantle.

Broad plumes rooted at the base of the Earth's mantle beneath major hotspots.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Scott W; Romanowicz, Barbara

2015-09-03

Plumes of hot upwelling rock rooted in the deep mantle have been proposed as a possible origin of hotspot volcanoes, but this idea is the subject of vigorous debate. On the basis of geodynamic computations, plumes of purely thermal origin should comprise thin tails, only several hundred kilometres wide, and be difficult to detect using standard seismic tomography techniques. Here we describe the use of a whole-mantle seismic imaging technique--combining accurate wavefield computations with information contained in whole seismic waveforms--that reveals the presence of broad (not thin), quasi-vertical conduits beneath many prominent hotspots. These conduits extend from the core-mantle boundary to about 1,000 kilometres below Earth's surface, where some are deflected horizontally, as though entrained into more vigorous upper-mantle circulation. At the base of the mantle, these conduits are rooted in patches of greatly reduced shear velocity that, in the case of Hawaii, Iceland and Samoa, correspond to the locations of known large ultralow-velocity zones. This correspondence clearly establishes a continuous connection between such zones and mantle plumes. We also show that the imaged conduits are robustly broader than classical thermal plume tails, suggesting that they are long-lived, and may have a thermochemical origin. Their vertical orientation suggests very sluggish background circulation below depths of 1,000 kilometres. Our results should provide constraints on studies of viscosity layering of Earth's mantle and guide further research into thermochemical convection.

Obliquity histories of Earth and Mars: Influence of inertial and dissipative core-mantle coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bills, B.G.

1990-01-01

For both the Earth and Mars, secular variations in the angular separation of the spin axis from the orbit normal are suspected of driving major climatic changes. There is considerable interest in determining the amplitude and timing of these obliquity variations. If the orientation of the orbital plane were inertially fixed, the spin axis would simply precess around the orbit at a fixed obliquity and at a uniform angular rate. The precession rate parameter depends on the principal moments of inertia and rotation rate of the perturbed body, and on the gravitational masses and semiminor axes of the perturbing bodies. For Mars, the precession rate is not well known, but probably lies in the interval 8 to 10 arcsec/year. In the rigid body case, the spin axis still attempts to precess about the instantaneous orbit normal, but now the obliquity varies. The hydrostatic figure of a planet represents a compromise between gravitation, which attempts to attain spherical symmetry, and rotation, which prefers cylindrical symmetry. Due to their higher mean densities the cores of the Earth and Mars will be more nearly spherical than the outer layers of these planets. On short time scales it is appropriate to consider the core to be an inviscid fluid. The inertial coupling provided by this mechanism is effective whenever the ellipticicy of the container exceeds the ratio of precessional to rotational rates. If the mantle were actually rigid, this would be an extremely effective type of coupling. However, on sufficiently long time scales, the mantle will deform viscously and can accommodate the motions of the core fluid. A fundamentally different type of coupling is provided by electromagnetic or viscous torques. This type of coupling is likely to be most important on longer time scales

Whole-mantle P-wave velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Y.; Zhao, D.

2009-12-01

There are some hotspot volcanoes on Earth, such as Hawaii and Iceland. The mantle plume hypothesis was proposed forty years ago to explain hotspot volcanoes (e.g., Wilson, 1963; Morgan, 1971). Seismic tomography is a powerful technique to detect mantle plumes and determine their detailed structures. We determined a new whole-mantle 3-D P-wave velocity model (Tohoku model) using a global tomography method (Zhao, 2004, 2009). A flexible-grid approach with a grid interval of ~200 km is adopted to conduct the tomographic inversion. Our model shows that low-velocity (low-V) anomalies with diameters of several hundreds of kilometers are visible from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) to the surface under the major hotspot regions. Under South Pacific where several hotspots including Tahiti exist, there is a huge low-V anomaly from the CMB to the surface. This feature is consistent with the previous models. We conducted extensive resolution tests in order to understand whether this low-V anomaly shows a single superplume or a plume cluster. Unfortunately this problem is still not resolved because the ray path coverage in the mantle under South Pacific is not good enough. A network of ocean bottom seismometers is necessary to solve this problem. To better understand the whole-mantle structure and dynamics, we also conducted P-wave tomographic inversions for the 3-D velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy. At each grid node there are three unknown parameters: one represents the isotropic velocity, the other two represent the azimuthal anisotropy. Our results show that in the shallow part of the mantle (Japan trench axis. In the Tonga subduction zone, the FVD is also perpendicular to the trench axis. Under the Tibetan region the FVD is NE-SW, which is parallel to the direction of the India-Asia collision. In the deeper part of the upper mantle and in the lower mantle, the amplitude of anisotropy is reduced. One interesting feature is that the FVD aligns in a radiated fashion

Seismological evidence for a localized mushy zone at the Earth?s inner core boundary

OpenAIRE

Tian, Dongdong; Wen, Lianxing

2017-01-01

Although existence of a mushy zone in the Earth?s inner core has been hypothesized several decades ago, no seismic evidence has ever been reported. Based on waveform modeling of seismic compressional waves that are reflected off the Earth?s inner core boundary, here we present seismic evidence for a localized 4?8?km thick zone across the inner core boundary beneath southwest Okhotsk Sea with seismic properties intermediate between those of the inner and outer core and of a mushy zone. Such a ...

Seismic Wave Velocity in Earth's Shallow Core

Science.gov (United States)

Alexandrakis, C.; Eaton, D. W.

2008-12-01

Studies of the outer core indicate that it is composed of liquid Fe and Ni alloyed with a ~10% fraction of light elements such as O, S or Si. Recently, unusual features, such as sediment accumulation, immiscible fluid layers or stagnant convection, have been predicted in the shallow core region. Secular cooling and compositional buoyancy drive vigorous convection that sustains the geodynamo, although critical details of light-element composition and thermal regime remain uncertain. Seismic velocity models can provide important constraints on the light element composition, however global reference models, such as Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM), IASP91 and AK135 vary significantly in the 200 km below the core-mantle boundary. Past studies of the outermost core velocity structure have been hampered by traveltime uncertainties due to lowermost mantle heterogeneities. The recently published Empirical Transfer Function (ETF) method has been shown to reduce the uncertainty using a waveform stacking approach to improve global observations of SmKS teleseismic waves. Here, we apply the ETF method to achieve a precise top-of-core velocity measurement of 8.05 ± 0.03 km/s. This new model accords well with PREM. Since PREM is based on the adiabatic form of the Adams-Williamson equation, it assumes a well mixed (i.e. homogeneous) composition. This result suggests a lack of heterogeneity in the outermost core due to layering or stagnant convection.

Models of the earth's core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, D.J.

1981-01-01

The combination of seismology, high pressure experiment and theory, geomagnetism, fluid dynamics, and current views of terrestrial planetary evolution lead to strong constraints on core models. The synthesis presented here is devoted to the defense of the following properties: (1) core formation was contemporaneous with earth accretion; (2) the outer, liquid core is predominately iron but cannot be purely iron; (3) the inner core-outer core boundary represents a thermodynamic equilibrium between a liquid alloys and a predominanately iron solid; (4) thermodynamic and transport properties of outer core can be estimated from liquid-state theories; and (5) the outer core is probably adiabatic and uniform in composition. None of these propositions are universally accepted by geophysicists. But, the intent of this paper is to present a coherent picture which explains most of the data with the fewest ad hoc assumptions. Areas in which future progress is both essential and likely are geo- and cosmochronology, seismological determinations of core structure, fluid dynamics of the core and mantle, and condensed matter physics

Motion of the Mantle in the Translational Modes of the Earth and Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Grinfeld, Pavel; Wisdom, Jack

2005-01-01

Slichter modes refer to the translational motion of the inner core with respect to the outer core and the mantle. The polar Slichter mode is the motion of the inner core along the axis of rotation. Busse presented an analysis of the polar mode which yielded an expression for its period. Busse's analysis included the assumption that the mantle was stationary. This approximation is valid for planets with small inner cores, such as the Earth whose inner core is about 1/60 of the total planet mass. On the other hand, many believe that Mercury's core may be enormous. If so, the motion of the mantle should be expected to produce a significant effect. We present a formal framework for including the motion of the mantle in the analysis of the translational motion of the inner core. We analyze the effect of the motion of the mantle on the Slichter modes for a non-rotating planet with an inner core of arbitrary size. We omit the effects of viscosity in the outer core, magnetic effects, and solid tides. Our approach is perturbative and is based on a linearization of Euler's equations for the motion of the fluid and Newton's second law for the motion of the inner core. We find an analytical expression for the period of the Slichter mode. Our result agrees with Busse's in the limiting case of small inner core. We present the unexpected result that even for Mercury the motion of the mantle does not significantly change the period of oscillation.

Mantle flow influence on subduction evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Chertova, Maria V.; Spakman, Wim; Steinberger, Bernhard

2018-05-01

The impact of remotely forced mantle flow on regional subduction evolution is largely unexplored. Here we investigate this by means of 3D thermo-mechanical numerical modeling using a regional modeling domain. We start with simplified models consisting of a 600 km (or 1400 km) wide subducting plate surrounded by other plates. Mantle inflow of ∼3 cm/yr is prescribed during 25 Myr of slab evolution on a subset of the domain boundaries while the other side boundaries are open. Our experiments show that the influence of imposed mantle flow on subduction evolution is the least for trench-perpendicular mantle inflow from either the back or front of the slab leading to 10-50 km changes in slab morphology and trench position while no strong slab dip changes were observed, as compared to a reference model with no imposed mantle inflow. In experiments with trench-oblique mantle inflow we notice larger effects of slab bending and slab translation of the order of 100-200 km. Lastly, we investigate how subduction in the western Mediterranean region is influenced by remotely excited mantle flow that is computed by back-advection of a temperature and density model scaled from a global seismic tomography model. After 35 Myr of subduction evolution we find 10-50 km changes in slab position and slab morphology and a slight change in overall slab tilt. Our study shows that remotely forced mantle flow leads to secondary effects on slab evolution as compared to slab buoyancy and plate motion. Still these secondary effects occur on scales, 10-50 km, typical for the large-scale deformation of the overlying crust and thus may still be of large importance for understanding geological evolution.

Influence of core flows on the decade variations of the polar motion

Science.gov (United States)

Hulot, G.; Le Huy, M.; Le Mouël, J.-L.

We address the possibility for the core flows that generate the geomagnetic field to contribute significantly to the decade variations of the mean pole position (generally called the Markowitz wobble). This assumption is made plausible by the observation that the flow at the surface of the core-estimated from the geomagnetic secular variation models-experiences important changes on this time scale. We discard the viscous and electromagnetic core-mantle couplings and consider only the pressure torque pf resulting from the fluid flow overpressure acting on the non-spherical core-mantle boundary (CMB) at the bottom of the mantle, and the gravity torque gf due to the density heterogeneity driving the core flow. We show that forces within the core balance each other on the time scale considered and, using global integrals over the core, the mantle and the whole Earth, we write Euler's equation for the mantle in terms of two more useful torques Pgeo and . The "geostrophic torque", γ Pgeo incorporates γpf and part of γgf, while γ is another fraction of γgf. We recall how the geostrophic pressure pgeo, and thus γPgeo for a given topography, can be derived from the flow at the CMB and compute the motion of the mean pole from 1900 to 1990, assuming in a first approach that the unknown γ can be neglected. The amplitude of the computed pole motion is three to ten times less than the observed one and out of the phase with it. In order to estimate the possible contribution of γ we then use a second approach and consider the case in which the reference state for the Earth is assumed to be the classical axisymmetric ellipsoidal figure with an almost constant ellipticity within the core. We show that (γPgeo + γ) is then equal to a pseudo-electromagnetic torque γL3, the torque exerted on the core by the component of the Lorentz force along the axis of rotation (this torque exists even though the mantle is assumed insulating). This proves that, at least in this case and

Earth's Outer Core Properties Estimated Using Bayesian Inversion of Normal Mode Eigenfrequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Irving, J. C. E.; Cottaar, S.; Lekic, V.

2016-12-01

The outer core is arguably Earth's most dynamic region, and consists of an iron-nickel liquid with an unknown combination of lighter alloying elements. Frequencies of Earth's normal modes provide the strongest constraints on the radial profiles of compressional wavespeed, VΦ, and density, ρ, in the outer core. Recent great earthquakes have yielded new normal mode measurements; however, mineral physics experiments and calculations are often compared to the Preliminary reference Earth model (PREM), which is 35 years old and does not provide uncertainties. Here we investigate the thermo-elastic properties of the outer core using Earth's free oscillations and a Bayesian framework. To estimate radial structure of the outer core and its uncertainties, we choose to exploit recent datasets of normal mode centre frequencies. Under the self-coupling approximation, centre frequencies are unaffected by lateral heterogeneities in the Earth, for example in the mantle. Normal modes are sensitive to both VΦ and ρ in the outer core, with each mode's specific sensitivity depending on its eigenfunctions. We include a priori bounds on outer core models that ensure compatibility with measurements of mass and moment of inertia. We use Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain techniques to explore different choices in parameterizing the outer core, each of which represents different a priori constraints. We test how results vary (1) assuming a smooth polynomial parametrization, (2) allowing for structure close to the outer core's boundaries, (3) assuming an Equation-of-State and adiabaticity and inverting directly for thermo-elastic parameters. In the second approach we recognize that the outer core may have distinct regions close to the core-mantle and inner core boundaries and investigate models which parameterize the well mixed outer core separately from these two layers. In the last approach we seek to map the uncertainties directly into thermo-elastic parameters including the bulk

Circulation of carbon dioxide in the mantle: multiscale modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Morra, G.; Yuen, D. A.; Lee, S.

2012-12-01

Much speculation has been put forward on the quantity and nature of carbon reservoirs in the deep Earth, because of its involvement in the evolution of life at the surface and inside planetary interiors. Carbon penetrates into the Earth's mantle mostly during subduction of oceanic crust, which contains carbonate deposits [1], however the form that it assumes at lower mantle depths is scarcely understood [2], hampering our ability to estimate the amount of carbon in the entire mantle by orders of magnitude. We present simulations of spontaneous degassing of supercritical CO2 using in-house developed novel implementations of the Fast-Multipole Boundary Element Method suitable for modeling two-phase flow (here mantle mineral and free CO2 fluid) through disordered materials such as porous rocks. Because the mutual interaction of droplets immersed either in a fluid or a solid matrix and their weakening effect to the host rock alters the strength of the mantle rocks, at the large scale the fluid phases in the mantle may control the creeping of mantle rocks [3]. In particular our study focuses on the percolation of supercritical CO2, estimated through the solution of the Laplace equation in a porous system, stochastically generated through a series of random Karhunen-Loeve decomposition. The model outcome is employed to extract the transmissivity of supercritical fluids in the mantle from the lowest scale up to the mantle scale and in combination with the creeping flow of the convecting mantle. The emerging scenarios on the global carbon cycle are finally discussed. [1] Boulard, E., et al., New host for carbon in the deep Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011. 108(13): p. 5184-5187. [2] Walter, M.J., et al., Deep Mantle Cycling of Oceanic Crust: Evidence from Diamonds and Their Mineral Inclusions. Science, 2011. 334(6052): p. 54-57. [3] Morra, G., et al., Ascent of Bubbles in Magma Conduits Using Boundary Elements and Particles. Procedia Computer

Constraining the composition and thermal state of the mantle beneath Europe from inversion of long-period electromagnetic sounding data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Amir; Connolly, J.A.D.; Olsen, Nils

2006-01-01

We reexamine the problem of inverting C responses, covering periods between 1 month and 1 year collected from 42 European observatories, to constrain the internal structure of the Earth. Earlier studies used the C responses, which connect the magnetic vertical component and the horizontal gradient...... of the horizontal components of electromagnetic variations, to obtain the conductivity profile of the Earth's mantle. Here, we go beyond this approach by inverting directly for chemical composition and thermal state of the Earth, rather than subsurface electrical conductivity structure. The primary inversion...... of geophysical data for compositional parameters, planetary composition, and thermal state is feasible. The inversion indicates most probable lower mantle geothermal gradients of similar to 0.58 K/km, core mantle boundary temperatures of similar to 2900 degrees C, bulk Earth molar Mg/Si ratios of similar to 1...

Dust evolution, a global view: III. Core/mantle grains, organic nano-globules, comets and surface chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Within the framework of The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model for Interstellar Solids (THEMIS), this work explores the surface processes and chemistry relating to core/mantle interstellar and cometary grain structures and their influence on the nature of these fascinating particles. It appears that a realistic consideration of the nature and chemical reactivity of interstellar grain surfaces could self-consistently and within a coherent framework explain: the anomalous oxygen depletion, the nature of the CO dark gas, the formation of ‘polar ice’ mantles, the red wing on the 3 μm water ice band, the basis for the O-rich chemistry observed in hot cores, the origin of organic nano-globules and the 3.2 μm ‘carbonyl’ absorption band observed in comet reflectance spectra. It is proposed that the reaction of gas phase species with carbonaceous a-C(:H) grain surfaces in the interstellar medium, in particular the incorporation of atomic oxygen into grain surfaces in epoxide functional groups, is the key to explaining these observations. Thus, the chemistry of cosmic dust is much more intimately related with that of the interstellar gas than has previously been considered. The current models for interstellar gas and dust chemistry will therefore most likely need to be fundamentally modified to include these new grain surface processes. PMID:28083090

Kinematics and dynamics of the East Pacific Rise linked to a stable, deep-mantle upwelling

Science.gov (United States)

Rowley, David B.; Forte, Alessandro M.; Rowan, Christopher J.; Glišović, Petar; Moucha, Robert; Grand, Stephen P.; Simmons, Nathan A.

2016-01-01

Earth’s tectonic plates are generally considered to be driven largely by negative buoyancy associated with subduction of oceanic lithosphere. In this context, mid-ocean ridges (MORs) are passive plate boundaries whose divergence accommodates flow driven by subduction of oceanic slabs at trenches. We show that over the past 80 million years (My), the East Pacific Rise (EPR), Earth’s dominant MOR, has been characterized by limited ridge-perpendicular migration and persistent, asymmetric ridge accretion that are anomalous relative to other MORs. We reconstruct the subduction-related buoyancy fluxes of plates on either side of the EPR. The general expectation is that greater slab pull should correlate with faster plate motion and faster spreading at the EPR. Moreover, asymmetry in slab pull on either side of the EPR should correlate with either ridge migration or enhanced plate velocity in the direction of greater slab pull. Based on our analysis, none of the expected correlations are evident. This implies that other forces significantly contribute to EPR behavior. We explain these observations using mantle flow calculations based on globally integrated buoyancy distributions that require core-mantle boundary heat flux of up to 20 TW. The time-dependent mantle flow predictions yield a long-lived deep-seated upwelling that has its highest radial velocity under the EPR and is inferred to control its observed kinematics. The mantle-wide upwelling beneath the EPR drives horizontal components of asthenospheric flows beneath the plates that are similarly asymmetric but faster than the overlying surface plates, thereby contributing to plate motions through viscous tractions in the Pacific region. PMID:28028535

Some anticipated contributions to core fluid dynamics from the GRM

Science.gov (United States)

Vanvorhies, C.

1985-01-01

It is broadly maintained that the secular variation (SV) of the large scale geomagnetic field contains information on the fluid dynamics of Earth's electrically conducting outer core. The electromagnetic theory appropriate to a simple Earth model has recently been combined with reduced geomagnetic data in order to extract some of this information and ascertain its significance. The simple Earth model consists of a rigid, electrically insulating mantle surrounding a spherical, inviscid, and perfectly conducting liquid outer core. This model was tested against seismology by using truncated spherical harmonic models of the observed geomagnetic field to locate Earth's core-mantle boundary, CMB. Further electromagnetic theory has been developed and applied to the problem of estimating the horizontal fluid motion just beneath CMB. Of particular geophysical interest are the hypotheses that these motions: (1) include appreciable surface divergence indicative of vertical motion at depth, and (2) are steady for time intervals of a decade or more. In addition to the extended testing of the basic Earth model, the proposed GRM provides a unique opportunity to test these dynamical hypotheses.

Searching for Hysteresis in Models of Mantle Convection with Grain-Damage

Science.gov (United States)

Lamichhane, R.; Foley, B. J.

2017-12-01

The mode of surface tectonics on terrestrial planets is determined by whether mantle convective forces are capable of forming weak zones of localized deformation in the lithosphere, which act as plate boundaries. If plate boundaries can form then a plate tectonic mode develops, and if not convection will be in the stagnant lid regime. Episodic subduction or sluggish lid convection are also possible in between the nominal plate tectonic and stagnant lid regimes. Plate boundary formation is largely a function of the state of the mantle, e.g. mantle temperature or surface temperature, and how these conditions influence both mantle convection and the mantle rheology's propensity for forming weak, localized plate boundaries. However, a planet's tectonic mode also influences whether plate boundaries can form, as the driving forces for plate boundary formation (e.g. stress and viscous dissipation) are different in a plate tectonic versus stagnant lid regime. As a result, tectonic mode can display hysteresis, where convection under otherwise identical conditions can reach different final states as a result of the initial regime of convection. Previous work has explored this effect in pseudoplastic models, finding that it is more difficult to initiate plate tectonics starting from a stagnant lid state than it is to sustain plate tectonics when already in a mobile lid regime, because convective stresses in the lithosphere are lower in a stagnant lid regime than in a plate tectonic regime. However, whether and to what extent such hysteresis is displayed when alternative rheological models for lithospheric shear localization are used is unknown. In particular, grainsize reduction is commonly hypothesized to be a primary cause of shear localization and plate boundary formation. We use new models of mantle convection with grain-size evolution to determine how the initial mode of surface tectonics influences the final convective regime reached when convection reaches statistical

Plate tectonics, mantle convection and D'' seismic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Lianxing

This thesis adopts multidisciplinary (geodynamical and seismological) approaches toward understanding dynamics of the Earth's mantle. My geodynamical approach is directed at understanding the relationship between large-scale surface observables (geoid, topography, plate motions) and mantle rheology and convection of the present-day Earth. In chapter 2, I remove shallow mantle structure of various tectonic features to generate "residual tomography." In chapter 3, I show that the pattern, spectrum and amplitude of the "residual topography" are consistent with shallow origin of the "Earth surface dynamic topography;" the long wavelength geoid and topography (l = 2-3) are successfully explained by density models inferred from the "residual tomography," assuming layered mantle convection stratified at the "920 km seismic discontinuity." In chapter 4, I develop a new method to calculate mantle flow with lateral variation of viscosity. The viscosity contrast between continental and oceanic regions is identified to have dominating effects on both the observed poloidal/toroidal ratio and pattern of toroidal motions at long wavelengths. My seismological approach is focused on exploring fine structures near the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and developing new seismic techniques. I discuss the method development and strategies to explore fine structures in the following chapters. In chapter 5, I develop a hybrid method, a combination of analytical and numerical methods, with numerical methods applied in heterogeneous regions only. In chapter 6, I constrain the general structures of the ultra low velocity zones (ULVZ) near the CMB under the south-east Pacific and Iceland. The SKS-SPdKS data are explained by ULVZ with P-velocity reduction of 10%, horizontal length-scales of about 250 km and height of about 40 km. S-velocity reduction of 30% is consistent with the data. In chapter 7, I constrain the detailed structures of the ULVZ near the CMB from observed broadband PKP precursors

Upper mantle dynamics of Bangladesh by splitting analysis of core-mantle refracted SKS, PKS, and SKKS phases

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Ashwani Kant; Bhushan, Kirti; Eken, Tuna; Singh, Arun

2018-06-01

New shear wave splitting measurements are obtained from the Bengal Basin using core-mantle refracted SKS, PKS, and SKKS phases. The splitting parameters, namely time delays (δ t) and fast polarization directions (ϕ), were estimated through analysis of 54 high-quality waveforms (⩾ 2.5 signal to noise ratio) from 30 earthquakes with magnitude ⩾ 5.5 recorded at ten seismic stations deployed over Bangladesh. No evidence of splitting was found, which indicates azimuthal isotropy beneath the region. These null measurements can be explained by either vertically dipping anisotropic fast axes or by the presence of multiple horizontal anisotropic layers with different fast polarization directions, where the combined effect results in a null characterization. The anisotropic fabric preserved from rifting episodes of Antarctica and India, subduction-related dynamics of the Indo-Burmese convergence zone, and northward movement of the Indian plate creating shear at the base of the lithosphere can explain the observed null measurements. The combined effect of all these most likely results in a strong vertical anisotropic heterogeneity, creating the observed null results.

Anisotropic structure of the Inner Core and its uncertainty from transdimensional body-wave tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Burdick, S.; Waszek, L.; Lekic, V.

2017-12-01

Studies of body waves and normal modes have revealed strong quasi-hemispheric variations in seismic velocity, anisotropy and attenuation in the inner core. A rigorous mapping of the hemispheric boundaries and smaller scale heterogeneity within the hemispheres is crucial for distinguishing between hypotheses about inner core formation and evolution. However, the relatively sparse and heterogeneous distribution of paths piercing the inner core creates difficulties in constraining the boundaries and sub-hemispheric variations with body wave tomography. Damped tomographic inversions tend to smooth out strong structural gradients and risk carrying the imprint of sparse path coverage, while under-parametrized models can miss pertinent small-scale variations. For these reasons, we apply a probabilistic and transdimensional (THB) tomography method on core-sensitive differential P-wave traveltimes. The THB approach is well-suited to the problem of inner core tomography since 1) it remains parsimonious by allowing the parametrization to be determined the requirements of the data and 2) it preserves sharp boundaries in seismic properties, allowing it to capture both short-wavelength structure and the strong hemispheric dichotomy. Furthermore, the approach yields estimates of uncertainty in isotropic and anisotropic velocity, hemispheric boundary geometry, anisotropy axis and the tradeoffs between these properties. We quantify the effects of mantle heterogeneity with inner core structure and place constraints on inner core dynamics and minerology.

The Importance of Mars Samples in Constraining the Geological and Geophysical Processes on Mars and the Nature of its Crust, Mantle, and Core

Science.gov (United States)

iMOST Team; Herd, C. D. K.; Ammannito, E.; Anand, M.; Debaille, V.; Hallis, L. J.; McCubbin, F. M.; Schmitz, N.; Usui, T.; Weiss, B. P.; Altieri, F.; Amelin, Y.; Beaty, D. W.; Benning, L. G.; Bishop, J. L.; Borg, L. E.; Boucher, D.; Brucato, J. R.; Busemann, H.; Campbell, K. A.; Carrier, B. L.; Czaja, A. D.; Des Marais, D. J.; Dixon, M.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Farmer, J. D.; Fernandez-Remolar, D. C.; Fogarty, J.; Glavin, D. P.; Goreva, Y. S.; Grady, M. M.; Harrington, A. D.; Hausrath, E. M.; Horgan, B.; Humayun, M.; Kleine, T.; Kleinhenz, J.; Mangold, N.; Mackelprang, R.; Mayhew, L. E.; McCoy, J. T.; McLennan, S. M.; McSween, H. Y.; Moser, D. E.; Moynier, F.; Mustard, J. F.; Niles, P. B.; Ori, G. G.; Raulin, F.; Rettberg, P.; Rucker, M. A.; Sefton-Nash, E.; Sephton, M. A.; Shaheen, R.; Shuster, D. L.; Siljestrom, S.; Smith, C. L.; Spry, J. A.; Steele, A.; Swindle, T. D.; ten Kate, I. L.; Tosca, N. J.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.; Wadhwa, M.; Werner, S. C.; Westall, F.; Wheeler, R. M.; Zipfel, J.; Zorzano, M. P.

2018-04-01

We present the main sample types from any potential Mars Sample Return landing site that would be required to constrain the geological and geophysical processes on Mars, including the origin and nature of its crust, mantle, and core.

Mantle contamination and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) 'high-tide mark': evidence for mantle extrusion caused by Tethyan closure

Science.gov (United States)

Flower, M. F. J.; Russo, R. M.; Tamaki, K.; Hoang, N.

2001-04-01

Western Pacific basins are characterized by three remarkable attributes: (1) complex kinematic histories linked to global-scale plate interactions; (2) DUPAL-like contaminated mantle; and (3) rapid post-Mesozoic rollback of the confining arc-trench systems. The coincidence of slab steepening, extreme arc curvature, and vigorous basin opening associated with the Mariana convergent margin suggests that rollback continues in response to an east-directed mantle 'wind'. Against a backdrop of conflicting kinematic and genetic interpretations we explore the notion that eastward asthenospheric flow driven by diachronous Tethyan closure caused stretching of eastern Eurasia and concomitant opening of western Pacific basins. Marking the eastern boundary of the latter, the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc may be regarded as a litho-tectonic 'high-tide mark' comprising igneous and metamorphic products from successive episodes (since ca. 45 Ma.) of arc sundering and backarc basin opening. The forearc also forms an isotopic boundary separating contaminated western Pacific mantle from the N-MORB Pacific Ocean reservoir. While the isotopic composition of western Pacific mantle resembles that feeding Indian Ocean hotspot and spreading systems, its spatial-temporal variation and the presence of subduction barriers to the south appear to preclude northward flow of Indian Ocean mantle and require an endogenous origin for sub-Eurasian contaminated mantle. It is concluded that the extrusion of Tethyan asthenosphere, contaminated by sub-Asian cratonic lithosphere, was a major cause of western Pacific arc rollback and basin opening. The model is consistent with paleomagnetic and geologic evidence supporting independent kinematic histories for constituent parts of the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates although interpretation of these is speculative. Compounded by effects of the Australia-Indonesia collision, late-Tethyan mantle extrusion appears to have produced the largest DUPAL domain in the

Combined core/boundary layer plasma transport simulations in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prinja, A.K.; Schafer, R.F. Jr.; Conn, R.W.; Howe, H.C.

1987-01-01

Significant new numerical results are presented from self-consistent core and boundary or scrape-off layer plasma simulations with 3-D neutral transport calculations. For a symmetric belt limiter it is shown that, for plasma conditions considered here, the pump limiter collection efficiency increases from 11% to 18% of the core efflux as a result of local reionization of blade deflected neutrals. This hitherto unobserved effect causes a significant amplification of upstream ion flux entering the pump limiter. Results from coupling of an earlier developed two-zone edge plasma model ODESSA to the PROCTR core plasma simulation code indicates that intense recycling divertor operation may not be possible because of stagnation of upstream flow velocity. This results in a self-consistent reduction of density gradient in an intermediate region between the central plasma and separatrix, and a concomitant reduction of core-efflux. There is also evidence of increased recycling at the first wall. (orig.)

The Thermal Conductivity of Earth's Core: A Key Geophysical Parameter's Constraints and Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Q.

2018-05-01

The thermal conductivity of iron alloys at high pressures and temperatures is a critical parameter in governing ( a) the present-day heat flow out of Earth's core, ( b) the inferred age of Earth's inner core, and ( c) the thermal evolution of Earth's core and lowermost mantle. It is, however, one of the least well-constrained important geophysical parameters, with current estimates for end-member iron under core-mantle boundary conditions varying by about a factor of 6. Here, the current state of calculations, measurements, and inferences that constrain thermal conductivity at core conditions are reviewed. The applicability of the Wiedemann-Franz law, commonly used to convert electrical resistivity data to thermal conductivity data, is probed: Here, whether the constant of proportionality, the Lorenz number, is constant at extreme conditions is of vital importance. Electron-electron inelastic scattering and increases in Fermi-liquid-like behavior may cause uncertainties in thermal conductivities derived from both first-principles-associated calculations and electrical conductivity measurements. Additional uncertainties include the role of alloying constituents and local magnetic moments of iron in modulating the thermal conductivity. Thus, uncertainties in thermal conductivity remain pervasive, and hence a broad range of core heat flows and inner core ages appear to remain plausible.

Mantle temperature under drifting deformable continents during the supercontinent cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Masaki

2013-04-01

The thermal heterogeneity of the Earth's mantle under the drifting continents during a supercontinent cycle is a controversial issue in earth science. Here, a series of numerical simulations of mantle convection are performed in 3D spherical-shell geometry, incorporating drifting deformable continents and self-consistent plate tectonics, to evaluate the subcontinental mantle temperature during a supercontinent cycle. Results show that the laterally averaged temperature anomaly of the subcontinental mantle remains within several tens of degrees (±50 °C) throughout the simulation time. Even after the formation of the supercontinent and the development of subcontinental plumes due to the subduction of the oceanic plates, the laterally averaged temperature anomaly of the deep mantle under the continent is within +10 °C. This implies that there is no substantial temperature difference between the subcontinental and suboceanic mantles during a supercontinent cycle. The temperature anomaly immediately beneath the supercontinent is generally positive owing to the thermal insulation effect and the active upwelling plumes from the core-mantle boundary. In the present simulation, the formation of a supercontinent causes the laterally averaged subcontinental temperature to increase by a maximum of 50 °C, which would produce sufficient tensional force to break up the supercontinent. The periodic assembly and dispersal of continental fragments, referred to as the supercontinent cycle, bear close relation to the evolution of mantle convection and plate tectonics. Supercontinent formation involves complex processes of introversion, extroversion or a combination of these in uniting dispersed continental fragments, as against the simple opening and closing of individual oceans envisaged in Wilson cycle. In the present study, I evaluate supercontinent processes in a realistic mantle convection regime. Results show that the assembly of supercontinents is accompanied by a

Survival of the primitive mantle reservoir?

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, S.; Jacobsen, S. B.; Mukhopadhyay, S.

2010-12-01

The high-3He lavas are thought to originate from a deep primitive mantle source that has not been much modified since the formation of Earth’s core. Comparison of 4He/3He in MORBs and plume lavas indicate that the plume sources must be a lower mantle feature, in agreement with most geophysical inferences. However, the lithophile element isotope systems of plume lavas are not primitive. The idea that the high-3He source is significantly less processed and more primitive than MORB source is clearly supported by mixing trends in plots of 4He/3He versus Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios, which have been extrapolated to an inferred 4He/3He of ~17,000 (~43x the atmospheric ratio), a mantle reservoir named PHEM (Primitive HElium Mantle). Slightly lower 4He/3He, ~15,000, were reported for Baffin Island picrites. Recently, Jackson et al. (2010) claimed that some Baffin Island and Greenland picrites with single-stage Pb model ages of ~4.5 Ga have low 4He/3He, and argued that “their source is the most ancient accessible reservoir in the Earth’s mantle, and it may be parental to all mantle reservoirs”. However, the available data are insufficient to make such a claim, and we suggest an alternative interpretation. Specially: 1. Four out of ten Baffin Island and Greenland picrites used by Jackson et al. (2010) have 4He/3He higher than average MORB value and all are far removed from the lowest measured value of 15,000. 2. Five Greenland picrites which cluster around the 4.50 Gyr geochron (Jackson et al., 2010) form a curved 207Pb*/206Pb*-4He/3He trend. This trend is best explained as a mixing line, implying that the single-stage Pb ages of these lavas are meaningless. 3. In a 207Pb*/206Pb*-4He/3He plot, Koolau lavas from Hawaii overlap with Baffin Island and Greenland picrites. If Baffin Island and Greenland picrites represent melts from the primitive mantle based on their Pb and He isotopes (Jackson et al., 2010), a similar argument can be applied to Koolau lavas. However, it

Tradeoffs in Chemical and Thermal Variations in the Post-perovskite Phase Transition: Mixed Phase Regions in the Deep Lower Mantle?

Science.gov (United States)

Giles, G. F.; Spera, F. J.; Yuen, D. A.

2005-12-01

The recent discovery of a phase-transition in Mg-rich perovskite (Pv) to a post-perovskite (pPv) phase at lower mantle depths and its relationship to D", lower mantle heterogeneity and iron content prompted an investigation of the relative importance of lower mantle (LM) compositional and temperature fluctuations in creating topographic undulations on mixed phase regions. Above the transition, Mg-rich Pv makes up ~70 percent by mass of the LM. Using results from experimental phase equilibria, first-principles computations and thermodynamic relations for Fe2+-Mg mixing in silicates, a preliminary thermodynamic model for the perovskite to post-perovskite phase transition in the divariant system MgSiO3-FeSiO3 is developed. Complexities associated with components Fe2O3 and Al2O3 and other phases (Ca-Pv, magnesiowustite) are neglected. The model predicts phase transition pressures are sensitive to the FeSiO3 content of perovskite (~-1.5 GPa per one mole percent FeSiO3). This leads to considerable topography along the top boundary of the mixed phase region. The Clapeyron slope for the Pv to pPv transition at XFeSiO3=0.1 is +11 MPa/K about 20% higher than for pure Mg-Pv. Increasing bulk concentration of iron elevates the mixed (two-phase) layer above the core-mantle boundary (CMB); increasing temperature acts to push the mixed layer deeper into the LM into the D" thermal boundary layer resting upon the (CMB). For various LM geotherms and CMB temperatures, a single mixed layer of thickness ~300 km lies within the bottom 40% of the lower mantle. For low iron contents (XFeSiO3 ~5 mole percent or less), two perched layers are found. This is the divariant analog to the univariant double-crosser. The hotter the mantle, the deeper the mixed phase layer; the more iron-rich the LM, the higher the mixed phase layer. In a hotter Hadean Earth with interior temperatures everywhere 200-500 K warmer pPv is not stable unless the LM bulk composition is Fe-enriched compared to the present

Temperature Profile of the Upper Mantle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, O.L.

1980-01-01

Following the procedure outlined by Magnitsky [1971], thermal profiles of the upper mantle are computed by deriving the thermal gradient from the seismic data given as dv/sub s//drho used along with the values of (dv/sub s//dT9/sub p/ and (dv/sub s//dP)/sub T/ of selected minerals, measured at high temperature. The resulting values of dT/dZ are integrated from 380 km upward toward the surface, where the integrating constant is taken from Akagi and Akimoto's work, T=1400 0 C at 380 km. The resulting geotherms for minerals are used to derive geotherms for an eclogite mantle and a lherzolite mantle, with and without partial melting in the low-velocity zone. The geotherms are all subadiabatic, and some are virtually isothermal in the upper mantle. Some are characterized by a large thermal hump at the lithosphere boundary

Bridging the mantle: A comparison of geomagnetic polarity reversal rate, global subduction flux, and true polar wander records

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Biggin, A. J.; Hounslow, M.; Domeier, M.

2017-12-01

The long-term variability in average geomagnetic reversal frequency over the Phanerozoic, consisting of superchrons interspersed with periods of hyper-reversal activity, remains one of the most prominent and enigmatic features evident within palaeomagnetic records. This variability is widely expected to reflect mantle convection modifying the pattern and/or magnitude of core-mantle boundary heat flow, and thereby affecting the geodynamo's operation, but actual causal links to surface geological processes remain tenuous. Previous studies have argued that mantle plumes, superplume oscillation, true polar wander, and avalanching of cold slabs into the lower mantle could all be at least partly responsible. Here we will present a re-evaluated reversal frequency record for the Phanerozoic and use it, together with published findings from numerical geodynamo simulations, to push further towards an integrated explanation of how the geomagnetic field has responded to mantle processes over the last few hundreds of million years. Recent work on absolute plate motions back through the Phanerozoic have allowed estimations to be made as to both the global subduction flux and rates of true polar wander through time. When considered alongside the outputs of numerical simulations of the geodynamo process, these can potentially explain long-timescale palaeomagnetic variations over the last few hundreds of million years.

Rheological structure of a lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary zone, decoded from EBSD analysis of mantle xenoliths from Ichinomegata, NE Japan

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Sato, Y.; Ozawa, K.

2017-12-01

Mantle xenoliths are fragments of mantle materials entrapped in alkali basalts or kimberlites and transported to the surface (Nixon, 1987). They provide information on rheological, thermal, chemical, petrological structures of the upper mantle (e.g. Green et al., 2010; McKenzie and Bickle, 1988; O'Reilly and Griffin, 1996). They potentially represent materials from a boundary zone of lithosphere and asthenosphere (LABZ), where the heat transportation mechanism changes from convection to conduction (Sleep, 2005, 2006). However, difficulties in geobarometry for spinel peridotite (e.g. O'Reilly et al., 1997) have hampered our understanding of shallow LABZ. Ichinomegata located in the back-arc side of NE Japan is a latest Pleistocene andesitic-dacitic volcano yielding spinel peridotite xenoliths (Katsui et al., 1979). Through our works (Sato and Ozawa, 2016, 2017a, 2017b), we have overcome difficulties in geobarometry of spinel peridotites and gained accurate thermal structure (0.74-1.60 GPa, 832-1084 °C) from eight of the nine examined xenoliths. The rheological and chemical features suggest drastic changes: undeformed (granular), depleted, subsolidus mantle representing lithospheric mantle (ca. 28-35 km) and deformed (porphyroclastic), fertile, hydrous supersolidus mantle representing rheological LABZ (ca. 35-54 km). We investigate depth dependent variation of crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of constituent minerals of the xenoliths by electron back-scattered diffraction analysis (using JSM-7000F with a CCD detector and the CHANNEL5 software at the University of Tokyo). A shallower (ca. 32 km) sample with tabulargranular texture and coarse olivine size (0.92 mm) has A-type olivine CPO with [100] maximum as reported by Satsukawa and Michibayashi (2014) (hereafter SM14), whereas a deep (ca. 51 km) sample with porphyroclastic texture and finer olivine size (0.46 mm) has CPO with weaker fabric intensity characterized by a [100] girdle similar to AG-type and

Water in Earth's mantle: Hydrogen analysis of mantle olivine, pyroxenes and garnet using the SIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Kurosawa, Masanori; Yurimoto, Hisayoshi; Sueno, Shigeho

1993-01-01

Hydrogen (or water) in the Earth's interior plays a key role in the evolution and dynamics of the planet. However, the abundance and the existence form of the hydrogen have scarcely been clear in practice. Hydrogen in the mantle was incorporated in the interior during the formation of the Earth. The incorporated hydrogen was hardly possible to concentrate locally inside the Earth considering its high mobility and high reactivity. The hydrogen, preferably, could be distributed homogeneously over the mantle and the core by the subsequent physical and chemical processes. Therefore, hydrogen in the mantle could be present in the form of trace hydrogen in nominally anhydrous mantle minerals. The hydrogen and the other trace elements in mantle olivines, orthopyroxenes, clinopyroxenes, and garnets were determined using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for elucidating (1) the exact hydrogen contents, (2) the correlation between the hydrogen and the other trace elements, (3) the dependence of the hydrogen contents on the depth, and (4) the dependence of the whole rock water contents on the depth.

The effect of ilmenite viscosity on the dynamics and evolution of an overturned lunar cumulate mantle

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Zhang, Nan; Dygert, Nick; Liang, Yan; Parmentier, E. M.

2017-07-01

Lunar cumulate mantle overturn and the subsequent upwelling of overturned mantle cumulates provide a potential framework for understanding the first-order thermochemical evolution of the Moon. Upwelling of ilmenite-bearing cumulates (IBCs) after the overturn has a dominant influence on the dynamics and long-term thermal evolution of the lunar mantle. An important parameter determining the stability and convective behavior of the IBC is its viscosity, which was recently constrained through rock deformation experiments. To examine the effect of IBC viscosity on the upwelling of overturned lunar cumulate mantle, here we conduct three-dimensional mantle convection models with an evolving core superposed by an IBC-rich layer, which resulted from mantle overturn after magma ocean solidification. Our modeling shows that a reduction of mantle viscosity by 1 order of magnitude, due to the presence of ilmenite, can dramatically change convective planform and long-term lunar mantle evolution. Our model results suggest a relatively stable partially molten IBC layer that has surrounded the lunar core to the present day.Plain Language SummaryThe Moon's mantle is locally ilmenite rich. Previous models exploring the convective evolution of the lunar mantle did not consider the effects of ilmenite viscosity. Recent rock deformation experiments demonstrate that Fe-Ti oxide (ilmenite) is a low viscosity phase compared to olivine and other silicate minerals. Our modeling shows that ilmenite changes the lunar mantle plume process. An ilmenite-rich layer around the lunar core would be highly stable throughout geologic time, consistent with a partially molten, low viscosity layer around the core inferred from seismic attenuation and tidal dissipation.

Precise seismic-wave velocity atop Earth's core: No evidence for outer-core stratification

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Alexandrakis, Catherine; Eaton, David W.

2010-05-01

Earth's outer core is composed of liquid Fe and Ni alloyed with a ˜10% fraction of light elements such as O, S, or Si. Secular cooling and compositional buoyancy drive vigorous convection that sustains the geodynamo, but critical details of light-element composition and thermal regime remain uncertain. Seismic velocities can provide important observational constraints on these parameters, but global reference models such as Preliminary Reference Earth Model ( PREM), IASP91 and AK135 exhibit significant discrepancies in the outermost ˜200 km of the core. Here, we apply an Empirical Transfer Function method to obtain precise arrival times for SmKS waves, a whispering-gallery mode that propagates near the underside of the core-mantle boundary. Models that fit our data are all characterized by seismic velocities and depth gradients in the outermost 200 km of the core that correspond best with PREM. This similarity to PREM, which has a smooth velocity profile that satisfies the adiabatic Adams and Williamson equation, argues against the presence of an anomalous layer of light material near the top of the core as suggested in some previous studies. A new model, AE09, is proposed as a slight modification to PREM for use as a reference model of the outermost core.

Constraints on small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle from observations of near podal PcP precursors

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Zhang, Baolong; Ni, Sidao; Sun, Daoyuan; Shen, Zhichao; Jackson, Jennifer M.; Wu, Wenbo

2018-05-01

Volumetric heterogeneities on large (∼>1000 km) and intermediate scales (∼>100 km) in the lowermost mantle have been established with seismological approaches. However, there are controversies regarding the level of heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle at small scales (a few kilometers to tens of kilometers), with lower bound estimates ranging from 0.1% to a few percent. We take advantage of the small amplitude PcP waves at near podal distances (0-12°) to constrain the level of small-scale heterogeneity within 250 km above the CMB. First, we compute short period synthetic seismograms with a finite difference code for a series of volumetric heterogeneity models in the lowermost mantle, and find that PcP is not identifiable if the small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is above 2.5%. We then use a functional form appropriate for coda decay to suppress P coda contamination. By comparing the corrected envelope of PcP and its precursors with synthetic seismograms, we find that perturbations of small-scale (∼8 km) heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is ∼0.2-0.5% beneath regions of the China-Myanmar border area, Okhotsk Sea and South America. Whereas strong perturbations (∼1.0%) are found beneath Central America. In the regions studied, we find that this particular type of small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is weak, yet there are some regions requiring heterogeneity up to 1.0%. Where scattering is stronger, such as under Central America, more chemically complex mineral assemblages may be present at the core-mantle boundary.

Structure of a mushy layer at the inner core boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Deguen, R.; Huguet, L.; Bergman, M. I.; Labrosse, S.; Alboussiere, T.

2015-12-01

We present experimental results on the solidification of ammonium chloride from an aqueous solution, yielding a mushy zone, under hyper-gravity. A commercial centrifuge has been equipped with a slip-ring so that electric power, temperature and ultrasonic signals could be transmitted between the experimental setup and the laboratory. A Peltier element provides cooling at the bottom of the cell. Probes monitor the temperature along the height of the cell. Ultrasound measurements (2 to 6 MHz) is used to detect the position of the front of the mushy zone and to determine attenuation in the mush. A significant increase of solid fraction (or decrease of mushy layer thickness) and attenuation in the mush is observed as gravity is increased. Kinetic undercooling is significant in our experiments and has been included in a macroscopic mush model. The other ingredients of the model are conservation of energy and chemical species, along with heat/species transfer between the mush and the liquid phase: boundary-layer exchanges at the top of the mush and bulk convection within the mush (formation of chimneys). The outputs of the model compare well with our experiments. We have then run the model in a range of parameters suitable for the Earth's inner core, which has shown the role of bulk mush convection for the inner core and the reason why a solid fraction very close to unity should be expected. We have also run melting experiments: after crystallization of a mush, the liquid has been heated from above until the mush started to melt, while the bottom cold temperature was maintained. These melting experiments were motivated by the possible local melting at the inner core boundary that has been invoked to explain the formation of the anomalously slow F-layer at the bottom of the outer core or inner core hemispherical asymmetry. Oddly, the consequences of melting are an increase in solid fraction and a decrease in attenuation. It is hence possible that surface seismic velocity

The Density Jump at the Inner Core Boundary in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Science.gov (United States)

Krasnoshchekov, D. N.; Ovtchinnikov, V. M.

2018-02-01

The results of analysis of more than 1300 new PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratios measured in Southeast Asia and South America at the epicentral distances of 3.2°-35.2° are presented. The density jump in the Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth's inner core (IC) is 0.3 g/cm3, and it is 0.9 g/cm3 in the Western one. Taking the large discrepancy in the obtained estimates into consideration, maintenance of such large lateral variations in the mosaic properties of the IC reflecting surface requires considerable variations in the thermodynamic parameters (mostly temperature) of the inner-outer core transition. However, if the observed asymmetry in the density jump distribution is of a global character, the data presented support the translation model of the IC dynamics. This model implies IC crystallization in the Western Hemisphere and melting in the Eastern one, not vice versa, as suggested by another geodynamic model based on thermochemical convection in the outer core and the thermal balance of the core-mantle system.

Controlling thermal chaos in the mantle by positive feedback from radiative thermal conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Dubuffet

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The thermal conductivity of mantle materials has two components, the lattice component klat from phonons and the radiative component krad due to photons. These two contributions of variable thermal conductivity have a nonlinear dependence in the temperature, thus endowing the temperature equation in mantle convection with a strongly nonlinear character. The temperature derivatives of these two mechanisms have different signs, with ∂klat /∂T negative and dkrad /dT positive. This offers the possibility for the radiative conductivity to control the chaotic boundary layer instabilities developed in the deep mantle. We have parameterized the weight factor between krad and klat with a dimensionless parameter f , where f = 1 corresponds to the reference conductivity model. We have carried out two-dimensional, time-dependent calculations for variable thermal conductivity but constant viscosity in an aspect-ratio 6 box for surface Rayleigh numbers between 106 and 5 × 106. The averaged Péclet numbers of these flows lie between 200 and 2000. Along the boundary in f separating the chaotic and steady-state solutions, the number decreases and the Nusselt number increases with internal heating, illustrating the feedback between internal heating and radiative thermal conductivity. For purely basal heating situation, the time-dependent chaotic flows become stabilized for values of f of between 1.5 and 2. The bottom thermal boundary layer thickens and the surface heat flow increases with larger amounts of radiative conductivity. For magnitudes of internal heating characteristic of a chondritic mantle, much larger values of f , exceeding 10, are required to quench the bottom boundary layer instabilities. By isolating the individual conductive mechanisms, we have ascertained that the lattice conductivity is partly responsible for inducing boundary layer instabilities, while the radiative conductivity and purely depth-dependent conductivity exert a stabilizing

Mantle dynamics following supercontinent formation

Science.gov (United States)

Heron, Philip J.

This thesis presents mantle convection numerical simulations of supercontinent formation. Approximately 300 million years ago, through the large-scale subduction of oceanic sea floor, continental material amalgamated to form the supercontinent Pangea. For 100 million years after its formation, Pangea remained relatively stationary, and subduction of oceanic material featured on its margins. The present-day location of the continents is due to the rifting apart of Pangea, with supercontinent dispersal being characterized by increased volcanic activity linked to the generation of deep mantle plumes. The work presented here investigates the thermal evolution of mantle dynamics (e.g., mantle temperatures and sub-continental plumes) following the formation of a supercontinent. Specifically, continental insulation and continental margin subduction are analyzed. Continental material, as compared to oceanic material, inhibits heat flow from the mantle. Previous numerical simulations have shown that the formation of a stationary supercontinent would elevate sub-continental mantle temperatures due to the effect of continental insulation, leading to the break-up of the continent. By modelling a vigorously convecting mantle that features thermally and mechanically distinct continental and oceanic plates, this study shows the effect of continental insulation on the mantle to be minimal. However, the formation of a supercontinent results in sub-continental plume formation due to the re-positioning of subduction zones to the margins of the continent. Accordingly, it is demonstrated that continental insulation is not a significant factor in producing sub-supercontinent plumes but that subduction patterns control the location and timing of upwelling formation. A theme throughout the thesis is an inquiry into why geodynamic studies would produce different results. Mantle viscosity, Rayleigh number, continental size, continental insulation, and oceanic plate boundary evolution are

Polymorphic Nature of Iron and Degree of Lattice Preferred Orientation Beneath the Earth's Inner Core Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Mattesini, Maurizio; Belonoshko, Anatoly B.; Tkalčić, Hrvoje

2018-01-01

Deciphering the polymorphic nature and the degree of iron lattice-preferred orientation in the Earth's inner core holds a key to understanding the present status and evolution of the inner core. A multiphase lattice-preferred orientation pattern is obtained for the top 350 km of the inner core by means of the ab initio based Candy Wrapper Velocity Model coupled to a Monte Carlo phase discrimination scheme. The achieved geographic distribution of lattice alignment is characterized by two regions of freezing, namely within South America and the Western Central Pacific, that exhibit an uncommon high degree of lattice orientation. In contrast, widespread regions of melting of relatively weak lattice ordering permeate the rest of the inner core. The obtained multiphase lattice-preferred orientation pattern is in line with mantle-constrained geodynamo simulations and allows to setup an ad hoc mineral physics scenario for the complex Earth's inner core. It is found that the cubic phase of iron is the dominating iron polymorph in the outermost part of the inner core.

The 2016 Case for Mantle Plumes and a Plume-Fed Asthenosphere (Augustus Love Medal Lecture)

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Jason P.

2016-04-01

The process of science always returns to weighing evidence and arguments for and against a given hypothesis. As hypotheses can only be falsified, never universally proved, doubt and skepticism remain essential elements of the scientific method. In the past decade, even the hypothesis that mantle plumes exist as upwelling currents in the convecting mantle has been subject to intense scrutiny; from geochemists and geochronologists concerned that idealized plume models could not fit many details of their observations, and from seismologists concerned that mantle plumes can sometimes not be 'seen' in their increasingly high-resolution tomographic images of the mantle. In the place of mantle plumes, various locally specific and largely non-predictive hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origins of non-plate boundary volcanism at Hawaii, Samoa, etc. In my opinion, this debate has now passed from what was initially an extremely useful restorative from simply 'believing' in the idealized conventional mantle plume/hotspot scenario to becoming an active impediment to our community's ability to better understand the dynamics of the solid Earth. Having no working hypothesis at all is usually worse for making progress than having an imperfect and incomplete but partially correct one. There continues to be strong arguments and strong emerging evidence for deep mantle plumes. Furthermore, deep thermal plumes should exist in a mantle that is heated at its base, and the existence of Earth's (convective) geodynamo clearly indicates that heat flows from the core to heat the mantle's base. Here I review recent seismic evidence by French, Romanowicz, and coworkers that I feel lends strong new observational support for the existence of deep mantle plumes. I also review recent evidence consistent with the idea that secular core cooling replenishes half the mantle's heat loss through its top surface, e.g. that the present-day mantle is strongly bottom heated. Causes for

On the consequences of strong stable stratification at the top of earth's outer core

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Bloxham, Jeremy

1990-01-01

The consequences of strong stable stratification at the top of the earth's fluid outer core are considered, concentrating on the generation of the geomagnetic secular variation. It is assumed that the core near the core-mantle boundary is both strongly stably stratified and free of Lorentz forces: it is found that this set of assumptions severely limits the class of possible motions, none of which is compatible with the geomagnetic secular variation. Relaxing either assumption is adequate: tangentially geostrophic flows are consistent with the secular variation if the assumption that the core is strongly stably stratified is relaxed (while retaining the assumption that Lorentz forces are negligible); purely toroidal flows may explain the secular variation if Lorentz forces are included.

Spin Transition in the Lower Mantle: Deep Learning and Pattern Recognition of Superplumes from the Mid-mantle and Mid-mantle Slab Stagnation

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, D. A.; Shahnas, M. H.; De Hoop, M. V.; Pysklywec, R.

2016-12-01

The broad, slow seismic anomalies under Africa and Pacific cannot be explained without ambiguity. There is no well-established theory to explain the fast structures prevalent globally in seismic tomographic images that are commonly accepted to be the remnants of fossil slabs at different depths in the mantle. The spin transition from high spin to low spin in iron in ferropericlase and perovskite, two major constituents of the lower mantle can significantly impact their physical properties. We employ high resolution 2D-axisymmetric and 3D-spherical control volume models to reconcile the influence of the spin transition-induced anomalies in density, thermal expansivity, and bulk modulus in ferropericlase and perovskite on mantle dynamics. The model results reveal that the spin transition effects increase the mixing in the lower regions of mantle. Depending on the changes of bulk modulus associated with the spin transition, these effects may also cause both stagnation of slabs and rising plumes at mid-mantle depths ( 1600 km). The stagnation may be followed by downward or upward penetration of cold or hot mantle material, respectively, through an avalanche process. The size of these mid-mantle plumes reaches 1500 km across with a radial velocity reaching 20 cm/yr near the seismic transition zone and plume heads exceeding 2500 km across. We will employ a deep-learning algorithm to formulate this challenge as a classification problem where modelling/computation aids in the learning stage for detecting the particular patterns.The parameters based on which the convection models are developed are poorly constrained. There are uncertainties in initial conditions, heterogeneities and boundary conditions in the simulations, which are nonlinear. Thus it is difficult to reconstruct the past configuration over long time scales. In order to extract information and better understand the parameters in mantle convection, we employ deep learning algorithm to search for different

Seismic anisotropy; a window on how the Earth works: multiple mechanisms and sites, from shallow mantle to inner core

Science.gov (United States)

Osmaston, Miles

2013-04-01

Since the seismic anisotropy (SA) in the uppermost oceanic mantle was discovered [1] and attributed to the shearing of olivine by an MOR-divergent flow velocity gradient, rheological mobility interpretations of this type have dominated studies of SA there and elsewhere in the Earth. Here I describe two other SA-generating mechanisms. I will reason that one of these, the anisotropic crystallization from melt, bids fair largely to replace the shearing one and be present in even larger volumes of the Earth, both within its outer 100km and in the Inner Core. The other, the layered deposition of disparate substances, offers to explain the ULVZs and SA in D''. We start with the Upper Mantle. New constraints on its rheological properties and dynamical behaviour have come from two directions. Firstly, contrary to the seismologists' rule-book, the oceanic LVZ is no longer to be thought of as mobile because the presence of interstitial melt strips out the water-weakening of the mineral structure [2, 3]. So we require a substitute for the divergent-flow model for MORs. In fact it also has three other, apparently unrecognized, dynamical inconsistencies. One of these [4] is that there are in the record many rapid changes of spreading rate and direction, and ridge jumps. This cannot happen with a process driven by slow-to-change body forces. Secondly, during the past decade, my work on the global dynamics for the past 150Ma (I will show examples) has shown [4 - 7] that the tectospheres of cratons must extend to very close to the bottom of the upper mantle. And that East Antarctica's 'keel' must actually reach it, because its CW rotation [7] suggests it has been picking up an electromagnetic torque from the CMB via the lower mantle. Xenoliths suggest that the reason for this downwards extent of 'keels' is the same as [3]. To meet these two sets of constraints I will demonstrate my now not-so-new MOR model, which has a narrow, wall-accreting subaxial crack. Among its many features

Magnetization of lower oceanic crust and upper mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Kikawa, E.

2004-05-01

The location of the magnetized rocks of the oceanic crust that are responsible for sea-floor spreading magnetic anomalies has been a long-standing problem in geophysics. The recognition of these anomalies was a key stone in the development of the theory of plate tectonics. Our present concept of oceanic crustal magnetization is much more complex than the original, uniformly magnetized model of Vine-Matthews-Morley Hypothesis. Magnetic inversion studies indicated that the upper oceanic extrusive layer (Layer 2A of 0.5km thick) was the only magnetic layer and that it was not necessary to postulate any contribution from deeper parts of oceanic crust. Direct measurements of the magnetic properties of the rocks recovered from the sea floor, however, have shown that the magnetization of Layer 2A, together with the observations that this layer could record geomagnetic field reversals within a vertical section, is insufficient to give the required size of observed magnetic anomalies and that some contribution from lower intrusive rocks is necessary. Magnetization of oceanic intrusive rocks were observed to be reasonably high enough to contribute to sea-floor spreading magnetic anomalies, but were considered somewhat equivocal until late 1980Os, in part because studies had been conducted on unoriented dredged and ophiolite samples and on intermittent DSDP/ODP cores. Since ODP Leg 118 that cored and recovered continuous 500m of oceanic intrusive layer at Site 735B, Southwest Indian Ridge with an extremely high recovery of 87 percent, there have been several ODP Legs (legs 147, 153, 176, 179 and 209) that were devoted to drilling gabbroic rocks and peridotites. In terms of the magnetization intensities, all of the results obtained from these ODP Legs were supportive of the model that a significant contribution must come from gabbros and peridotites and the source of the lineated magnetic anomalies must reside in most of the oceanic crust as well as crust-mantle boundary

Inner core boundary topography explored with reflected and diffracted P waves

Science.gov (United States)

deSilva, Susini; Cormier, Vernon F.; Zheng, Yingcai

2018-03-01

The existence of topography of the inner core boundary (ICB) can affect the amplitude, phase, and coda of body waves incident on the inner core. By applying pseudospectral and boundary element methods to synthesize compressional waves interacting with the ICB, these effects are predicted and compared with waveform observations in pre-critical, critical, post-critical, and diffraction ranges of the PKiKP wave reflected from the ICB. These data sample overlapping regions of the inner core beneath the circum-Pacific belt and the Eurasian, North American, and Australian continents, but exclude large areas beneath the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the poles. In the pre-critical range, PKiKP waveforms require an upper bound of 2 km at 1-20 km wavelength for any ICB topography. Higher topography sharply reduces PKiKP amplitude and produces time-extended coda not observed in PKiKP waveforms. The existence of topography of this scale smooths over minima and zeros in the pre-critical ICB reflection coefficient predicted from standard earth models. In the range surrounding critical incidence (108-130 °), this upper bound of topography does not strongly affect the amplitude and waveform behavior of PKIKP + PKiKP at 1.5 Hz, which is relatively insensitive to 10-20 km wavelength topography height approaching 5 km. These data, however, have a strong overlap in the regions of the ICB sampled by pre-critical PKiKP that require a 2 km upper bound to topography height. In the diffracted range (>152°), topography as high as 5 km attenuates the peak amplitudes of PKIKP and PKPCdiff by similar amounts, leaving the PKPCdiff/PKIKP amplitude ratio unchanged from that predicted by a smooth ICB. The observed decay of PKPCdiff into the inner core shadow and the PKIKP-PKPCdiff differential travel time are consistent with a flattening of the outer core P velocity gradient near the ICB and iron enrichment at the bottom of the outer core.

Effects of iron on the lattice thermal conductivity of Earth's deep mantle and implications for mantle dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Wen-Pin; Deschamps, Frédéric; Okuchi, Takuo; Lin, Jung-Fu

2018-04-17

Iron may critically influence the physical properties and thermochemical structures of Earth's lower mantle. Its effects on thermal conductivity, with possible consequences on heat transfer and mantle dynamics, however, remain largely unknown. We measured the lattice thermal conductivity of lower-mantle ferropericlase to 120 GPa using the ultrafast optical pump-probe technique in a diamond anvil cell. The thermal conductivity of ferropericlase with 56% iron significantly drops by a factor of 1.8 across the spin transition around 53 GPa, while that with 8-10% iron increases monotonically with pressure, causing an enhanced iron substitution effect in the low-spin state. Combined with bridgmanite data, modeling of our results provides a self-consistent radial profile of lower-mantle thermal conductivity, which is dominated by pressure, temperature, and iron effects, and shows a twofold increase from top to bottom of the lower mantle. Such increase in thermal conductivity may delay the cooling of the core, while its decrease with iron content may enhance the dynamics of large low shear-wave velocity provinces. Our findings further show that, if hot and strongly enriched in iron, the seismic ultralow velocity zones have exceptionally low conductivity, thus delaying their cooling.

First Principles Analysis of Convection in the Earth's Mantle, Eustatic Sea Level and Earth Volume

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsland, G. L.

2011-12-01

Steady state convection (convection whereby heat leaving the mantle at the top is equal to the heat entering the mantle across the core mantle boundary and that created within the mantle) of the Earth's mantle is, to a very good approximation, both a constant mass and constant volume process. Mass or volume which moves to one place; e.g., an oceanic ridge; must be accompanied by mass or volume removed from another place. The location of removal, whether from underneath of an ocean or a continent, determines the relationship between oceanic ridge volume and eustatic sea level. If all of the volume entering a ridge were to come from under an oceanic basin then the size of the ridge would not affect eustatic sea level as it would be compensated by a lowering of the sea floor elsewhere. If the volume comes from under a continent then the hypsometry of the continent becomes important. Thus, eustatic sea level is not simply related to convection rate and oceanic ridge volume as posited by Hays and Pitman(1973). Non-steady state convection is still a constant mass process but is not a constant volume process. The mantle experiences a net gain of heat, warms and expands during periods of relatively slow convection (that being convection rate which is less than that necessary to transport incoming and internally created heat to the surface). Conversely, the mantle has a net loss of heat, cools and contracts during periods of relatively rapid convection. The Earth itself expands and contracts as the mantle does. During rapid convection more volume is delivered from the interior of the mantle to the Earth's ridge system than during slow convection. The integral of the difference of ridge system volume between fast and slow convection over a fast-slow convection cycle is a measure of the difference in volume of the mantle over a cycle. The magnitude of the Earth's volume expansion and contraction as calculated from published values for the volume of ocean ridges and is about

Phase transition and thermal equations of state of (Fe,Al)-bridgmanite and post-perovskite: Implication for the chemical heterogeneity at the lowermost mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ningyu; Wei, Wei; Han, Shunjie; Song, Junhao; Li, Xinyang; Duan, Yunfei; Prakapenka, Vitali B.; Mao, Zhu

2018-05-01

In this study, we have determined the phase boundary between Mg0.735Fe0.21Al0.07Si0.965O3-Bm and PPv and the thermal equations of state of both phases up to 202 GPa and 2600 K using synchrotron X-ray diffraction in laser heated diamond anvil cells. Our experimental results have shown that the combined effect of Fe and Al produces a wide two-phase coexistence region with a thickness of 26 GPa (410 km) at 2200 K, and addition of Fe lowers the onset transition pressure to 98 GPa at 2000 K, consistent with previous experimental results. Furthermore, addition of Fe was noted to reduce the density (ρ) and bulk sound velocity (VΦ) contrasts across the Bm-PPv phase transition, which is in contrast to the effect of Al. Using the obtained phase diagram and thermal equations of state of Bm and PPv, we have also examined the effect of composition variations on the ρ and VΦ profiles of the lowermost mantle. Our modeling results have shown that the pyrolitic lowermost mantle should be highly heterogeneous in composition and temperature laterally to match the observed variations in the depth and seismic signatures of the D″ discontinuity. Normal mantle in a pyrolitic composition with ∼10% Fe and Al in Bm and PPv will lack clear seismic signature of the D″ discontinuity because the broad phase boundary could smooth the velocity contrast between Bm and PPv. On the other hand, Fe-enriched regions close to the cold slabs may show a seismic signature with a change in the velocity slope of the D″ discontinuity, consistent with recent seismic observations beneath the eastern Alaska. Only regions depleted in Fe and Al near the cold slabs would show a sharp change in velocity. Fe in such regions could be removed to the outer core by strong core-mantle interactions or partitions together with Al to the high-pressure phases in the subduction mid ocean ridge basalts. Our results thus have profound implication for the composition of the lowermost mantle.

Terrestrial magma ocean and core segregation in the earth

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtani, Eiji; Yurimoto, Naoyoshi

1992-01-01

According to the recent theories of formation of the earth, the outer layer of the proto-earth was molten and the terrestrial magma ocean was formed when its radius exceeded 3000 km. Core formation should have started in this magma ocean stage, since segregation of metallic iron occurs effectively by melting of the proto-earth. Therefore, interactions between magma, mantle minerals, and metallic iron in the magma ocean stage controlled the geochemistry of the mantle and core. We have studied the partitioning behaviors of elements into the silicate melt, high pressure minerals, and metallic iron under the deep upper mantle and lower mantle conditions. We employed the multi-anvil apparatus for preparing the equilibrating samples in the ranges from 16 to 27 GPa and 1700-2400 C. Both the electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and the Secondary Ion Mass spectrometer (SIMS) were used for analyzing the run products. We obtained the partition coefficients of various trace elements between majorite, Mg-perovskite, and liquid, and magnesiowustite, Mg-perovskite, and metallic iron. The examples of the partition coefficients of some key elements are summarized in figures, together with the previous data. We may be able to assess the origin of the mantle abundances of the elements such as transition metals by using the partitioning data obtained above. The mantle abundances of some transition metals expected by the core-mantle equilibrium under the lower mantle conditions cannot explain the observed abundance of some elements such as Mn and Ge in the mantle. Estimations of the densities of the ultrabasic magma Mg-perovskite at high pressure suggest existence of a density crossover in the deep lower mantle; flotation of Mg-perovskite occurs in the deep magma ocean under the lower mantle conditions. The observed depletion of some transition metals such as V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni in the mantle may be explained by the two stage process, the core-mantle equilibrium under the lower

Nd, Sr and Pb isotopic systematics in a three-component mantle: a new perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zindler, A.; Goldstein, S.

1982-01-01

Average Nd, Sr and Pb isotopic compositions for oceanic basalts indicate that the present day mantle consists of three chemically independent components. The recognition of a third mantle component obviates geochemical arguments which have been used to support chemical stratification and convective decoupling within the mantle, and the transport of lead to the core throughout geological time. (author)

Mantle roots of the Emeishan plume: an evaluation based on teleseismic P-wave tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. He

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The voluminous magmatism associated with large igneous provinces (LIPs is commonly correlated to upwelling plumes from the core–mantle boundary (CMB. Here we analyse seismic tomographic data from the Emeishan LIP in southwestern China. Our results reveal vestiges of delaminated crustal and/or lithospheric mantle, with an upwelling in the upper mantle beneath the Emeishan LIP rather than a plume rooted in the CMB. We suggest that the magmatism and the Emeishan LIP formation might be connected with the melting of delaminated lower crustal and/or lithospheric components which resulted in plume-like upwelling from the upper mantle or from the mantle transition zone.

The plasma mantle: Composition and other characteristics observed by means of the Prognoz-7 Satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pissarenko, N.; Zackarov, A.; Lundin, R.; Hultqvist, B.

1981-03-01

PROGNOZ-7 measurements in the nightside plasma mantle are described and analyzed. Some of the results are the following: In the nightside mantle not too far from midnight the properties of the mantle are sometimes consistent with the open magnetosphere model. An exception is found during most magnetic storm situations when 0 + ions appear in the mantle in so large proportions and with so high energies that direct injection of ionospheric ions by acceleration along the magnetic field lines appear to be most likely source mechanism. Along the flanks of the magnetosphere the open magnetosphere model does sometimes not fit at all with the PROGNOZ-7 observations. There the flow of the plasma is often low or absent. The 0 + content is high (up to 20%) and the energy spectrum of both ions and electrons may be very hot, even up to the level of the ring current plasma. Contrary to the predictions of the open magnetosphere model, the magnetopause on the nightside and along the flanks of the magnetosphere appears to be fairly solid boundary for mantle ions of ionospheric origin. An interesting observation in most of the mantle passages during geomagnetically disturbed periods is the occurrence of intense, magnetosheath like, regions deep inside the mantle. In some cases these regions with strong antisunward flow and with predominant magnetosheat ion composition was observed in the innermost part of the mantle, i.e. marking a boundary region between the lobe and the mantle. These magnetosheat ''penetration'' events are usually associated with strong fluxes of accelerated ionospheric ions in nearby parts of the mantle. Evanescent ''penetration'' regions with much reduced flow properties are frequently observed in the flank mantles. (author)

Thermal-chemical Mantle Convection Models With Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, W.; Zhong, S.

2008-12-01

In numerical modeling of mantle convection, resolution is often crucial for resolving small-scale features. New techniques, adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), allow local mesh refinement wherever high resolution is needed, while leaving other regions with relatively low resolution. Both computational efficiency for large- scale simulation and accuracy for small-scale features can thus be achieved with AMR. Based on the octree data structure [Tu et al. 2005], we implement the AMR techniques into the 2-D mantle convection models. For pure thermal convection models, benchmark tests show that our code can achieve high accuracy with relatively small number of elements both for isoviscous cases (i.e. 7492 AMR elements v.s. 65536 uniform elements) and for temperature-dependent viscosity cases (i.e. 14620 AMR elements v.s. 65536 uniform elements). We further implement tracer-method into the models for simulating thermal-chemical convection. By appropriately adding and removing tracers according to the refinement of the meshes, our code successfully reproduces the benchmark results in van Keken et al. [1997] with much fewer elements and tracers compared with uniform-mesh models (i.e. 7552 AMR elements v.s. 16384 uniform elements, and ~83000 tracers v.s. ~410000 tracers). The boundaries of the chemical piles in our AMR code can be easily refined to the scales of a few kilometers for the Earth's mantle and the tracers are concentrated near the chemical boundaries to precisely trace the evolvement of the boundaries. It is thus very suitable for our AMR code to study the thermal-chemical convection problems which need high resolution to resolve the evolvement of chemical boundaries, such as the entrainment problems [Sleep, 1988].

Origin and Distribution of Water Contents in Continental and Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne H.

2013-01-01

The water content distribution of the upper mantle will be reviewed as based on the peridotite record. The amount of water in cratonic xenoliths appears controlled by metasomatism while that of the oceanic mantle retains in part the signature of melting events. In both cases, the water distribution is heterogeneous both with depth and laterally, depending on localized water re-enrichments next to melt/fluid channels. The consequence of the water distribution on the rheology of the upper mantle and the location of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary will also be discussed.

Evolution of helium stars: a self-consistent determination of the boundary of a helium burning convective core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savonije, G.J.; Takens, R.J.

1976-01-01

A generalization of the Henyey-scheme is given that introduces the mass of the convective core and the density at the outer edge of the convective core boundary as unknowns which have to be solved simultaneously with the other unknowns. As a result, this boundary is determined in a physically self-consistent way for expanding as well as contracting cores, i.e. during the Henyey iterative cycle; its position becomes consistent with the overall physical structure of the star, including the run of the chemical abundances throughout the star. Using this scheme, the evolution of helium stars was followed up to carbon ignition for a number of stellar masses. As compared with some earlier investigations, the calculations show a rather large increase in mass of the convective cores during core helium burning. Evolutionary calculations for a 2M(sun) helium star show that the critical mass for which a helium star ignites carbon non-degenerately lies near 2M(sun). (orig.) [de

Passive margins getting squeezed in the mantle convection vice

Science.gov (United States)

Yamato, Philippe; Husson, Laurent; Becker, Thorsten W.; Pedoja, Kevin

2014-05-01

Passive margins often exhibit uplift, exhumation and tectonic inversion. We speculate that the compression in the lithosphere gradually increased during the Cenozoic. In the same time, the many mountain belts at active margins that accompany this event seem readily witness this increase. However, how that compression increase affects passive margins remains unclear. In order to address this issue, we design a 2D viscous numerical model wherein a lithospheric plate rests above a weaker mantle. It is driven by a mantle conveyor belt, alternatively excited by a lateral downwelling on one side, an upwelling on the other side, or both simultaneously. The lateral edges of the plate are either free or fixed, representing the cases of free convergence, and collision or slab anchoring, respectively. This distinction changes the upper boundary condition for mantle circulation and, as a consequence, the stress field. Our results show that between these two regimes, the flow pattern transiently evolves from a free-slip convection mode towards a no-slip boundary condition above the upper mantle. In the second case, the lithosphere is highly stressed horizontally and deforms. For an equivalent bulk driving force, compression increases drastically at passive margins provided that upwellings are active. Conversely, if downwellings alone are activated, compression occurs at short distances from the trench and extension prevails elsewhere. These results are supported by Earth-like 3D spherical models that reveal the same pattern, where active upwellings are required to excite passive margins compression. These results support the idea that compression at passive margins, is the response to the underlying mantle flow, that is increasingly resisted by the Cenozoic collisions.

The Robustness of Tomographically Imaged Broad Plumes in the Deep Mantle: Constraints on Mantle Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowicz, B. A.; Jiménez-Pérez, H.; Adourian, S.; Karaoglu, H.; French, S.

2016-12-01

Existing global 3D shear wave velocity models of the earth's mantle generally rely on simple ray theoretical assumptions regarding seismic wave propagation through a heterogeneous medium, and/or consider a limited number of seismic observables, such as surface wave dispersion and/or travel times of body waves (such as P or S) that are well separated on seismograms. While these assumptions are appropriate for resolving long wavelength structure, as evidenced from the good agreement at low degrees between models published in the last 10 years, it is well established that the assumption of ray theory limits the resolution of smaller scale low velocity structures. We recently developed a global radially anisotropic shear wave velocity model (SEMUCB_WM1, French and Romanowicz, 2014, 2015) based on time domain full waveform inversion of 3-component seismograms, including surface waves and overtones down to 60s period, as well as body waveforms down to 30s. At each iteration, the forward wavefield is calculated using the Spectral Element Method (SEM), which ensures the accurate computation of the misfit function. Inversion is performed using a fast converging Gauss-Newton formalism. The use of information from the entire seismogram, weighted according to energy arrivals, provides a unique illumination of the deep mantle, compensating for the uneven distribution of sources and stations. The most striking features of this model are the broad, vertically oriented plume-like conduits that extend from the core-mantle boundary to at least 1000 km depth in the vicinity of some 20 major hotspots located over the large low shear velocity provinces under the Pacific and Africa. We here present the results of various tests aimed at evaluating the robustness of these features. These include starting from a different initial model, to evaluate the effects of non-linearity in the inversion, as well as synthetic tests aimed at evaluating the recovery of plumes located in the middle of

Hypothesis of Piezoelectricity of Inner Core As the Origin of Geomagnetism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y Hayakawa

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A novel hypothesis is proposed that assumes piezoelectricity of the inner core as the origin of geomagnetism. By high pressure, electric charge is created on the surface and at the center of the earth. Inner core rotation yields a magnetic field. From the intensity and direction of geomagnetism at the present time, the surface charge density of the inner core is assumed to be -2x10-5C/m2. The rotation axis of the inner core is inclined by 10.4 degrees from that of the mantle. The inner core rotates with the mantle rotation. The reason for this is thought to be the eddy currents induced in the outer core of electrically conductive fluid that rotates with the mantle.

The ruthenium isotopic composition of the oceanic mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Bermingham, K. R.; Walker, R. J.

2017-09-01

The approximately chondritic relative, and comparatively high absolute mantle abundances of the highly siderophile elements (HSE), suggest that their concentrations in the bulk silicate Earth were primarily established during a final ∼0.5 to 1% of ;late accretion; to the mantle, following the cessation of core segregation. Consequently, the isotopic composition of the HSE Ru in the mantle reflects an amalgamation of the isotopic compositions of late accretionary contributions to the silicate portion of the Earth. Among cosmochemical materials, Ru is characterized by considerable mass-independent isotopic variability, making it a powerful genetic tracer of Earth's late accretionary building blocks. To define the Ru isotopic composition of the oceanic mantle, the largest portion of the accessible mantle, we report Ru isotopic data for materials from one Archean and seven Phanerozoic oceanic mantle domains. A sample from a continental lithospheric mantle domain is also examined. All samples have identical Ru isotopic compositions, within analytical uncertainties, indicating that Ru isotopes are well mixed in the oceanic mantle, defining a μ100Ru value of 1.2 ± 7.2 (2SD). The only known meteorites with the same Ru isotopic composition are enstatite chondrites and, when corrected for the effects of cosmic ray exposure, members of the Main Group and sLL subgroup of the IAB iron meteorite complex which have a collective CRE corrected μ100Ru value of 0.9 ± 3.0. This suggests that materials from the region(s) of the solar nebula sampled by these meteorites likely contributed the dominant portion of late accreted materials to Earth's mantle.

Observation of the Earth liquid core resonance by extensometers

Science.gov (United States)

Bán, Dóra; Mentes, Gyula

2016-04-01

The axis of the fluid outer core of the Earth and the rotation axis of the mantle do not coincide therefore restoring forces are set up at the core-mantle boundary which try to realign the two axes causing a resonance effect. In celestial reference system it is called the "Free Core Nutation" (FCN), which can be characterized by a period of 432 days while in the Earth reference system it is called the "Nearly Diurnal Free Wobble" (NDFW). The frequency of this phenomenon is near to the diurnal tidal frequencies, especially to P1 and K1 waves. Due to its resonance effect this phenomenon can be detected also by quartz tube extensometers suitable for Earth tides recording. In this study data series measured in several extensometric stations were used to reveal the presence of the FCN resonance. In the Pannonian Basin there are five observatories where extensometric measurements were carried out in different lengths of time. Four stations in Hungary: Sopronbánfalva Geodynamical Observatory (2000-2014), Budapest Mátyáshegy Gravity and Geodynamic Observatory (2005-2012), Pécs uranium mine (1991-1999), Bakonya, near to Pécs (2004-2005) and in Slovakia: Vyhne Earth Tide Observatory (2001-2013). Identical instrumentation in different observatories provides the opportunity to compare measurements with various topography, geology and environmental parameters. The results are also compared to values inferred from extensometric measurements in other stations.

Seismic core shroud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puri, A.; Mullooly, J.F.

1981-01-01

A core shroud is provided, comprising: a coolant boundary, following the shape of the core boundary, for channeling the coolant through the fuel assemblies; a cylindrical band positioned inside the core barrel and surrounding the coolant boundary; and support members extending from the coolant boundary to the band, for transferring load from the coolant boundary to the band. The shroud may be assembled in parts using automated welding techniques, and it may be adjusted to fit the reactor core easily

Abnormal lithium isotope composition from the ancient lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yan-Jie; Zhang, Hong-Fu; Deloule, Etienne; Su, Ben-Xun; Ying, Ji-Feng; Santosh, M; Xiao, Yan

2014-03-04

Lithium elemental and isotopic compositions of olivines in peridotite xenoliths from Hebi in the North China Craton provide direct evidence for the highly variable δ(7)Li in Archean lithospheric mantle. The δ(7)Li in the cores of olivines from the Hebi high-Mg# peridotites (Fo > 91) show extreme variation from -27 to +21, in marked deviation from the δ(7)Li range of fresh MORB (+1.6 to +5.6) although the Li abundances of the olivines are within the range of normal mantle (1-2 ppm). The Li abundances and δ(7)Li characteristics of the Hebi olivines could not have been produced by recent diffusive-driven isotopic fractionation of Li and therefore the δ(7)Li in the cores of these olivines record the isotopic signature of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Our data demonstrate that abnormal δ(7)Li may be preserved in the ancient lithospheric mantle as observed in our study from the central North China Craton, which suggest that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle has experienced modification of fluid/melt derived from recycled oceanic crust.

Thermodynamic properties, melting temperature and viscosity of the mantles of Super Earths

Science.gov (United States)

Stamenkovic, V.; Spohn, T.; Breuer, D.

2010-12-01

The recent dicscovery of extrasolar planets with radii of about twice the Earth radius and masses of several Earth masses such as e.g., Corot-7b (approx 5Mearth and 1.6Rearth, Queloz et al. 2009) has increased the interest in the properties of rock at extremely high pressures. While the pressure at the Earth’s core-mantle boundary is about 135GPa, pressures at the base of the mantles of extraterrestrial rocky planets - if these are at all differentiated into mantles and cores - may reach Tera Pascals. Although the properties and the mineralogy of rock at extremely high pressure is little known there have been speculations about mantle convection, plate tectonics and dynamo action in these “Super-Earths”. We assume that the mantles of these planets can be thought of as consisting of perovskite but we discuss the effects of the post-perovskite transition and of MgO. We use the Keane equation of state and the Slater relation (see e.g., Stacey and Davies 2004) to derive an infinite pressure value for the Grüneisen parameter of 1.035. To derive this value we adopted the infinite pressure limit for K’ (pressure derivative of the bulk modulus) of 2.41 as derived by Stacey and Davies (2004) by fitting PREM. We further use the Lindeman law to calculate the melting curve. We gauge the melting curve using the available experimental data for pressures up to 120GPa. The melting temperature profile reaches 6000K at 135GPa and increases to temperatures between 12,000K and 24,000K at 1.1TPa with a preferred value of 21,000K. We find the adiabatic temperature increase to reach 2,500K at 135GPa and 5,400K at 1.1TPa. To calculate the pressure dependence of the viscosity we assume that the rheology is diffusion controlled and calculate the partial derivative with respect to pressure of the activation enthalpy. We cast the partial derivative in terms of an activation volume and use the semi-empirical homologous temperature scaling (e.g., Karato 2008). We find that the

Observation of magnetic diffusion in the Earth's outer core from Magsat, Orsted, and CHAMP data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chulliat, A.; Olsen, Nils

2010-01-01

The frozen flux assumption consists in neglecting magnetic diffusion in the core. It has been widely used to compute core flows from geomagnetic observations. Here we investigate the validity of this assumption over the time interval 1980-2005, using high-precision magnetic data from the Magsat......, Orsted, and CHAMP satellites. A detectable change of magnetic fluxes through patches delimited by curves of zero radial magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary is associated with a failure of the frozen flux assumption. For each epoch (1980 and 2005), we calculate spatially regularized models...... of the core field which we use to investigate the change of reversed magnetic flux at the core surface. The largest and most robust change of reversed flux is observed for two patches: one located under St. Helena Island (near 20 degrees S, 15 degrees E); the other, much larger, is located under the South...

The melting curve of iron to 250 gigapascals - A constraint on the temperature at earth's center

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Quentin; Jeanloz, Raymond; Bass, Jay; Svendsen, Bob; Ahrens, Thomas J.

1987-01-01

The melting curve of iron, the primary constituent of earth's core, has been measured to pressures of 250 gigapascals with a combination of static and dynamic techniques. The melting temperature of iron at the pressure of the core-mantle boundary (136 GPa) is 4800 + or - 200 K, whereas at the inner core-outer core boundary (330 GPa), it is 7600 + or - 500 K. A melting temperature for iron-rich alloy of 6600 K at the inner core-outer core boundary and a maximum temperature of 6900 K at earth's center are inferred. This latter value is the first experimental upper bound on the temperature at earth's center, and these results imply that the temperature of the lower mantle is significantly less than that of the outer core.

Analysis of the flow structure and heat transfer in a vertical mantle heat exchanger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Søren; Morrison, GL; Behnia, M

2005-01-01

initially mixed and initially stratified inner tank and mantle. The analysis of the heat transfer showed that the flow in the mantle near the inlet is mixed convection flow and that the heat transfer is dependent on the mantle inlet temperature relative to the core tank temperature at the mantle level. (C......The flow structure inside the inner tank and inside the mantle of a vertical mantle heat exchanger was investigated using a full-scale tank designed to facilitate flow visualisation. The flow structure and velocities in the inner tank and in the mantle were measured using a Particle Image...... Velocimetry (PIV) system. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the vertical mantle heat exchanger was also developed for a detailed evaluation of the heat flux at the mantle wall and at the tank wall. The flow structure was evaluated for both high and low temperature incoming flows and for both...

Ancient melt depletion overprinted by young carbonatitic metasomatism in the New Zealand lithospheric mantle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scott, James M.; Hodgkinson, A.; Palin, J.M.

2014-01-01

radiogenic than, the HIMU mantle reservoir. Metasomatism appears to pre-date ubiquitous pyroxene core to rim Al diffusion zoning, which may have resulted from cooling of the lithospheric mantle following cessation of Late Cretaceous-Eocene rifting of Zealandia from Gondwana. Nd isotope data, however, suggest...

Large-scale global convection in the mantle beneath Australia from 55 Ma to now

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, M.

1999-01-01

Full text: The global-scale mantle convection cells in the asthenosphere are not geochemically homogeneous. The heterogeneity is most prominently reflected in the isotopic compositions (Pb-Sr-Nd) of the mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) that are direct partial melts from the underlying asthenosphere. Of particular relevance to Australia's geodynamic evolution from about 100 million years, are the distinctive geochemical signatures of the asthenosphere beneath the Pacific Ocean (Pacific MORB) and Indian Ocean (Indian MORB). Therefore, delineation of the boundary between the two distinct mantle reservoirs and any change in that boundary with time provide information about the patterns of global-scale asthenospheric mantle convection. This information has also allowed us to track large-scale mantle chemical reservoirs such as the distinctive Gondwana lithospheric mantle, and hence better understand the geodynamic evolution of the Australian continent from the time of Gondwana dispersal. Pb-Sr-Nd isotope data for Cenozoic basalts in eastern Australia (Zhang et al, 1999) indicate that Pacific-MORB type isotopic signatures characterise the lava-field basalts (55-14 Ma) in southeastern Australia, whereas Indian-MORB type isotopic signatures characterise younger basalts (6-0 Ma) from northeastern Australia. This discovery helps to constrain the changing locus of the major asthenospheric mantle convection cells represented by the Pacific and Indian MORB sources during and following the breakup of the eastern part of Gondwana, and locates, for the first time, the boundary of these convection cells beneath the Australian continent. This extends previous work in the SW Pacific back-arc basins (eg Hickey-Vargas et al., 1995) and the Southern Ocean (Lanyon et al., 1995) that indicates that the 1- and P-MORB mantle convection cells have been moving in opposite directions since the early Tertiary. These new data also indicate that the Indian-MORB source is a long-term asthenospheric

Seismic anisotropy of the mantle lithosphere beneath the Swedish National Seismological Network (SNSN)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Eken, T.; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Roberts, R.; Vecsey, Luděk; Babuška, Vladislav; Shomali, H.; Bodvarsson, R.

2010-01-01

Roč. 480, č. 1-4 (2010), s. 241-258 ISSN 0040-1951 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300120709; GA AV ČR(CZ) KJB300120605 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30120515 Keywords : Baltic Shield * mantle lithosphere * seismic anisotropy * domains and their boundaries in the mantle Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 2.509, year: 2010

Sensitivity of the Geomagnetic Octupole to a Stably Stratified Layer in the Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, C.; Stanley, S.

2017-12-01

The presence of a stably stratified layer at the top of the core has long been proposed for Earth, based on evidence from seismology and geomagnetic secular variation. Geodynamo modeling offers a unique window to inspect the properties and dynamics in Earth's core. For example, numerical simulations have shown that magnetic field morphology is sensitive to the presence of stably stratified layers in a planet's core. Here we use the mMoSST numerical dynamo model to investigate the effects of a thin stably stratified layer at the top of the fluid outer core in Earth on the resulting large-scale geomagnetic field morphology. We find that the existence of a stable layer has significant influence on the octupolar component of the magnetic field in our models, whereas the quadrupole doesn't show an obvious trend. This suggests that observations of the geomagnetic field can be applied to provide information of the properties of this plausible stable layer, such as how thick and how stable this layer could be. Furthermore, we have examined whether the dominant thermal signature from mantle tomography at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) (a degree & order 2 spherical harmonic) can influence our results. We found that this heat flux pattern at the CMB has no outstanding effects on the quadrupole and octupole magnetic field components. Our studies suggest that if there is a stably stratified layer at the top of the Earth's core, it must be limited in terms of stability and thickness, in order to be compatible with the observed paleomagnetic record.

High accuracy mantle convection simulation through modern numerical methods

KAUST Repository

Kronbichler, Martin; Heister, Timo; Bangerth, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Numerical simulation of the processes in the Earth's mantle is a key piece in understanding its dynamics, composition, history and interaction with the lithosphere and the Earth's core. However, doing so presents many practical difficulties related

Nitrogen partitioning during core-mantle differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Speelmanns, I. M.; Schmidt, M. W.; Liebske, C.

2016-12-01

This study investiagtes nitrogen partitioing between metal and silicate melts as relevant for core segregation during the accretion of planetesimals into the Earth. On present day Earth, N belongs to the most important elements, as it is one of the key constituents of our atmosphere and forms the basis of life. However, the geochemistry of N, i.e. its distribution and isotopic fractionation between Earth's deep reservoirs is not well constrained. In order to determine the partitioning behaviour of N, a centrifuging piston cylinder was used to euqilibrate and then gravitationally separate metal-silicate melt pairs at 1250 °C, 1 GPa over the range of oxygen fugacities thought to have prevailied druing core segreagtion (IW-4 to IW). Complete segregation of the two melts was reached within 3 hours at 1000 g, the interface showing a nice meniscus The applied double capsule technique, using an outer metallic and inner non-metallic (mostly graphite) capsule, minimizes volatile loss over the course of the experiment compared to single non-metallic capsules. The two quenched melts were cut apart, cleaned at the outside and N concentrations of the melts were analysed on bulk samples by an elemental analyser. Nevertheless, the low amount of sample material and the N yield in the high pressure experiments required the developement of new analytical routines. Despite these experimental and analytical difficulties, we were able to determine a DNmetal/silicateof 13±0.25 at IW-1, N partitioning into the core froming metal. The few availible literature data [1],[2] suggest that N changes its compatibility favoring the silicate melt or magma ocean at around IW-2.5. In order to asses how much N may effectively be contained in the core and the silicate Earth, experiments characterizing N behaviour over the entire range of core formation condtitions are well under way. [1] Kadik et al., (2011) Geochemistry International 49.5: 429-438. [2] Roskosz et al., (2013) GCA 121: 15-28.

Equation of State of Fe3C and Implications for the Carbon Content of Earth's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, A.; Brauser, N.; Thompson, E. C.; Chidester, B.; Greenberg, E.; Prakapenka, V. B.; Campbell, A.

2017-12-01

Carbon is a common component in protoplanetary cores, as represented by iron meteorites. Therefore, along with silicon, oxygen, and other light elements, it is likely to be an alloying component with iron in Earth's core. Previous studies of the densities of iron carbides have not reached the combined pressure and temperature conditions relevant to Earth's core. To better understand the geophysical implications of carbon addition to Earth's core, we report P-V-T measurements of Fe3C to pressures and temperatures exceeding 110 GPa and 2500 K, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a laser heated diamond anvil cell. Fitting these measurements to an equation of state and assuming 1.5% density change upon melting and a 4000 K core-mantle boundary temperature, we report a value of 6 wt% carbon necessary to match the PREM density in the outer core. This value should be considered an upper bound due to the likely presence of other light elements.

Deep mantle roots and continental hypsometry: implications for whole-Earth elemental cycling, long-term climate, and the Cambrian explosion

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, C. T.

2016-12-01

Most of Earth's continents today are above sea level, but the presence of thick packages of ancient sediments on top of the stable cores of continents indicates that continents must have been submerged at least once in their past. Elevations of continents are controlled by the interplay between crustal thickness, mantle root thickness and the temperature of the ambient convecting mantle. The history of a continent begins with mountain building through magmatic or tectonic crustal thickening, during which exhumation of deep-seated igneous and metamorphic rocks are highest. Mountain building is followed by a long interval of subsidence as a result of continued, but decreasing erosion and thermal relaxation, the latter in the form of a growing thermal boundary layer. Subsidence is manifest first as a boring interval in which no sedimentary record is preserved, followed by continent-scale submergence wherein sediments are deposited directly on deep-seated igneous/metamorphic basement, generating a major disconformity. The terminal resting elevation of a mature continent, however, is defined by the temperature of the ambient convecting mantle: below sea level when the mantle is hot and above sea level when the mantle is cold. Using thermobarometric constraints on secular cooling of Earth's mantle, our results suggest that Earth, for most of its history, must have been a water world, with regions of land confined to narrow orogenic belts and oceans characterized by deep basins and shallow continental seas, the latter serving as repositories of sediments and key redox-sensitive biological nutrients, such as phosphorous. Cooling of the Earth led to the gradual and irreversible rise of the continents, culminating in rapid emergence, through fits and starts and possible instabilities in climate, between 500-1000 Ma. Such emergence fundamentally altered marine biogeochemical cycling, continental weathering and the global hydrologic cycle, defining the backdrop for the

Significant Atmospheric Boundary Layer Change Observed above an Agulhas Current Warm Cored Eddy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Messager

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The air-sea impact of a warm cored eddy ejected from the Agulhas Retroflection region south of Africa was assessed through both ocean and atmospheric profiling measurements during the austral summer. The presence of the eddy causes dramatic atmospheric boundary layer deepening, exceeding what was measured previously over such a feature in the region. This deepening seems mainly due to the turbulent heat flux anomaly above the warm eddy inducing extensive deep and persistent changes in the atmospheric boundary layer thermodynamics. The loss of heat by turbulent processes suggests that this kind of oceanic feature is an important and persistent source of heat for the atmosphere.

Rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault zones

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzaras, Vasileios; Tikoff, Basil; Kruckenberg, Seth C.; Newman, Julie; Titus, Sarah J.; Withers, Anthony C.; Drury, Martyn R.

2016-04-01

How well constrained is the rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault systems? Further, how do lithospheric layers, with rheologically distinct behaviors, interact within the strike-slip fault zones? To address these questions, we present rheological observations from the mantle sections of two lithospheric-scale, strike-slip fault zones. Xenoliths from ˜40 km depth (970-1100 ° C) beneath the San Andreas fault system (SAF) provide critical constraints on the mechanical stratification of the lithosphere in this continental transform fault. Samples from the Bogota Peninsula shear zone (BPSZ, New Caledonia), which is an exhumed oceanic transform fault, provide insights on lateral variations in mantle strength and viscosity across the fault zone at a depth corresponding to deformation temperatures of ˜900 ° C. Olivine recrystallized grain size piezometry suggests that the shear stress in the SAF upper mantle is 5-9 MPa and in the BPSZ is 4-10 MPa. Thus, the mantle strength in both fault zones is comparable to the crustal strength (˜10 MPa) of seismogenic strike-slip faults in the SAF system. Across the BPSZ, shear stress increases from 4 MPa in the surrounding rocks to 10 MPa in the mylonites, which comprise the core of the shear zone. Further, the BPSZ is characterized by at least one order of magnitude difference in the viscosity between the mylonites (1018 Paṡs) and the surrounding rocks (1019 Paṡs). Mantle viscosity in both the BPSZ mylonites and the SAF (7.0ṡ1018-3.1ṡ1020 Paṡs) is relatively low. To explain our observations from these two strike-slip fault zones, we propose the "lithospheric feedback" model in which the upper crust and lithospheric mantle act together as an integrated system. Mantle flow controls displacement and the upper crust controls the stress magnitude in the system. Our stress data combined with data that are now available for the middle and lower crustal sections of other transcurrent fault

Stress accumulation and release at complex transform plate boundaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verdonck, D.; Furlong, K.P. (Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (United States))

1992-10-01

Finite element methods are used to model the dynamics of deformation along complex transform plate boundaries, specifically the San Andreas fault system, California. Effects of mantle rheology and fault geometry on the stress buildup and release are investigated. No prior knowledge of the earthquake cycle time or amount of fault slip is assumed that the results suggest that the San Andreas fault slips at low shear stress (about 15 MPa). Although the maximum stress on the fault is 15 MPa, models with an upper mantle shear zone deforming entirely by dislocation creep accumulate stresses that exceed 100 MPa, a stress level high enough to drive localized dynamic recrystallization and a shift in dominant deformation mechanism to diffusion creep. Models in which the mantle shear zone deform locally by diffusion creep reach a dynamic steady state where lithospheric shear stresses never exceed the specified fault stress anywhere in the model and indicate that the strength of the upper mantle is an important parameter in the dynamics of plate boundary deformation. 17 refs.

Historical Variations in Inner Core Rotation and Polar Motion at Decade Timescales

Science.gov (United States)

Dumberry, M.

2005-12-01

Exchanges of angular momentum between the mantle, the fluid core and the solid inner core result in changes in the Earth's rotation. Torques in the axial direction produce changes in amplitude, or changes in length of day, while torques in the equatorial direction lead to changes in orientation of the rotation vector with respect to the mantle, or polar motion. In this work, we explore the possibility that a combination of electromagnetic and gravitational torques on the inner core can reproduce the observed decadal variations in polar motion known as the Markowitz wobble. Torsional oscillations, which involve azimuthal motions in the fluid core with typical periods of decades, entrain the inner core by electromagnetic traction. When the inner core is axially rotated, its surfaces of constant density are no longer aligned with the gravitational potential from mantle density heterogeneities, and this results in a gravitational torque between the two. The axial component of this torque has been previously described and is believed to be partly responsible for decadal changes in length of day. In this work, we show that it has also an equatorial component, which produces a tilt of the inner core and results in polar motion. The polar motion produced by this mechanism depends on the density structure in the mantle, the rheology of the inner core, and the time-history of the angle of axial misalignment between the inner core and the mantle. We reconstruct the latter using a model of torsional oscillations derived from geomagnetic secular variation. From this time-history, and by using published models of mantle density structure, we show that we can reproduce the salient characteristics of the Markowitz wobble: an eccentric decadal polar motion of 30-50 milliarcsecs oriented along a specific longitude. We discuss the implications of this result, noting that a match in both amplitude and phase of the observed Markowitz wobble allows the recovery of the historical

Study on 3-D velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in Sichuan-yunnan region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C.; Mooney, W.D.; Wang, X.; Wu, J.; Lou, H.; Wang, F.

2002-01-01

Based on the first arrival P and S data of 4 625 regional earthquakes recorded at 174 stations dispersed in the Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, the 3-D velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in the region is determined, incorporating with previous deep geophysical data. In the upper crust, a positive anomaly velocity zone exists in the Sichuan basin, whereas a negative anomaly velocity zone exists in the western Sichuan plateau. The boundary between the positive and negative anomaly zones is the Longmenshan fault zone. The images of lower crust and upper mantle in the Longmenshan fault, Xianshuihe fault, Honghe fault and others appear the characteristic of tectonic boundary, indicating that the faults litely penetrate the Moho discontinuity. The negative velocity anomalies at the depth of 50 km in the Tengchong volcanic area and the Panxi tectonic zone appear to be associated with the temperature and composition variations in the upper mantle. The overall features of the crustal and the upper mantle structures in the Sichuan-Yunnan region are the lower average velocity in both crust and uppermost mantle, the large crustal thickness variations, and the existence of high conductivity layer in the crust or/and upper mantle, and higher geothermal value. All these features are closely related to the collision between the Indian and the Asian plates. The crustal velocity in the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block generally shows normal.value or positive anomaly, while the negative anomaly exists in the area along the large strike-slip faults as the block boundary. It is conducive to the crustal block side-pressing out along the faults. In the major seismic zones, the seismicity is relative to the negative anomaly velocity. Most strong earthquakes occurred in the upper-mid crust with positive anomaly or normal velocity, where the negative anomaly zone generally exists below.

Sub-Moho Reflectors, Mantle Faults and Lithospheric Rheology

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, L. D.

2013-12-01

upper mantle. The SNORCLE mantle reflectors, which can be traced deep within the early Precambrian (?) mantle by both surface (controlled source) reflection profiles and passive (receiver function) images most clearly illustrates the rheological implications of such feature. The SNORCLE events appear to root upwards into the lower crust and extend to depths approaching 200 km into the mantle. This would seem to require the preservation of undeformed mantle lithosphere for almost 2.5 billion years in this area. This preservation is clearly inconsistent with the interpretation of nearby shallower mantle interfaces as marking the modern lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. In summary, dipping mantle reflections imply preservation of substantial thicknesses of mantle lithosphere for very long periods of time, and localization of mantle deformation during the formation of these structures along relatively narrow, discrete interfaces rather than across broad zones of diffuse deformation. .

Downstream evolution of an open MHD magnetotail boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, E.R.; Siscoe, G.L.; Summers, D.

1990-01-01

The authors use the rotational discontinuity-slow expansion fan model for an open magnetotail boundary to obtain a quantitative three-dimensional picture of the complete magnetotail boundary. Its configuration and physical properties are inferred for different orientations of the field as well as different reconnection rates by representing the high-latitude plasma mantle with a self-similar slow expansion wave. Some of those properties follow: (1) The tail boundary geometry appears to be stable against moderate variations of the upstream parameters. (2) The transition between the open and closed portions of the tail boundary takes place at increasingly higher latitudes tailward, thus narrowing the open window in the same direction. For the magnetosheath values considered (n 0 = 10 7 m -3 , V 0 = 3 x 10 5 m s -1 , B 0 = 10 nT, T = 10 6 degree K) and for a purely southward field an initial 90 degree latitudinal width of the open window in the near-Earth environment evolves into 55 degree at x ≅ -150 R E . (3) Portions of the plasma mantle become separated from the magnetosheath by a tangential discontinuity as larger distances down the tail are considered, with a thin strip of plasma sheet plasma (≅2 R E in the radial direction, at x ≅ -150 R E ) intruding in between. (4) The internal boundary of the mantle is relatively flat in the near-Earth tail but becomes increasingly V shaped tailward. Its intersection with the geomagnetic equator conforms to a U-shaped form with an antiearthward concavity. The tail boundary geometry when the external field has some inclination away from the vertical is investigated. A duskward or dawnward shift of the entire open tail boundary takes place, and the expansion fan is thickest on the sector toward which the shift occurred

Radial profiles of temperature and viscosity in the Earth's mantle inferred from the geoid and lateral seismic structure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cadek, O.; Berg, A.P. van den

1998-01-01

In the framework of dynamical modelling of the geoid, we have estimated basic features of the radial profile of temperature in the mantle. The applied parameterization of the geotherm directly characterizes thermal boundary layers and values of the thermal gradient in the upper and lower mantle.

Characteristics of microfossils assemblages of core SB-01 from Sanshui basin and discussion of paleocene-eocene boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Liang; Xie Yecai; Wang Zhengqing; Ma Chuang

2011-01-01

Characteristics of microfossils assemblages of core SB-01 from Sanshui Basin have been analysised in this paper. Based on micropaleontological study and data from carbon and oxygen isotopes of bulk carbonates, which depth of Paleocene-Eocene boundary from the core was discussed. Ostracode assemblages include the Sinocypris nitela-Cyprois buxinensis-Limnocythere honggangensis assemblage(89.0-73.38 m) with few species and low abundance and the Sinocypris nitela-Cyprois buxinensis-Limnocythere honggangensis assemblage (73.38-0 m) with few species and low abundance during early and middle the core deposition and relatively many species and abundance increasing quickly of the late time of the core deposition; Charophyte assemblages contain the Peckichara subspherica-Rhabdochara jiangduensis assemblage (89.0-73.38 m) with rich species, high abundance and large sizes of fossils and the Gyrogona qianjiangica-Obtusochara brevicylindrica assemblage (73.38-53.75 m) with few species,low abundance and small sizes of fossils. At 73.38 m core depth, the great changes of microfossils assemblages and carbon isotopes values (decrease by more than 3.0 per thousand) and oxygen isotopes values of bulk carbonates take place, which consist with the geological records of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Hence, Paleocene-Eocene boundary of SanShui Basin should be roughly placed at 73.38 m core depth. (authors)

Universal single grain amphibole thermobarometer for mantle rocks - preliminary calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashchepkov, Igor

2017-04-01

SCLM and the third group refer to richterites form the depleted manle peridotites. In SCLM beneat the Sytykanskaya they are more frequent and trace through all the mantle layers. In SCLM beneat the Aykhal they mostly are from the lower and in Komsomolskaya from the middle SCLM parts. In Daldyn field rare amdphibles from Dalnaya are Fe- enriched pargasites belonging to the Ilm bearing peridotites in middle SCLM part as well as in SCLM beneath thr Udachnaya. But there are Fe- low amphiboles substitutng the orthopyroxenes. In Zarnitsa the Cr - hornblendes occur in shallow garnet pyroxenites. One deep seated richterite substitute garnet grains. Rare amphiboles were detedted in Mirninsky filed in Internatiolnaya pipe and reffer to the resorbed and deformed granets from the Garnet -Spinel facies and from 4.0 GPa boundary. Amphiboles are frequent in the SCLM from the northern part of Siberian craton. In SCLM beneath the Kharmai the Fe- encriched varietes are from the Moho boundary. Common Cr-pargasite occurs to 3 GPa in Obnazhennay, pipe, Kharamai field In mantle SCLM beneath Obnazhennaya pipe and circum Anabr region friquent Cr- pargasies and horblendes refer to the relatively hot branch of mantle lithosphere and probably corresponds to the Triassic mantle reactivation. Mantle Cr- hornbleneds occurs on most upper part of the mantle column beneath Quaternary mujeritic Bartoy vocanoes in Transbaikal. The pargasites and kaersutites in this locality refer to more heated conditions and could be found to 2.0 GPa. Grant RFBR 16.-05-000860

Planet Within a Planet: Rotation of the Inner Core of Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Su; Dziewonski; Jeanloz

1996-12-13

The time dependence of the orientation of Earth's inner core relative to the mantle was determined using a recently discovered 10-degree tilt in the axis of symmetry of the inner core's seismic-velocity anisotropy. Two methods of analyzing travel-time variations for rays traversing the inner core, on the basis of 29 years of data from the International Seismological Centre (1964-1992), reveal that the inner core appears to rotate about 3 degrees per year faster than the mantle. An anomalous variation in inner-core orientation from 1969 to 1973 coincides in time with a sudden change ("jerk") in the geomagnetic field.

The steady part of the secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Bloxham, Jeremy

1992-01-01

The secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field results from the effects of magnetic induction in the fluid outer core and from the effects of magnetic diffusion in the core and the mantle. Adequate observations to map the magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary extend back over three centuries, providing a model of the secular variation at the core-mantle boundary. Here we consider how best to analyze this time-dependent part of the field. To calculate steady core flow over long time periods, we introduce an adaptation of our earlier method of calculating the flow in order to achieve greater numerical stability. We perform this procedure for the periods 1840-1990 and 1690-1840 and find that well over 90 percent of the variance of the time-dependent field can be explained by simple steady core flow. The core flows obtained for the two intervals are broadly similar to each other and to flows determined over much shorter recent intervals.

The role of upper mantle mineral phase transitions on the current structure of large-scale Earth's mantle convection.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoraval, C.

2017-12-01

Describing the large-scale structures of mantle convection and quantifying the mass transfer between upper and lower mantle request to account for the role played by mineral phase transitions in the transition zone. We build a density distribution within the Earth mantle from velocity anomalies described by global seismic tomographic models. The density distribution includes thermal anomalies and topographies of the phase transitions at depths of 410 and 660 km. We compute the flow driven by this density distribution using a 3D spherical circulation model, which account for depth-dependent viscosity. The dynamic topographies at the surface and at the CMB and the geoid are calculated as well. Within the range of viscosity profiles allowing for a satisfying restitution of the long wavelength geoid, we perform a parametric study to decipher the role of the characteristics of phase diagrams - mainly the Clapeyron's slopes - and of the kinetics of phase transitions, which may modify phase transition topographies. Indeed, when a phase transition is delayed, the boundary between two mineral phases is both dragged by the flow and interfere with it. The results are compared to recent estimations of surface dynamic topography and to the phase transition topographies as revealed by seismic studies. The consequences are then discussed in terms of structure of mantle flow. Comparisons between various tomographic models allow us to enlighten the most robust features. At last, the role played by the phase transitions on the lateral variations of mass transfer between upper and lower mantle are quantified by comparison to cases with no phase transitions and confronted to regional tomographic models, which reflect the variability of the behaviors of the descending slabs in the transition zone.

The high-pressure phase diagram of Fe(0.94)O - A possible constituent of the earth's core

Science.gov (United States)

Knittle, Elise; Jeanloz, Raymond

1991-01-01

Electrical resistivity measurements to pressures of 83 GPa and temperatures ranging from 300 K to 4300 K confirm the presence of both crystalline and liquid metallic phases of FeO at pressures above 60-70 GPa and temperatures above 1000 K. By experimentally determinig the melting temperature of FeO to 100 GPa and of a model-core composition at 83 GPa, it is found that the solid-melt equilibria can be described by complete solid solution across the Fe-FeO system at pressures above 70 GPa. The results indicate that oxygen is a viable and likely candidate for the major light alloying element of the earth's liquid outer core. The data suggest that the temperature at the core-mantle boundary is close to 4800 K and that heat lost out of the core accounts for more than 20 percent of the heat flux observed at the surface.

Geographical localisation of the geomagnetic secular variation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aubert, Julien; Finlay, Chris; Olsen, Nils

2013-01-01

the model and geomagnetic data previously processed in the same way. Our results suggest that conservation of angular momentum and heterogeneous thermochemical boundary control in the coupled inner core / outer core / mantle system are central to understanding how Earth’s magnetic field currently evolves......., westward moving, magnetic flux patches at the core surface. Despite its successes in explaining the main morphological properties of Earth’s magnetic field, self-consistent numerical modelling of the geodynamo has so far failed to reproduce this field variation pattern. Furthermore its magnetohydrodynamic...... control from either, or both, the inner-core boundary and the core-mantle boundary. In addition to presenting an Earth-like magnetic field morphology, these new numerical models also reproduce the morphology and localization of geomagnetic secular variation. In our models, the conservation of the angular...

Inverse models of plate coupling and mantle rheology: Towards a direct link between large-scale mantle flow and mega thrust earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Gurnis, M.; Ratnaswamy, V.; Stadler, G.; Rudi, J.; Liu, X.; Ghattas, O.

2017-12-01

We are developing high-resolution inverse models for plate motions and mantle flow to recover the degree of mechanical coupling between plates and the non-linear and plastic parameters governing viscous flow within the lithosphere and mantle. We have developed adjoint versions of the Stokes equations with fully non-linear viscosity with a cost function that measures the fit with plate motions and with regional constrains on effective upper mantle viscosity (from post-glacial rebound and post seismic relaxation). In our earlier work, we demonstrate that when the temperature field is known, the strength of plate boundaries, the yield stress and strain rate exponent in the upper mantle are recoverable. As the plate boundary coupling drops below a threshold, the uncertainty of the inferred parameters increases due to insensitivity of plate motion to plate coupling. Comparing the trade-offs between inferred rheological parameters found from a Gaussian approximation of the parameter distribution and from MCMC sampling, we found that the Gaussian approximation—which is significantly cheaper to compute—is often a good approximation. We have extended our earlier method such that we can recover normal and shear stresses within the zones determining the interface between subducting and over-riding plates determined through seismic constraints (using the Slab1.0 model). We find that those subduction zones with low seismic coupling correspond with low inferred values of mechanical coupling. By fitting plate motion data in the optimization scheme, we find that Tonga and the Marianas have the lowest values of mechanical coupling while Chile and Sumatra the highest, among the subduction zones we have studies. Moreover, because of the nature of the high-resolution adjoint models, the subduction zones with the lowest coupling have back-arc extension. Globally we find that the non-linear stress-strain exponent, n, is about 3.0 +/- 0.25 (in the upper mantle and lithosphere) and a

Lithology and temperature: How key mantle variables control rift volcanism

Science.gov (United States)

Shorttle, O.; Hoggard, M.; Matthews, S.; Maclennan, J.

2015-12-01

Continental rifting is often associated with extensive magmatic activity, emplacing millions of cubic kilometres of basalt and triggering environmental change. The lasting geological record of this volcanic catastrophism are the large igneous provinces found at the margins of many continents and abrupt extinctions in the fossil record, most strikingly that found at the Permo-Triassic boundary. Rather than being considered purely a passive plate tectonic phenomenon, these episodes are frequently explained by the involvement of mantle plumes, upwellings of mantle rock made buoyant by their high temperatures. However, there has been debate over the relative role of the mantle's temperature and composition in generating the large volumes of magma involved in rift and intra-plate volcanism, and even when the mantle is inferred to be hot, this has been variously attributed to mantle plumes or continental insulation effects. To help resolve these uncertainties we have combined geochemical, geophysical and modelling results in a two stage approach: Firstly, we have investigated how mantle composition and temperature contribute to melting beneath Iceland, the present day manifestation of the mantle plume implicated in the 54Ma break up of the North Atlantic. By considering both the igneous crustal production on Iceland and the chemistry of its basalts we have been able to place stringent constraints on the viable temperature and lithology of the Icelandic mantle. Although a >100°C excess temperature is required to generate Iceland's thick igneous crust, geochemistry also indicates that pyroxenite comprises 10% of its source. Therefore, the dynamics of rifting on Iceland are modulated both by thermal and compositional mantle anomalies. Secondly, we have performed a global assessment of the mantle's post break-up thermal history to determine the amplitude and longevity of continental insulation in driving excess volcanism. Using seismically constrained igneous crustal

When the Earth's Inner Core Shuffles

Science.gov (United States)

Tkalcic, H.; Young, M. K.; Bodin, T.; Ngo, S.; Sambridge, M.

2011-12-01

Shuffling is a tribal dance recently adapted by teenagers as a street dance. In one of the most popular moves, the so-called "Running Man", a stomp forward on one foot, shifted without being lifted from the ground, is followed by a change of position backwards on the same foot. Here, we present strong observational evidence from a newly observed collection of earthquake doublets that the Earth's inner core "shuffles" exhibiting both prograde and retrograde rotation in the reference frame of the mantle. This discovery is significant on several levels. First, the observed pattern consists of intermittent intervals of quasi-locked and differentially rotating inner core with respect to the Earth's mantle. This means that the angular alignment of the inner core and mantle oscillates in time over the past five decades. Jolting temporal changes are revealed, indicating that during the excursions from the quasi-locked state, the Earth's inner core can rotate both faster and slower than the rest of the planet, thus exhibiting both eastward and westward rotation. According to our results, a short time interval (on the order of one to two years) is needed for the inner core to accelerate to a differential rotation rate of several degrees per year, and typically a slightly longer time is needed to decelerate down to a negligibly small differential rotation rate. These time scales are in agreement with experimental spin-up times obtained when the magnetic torque alone is used to accelerate the inner core. Second, when we integrate the rotation rate over different time intervals, it is possible to explain discrepancies between the body wave and normal modes results for the rate of the inner core differential rotation found by previous authors. We show that the integrated shift in angular alignment and average rotation rates (previously determined to be constant) in normal mode studies are much smaller that those for the body waves. The repeating earthquakes from the South

Upper-mantle velocity structure and its relation to topography across the Caledonides in Greenland and Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hejrani, Babak; Balling, N.; Jacobsen, B. H.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the upper-mantle P- and S-wave velocity structure as well as structure in the VP/VS ratio across the high topography areas of north Atlantic Caledonides, integrating data from a new East Greenland Caledonide Central Fjord Array (EGCFA) with results of recent studies...... strong upper-mantle velocity boundary under the East Greenland Caledonides. However, the contrast in the VP/VS ratio is not as clear at this location. A correlation study of topography versus upper-mantle velocity revealed positive correlation in southern Norway but negative or absent correlation...

The role of solid-solid phase transitions in mantle convection

Science.gov (United States)

Faccenda, Manuele; Dal Zilio, Luca

2017-01-01

With changing pressure and temperature conditions, downwelling and upwelling crustal and mantle rocks experience several solid-solid phase transitions that affect the mineral physical properties owing to structural changes in the crystal lattice and to the absorption or release of latent heat. Variations in density, together with phase boundary deflections related to the non-null reaction slope, generate important buoyancy forces that add to those induced by thermal perturbations. These buoyancy forces are proportional to the density contrast between reactant and product phases, their volume fraction, the slope and the sharpness of the reaction, and affect the style of mantle convection depending on the system composition. In a homogeneous pyrolitic mantle there is little tendency for layered convection, with slabs that may stagnate in the transition zone because of the positive buoyancy caused by post-spinel and post-ilmenite reactions, and hot plumes that are accelerated by phase transformations in the 600-800 km depth range. By adding chemical and mineralogical heterogeneities as on Earth, phase transitions introduce bulk rock and volatiles filtering effects that generate a compositional gradient throughout the entire mantle, with levels that are enriched or depleted in one or more of these components. Phase transitions often lead to mechanical softening or hardening that can be related to a different intrinsic mechanical behaviour and volatile solubility of the product phases, the heating or cooling associated with latent heat, and the transient grain size reduction in downwelling cold material. Strong variations in viscosity would enhance layered mantle convection, causing slab stagnation and plume ponding. At low temperatures and relatively dry conditions, reactions are delayed due to the sluggish kinetics, so that non-equilibrium phase aggregates can persist metastably beyond the equilibrium phase boundary. Survival of low-density metastable olivine

Upper mantle flow in the western Mediterranean

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panza, G F [Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste (Italy) and Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy); Raykova, R [Geophysical Institute of BAS, Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Carminati, E; Doglioni, C [Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste (Italy)

2006-07-15

Two cross-sections of the western Mediterranean Neogene-to-present backarc basin are presented, in which geological and geophysical data of the Transmed project are tied to a new shear-wave tomography. Major results are i) the presence of a well stratified upper mantle beneath the older African continent, with a marked low-velocity layer between 130-200 km of depth; ii) the dilution of this layer within the younger western Mediterranean backarc basin to the north, and iii) the easterly raising of a shallower low-velocity layer from about 140 km to about 30 km in the Tyrrhenian active part of the backarc basin. These findings suggest upper mantle circulation in the western Mediterranean backarc basin, mostly easterly-directed and affecting the boundary between upper asthenosphere (LVZ) and lower asthenosphere, which undulates between about 180 km and 280 km. (author)

Upper mantle flow in the western Mediterranean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panza, G.F.; Raykova, R.; Carminati, E.; Doglioni, C.

2006-07-01

Two cross-sections of the western Mediterranean Neogene-to-present backarc basin are presented, in which geological and geophysical data of the Transmed project are tied to a new shear-wave tomography. Major results are i) the presence of a well stratified upper mantle beneath the older African continent, with a marked low-velocity layer between 130-200 km of depth; ii) the dilution of this layer within the younger western Mediterranean backarc basin to the north, and iii) the easterly raising of a shallower low-velocity layer from about 140 km to about 30 km in the Tyrrhenian active part of the backarc basin. These findings suggest upper mantle circulation in the western Mediterranean backarc basin, mostly easterly-directed and affecting the boundary between upper asthenosphere (LVZ) and lower asthenosphere, which undulates between about 180 km and 280 km. (author)

Upper Mantle Responses to India-Eurasia Collision in Indochina, Malaysia, and the South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Hongsresawat, S.; Russo, R. M.

2016-12-01

We present new shear wave splitting and splitting intensity measurements from SK(K)S phases recorded at seismic stations of the Malaysian National Seismic Network. These results, in conjunction with results from Tibet and Yunnan provide a basis for testing the degree to which Indochina and South China Sea upper mantle fabrics are responses to India-Eurasia collision. Upper mantle fabrics derived from shear wave splitting measurements in Yunnan and eastern Tibet parallel geodetic surface motions north of 26°N, requiring transmission of tractions from upper mantle depths to surface, or consistent deformation boundary conditions throughout the upper 200 km of crust and mantle. Shear wave splitting fast trends and surface velocities diverge in eastern Yunnan and south of 26°N, indicating development of an asthenospheric layer that decouples crust and upper mantle, or corner flow above the subducted Indo-Burma slab. E-W fast shear wave splitting trends southwest of 26°N/104°E indicate strong gradients in any asthenospheric infiltration. Possible upper mantle flow regimes beneath Indochina include development of olivine b-axis anisotropic symmetry due to high strain and hydrous conditions in the syntaxis/Indo-Burma mantle wedge (i.e., southward flow), development of strong upper mantle corner flow in the Indo-Burma wedge with olivine a-axis anisotropic symmetry (i.e., westward flow), and simple asthenospheric flow due to eastward motion of Sundaland shearing underlying asthenosphere. Further south, shear-wave splitting delay times at Malaysian stations vary from 0.5 seconds on the Malay Peninsula to over 2 seconds at stations on Borneo. Splitting fast trends at Borneo stations and Singapore trend NE-SW, but in northern Peninsular Malaysia, the splitting fast polarization direction is NW-SE, parallel to the trend of the Peninsula. Thus, there is a sharp transition from low delay time and NW-SE fast polarization to high delay times and fast polarization directions that

Quantifying mantle structure and dynamics using plume tracing in seismic tomography

Science.gov (United States)

O'Farrell, K. A.; Eakin, C. M.; Jackson, M. G.; Jones, T. D.; Lekic, V.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.

2017-12-01

Directly linking deep mantle processes with surface features and dynamics is a complex problem. Hotspot volcanism gives us surface observables of mantle signatures, but the depth and source of the mantle plumes feeding these hotspots are highly debated. To address these issues, it is necessary to consider the entire journey of a plume through the mantle. By analyzing the behavior of mantle plumes we can constrain the vigor of mantle convection, the net rotation of the mantle and the role of thermal versus chemical anomalies as well as the bulk physical properties such as the viscosity profile. To do this, we developed a new algorithm to trace plume-like features in shear-wave (Vs) seismic tomography models based on picking local minima in the velocity and searching for continuous features with depth. We applied this method to recent tomographic models and find 60+ continuous plume conduits that are > 750 km long. Approximately a third of these can be associated with known hotspots at the surface. We analyze the morphology of these continuous conduits and infer large scale mantle flow patterns and properties. We find the largest lateral deflections in the conduits occur near the base of the lower mantle and in the upper mantle (near the thermal boundary layers). The preferred orientation of the plume deflections show large variability at all depths and indicate no net mantle rotation. Plate by plate analysis shows little agreement in deflection below particular plates, indicating these deflected features might be long lived and not caused by plate shearing. Changes in the gradient of plume deflection are inferred to correspond with viscosity contrasts in the mantle and found below the transition zone as well as at 1000 km depth. From this inferred viscosity structure, we explore the dynamics of a plume through these viscosity jumps. We also retrieve the Vs profiles for the conduits and compare with the velocity profiles predicted for different mantle adiabat

Observations of Quasi-Love Waves in Tibet Indicates Coherent Deformation of the Crust and Upper Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X.; Park, J. J.

2012-12-01

The high uplift of the Tibet area is caused by the continental collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate. The style of deformation along with the collision is still being debated, particularly whether the deformation is vertically coherent or not, i.e., whether the upper mantle deforms coherently with the crust. In this work, we have used quasi-Love (QL) waves to constrain the anisotropy pattern around the Tibet region. The existence of anisotropy gradients has been identified with the observations of QL waves, which is a converted Rayleigh-wave motion that follows the arrival of the Love wave. Further, the locations of the anisotropy gradients have been pinned with the delay time between the Love wave and the QL wave, which is determined from cross-correlation. Our results show that the frequency content of Tibetan QL wave is centered around 10 mHz, indicating the depth range of anisotropy should be in the asthenosphere. Most of the scatterers of QL wave that we can detect lie outside the Tibet Plateau. Their distribution correlates well with the boundary of the Persia-Tibet- Burma orogeny, which has been identified from surface geologic data. This correlation, between surface geology and upper mantle anisotropy inferred from QL observations at the orogenic boundary, suggests that the crust and upper mantle of the orogeny are deforming coherently. Other scatterers that are off the Persia-Tibet-Burma orogenic boundary mostly cluster in two locations, the Tarim Basin, and the Bangong-Nujiang Suture, where there could exist contrasting anisotropy patterns in the upper mantle. The deformation in the Tibet region is complicated, yet our research suggests a vertically coherent deformation style of the upper mantle in Tibet.

Two decades of temporal change of Earth's inner core boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Jiayuan; Sun, Li; Wen, Lianxing

2015-09-01

We report two decades of changing behavior of the Earth's inner core boundary (ICB), which provides the simplest explanation for the observed temporal change of the compressional seismic waves that are reflected from the ICB (PKiKP) and refracted in the inner core (PKIKP), from earthquake doublets occurring in South Sandwich Islands between 1993 and 2013. In the early period (before 2003), the ICB is enlarged beneath the western coast of Gabon, Republic of Congo, and southwest Tanzania in the reflected points of the PKiKP observed at seismic stations OBN, AAK, and ARU, while it experiences little change beneath Zimbabwe or/and Kenya, and beneath west Angola or/and north Central African Republic, in the PKIKP entry or/and exit points of AAK and ARU observations, respectively. In the later period (after 1998), the ICB regions beneath the western coast of Gabon, Republic of Congo, and southwest Tanzania either shrink or remain unchanged, and the temporal change migrates to beneath Zimbabwe or/and Kenya, and beneath west Angola or/and north Central African Republic, with a decrease of inner core surface by 5.59 km between 1998 and 2009 beneath Zimbabwe or Kenya and by 1.73 km beneath west Angola or north Central African Republic between 1998 and 2013. These results indicate that ICB temporal change occurs in localized regions and is episodic, rapidly migrating, and alternately enlarged and shrunk.

Polarity reversals and tilt of the Earth's magnetic dipole

Science.gov (United States)

Dolginov, A. Z.

1993-01-01

There is evidence that the terrestrial magnetic field is connected with the Earth's mantle: (1) there are magnetic anomalies that do not take part in the westward drift of the main field, but are fixed with respect to the mantle; (2) the geomagnetic pole position flips in a particular way by preferred meridional paths during a reversal; and (3) magnetic polarity reversals are correlated with the activations of geological processes. These facts may be explained if we take into account that a significant horizontal temperature gradient can exist in the top levels of the liquid core because of the different thermoconductivity of the different areas of the core-mantle boundary. These temperature inhomogeneities can penetrate the core because fluxes along the core boundary (the thermal wind) can be strongly suppressed by a small redistribution of the chemical composition in the top of the core. The nonparallel gradients of the temperature, density, and composition on the top of the core create a curled electric field that produces a current and a magnetic field. This seed-field can be amplified by motions in the core. The resulting field does not forget the seed-field distribution and in this way the field on the Earth surface (that can be created only in regions with high conductivity, i.e. in the core) is connected with the core-mantle boundary. Contrary to the usual approach to the dynamo problem, we will take into account that the seed field of thermoelectric origin is acting not only at some initial moment of time but permanently.

Pressure-induced structural change in MgSiO3 glass at pressures near the Earth's core-mantle boundary.

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Yoshio; Shibazaki, Yuki; Kenney-Benson, Curtis; Wang, Yanbin; Shen, Guoyin

2018-02-20

Knowledge of the structure and properties of silicate magma under extreme pressure plays an important role in understanding the nature and evolution of Earth's deep interior. Here we report the structure of MgSiO 3 glass, considered an analog of silicate melts, up to 111 GPa. The first (r1) and second (r2) neighbor distances in the pair distribution function change rapidly, with r1 increasing and r2 decreasing with pressure. At 53-62 GPa, the observed r1 and r2 distances are similar to the Si-O and Si-Si distances, respectively, of crystalline MgSiO 3 akimotoite with edge-sharing SiO 6 structural motifs. Above 62 GPa, r1 decreases, and r2 remains constant, with increasing pressure until 88 GPa. Above this pressure, r1 remains more or less constant, and r2 begins decreasing again. These observations suggest an ultrahigh-pressure structural change around 88 GPa. The structure above 88 GPa is interpreted as having the closest edge-shared SiO 6 structural motifs similar to those of the crystalline postperovskite, with densely packed oxygen atoms. The pressure of the structural change is broadly consistent with or slightly lower than that of the bridgmanite-to-postperovskite transition in crystalline MgSiO 3 These results suggest that a structural change may occur in MgSiO 3 melt under pressure conditions corresponding to the deep lower mantle.

3D Numerical Examination of Continental Mantle Lithosphere Response to Lower Crust Eclogitization and Nearby Slab Subduction

Science.gov (United States)

Janbakhsh, P.; Pysklywec, R.

2017-12-01

2D numerical modeling techniques have made great contribution to understanding geodynamic processes involved in crustal and lithospheric scale deformations for the past 20 years. The aim of this presentation is to expand the scope covered by previous researchers to 3 dimensions to address out-of-plane intrusion and extrusion of mantle material in and out of model space, and toroidal mantle wedge flows. In addition, 3D velocity boundary conditions can create more realistic models to replicate real case scenarios. 3D numerical experiments that will be presented are designed to investigate the density and viscosity effects of lower crustal eclogitization on the decoupling process of continental mantle lithosphere from the crust and its delamination. In addition, these models examine near-field effects of a subducting ocean lithosphere and a lithospheric scale fault zone on the evolution of the processes. The model solutions and predictions will also be compared against the Anatolian geology where subduction of Aegean and Arabian slabs, and the northern boundary with the North Anatolian Fault Zone are considered as two main contributing factors to anomalous crustal uplift, missing mantle lithosphere, and anomalous surface heat flux.

Phase Equilibrium Experiments on Potential Lunar Core Compositions: Extension of Current Knowledge to Multi-Component (Fe-Ni-Si-S-C) Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L.

2014-01-01

Numerous geophysical and geochemical studies have suggested the existence of a small metallic lunar core, but the composition of that core is not known. Knowledge of the composition can have a large impact on the thermal evolution of the core, its possible early dynamo creation, and its overall size and fraction of solid and liquid. Thermal models predict that the current temperature at the core-mantle boundary of the Moon is near 1650 K. Re-evaluation of Apollo seismic data has highlighted the need for new data in a broader range of bulk core compositions in the PT range of the lunar core. Geochemical measurements have suggested a more volatile-rich Moon than previously thought. And GRAIL mission data may allow much better constraints on the physical nature of the lunar core. All of these factors have led us to determine new phase equilibria experimental studies in the Fe-Ni-S-C-Si system in the relevant PT range of the lunar core that will help constrain the composition of Moon's core.

Carbon Solubility in Silicon-Iron-Bearing Metals during Core Formation on Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Vander Kaaden, Kathleen E.; McCubbin, Francis M.; Ross, D. Kent; Rapp, Jennifer F.; Danielson, Lisa R.; Keller, Lindsay P.; Righter, Kevin

2016-01-01

Recent results obtained from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft showed the surface of Mercury has high S abundances (approximately 4 wt%) and low Iron(II) Oxide abundances (less than 2 wt%). Based on these extreme values, the oxygen fugacity of Mercury's surface materials was estimated to be approximately 3 to 7 log(sub 10) units below the IW buffer (Delta IW-3 to Delta IW-7). This highly reducing nature of the planet has resulted in a large core and relatively thin mantle, extending to only approximately 420 km depth (corresponding to a core-mantle boundary pressure of approximately 4-7 GPa) within the planet. Furthermore, MESSENGER results have suggested the presence of carbon on the surface of the planet. Previous experimental results from have also suggested the possibility of a primary floatation crust on Mercury composed of graphite, produced after a global magma ocean event. With these exotic conditions of this compositional end-member planet, it begs the question, what is the core composition of Mercury? Although no definitive conclusion has been reached, previous studies have made advances towards answering this question. Riner et al. and Chen et al. looked at iron sulfide systems and implemented various crystallization and layered core scenarios to try and determine the composition and structure of Mercury's core. Malavergne et al. examined core crystallization scenarios in the presence of sulfur and silicon. Hauck et al. used the most recent geophysical constraints from the MESSENGER spacecraft to model the internal structure of Mercury, including the core, in a iron-sulfur-silicon system. More recently, Chabot et al. conducted a series of metal-silicate partitioning experiments in a iron-sulfur-silicon system. These results showed the core of Mercury has the potential to contain more than 15 wt% silicon. However, with the newest results from MESSENGER's low altitude campaign, carbon is another

Superrotation of Earth’s Inner Core, Extraterrestrial Impacts, and the Effective Viscosity of Outer Core

OpenAIRE

Pirooz Mohazzabi; John D. Skalbeck

2015-01-01

The recently verified superrotation of Earth’s inner core is examined and a new model is presented which is based on the tidal despinning of the mantle and the viscosity of the outer core. The model also takes into account other damping mechanisms arising from the inner core superrotation such as magnetic and gravitational coupling as well as contribution from eddy viscosity in the outer core. The effective viscosity obtained in this model confirms a previously well constrained value of about...

Net Rotation of the Lithosphere in Mantle Convection Models with Self-consistent Plate Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Gerault, M.; Coltice, N.

2017-12-01

Lateral variations in the viscosity structure of the lithosphere and the mantle give rise to a discordant motion between the two. In a deep mantle reference frame, this motion is called the net rotation of the lithosphere. Plate motion reconstructions, mantle flow computations, and inferences from seismic anisotropy all indicate some amount of net rotation using different mantle reference frames. While the direction of rotation is somewhat consistent across studies, the predicted amplitudes range from 0.1 deg/Myr to 0.3 deg/Myr at the present-day. How net rotation rates could have differed in the past is also a subject of debate and strong geodynamic arguments are missing from the discussion. This study provides the first net rotation calculations in 3-D spherical mantle convection models with self-consistent plate generation. We run the computations for billions of years of numerical integration. We look into how sensitive the net rotation is to major tectonic events, such as subduction initiation, continental breakup and plate reorganisations, and whether some governing principles from the models could guide plate motion reconstructions. The mantle convection problem is solved with the finite volume code StagYY using a visco-pseudo-plastic rheology. Mantle flow velocities are solely driven by buoyancy forces internal to the system, with free slip upper and lower boundary conditions. We investigate how the yield stress, the mantle viscosity structure and the properties of continents affect the net rotation over time. Models with large lateral viscosity variations from continents predict net rotations that are at least threefold faster than those without continents. Models where continents cover a third of the surface produce net rotation rates that vary from nearly zero to over 0.3 deg/Myr with rapide increase during continental breakup. The pole of rotation appears to migrate along no particular path. For all models, regardless of the yield stress and the

Re-Os Isotopic Constraints on the Chemical Evolution and Differentiation of the Martian Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Alan D.; Walker, Richard J.

2002-01-01

The (187)Re-187Os isotopic systematics of SNC meteorites, thought to be from Mars, provide valuable information regarding the chemical processes that affected the Martian mantle, particularly with regard to the relative abundances of highly siderophile elements (HSE). Previously published data (Birck and Allegre 1994, Brandon et al. 2000), and new data obtained since these studies, indicate that the HSE and Os isotopic composition of the Martian mantle was primarily set in its earliest differentiation history. If so, then these meteorites provide key constraints on the processes that lead to variation in HSE observed in not only Mars, but also Earth, the Moon and other rocky bodies in the Solar System. Processes that likely have an effect on the HSE budgets of terrestrial mantles include core formation, magma ocean crystallization, development of juvenile crust, and the addition of a late veneer. Each of these processes will result in different HSE variation and the isotopic composition of mantle materials and mantle derived lavas. Two observations on the SNC data to present provide a framework for which to test the importance of each of these processes. First, the concentrations of Re and Os in SNC meteorites indicate that they are derived from a mantle that has similar concentrations to the Earth's mantle. Such an observation is consistent with a model where a chondritic late veneer replenished the Earth and Martian mantles subsequent to core formation on each planet. Alternative models to explain this observation do exist, but will require additional data to test the limitations of each. Second, Re-Os isotopic results from Brandon et al. (2000) and new data presented here, show that initial yos correlates with variations in the short-lived systems of (182)Hf- (182)W and (142)Sm-142Nd in the SNC meteorites (epsilon(sub W) and epsilon(sub 142Nd)). These systematics require an isolation of mantle reservoirs during the earliest differentiation history of Mars, and

A new conceptual model for whole mantle convection and the origin of hotspot plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Masaki

2014-08-01

of mantle convection also speculate that the Earth's mantle convection is not thermally double-layered at the ringwoodite to perovskite + magnesiowüstite (Rw → Pv + Mw) phase boundary, because of its gentle negative Clapeyron slope. This is in contrast with some traditional images of mantle convection that have independent convection cells between the upper and lower mantle. These numerical studies speculate that the generation of stagnant slab at the base of the MTZ (as seismically observed globally) may not be due to the negative Clapeyron slope, and may instead be related to a viscosity increase (i.e., a viscosity jump) at the Rw → Pv + Mw phase boundary, or to a chemically stratified boundary between the upper and the lower mantle, as suggested by a recent high-pressure experiment.

Complex Seismic Anisotropy at the Edges of a Very-low Velocity Province in the Lowermost Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y.; Wen, L.

2005-12-01

phases have similar propagation paths in the lithosphere beneath the array, but different sampling points near the core mantle boundary. The anisotropy in the lithosphere should have a similar influence on SKS and SKKS phases. Therefore, the similar anisotropy obtained from the SKS and SKKS phases sampling inside the VLVP and its correlation with seismic stations suggest that the observed anisotropy variation across the seismic array is mainly due to the anisotropy in the lithosphere beneath the Kaapvaal seismic array, and the interior of the VLVP is isotropic or weakly anisotropic. On the other hand, for the SKS and SKKS phases sampling at the edges of the VLVP, the observed complex anisotropy pattern and the lack of correlation between the results from the SKS and SKKS analyses indicate that part of that anisotropy has to originate from the lowermost mantle near the exit points of these phases at the core mantle boundary, revealing a complex flow pattern at the edges of the VLVP.

Thermal Evolution and Crystallisation Regimes of the Martian Core

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, C. J.; Pommier, A.

2015-12-01

Though it is accepted that Mars has a sulfur-rich metallic core, its chemical and physical state as well as its time-evolution are still unconstrained and debated. Several lines of evidence indicate that an internal magnetic field was once generated on Mars and that this field decayed around 3.7-4.0 Gyrs ago. The standard model assumes that this field was produced by a thermal (and perhaps chemical) dynamo operating in the Martian core. We use this information to construct parameterized models of the Martian dynamo in order to place constraints on the thermochemical evolution of the Martian core, with particular focus on its crystallization regime. Considered compositions are in the FeS system, with S content ranging from ~10 and 16 wt%. Core radius, density and CMB pressure are varied within the errors provided by recent internal structure models that satisfy the available geodetic constraints (planetary mass, moment of inertia and tidal Love number). We also vary the melting curve and adiabat, CMB heat flow and thermal conductivity. Successful models are those that match the dynamo cessation time and fall within the bounds on present-day CMB temperature. The resulting suite of over 500 models suggest three possible crystallization regimes: growth of a solid inner core starting at the center of the planet; freezing and precipitation of solid iron (Fe- snow) from the core-mantle boundary (CMB); and freezing that begins midway through the core. Our analysis focuses on the effects of core properties that are expected to be constrained during the forthcoming Insight mission.

Geophysical constraints on the mantle structure of the Canadian Cordillera and North America Craton

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, T. C.; Currie, C. A.; Unsworth, M. J.

2017-12-01

In western Canada, geophysical data indicate that there is a pronounced contrast in mantle structure between the Canadian Cordillera (CC) and North America craton (NAC). The CC is characterized by lower mantle seismic velocity, higher surface heat flow, lower mantle electrical resistivity and lower effective elastic thickness. These observations are consistent with two distinct thermal regimes: the CC has hot and thin lithosphere, while the NAC lithosphere is cool and thick. The boundary between the CC and NAC coincides with the south-north trending Rocky Mountain Trench - Tintina Fault system. Earlier studies have hypothesized that the thin CC lithosphere is maintained by small-scale convection of hydrated mantle, whereas the NAC lithosphere is dry and resistant to thinning. Here, we test this hypothesis through a detailed examination of two independent data sets: (1) seismic shear-wave (Vs) tomography models and (2) magnetotelluric (MT) measurements of mantle electrical resistivity. We analyze tomography model NA07 at 50-250 km depth and create a mapping of Vs to temperature based on mantle composition (via Perple_X) and a correction for anelasticity. For the CC, the calculated temperature is relatively insensitive to mantle composition but strongly depends on the water content and anelastic correction. With a laboratory-based correction, the estimated temperature is 1150 °C at 100 km depth for wet mantle, compared to 1310 °C for dry mantle; no melt is predicted in either case. An empirical anelastic correction predicts a 115 °C hotter mantle and likely some melt. In contrast, composition is the main control on the calculated temperature for the NAC, especially at depths electrical resistivity is sensitive to mantle temperature and hydration.

Dynamics of upper mantle rocks decompression melting above hot spots under continental plates

Science.gov (United States)

Perepechko, Yury; Sorokin, Konstantin; Sharapov, Victor

2014-05-01

Numeric 2D simulation of the decompression melting above the hot spots (HS) was accomplished under the following conditions: initial temperature within crust mantle section was postulated; thickness of the metasomatized lithospheric mantle is determined by the mantle rheology and position of upper asthenosphere boundary; upper and lower boundaries were postulated to be not permeable and the condition for adhesion and the distribution of temperature (1400-2050°C); lateral boundaries imitated infinity of layer. Sizes and distribution of lateral points, their symmetry, and maximum temperature varied between the thermodynamic condition for existences of perovskite - majorite transition and its excess above transition temperature. Problem was solved numerically a cell-vertex finite volume method for thermo hydrodynamic problems. For increasing convergence of iterative process the method of lower relaxation with different value of relaxation parameter for each equation was used. The method of through calculation was used for the increase in the computing rate for the two-layered upper mantle - lithosphere system. Calculated region was selected as 700 x (2100-4900) km. The time step for the study of the asthenosphere dynamics composed 0.15-0.65 Ma. The following factors controlling the sizes and melting degree of the convective upper mantle, are shown: a) the initial temperature distribution along the section of upper mantleb) sizes and the symmetry of HS, c) temperature excess within the HS above the temperature on the upper and lower mantle border TB=1500-2000oC with 5-15% deviation but not exceed 2350oC. It is found, that appearance of decompression melting with HS presence initiate primitive mantle melting at TB > of 1600oC. Initial upper mantle heating influence on asthenolens dimensions with a constant HS size is controlled mainly by decompression melting degree. Thus, with lateral sizes of HS = 400 km the decompression melting appears at TB > 1600oC and HS

A Bayesian method to quantify azimuthal anisotropy model uncertainties: application to global azimuthal anisotropy in the upper mantle and transition zone

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, K.; Beghein, C.

2018-04-01

Seismic anisotropy is a powerful tool to constrain mantle deformation, but its existence in the deep upper mantle and topmost lower mantle is still uncertain. Recent results from higher mode Rayleigh waves have, however, revealed the presence of 1 per cent azimuthal anisotropy between 300 and 800 km depth, and changes in azimuthal anisotropy across the mantle transition zone boundaries. This has important consequences for our understanding of mantle convection patterns and deformation of deep mantle material. Here, we propose a Bayesian method to model depth variations in azimuthal anisotropy and to obtain quantitative uncertainties on the fast seismic direction and anisotropy amplitude from phase velocity dispersion maps. We applied this new method to existing global fundamental and higher mode Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps to assess the likelihood of azimuthal anisotropy in the deep upper mantle and to determine whether previously detected changes in anisotropy at the transition zone boundaries are robustly constrained by those data. Our results confirm that deep upper-mantle azimuthal anisotropy is favoured and well constrained by the higher mode data employed. The fast seismic directions are in agreement with our previously published model. The data favour a model characterized, on average, by changes in azimuthal anisotropy at the top and bottom of the transition zone. However, this change in fast axes is not a global feature as there are regions of the model where the azimuthal anisotropy direction is unlikely to change across depths in the deep upper mantle. We were, however, unable to detect any clear pattern or connection with surface tectonics. Future studies will be needed to further improve the lateral resolution of this type of model at transition zone depths.

Geothermal Heat Flux and Upper Mantle Viscosity across West Antarctica: Insights from the UKANET and POLENET Seismic Networks

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, J. P.; Dunham, C.; Stuart, G. W.; Brisbourne, A.; Nield, G. A.; Whitehouse, P. L.; Hooper, A. J.; Nyblade, A.; Wiens, D.; Aster, R. C.; Anandakrishnan, S.; Huerta, A. D.; Wilson, T. J.; Winberry, J. P.

2017-12-01

Quantifying the geothermal heat flux at the base of ice sheets is necessary to understand their dynamics and evolution. The heat flux is a composite function of concentration of upper crustal radiogenic elements and flow of heat from the mantle into the crust. Radiogenic element concentration varies with tectonothermal age, while heat flow across the crust-mantle boundary depends on crustal and lithospheric thicknesses. Meanwhile, accurately monitoring current ice mass loss via satellite gravimetry or altimetry hinges on knowing the upper mantle viscosity structure needed to account for the superimposed glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) signal in the satellite data. In early 2016 the UK Antarctic Network (UKANET) of 10 broadband seismometers was deployed for two years across the southern Antarctic Peninsula and Ellsworth Land. Using UKANET data in conjunction with seismic records from our partner US Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET) and the Antarctic Seismographic Argentinian Italian Network (ASAIN), we have developed a 3D shear wave velocity model of the West Antarctic crust and uppermost mantle based on Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity dispersion curves extracted from ambient noise cross-correlograms. We combine seismic receiver functions with the shear wave model to help constrain the depth to the crust-mantle boundary across West Antarctica and delineate tectonic domains. The shear wave model is subsequently converted to temperature using a database of densities and elastic properties of minerals common in crustal and mantle rocks, while the various tectonic domains are assigned upper crustal radiogenic element concentrations based on their inferred tectonothermal ages. We combine this information to map the basal geothermal heat flux variation across West Antarctica. Mantle viscosity depends on factors including temperature, grain size, the hydrogen content of olivine and the presence of melt. Using published mantle xenolith and magnetotelluric

The effects of mantle and anelasticity on nutations, earth tides, and tidal variations in rotation rate

Science.gov (United States)

Wahr, John; Bergen, Zachary

1986-01-01

The paper models the effects of mantle anelasticity on luni-solar nutations, on tidal deformation, on tidal variations in rotation rate, and on the eigenfrequency of the free core nutation. The results can be used to invert observations to solve for the anelastic contributions to the shear and bulk moduli of the upper and lower mantle. Specific anelastic models are used to numerically estimate the effects of anelasticity on these geodetic observables. The nutation estimates are compared with observational results. Among the conclusions: (1) mantle anelasticity is likely to be the most important source of damping for the free core nutation; (2) present VLBI nutation results are, in principle, accurate enough to usefully bound anelasticity at diurnal periods. But the discrepancy between the VLBI observed nutations and the 1984 IAU nutation model cannot be explained by anelasticity and is not yet well enough understood to allow anelasticity to be determined from the data.

NiO and Fe/Mn in Fo-rich olivines from OIB, MORB, and mantle peridotites

Science.gov (United States)

Li, H.; Baker, M.; Hofmann, A. E.; Clague, D.; Stolper, E.

2006-12-01

Olivines from mantle peridotites have a narrow range of NiO (0.36±0.03 [1σ] wt%), but NiO of olivines in basalts suggest NiO in mantle olivines is actually more variable: e.g., Hawaiian phenocrysts (Fo>90) have NiO >0.55%, and olivines from continental flood basalts can have >0.5% NiO. At the other end of the spectrum, some basaltic suites (e.g., Iceland, MORBs) have Fo>90 olivines with NiO >0.2%. Partial melting calculations on peridotites show it is difficult to generate liquids that crystallize Fo>90 olivines with >0.4% NiO without resorting to complex processes. Hypotheses to explain the variability of NiO in mantle-derived olivines include (1) reaction of peridotite with silica-rich melts of eclogite results in decreasing modal abundance of olivine and increasing NiO in olivine [1,2]; (2) magmas with NiO-rich olivines come from sources enriched in NiO due to a core-derived component [3]. [4] proposed that high Fe/Mn of Hawaiian vs. Icelandic and MORB lavas reflect a core-derived component in their sources. Possible core incorporation is poorly constrained but FeO and NiO are expected to increase by such processes, leading to correlations between NiO and Fe/Mn in mantle rocks with significant core-derived components. We present high-precision analyses of Fo-rich olivines from OIBs, MORBs, komatiites, and mantle peridotites, focusing on NiO contents and Fe/Mn ratios. Our goal is to test hypotheses to explain elevated NiO of Fo-rich olivines in basalts. Olivines are Fo85.1-93.4; more were analyzed, but we focused on this range to avoid complications due to decreasing NiO in olivine with crystallization. Errors (1σ) are 0.01 wt% in NiO and 1.5 in Fe/Mn (wt). Our data show several features: (1) NiO contents and Fe/Mn ratios of Fo>88 olivines are positively correlated, with the low end of the trend (NiO ~0.23%, Fe/Mn ~61) defined by MORB and Iceland and the high end of the trend (NiO ~0.55%, Fe/Mn ~80) by Reunion and Hawaii. Between these end points, there is a

Modelling the possible interaction between edge-driven convection and the Canary Islands mantle plume

Science.gov (United States)

Negredo, A. M.; Rodríguez-González, J.; Fullea, J.; Van Hunen, J.

2017-12-01

The close location between many hotspots and the edges of cratonic lithosphere has led to the hypothesis that these hotspots could be explained by small-scale mantle convection at the edge of cratons (Edge Driven Convection, EDC). The Canary Volcanic Province hotspot represents a paradigmatic example of this situation due to its close location to the NW edge of the African Craton. Geochemical evidence, prominent low seismic velocity anomalies in the upper and lower mantle, and the rough NE-SW age-progression of volcanic centers consistently point out to a deep-seated mantle plume as the origin of the Canary Volcanic Province. It has been hypothesized that the plume material could be affected by upper mantle convection caused by the thermal contrast between thin oceanic lithosphere and thick (cold) African craton. Deflection of upwelling blobs due to convection currents would be responsible for the broader and more irregular pattern of volcanism in the Canary Province compared to the Madeira Province. In this study we design a model setup inspired on this scenario to investigate the consequences of possible interaction between ascending mantle plumes and EDC. The Finite Element code ASPECT is used to solve convection in a 2D box. The compositional field and melt fraction distribution are also computed. Free slip along all boundaries and constant temperature at top and bottom boundaries are assumed. The initial temperature distribution assumes a small long-wavelength perturbation. The viscosity structure is based on a thick cratonic lithosphere progressively varying to a thin, or initially inexistent, oceanic lithosphere. The effects of assuming different rheologies, as well as steep or gradual changes in lithospheric thickness are tested. Modelling results show that a very thin oceanic lithosphere (models assuming temperature-dependent viscosity and large viscosity variations evolve to large-scale (upper mantle) convection cells, with upwelling of hot material being

Hydrogen-bearing iron peroxide and the origin of ultralow-velocity zones

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jin; Hu, Qingyang; Young Kim, Duck; Wu, Zhongqing; Wang, Wenzhong; Xiao, Yuming; Chow, Paul; Meng, Yue; Prakapenka, Vitali B.; Mao, Ho-Kwang; Mao, Wendy L.

2017-11-01

Ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZs) at Earth’s core-mantle boundary region have important implications for the chemical composition and thermal structure of our planet, but their origin has long been debated. Hydrogen-bearing iron peroxide (FeO2Hx) in the pyrite-type crystal structure was recently found to be stable under the conditions of the lowermost mantle. Using high-pressure experiments and theoretical calculations, we find that iron peroxide with a varying amount of hydrogen has a high density and high Poisson ratio as well as extremely low sound velocities consistent with ULVZs. Here we also report a reaction between iron and water at 86 gigapascals and 2,200 kelvin that produces FeO2Hx. This would provide a mechanism for generating the observed volume occupied by ULVZs through the reaction of about one-tenth the mass of Earth’s ocean water in subducted hydrous minerals with the effectively unlimited reservoir of iron in Earth’s core. Unlike other candidates for the composition of ULVZs, FeO2Hx synthesized from the superoxidation of iron by water would not require an extra transportation mechanism to migrate to the core-mantle boundary. These dense FeO2Hx-rich domains would be expected to form directly in the core-mantle boundary region and their properties would provide an explanation for the many enigmatic seismic features that are observed in ULVZs.

Gravitational torque on the inner core and decadal polar motion

Science.gov (United States)

Dumberry, Mathieu

2008-03-01

A decadal polar motion with an amplitude of approximately 25 milliarcsecs (mas) is observed over the last century, a motion known as the Markowitz wobble. The origin of this motion remains unknown. In this paper, we investigate the possibility that a time-dependent axial misalignment between the density structures of the inner core and mantle can explain this signal. The longitudinal displacement of the inner core density structure leads to a change in the global moment of inertia of the Earth. In addition, as a result of the density misalignment, a gravitational equatorial torque leads to a tilt of the oblate geometric figure of the inner core, causing a further change in the global moment of inertia. To conserve angular momentum, an adjustment of the rotation vector must occur, leading to a polar motion. We develop theoretical expressions for the change in the moment of inertia and the gravitational torque in terms of the angle of longitudinal misalignment and the density structure of the mantle. A model to compute the polar motion in response to time-dependent axial inner core rotations is also presented. We show that the polar motion produced by this mechanism can be polarized about a longitudinal axis and is expected to have decadal periodicities, two general characteristics of the Markowitz wobble. The amplitude of the polar motion depends primarily on the Y12 spherical harmonic component of mantle density, on the longitudinal misalignment between the inner core and mantle, and on the bulk viscosity of the inner core. We establish constraints on the first two of these quantities from considerations of the axial component of this gravitational torque and from observed changes in length of day. These constraints suggest that the maximum polar motion from this mechanism is smaller than 1 mas, and too small to explain the Markowitz wobble.

Melting phase relations in the Fe-S and Fe-S-O systems at core conditions in small terrestrial bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Pommier, Anne; Laurenz, Vera; Davies, Christopher J.; Frost, Daniel J.

2018-05-01

We report an experimental investigation of phase equilibria in the Fe-S and Fe-S-O systems. Experiments were performed at high temperatures (1400-1850 °C) and high pressures (14 and 20 GPa) using a multi-anvil apparatus. The results of this study are used to understand the effect of sulfur and oxygen on core dynamics in small terrestrial bodies. We observe that the formation of solid FeO grains occurs at the Fe-S liquid - Fe solid interface at high temperature ( > 1400 °C at 20 GPa). Oxygen fugacities calculated for each O-bearing sample show that redox conditions vary from ΔIW = -0.65 to 0. Considering the relative density of each phase and existing evolutionary models of terrestrial cores, we apply our experimental results to the cores of Mars and Ganymede. We suggest that the presence of FeO in small terrestrial bodies tends to contribute to outer-core compositional stratification. Depending on the redox and thermal history of the planet, FeO may also help form a transitional redox zone at the core-mantle boundary.

Possible Role of Hydrogen in the Earth Core

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, E.; Imai, T.

2011-12-01

Possible role of hydrogen in the Earth core has been discussed by Stevenson (1977) and demonstrated experimentally by Fukai (1984), Okuchi (1997) and others. Planetary theory proposes a possibility of hydrogen incorporation in Earth's magma ocean from ambient solar nebula gas (Ikoma & Genda 2005, Genda & Ikoma 2008). More recently, migration of snow line during planet formation was examined (Min et al., 2010; Oka et al, 2011) and it was proposed that the Earth building material originally contained abundant water as ice and hydrous minerals. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the fate of water in the planet building process and clarify the role of hydrogen in the planetary core. Using SPring-8 synchrotron (NaCl capsule, LiAlH4 as hydrogen source), we determined the melting curve of FeH up to 20 GPa under hydrogen saturated conditions (Sakamaki, Takahashi et al, 2009). Observed melting point is below 1300C and has a very small dT/dP slope. By extrapolating the melting curve using Lindeman's law, we proposed that hydrogen could lower the melting temperature of the Earth core by more than 1500K than current estimate. Here we report our new experiments using SPring-8 synchrotron (single crystal diamond capsule, water as hydrogen source). Hydrogen concentration and melting temperature of FeHx that coexists with hydrous mantle minerals were determined at 15-20GPa and 1000-1600C. We show that 1) hydrogen concentration in FeHx at 1000C, coexisting with hydrous-B and ringwoodite is approximately X=0.6. 2) Upon heating, hydrous-B decomposes and hydrogen strongly partitions into FeHx (X=0.8~1.0) than ringwoodite. 3) FeHx that coexists with ringwoodite melts between ~1300C (solidus) and ~1600C (liquidus). Combined our new experiments with those by Sakamaki et al (2009) and Shibazaki et al (2009), partitioning of hydrogen between proto-core and primitive mantle is discussed. We propose that >90% of water in the source material may have entered the Earth core. Given

Upper-mantle P- and S- wave velocities across the Northern Tornquist Zone from traveltime tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hejrani, Babak; Balling, N.; Jacobsen, B. H.

2015-01-01

This study presents P- and S-wave velocity variations for the upper mantle in southern Scandinavia and northern Germany based on teleseismic traveltime tomography. Tectonically, this region includes the entire northern part of the prominent Tornquist Zone which follows along the transition from old...... delineated between shield areas (with high seismic mantle velocity) and basins (with lower velocity). It continues northwards into southern Norway near the Oslo Graben area and further north across the Southern Scandes Mountains. This main boundary, extending to a depth of at least 300 km, is even more...

Deformation, Fluid Flow and Mantle Serpentinization at Oceanic Transform Faults

Science.gov (United States)

Rupke, L.; Hasenclever, J.

2017-12-01

Oceanic transform faults (OTF) and fracture zones have long been hypothesized to be sites of enhanced fluid flow and biogeochemical exchange. In this context, the serpentine forming interaction between seawater and cold lithospheric mantle rocks is particularly interesting. The transformation of peridotite to serpentinite not only leads to hydration of oceanic plates and is thereby an important agent of the geological water cycle, it is also a mechanism of abiotic hydrogen and methane formation, which can support archeal and bacterial communities at the seafloor. Inferring the likely amount of mantle undergoing serpentinization reactions therefore allows estimating the amount of biomass that may be autotrophically produced at and around oceanic transform faults and mid-ocean ridges Here we present results of 3-D geodynamic model simulations that explore the interrelations between deformation, fluid flow, and mantle serpentinization at oceanic transform faults. We investigate how slip rate and fault offset affect the predicted patterns of mantle serpentinization around oceanic transform faults. Global rates of mantle serpentinization and associated H2 production are calculated by integrating the modeling results with plate boundary data. The global additional OTF-related production of H2 is found to be between 6.1 and 10.7 x 1011 mol per year, which is comparable to the predicted background mid-ocean ridge rate of 4.1 - 15.0 x 1011 mol H2/yr. This points to oceanic transform faults as potential sites of intense fluid-rock interaction, where chemosynthetic life could be sustained by serpentinization reactions.

Bottom-up control of geomagnetic secular variation by the Earth's inner core

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aubert, Julien; Finlay, Chris; Fournier, Alexandre

2013-01-01

of geomagnetic secular variation. Here we show that it can be reproduced provided that two mechanisms relying on the inner core are jointly considered. First, gravitational coupling5 aligns the inner core with the mantle, forcing the flow of liquid metal in the outer core into a giant, westward drifting, sheet...... release in the outer core which in turn distorts the gyre, forcing it to become eccentric, in agreement with recent core flow inversions6, 10, 11. This bottom-up heterogeneous driving of core convection dominates top-down driving from mantle thermal heterogeneities, and localizes magnetic variations......Temporal changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, known as geomagnetic secular variation, occur most prominently at low latitudes in the Atlantic hemisphere1, 2 (that is, from −90 degrees east to 90 degrees east), whereas in the Pacific hemisphere there is comparatively little activity...

Influence of mantle viscosity structure and mineral grain size on fluid migration pathways in the mantle wedge.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerpa, N. G.; Wada, I.; Wilson, C. R.; Spiegelman, M. W.

2016-12-01

We develop a 2D numerical porous flow model that incorporates both grain size distribution and matrix compaction to explore the fluid migration (FM) pathways in the mantle wedge. Melt generation for arc volcanism is thought to be triggered by slab-derived fluids that migrate into the hot overlying mantle and reduce its melting temperature. While the narrow location of the arcs relative to the top of the slab ( 100±30 km) is a robust observation, the release of fluids is predicted to occur over a wide range of depth. Reconciling such observations and predictions remains a challenge for the geodynamic community. Fluid transport by porous flow depends on the permeability of the medium which in turn depends on fluid fraction and mineral grain size. The grain size distribution in the mantle wedge predicted by laboratory derived laws was found to be a possible mechanism to focusing of fluids beneath the arcs [Wada and Behn, 2015]. The viscous resistance of the matrix to the volumetric strain generates compaction pressure that affects fluid flow and can also focus fluids towards the arc [Wilson et al, 2014]. We thus have developed a 2D one-way coupled Darcy's-Stokes flow model (solid flow independent of fluid flow) for the mantle wedge that combines both effects. For the solid flow calculation, we use a kinematic-dynamic approach where the system is driven by the prescribed slab velocity. The solid rheology accounts for both dislocation and diffusion creep and we calculate the grain size distribution following Wada and Behn [2015]. In our fluid flow model, the permeability of the medium is grain size dependent and the matrix bulk viscosity depends on solid shear viscosity and fluid fraction. The fluid influx from the slab is imposed as a boundary condition at the base of the mantle wedge. We solve the discretized governing equations using the software package TerraFERMA. Applying a range of model parameter values, including slab age, slab dip, subduction rate, and fluid

Models of the earth's core

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, D. J.

1981-01-01

Combined inferences from seismology, high-pressure experiment and theory, geomagnetism, fluid dynamics, and current views of terrestrial planetary evolution lead to models of the earth's core with five basic properties. These are that core formation was contemporaneous with earth accretion; the core is not in chemical equilibrium with the mantle; the outer core is a fluid iron alloy containing significant quantities of lighter elements and is probably almost adiabatic and compositionally uniform; the more iron-rich inner solid core is a consequence of partial freezing of the outer core, and the energy release from this process sustains the earth's magnetic field; and the thermodynamic properties of the core are well constrained by the application of liquid-state theory to seismic and labroatory data.

Technology for Boundaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Kristensen, Jannie Friis; Nielsen, Christina

2003-01-01

.After analysing the history and the current boundary work, the paper will propose new technological support for boundary work. In particular the paper will suggest means of supporting boundaries when these are productive and for changing boundaries when this seems more appropriate. In total, flexible technologies......This paper presents a study of an organisation, which is undergoing a process transforming organisational and technological boundaries. In particular, we shall look at three kinds of boundaries: the work to maintain and change the boundary between the organisation and its customers; boundaries...... seem a core issue when dealing with technology for boundaries....

Metal-silicate Partitioning and Its Role in Core Formation and Composition on Super-Earths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, Laura; Petaev, M. I.; Sasselov, Dimitar D. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Jacobsen, Stein B.; Remo, John L., E-mail: lschaefer@asu.edu [Harvard University, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 20 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-02-01

We use a thermodynamic framework for silicate-metal partitioning to determine the possible compositions of metallic cores on super-Earths. We compare results using literature values of the partition coefficients of Si and Ni, as well as new partition coefficients calculated using results from laser shock-induced melting of powdered metal-dunite targets at pressures up to 276 GPa, which approaches those found within the deep mantles of super-Earths. We find that larger planets may have little to no light elements in their cores because the Si partition coefficient decreases at high pressures. The planet mass at which this occurs will depend on the metal-silicate equilibration depth. We also extrapolate the equations of state (EOS) of FeO and FeSi alloys to high pressures, and present mass–radius diagrams using self-consistent planet compositions assuming equilibrated mantles and cores. We confirm the results of previous studies that the distribution of elements between mantle and core will not be detectable from mass and radius measurements alone. While observations may be insensitive to interior structure, further modeling is sensitive to compositionally dependent properties, such as mantle viscosity and core freeze-out properties. We therefore emphasize the need for additional high pressure measurements of partitioning as well as EOSs, and highlight the utility of the Sandia Z-facilities for this type of work.

Deformation of "stable" continental interiors by mantle convection: Implications for intraplate stress in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Forte, A. M.; Moucha, R.; Simmons, N. A.; Grand, S. P.; Mitrovica, J. X.

2011-12-01

The enigmatic origin of large-magnitude earthquakes far from active plate boundaries, especially those occurring in so-called "stable" continental interiors, is a source of continuing controversy that has eluded a satisfactory explanation using past geophysical models of intraplate deformation and faulting. One outstanding case of such major intraplate earthquakes is the 1811-1812 series of events in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). We contend that the origin of some of these enigmatic intraplate events is due to regional variations in the pattern of tectonic stress generated by mantle convective flow acting on the overlying lithosphere and crust. Mantle convection affects the entire surface of the planet, irrespective of the current configuration of surface plate boundaries. In addition, it must be appreciated that plate tectonics is not a 2-D process, because the convective flow that drives the observed horizontal motions of the tectonic plates also drives vertical displacements of the crust across distances as great as 2 to 3 km. This dynamic topography is directly correlated with convection-driven stress field variations in the crust and lithosphere and these stresses can be locally focussed if the mantle rheology below the lithosphere is characterised by sufficiently low viscosities. We have developed global models of convection-driven mantle flow [Forte et al. 2009,2010] that are based on recent high-resolution 3-D tomography models derived from joint inversions of seismic, geodynamic and mineral physics data [Simmons et al. 2007,2008,2010]. These tomography-based mantle convection models also include a full suite of surface geodynamic (postglacial rebound and convection) constraints on the depth-dependent average viscosity of the mantle [Mitrovica & Forte 2004]. Our latest tomography-based and geodynamically-constrained convection calculations reveal that mantle flow under the central US are driven by density anomalies within the lower mantle associated

Slab Penetration vs. Slab Stagnation: Mantle Reflectors as an Indicator

Science.gov (United States)

Okeler, A.; Gu, Y. J.; Schultz, R.; Contenti, S. M.

2011-12-01

Subducting oceanic lithosphere along convergent margins may stagnate near the base of the upper mantle or penetrate into the lower mantle. These dynamic processes cause extensive thermal and compositional variations, which can be observed in terms of impedance contrast (reflectivity) and topography of mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities, i.e., 410- and 660-km discontinuities. In this study, we utilize ~ 15000 surface-reflected shear waves (SS) and their precursory arrivals (S410S and S660S) to analyze subduction related deformations on mantle reflectivity structure. We apply pre-stack, time-to-depth migration technique to SS precursors, and move weak underside reflections using PREM-predicted travel-time curves. Common Mid-point gathers are formed to investigate structure under the western Pacific, south America, and Mediterranean convergent boundaries. In general, mantle reflectivity structures are consistent with previous seismic tomography models. In regions of slab penetration (e.g., southern Kurile arc, Aegean Sea), our results show 1) a substantial decrease in S660S amplitude, and 2) strong lower mantle reflector(s) at ~ 900 km depth. These reflective structures are supported by zones of high P and S velocities extending into the lower mantle. Our 1-D synthetic simulations suggest that the decreasing S660S amplitudes are, at least partially, associated with shear wave defocusing due to changes in reflector depth (by ±20 km) within averaging bin. Assuming a ~500 km wide averaging area, a dipping reflector with 6-8 % slope can reduce the amplitude of a SS precursor by ~50%. On the other hand, broad depressions with strong impedance contrast at the base of the MTZ characterize the regions of slab stagnation, such as beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea and northeastern China. For the latter region, substantial topography on the 660-km discontinuity west of the Wadati-Benioff zone suggests that the stagnant part of the Pacific plate across Honshu arc is not

Composition of the earth's upper mantle. II - Volatile trace elements in ultramafic xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, J. W.; Wandless, G. A.; Petrie, R. K.; Irving, A. J.

1980-01-01

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis was used to determine the nine volatile elements Ag, Bi, Cd, In, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, and Zn in 19 ultramafic rocks, consisting mainly of spinel and garnet lherzolites. A sheared garnet lherzolite, PHN 1611, may approximate undepleted mantle material and tends to have a higher volatile element content than the depleted mantle material represented by spinel lherzolites. Comparisons of continental basalts with PHN 1611 and of oceanic ridge basalts with spinel lherzolites show similar basalt: source material partition factors for eight of the nine volatile elements, Sb being the exception. The strong depletion of Te and Se in the mantle, relative to lithophile elements of similar volatility, suggests that 97% of the earth's S, Se and Te may be in the outer core.

Extreme Hf and light Fe isotopes in Archean komatiites - a remnant of very early mantle depletion?

Science.gov (United States)

Nebel, O.; Sossi, P.; Campbell, I. H.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.

2014-12-01

Hafnium isotope signatures in some Archean komatiites (ca. 3.5-3.0 billion years old) require a mantle source with a time-integrated Lu/Hf that exceeds average modern depleted mantle. Investigation of the timing and locus of parent-daughter fractionation in their mantle sources potentially constrains differentiation processes in the early Earth and their subsequent distribution and storage. In addition, they may help to constrain the Hf isotope evolution of the greater depleted mantle. In order to shed light on these processes, we discuss radiogenic Hf isotopes in conjunction with stable Fe isotope systematics in Archean komatiites from the Pilbara craton in Western Australia. Our findings indicate that, after careful evaluation of the effects of alteration, pristine samples are characterised by initial 176Hf/177Hf, which lie above the age-corrected depleted mantle, as a consequence of ancient melt extraction. Iron isotope systematics for these samples further point to a mantle source that is isotopically lighter than average modern depleted mantle, which is also consistent with melt-depletion. Taken together, these observations require a component of an old, super-depleted reservoir in the komatiite mantle source(s) that survived in the mantle for possibly hundreds of millions of years. The Lu/Hf of this refractory mantle appears to be complementary to, and therefore contemporaneous with, the first terrestrial crust, as preserved in Hadean (i.e., > 4 Ga) detrital zircon cores, which may indicate a causal relationship between them. We will discuss implications for very early mantle dynamics and the formation of very early mantle reservoirs.

Mass Redistribution in the Core and Time-varying Gravity at the Earth's Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Wei-Jia; Chao, Benjamin F.; Fang, Ming

2003-01-01

The Earth's liquid outer core is in convection, as suggested by the existence of the geomagnetic field in much of the Earth's history. One consequence of the convection is the redistribution of mass resulting from relative motion among fluid parcels with slightly different densities. This time dependent mass redistribution inside the core produces a small perturbation on the gravity field of the Earth. With our numerical dynamo solutions, we find that the mass redistribution (and the resultant gravity field) symmetric about the equator is much stronger than that anti-symmetric about the equator. In particular, J(sub 2) component is the strongest. In addition, the gravity field variation increases with the Rayleigh number that measures the driving force for the geodynamo in the core. With reasonable scaling from the current dynamo solutions, we could expect that at the surface of the Earth, the J(sub 2) variation from the core is on the order of l0(exp -16)/year relative to the mean (i.e. spherically symmetric) gravity field of the Earth. The possible shielding effect due to core-mantle boundary pressure variation loading is likely much smaller and is therefore negligible. Our results suggest that time-varying gravity field perturbation due to core mass redistribution may be measured with modem space geodetic observations, which will result a new means of detecting dynamical processes in the Earth's deep interior.

Dynamic Responses of the Earth's Outer Core to Assimilation of Observed Geomagnetic Secular Variation

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Weijia; Tangborn, Andrew

2014-01-01

Assimilation of surface geomagnetic observations and geodynamo models has advanced very quickly in recent years. However, compared to advanced data assimilation systems in meteorology, geomagnetic data assimilation (GDAS) is still in an early stage. Among many challenges ranging from data to models is the disparity between the short observation records and the long time scales of the core dynamics. To better utilize available observational information, we have made an effort in this study to directly assimilate the Gauss coefficients of both the core field and its secular variation (SV) obtained via global geomagnetic field modeling, aiming at understanding the dynamical responses of the core fluid to these additional observational constraints. Our studies show that the SV assimilation helps significantly to shorten the dynamo model spin-up process. The flow beneath the core-mantle boundary (CMB) responds significantly to the observed field and its SV. The strongest responses occur in the relatively small scale flow (of the degrees L is approx. 30 in spherical harmonic expansions). This part of the flow includes the axisymmetric toroidal flow (of order m = 0) and non-axisymmetric poloidal flow with m (is) greater than 5. These responses can be used to better understand the core flow and, in particular, to improve accuracies of predicting geomagnetic variability in future.

Active and fossil mantle flows in the western Alpine region unravelled by seismic anisotropy analysis and high-resolution P wave tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Salimbeni, Simone; Malusà, Marco G.; Zhao, Liang; Guillot, Stéphane; Pondrelli, Silvia; Margheriti, Lucia; Paul, Anne; Solarino, Stefano; Aubert, Coralie; Dumont, Thierry; Schwartz, Stéphane; Wang, Qingchen; Xu, Xiaobing; Zheng, Tianyu; Zhu, Rixiang

2018-04-01

The anisotropy of seismic velocities in the mantle, when integrated with high-resolution tomographic models and geologic information, can be used to detect active mantle flows in complex plate boundary areas, providing new insights on the impact of mantle processes on the topography of mountain belts. Here we use a densely spaced array of temporary broadband seismic stations to analyze the seismic anisotropy pattern of the western Alpine region, at the boundary between the Alpine and Apenninic slabs. Our results are supportive of a polyphase development of anisotropic mantle fabrics, possibly starting from the Jurassic to present. Geophysical data presented in this work, and geologic evidence taken from the literature, indicate that: (i) fossil fabrics formed during Tethyan rifting may be still preserved within the Alpine and Apenninic slabs; (ii) mantle deformation during Apenninic slab rollback is not compensated by a complete toroidal flow around the northern tip of the retreating slab; (iii) the previously observed continuous trend of anisotropy fast axes near-parallel to the western Alpine arc is confirmed. We observe that this arc-parallel trend of fast axes is located in correspondence to a low velocity anomaly in the European upper mantle, beneath regions of the Western and Ligurian Alps showing the highest uplift rates. We propose that the progressive rollback of the Apenninic slab, in the absence of a counterclockwise toroidal flow at its northern tip, induced a suction effect at the scale of the supraslab mantle. The resulting mantle flow pattern was characterized by an asthenospheric counterflow at the rear of the unbroken Western Alps slab and around its southern tip, and by an asthenospheric upwelling, mirrored by low P wave velocities, that would have favored the topographic uplift of the Alpine belt from the Mont Blanc to the Mediterranean sea.

Boundary perturbations coupled to core 3/2 tearing modes on the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobias, B; Yu, L; Domier, C W; Luhmann, N C Jr; Austin, M E; Paz-Soldan, C; Turnbull, A D; Classen, I G J

2013-01-01

High confinement (H-mode) discharges on the DIII-D tokamak are routinely subject to the formation of long-lived, non-disruptive magnetic islands that degrade confinement and limit fusion performance. Simultaneous, 2D measurement of electron temperature fluctuations in the core and edge regions allows for reconstruction of the radially resolved poloidal mode number spectrum and phase of the global plasma response associated with these modes. Coherent, n = 2 excursions of the plasma boundary are found to be the result of coupling to an n = 2, kink-like mode which arises locked in phase to the 3/2 island chain. This coupling dictates the relative phase of the displacement at the boundary with respect to the tearing mode. This unambiguous phase relationship, for which no counter-examples are observed, is presented as a test for modeling of the perturbed fields to be expected outside the confined plasma. (paper)

OUTFLOWS AND DARK BANDS AT ARCADE-LIKE ACTIVE REGION CORE BOUNDARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, J. T.; Martens, P. C. H.; Tarr, L. [Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States)

2013-03-10

Observations from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode have revealed outflows and non-thermal line broadening in low intensity regions at the edges of active regions (ARs). We use data from Hinode's EIS, Solar Dynamic Observatory's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, and the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer instrument to investigate the boundaries of arcade-like AR cores for NOAA ARs 11112, 10978, and 9077. A narrow, low intensity region that is observed at the core's periphery as a dark band shows outflows and increased spectral line broadening. This dark band is found to exist for days and appears between the bright coronal loop structures of different coronal topologies. We find a case where the dark band region is formed between the magnetic field from emerging flux and the field of the pre-existing flux. A magnetic field extrapolation indicates that this dark band is coincident with the spine lines or magnetic separatrices in the extrapolated field. This occurs over unipolar regions where the brightened coronal field is separated in connectivity and topology. This separation does not appear to be infinitesimal and an initial estimate of the minimum distance of separation is found to be Almost-Equal-To 1.5-3.5 Mm.

Deep Mantle Origin for the DUPAL Anomaly?

Science.gov (United States)

Ingle, S.; Weis, D.

2002-12-01

Twenty years after the discovery of the Dupal Anomaly, its origin remains a geochemical and geophysical enigma. This anomaly is associated with the Southern Hemisphere oceanic mantle and is recognized by basalts with geochemical characteristics such as low 206Pb/204Pb and high 87Sr/86Sr. Both mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and ocean island basalts (OIB) are affected, despite originating from melting at different depths and of different mantle sources. We compile geochemical data for both MORB and OIB from the three major oceans to help constrain the physical distribution and chemical composition of the Dupal Anomaly. There is a clear decrease in 206Pb/204Pb and an increase in 87Sr/86Sr with more southerly latitude for Indian MORB and OIB; these correlations are less obvious in the Atlantic and non-existent in the Pacific. The average* 143Nd/144Nd for Pacific and Atlantic OIB is 0.5129, but is lower for Indian OIB (0.5128). Interestingly, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian OIB all have 176Hf/177Hf averages of 0.2830. Indian MORB also record this phenomenon of low Nd with normal Hf isotopic compositions (Chauvel and Blichert-Toft, EPSL, 2001). Hf isotopes appear, therefore, to be a valid isotopic proxy for measuring the presence and magnitude of the Dupal Anomaly at specific locations. Wen (EPSL, 2001) reported a low-velocity layer at the D'' boundary beneath the Indian Ocean from which the Dupal Anomaly may originate. This hypothesis may be consistent with our compilations demonstrating that the long-lived Dupal Anomaly does not appear to be either mixing efficiently into the upper mantle or spreading to other ocean basins through time. We suggest that the Dupal source could be continually tapped by upwelling Indian Ocean mantle plumes. Plumes would then emplace pockets of Dupal material into the upper mantle and other ascending plumes might further disperse this material into the shallow asthenosphere. This could explain both the presence of the Dupal signature in MORB

Uranium in mantle processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortini, M.

1984-01-01

(1) Metasomatism is an effective process in the mantle. It controls the distribution of U, Th and Pb in the mantle before the onset of magma formation. (2) Radioactive disequilibria demonstrate that magma formation is an open-system very fast process in which Ra, U and Th are extracted in large amounts from a mantle source that is geochemically distinct from the mantle fraction from which the melt is formed. (3) Because the enrichment of U, Th and Ra in the magma is so fast, the concept of mineral-melt partition coefficient is not valid for these elements during magma formation. (4) Metasomatism seems to generally produce an increase in μ and a decrease in K of the metasomatized mantle region. (5) Magma formation at oceanic ridges and islands seems to generally produce a decrease in K, in its mantle source region. (6) The major source of U, Th, Ra and Pb in a magma probably is the metasomatic mantle component. Instead, the major source of Sr and Nd in a magma is the non-metasomatic, more 'refractory' mantle component. (7) This proposed model is testable. It predicts isotopic disequilibrium of Pb between coexisting minerals and whole rocks, and a correlation of Pb with Th isotopes. (author)

Molybdenum isotope fractionation in the mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yu-Hsuan; Halliday, Alex N.; Siebert, Chris; Fitton, J. Godfrey; Burton, Kevin W.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Harvey, Jason

2017-02-01

concentrations of all the ultramafic xenoliths of 40-400 ppb, similar to or, significantly higher than, current estimates for the BSE (39 ppb). On this basis a revised best estimate of the Mo content in the BSE based on these concentrations would be in the range 113-180 ppb, significantly higher than previously assumed. These values are similar to the levels of depletion in the other refractory moderately siderophile elements W, Ni and Co. A simpler explanation may be that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle has been selectively enriched in Mo leading to the higher concentrations observed. Cryptic melt metasomatism would be difficult to reconcile with the high Mo/Ce of the most LREE depleted xenoliths. Ancient Mo-enriched subducted components would be expected to have heavy δ98/95Mo, which is not observed. The Mo isotope composition of the BSE, cannot be reliably resolved from that of chondrites at this time despite experimental evidence for metal-silicate fractionation. An identical isotopic composition might result from core-mantle differentiation under very high temperatures such as were associated with the Moon-forming Giant Impact, or from the BSE inventory reflecting addition of moderately siderophile elements from an oxidised Moon-forming impactor (O'Neill, 1991). However, the latter would be inconsistent with the non-chondritic radiogenic W isotopic composition of the BSE. Based on mantle fertility arguments, Mo in the BSE could even be lighter (lower 98/95Mo) than that in chondrites, which might be explained by loss of S rich liquids from the BSE during core formation (Wade et al., 2012). Such a late removal model is no longer required to explain the Mo concentration of the BSE if its abundance is in fact much higher, and similar to the values for ultramafic xenoliths.

Upper mantle fluids evolution, diamond formation, and mantle metasomatism

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, F.; Sverjensky, D. A.

2017-12-01

During mantle metasomatism, fluid-rock interactions in the mantle modify wall-rock compositions. Previous studies usually either investigated mineral compositions in xenoliths and xenocrysts brought up by magmas, or examined fluid compositions preserved in fluid inclusions in diamonds. However, a key study of Panda diamonds analysed both mineral and fluid inclusions in the diamonds [1] which we used to develop a quantitative characterization of mantle metasomatic processes. In the present study, we used an extended Deep Earth Water model [2] to simulate fluid-rock interactions at upper mantle conditions, and examine the fluids and mineral assemblages together simultaneously. Three types of end-member fluids in the Panda diamond fluid inclusions include saline, rich in Na+K+Cl; silicic, rich in Si+Al; and carbonatitic, rich in Ca+Mg+Fe [1, 3]. We used the carbonatitic end-member to represent fluid from a subducting slab reacting with an excess of peridotite + some saline fluid in the host environment. During simultaneous fluid mixing and reaction with the host rock, the logfO2 increased by about 1.6 units, and the pH increased by 0.7 units. The final minerals were olivine, garnet and diamond. The Mg# of olivine decreased from 0.92 to 0.85. Garnet precipitated at an early stage, and its Mg# also decreased with reaction progress, in agreement with the solid inclusions in the Panda diamonds. Phlogopite precipitated as an intermediate mineral and then disappeared. The aqueous Ca, Mg, Fe, Si and Al concentrations all increased, while Na, K, and Cl concentrations decreased during the reaction, consistent with trends in the fluid inclusion compositions. Our study demonstrates that fluids coming from subducting slabs could trigger mantle metasomatism, influence the compositions of sub-lithospherc cratonic mantle, precipitate diamonds, and change the oxygen fugacity and pH of the upper mantle fluids. [1] Tomlinson et al. EPSL (2006); [2] Sverjensky, DA et al., GCA (2014

Provenance of the K/T boundary layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildebrand, A.R.; Boynton, W.V.

1988-01-01

An array of chemical, physical and isotopic evidence indicates that an impact into oceanic crust terminated the Cretaceous Period. Approximately 1500 cu km of debris, dispersed by the impact fireball, fell out globally in marine and nonmarine environments producing a 2 to 4 mm thick layer (fireball layer). In North American locales, the fireball layer overlies a 15 to 25 mm thick layer of similar but distinct composition. This 15 to 25 mm layer (ejecta layer) may represent approximately 1000 cu km of lower energy ejecta from a nearby impact site. Isotopic and chemical evidence supports a mantle provenance for the bulk of the layers. The extraordinary REE pattern of the boundary clays was modelled as a mixture of oceanic crust, mantle, and approximately 10 percent continental material. The results are presented. If the siderophiles of the ejecta layer were derived solely from the mantle, a test may be available to see if the siderophile element anomaly of the fireball layer had an extraterrestrial origin. Radiogenic Os-187 is depleted in the mantle relative to an undifferentiated chondritic source. Os-187/Os-186 ratios of 1.049 and 1.108 were calculated for the ejecta and fireball layers, respectively

Mantle temperature as a control on the time scale of thermal evolution of extensional basins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Kenni Dinesen; Armitage, J.J.; Nielsen, S.B.

2015-01-01

Abstract Extension of the lithosphere, the thermo-mechanical boundary layer above the convecting mantle, is followed by cooling and subsidence. The timescale of oceanic basin subsidence is ∼100 Myr whereas basins of the continental interior often subside continuously for more than 200 Myr after...... rifting. Using numerical modelling, we show how these diverse rifting scenarios are unified when accounting for varying mantle potential temperature. At a temperature of 1300 °C, cooling is plate-like with nearly exponential subsidence as observed in oceanic basins. At 1200 °C, subsidence is almost linear...... and continues for more than 800 Myr. The longevity of basin subsidence in the continental interior can therefore be explained by variation of mantle temperature. An additional cause of the longevity of subsidence is related to the equilibrium thickness of the lithosphere which is increased by the local...

Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: Evidence from mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.; Coromina, G.; Dautria, J. M.; Barczus, H.

2003-04-01

In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2.5 (2

Osmium Isotopic Evolution of the Mantle Sources of Precambrian Ultramafic Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Gangopadhyay, A.; Walker, R. J.

2006-12-01

The Os isotopic composition of the modern mantle, as recorded collectively by ocean island basalts, mid- oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) and abyssal peridotites, is evidently highly heterogeneous (γ Os(I) ranging from +25). One important question, therefore, is how and when the Earth's mantle developed such large-scale Os isotopic heterogeneities. Previous Os isotopic studies of ancient ultramafic systems, including komatiites and picrites, have shown that the Os isotopic heterogeneity of the terrestrial mantle can be traced as far back as the late-Archean (~ 2.7-2.8 Ga). This observation is based on the initial Os isotopic ratios obtained for the mantle sources of some of the ancient ultramafic rocks determined through analyses of numerous Os-rich whole-rock and/or mineral samples. In some cases, the closed-system behavior of these ancient ultramafic rocks was demonstrated via the generation of isochrons of precise ages, consistent with those obtained from other radiogenic isotopic systems. Thus, a compilation of the published initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios reported for the mantle sources of komatiitic and picritic rocks is now possible that covers a large range of geologic time spanning from the Mesozoic (ca. 89 Ma Gorgona komatiites) to the Mid-Archean (e.g., ca. 3.3 Ga Commondale komatiites), which provides a comprehensive picture of the Os isotopic evolution of their mantle sources through geologic time. Several Precambrian komatiite/picrite systems are characterized by suprachondritic initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios (e.g., Belingwe, Kostomuksha, Pechenga). Such long-term enrichments in ^{187}Os of the mantle sources for these rocks may be explained via recycling of old mafic oceanic crust or incorporation of putative suprachondritic outer core materials entrained into their mantle sources. The relative importance of the two processes for some modern mantle-derived systems (e.g., Hawaiian picrites) is an issue of substantial debate. Importantly, however, the

Lead isotope ratios in six lake sediment cores from Japan Archipelago: Historical record of trans-boundary pollution sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosono, Takahiro; Alvarez, Kelly; Kuwae, Michinobu

2016-07-15

Sediment cores from six lakes situated from north to south on the Japanese Archipelago were collected during 2009-2010 to investigate the hypothesis that deposition of lead (Pb) was coming from East Asia (including China, South Korea and eastern part of Russia). Accumulation rates and ages of the lake sediment were estimated by the (210)Pb constant rate of supply model and (137)Cs inputs to reconstruct the historical trends of Pb accumulation. Cores from four lakes located in the north and central Japan, showed clear evidence of Pb pollution with a change in the (206)Pb/(207)Pb and (208)Pb/(207)Pb ratios in the recent sediment as compared to the deeper sediment. Among the six studied lakes, significant inputs of anthropogenic lead emissions were observed at Lake Mikazuki (north Hokkaido in north Japan), Lake Chokai (north of Honshu), and Lake Mikuriga (central part of Honshu). Pb isotopic comparison of collected core sediment and previously reported data for wet precipitation and aerosols from different Asian regions indicate that, before 1900, Pb accumulated in these three lakes was not affected by trans-boundary sources. Lake Mikazuki started to receive Pb emissions from Russia in early 1900s, and during the last two decades, this lake has been affected by trans-boundary Pb pollution from northern China. Lake Chokai has received Pb pollutant from northern China since early 1900s until 2009, whereas for the Lake Mikuriga the major Pb contaminant was transported from southern China during the past 100years. The results of our study demonstrate that Japan Archipelago has received trans-boundary Pb emissions from different parts of East Asian region depending on location, and the major source region has changed historically. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of the Ringwoodite-Perovskite transition on mantle convection in spherical geometry as a function of Clapeyron slope and Rayleigh number

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Wolstencroft

2011-12-01

Full Text Available We investigate the influence on mantle convection of the negative Clapeyron slope ringwoodite to perovskite and ferro-periclase mantle phase transition, which is correlated with the seismic discontinuity at 660 km depth. In particular, we focus on understanding the influence of the magnitude of the Clapeyron slope (as measured by the Phase Buoyancy parameter, P and the vigour of convection (as measured by the Rayleigh number, Ra on mantle convection. We have undertaken 76 simulations of isoviscous mantle convection in spherical geometry, varying Ra and P. Three domains of behaviour were found: layered convection for high Ra and more negative P, whole mantle convection for low Ra and less negative P, and transitional behaviour in an intervening domain. The boundary between the layered and transitional domain was fit by a curve P = α Ra^β where α = −1.05, and β = −0.1, and the fit for the boundary between the transitional and whole mantle convection domain was α = −4.8, and β = −0.25. These two curves converge at Ra ≈ 2.5 × 10⁴ (well below Earth mantle vigour and P ≈ −0.38. Extrapolating to high Ra, which is likely earlier in Earth history, this work suggests a large transitional domain. It is therefore likely that convection in the Archean would have been influenced by this phase change, with Earth being at least in the transitional domain, if not the layered domain.

Seismic structure of the lithosphere beneath NW Namibia: Impact of the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xiaohui; Heit, Benjamin; Brune, Sascha; Steinberger, Bernhard; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Jokat, Wilfried; Weber, Michael

2017-01-01

Northwestern Namibia, at the landfall of the Walvis Ridge, was affected by the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume during continental rupture between Africa and South America, as evidenced by the presence of the Etendeka continental flood basalts. Here we use data from a passive-source seismological network to investigate the upper mantle structure and to elucidate the Cretaceous mantle plume-lithosphere interaction. Receiver functions reveal an interface associated with a negative velocity contrast within the lithosphere at an average depth of 80 km. We interpret this interface as the relic of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) formed during the Mesozoic by interaction of the Tristan da Cunha plume head with the pre-existing lithosphere. The velocity contrast might be explained by stagnated and "frozen" melts beneath an intensively depleted and dehydrated peridotitic mantle. The present-day LAB is poorly visible with converted waves, indicating a gradual impedance contrast. Beneath much of the study area, converted phases of the 410 and 660 km mantle transition zone discontinuities arrive 1.5 s earlier than in the landward plume-unaffected continental interior, suggesting high velocities in the upper mantle caused by a thick lithosphere. This indicates that after lithospheric thinning during continental breakup, the lithosphere has increased in thickness during the last 132 Myr. Thermal cooling of the continental lithosphere alone cannot produce the lithospheric thickness required here. We propose that the remnant plume material, which has a higher seismic velocity than the ambient mantle due to melt depletion and dehydration, significantly contributed to the thickening of the mantle lithosphere.

Constraints on geomagnetic secular variation modeling from electromagnetism and fluid dynamics of the Earth's core

Science.gov (United States)

Benton, E. R.

1986-01-01

A spherical harmonic representation of the geomagnetic field and its secular variation for epoch 1980, designated GSFC(9/84), is derived and evaluated. At three epochs (1977.5, 1980.0, 1982.5) this model incorporates conservation of magnetic flux through five selected patches of area on the core/mantle boundary bounded by the zero contours of vertical magnetic field. These fifteen nonlinear constraints are included like data in an iterative least squares parameter estimation procedure that starts with the recently derived unconstrained field model GSFC (12/83). Convergence is approached within three iterations. The constrained model is evaluated by comparing its predictive capability outside the time span of its data, in terms of residuals at magnetic observatories, with that for the unconstrained model.

Effect of H2O on Upper Mantle Phase Transitions in MgSiO3: is the Seismic X-discontinuity an Indicator of Mantle Water Content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S Jacobsen; Z Liu; T Boffa Ballaran; E Littlefield; L Ehm; R Hemley

2011-12-31

The mantle X-discontinuity, usually assigned to positive seismic velocity reflectors in the 260-330 km depth range, has proved difficult to explain in terms of a single mineralogical phase transformation in part because of its depth variability. The coesite to stishovite transition of SiO{sub 2} matches deeper X-discontinuity depths but requires 5-10% free silica in the mantle to match observed impedance contrast. The orthoenstatite (OEn) to high-pressure clinoenstatite (HPCen) transformation of MgSiO{sub 3} also broadly coincides with depths of the X but requires chemically depleted and orthoenstatite-rich lithology at 300 km depth in order to match observed seismic impedance contrast. On the basis of high-pressure infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, we show that 1300 ppm variation of H{sub 2}O content in MgSiO{sub 3} can displace the transition of low-pressure clinoenstatite (LPCen) to HPCen by up to 2 GPa, similar to previous quench experiments on the OEn to HPCen phase transition, where about 30-45 km (1.0-1.5 GPa) of deflection could occur per 0.1 wt% H{sub 2}O. If the mantle X-discontinuity results from pyroxene transitions in a depleted harzburgite layer, because of the strong influence of minor amounts of water on the transformation boundary, the depth of the mantle X-discontinuity could serve as a potentially sensitive indicator of water content in the uppermantle.

Three-dimensional distortions of the tokamak plasma boundary: boundary displacements in the presence of saturated MHD instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, I.T.; Harrison, J.R.; Holgate, J.; Brunetti, D.; Cooper, W.A.; Graves, J.P.; Buratti, P.; Jardin, S.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Tritz, K.

2014-01-01

The three-dimensional plasma boundary displacement induced by long-lasting core magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities has been measured in JET, MAST and NSTX. Only saturated instabilities are considered here since transient rapidly growing modes which degrade confinement and act as potential triggers for disruptions bring more fundamental concerns than boundary displacements. The measured displacements are usually small, although in extreme cases in MAST when the rotation braking is strong, a significant global displacement can be observed. The instability most likely to saturate and exist for many energy confinement times whilst distorting the boundary of ITER is the saturated internal kink, or helical core, which can be found in plasmas with a wide region of low magnetic shear such as the hybrid scenario. This mode can lead to non-negligible boundary displacements. Nonetheless, the boundary displacement resultant from core MHD instabilities in ITER is predicted to be less than ±1.5% of the minor radius, well within tolerable limits for heat loads to plasma-facing components. (paper)

Rheologic effects of crystal preferred orientation in upper mantle flow near plate boundaries

Science.gov (United States)

Blackman, Donna; Castelnau, Olivier; Dawson, Paul; Boyce, Donald

2016-04-01

Observations of anisotropy provide insight into upper mantle processes. Flow-induced mineral alignment provides a link between mantle deformation patterns and seismic anisotropy. Our study focuses on the rheologic effects of crystal preferred orientation (CPO), which develops during mantle flow, in order to assess whether corresponding anisotropic viscosity could significantly impact the pattern of flow. We employ a coupled nonlinear numerical method to link CPO and the flow model via a local viscosity tensor field that quantifies the stress/strain-rate response of a textured mineral aggregate. For a given flow field, the CPO is computed along streamlines using a self-consistent texture model and is then used to update the viscosity tensor field. The new viscosity tensor field defines the local properties for the next flow computation. This iteration produces a coupled nonlinear model for which seismic signatures can be predicted. Results thus far confirm that CPO can impact flow pattern by altering rheology in directionally-dependent ways, particularly in regions of high flow gradient. Multiple iterations run for an initial, linear stress/strain-rate case (power law exponent n=1) converge to a flow field and CPO distribution that are modestly different from the reference, scalar viscosity case. Upwelling rates directly below the spreading axis are slightly reduced and flow is focused somewhat toward the axis. Predicted seismic anisotropy differences are modest. P-wave anisotropy is a few percent greater in the flow 'corner', near the spreading axis, below the lithosphere and extending 40-100 km off axis. Predicted S-wave splitting differences would be below seafloor measurement limits. Calculations with non-linear stress/strain-rate relation, which is more realistic for olivine, indicate that effects are stronger than for the linear case. For n=2-3, the distribution and strength of CPO for the first iteration are greater than for n=1, although the fast seismic

Response of mantle transition zone thickness to plume buoyancy flux

Science.gov (United States)

Das Sharma, S.; Ramesh, D. S.; Li, X.; Yuan, X.; Sreenivas, B.; Kind, R.

2010-01-01

The debate concerning thermal plumes in the Earth's mantle, their geophysical detection and depth characterization remains contentious. Available geophysical, petrological and geochemical evidence is at variance regarding the very existence of mantle plumes. Utilizing P-to-S converted seismic waves (P receiver functions) from the 410 and 660 km discontinuities, we investigate disposition of these boundaries beneath a number of prominent hotspot regions. The thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ), measured as P660s-P410s differential times (tMTZ), is determined. Our analyses suggest that the MTZ thickness beneath some hotspots correlates with the plume strength. The relationship between tMTZ, in response to the thermal perturbation, and the strength of plumes, as buoyancy flux B, follows a power law. This B-tMTZ behavior provides unprecedented insights into the relation of buoyancy flux and excess temperature at 410-660 km depth below hotspots. We find that the strongest hotspots, which are located in the Pacific, are indeed plumes originating at the MTZ or deeper. According to the detected power law, even the strongest plumes may not shrink the transition zone by significantly more than ~40 km (corresponding to a maximum of 300-400° excess temperature).

Lead isotope ratios in six lake sediment cores from Japan Archipelago: Historical record of trans-boundary pollution sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosono, Takahiro; Alvarez, Kelly; Kuwae, Michinobu

2016-01-01

Sediment cores from six lakes situated from north to south on the Japanese Archipelago were collected during 2009–2010 to investigate the hypothesis that deposition of lead (Pb) was coming from East Asia (including China, South Korea and eastern part of Russia). Accumulation rates and ages of the lake sediment were estimated by the "2"1"0Pb constant rate of supply model and "1"3"7Cs inputs to reconstruct the historical trends of Pb accumulation. Cores from four lakes located in the north and central Japan, showed clear evidence of Pb pollution with a change in the "2"0"6Pb/"2"0"7Pb and "2"0"8Pb/"2"0"7Pb ratios in the recent sediment as compared to the deeper sediment. Among the six studied lakes, significant inputs of anthropogenic lead emissions were observed at Lake Mikazuki (north Hokkaido in north Japan), Lake Chokai (north of Honshu), and Lake Mikuriga (central part of Honshu). Pb isotopic comparison of collected core sediment and previously reported data for wet precipitation and aerosols from different Asian regions indicate that, before 1900, Pb accumulated in these three lakes was not affected by trans-boundary sources. Lake Mikazuki started to receive Pb emissions from Russia in early 1900s, and during the last two decades, this lake has been affected by trans-boundary Pb pollution from northern China. Lake Chokai has received Pb pollutant from northern China since early 1900s until 2009, whereas for the Lake Mikuriga the major Pb contaminant was transported from southern China during the past 100 years. The results of our study demonstrate that Japan Archipelago has received trans-boundary Pb emissions from different parts of East Asian region depending on location, and the major source region has changed historically. - Highlights: • Historical trend of Pb pollution was recorded in six Japanese Lakes. • Pb concentration and Pb isotope ratios were determined for sediment cores. • High [Pb] and less radiogenic Pb isotope ratios were observed since

Lead isotope ratios in six lake sediment cores from Japan Archipelago: Historical record of trans-boundary pollution sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosono, Takahiro, E-mail: hosono@kumamoto-u.ac.jp [Priority Organization for Innovation and Excellence, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Alvarez, Kelly [Priority Organization for Innovation and Excellence, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Kuwae, Michinobu [Senior Research Fellow Center, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)

2016-07-15

Sediment cores from six lakes situated from north to south on the Japanese Archipelago were collected during 2009–2010 to investigate the hypothesis that deposition of lead (Pb) was coming from East Asia (including China, South Korea and eastern part of Russia). Accumulation rates and ages of the lake sediment were estimated by the {sup 210}Pb constant rate of supply model and {sup 137}Cs inputs to reconstruct the historical trends of Pb accumulation. Cores from four lakes located in the north and central Japan, showed clear evidence of Pb pollution with a change in the {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb and {sup 208}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios in the recent sediment as compared to the deeper sediment. Among the six studied lakes, significant inputs of anthropogenic lead emissions were observed at Lake Mikazuki (north Hokkaido in north Japan), Lake Chokai (north of Honshu), and Lake Mikuriga (central part of Honshu). Pb isotopic comparison of collected core sediment and previously reported data for wet precipitation and aerosols from different Asian regions indicate that, before 1900, Pb accumulated in these three lakes was not affected by trans-boundary sources. Lake Mikazuki started to receive Pb emissions from Russia in early 1900s, and during the last two decades, this lake has been affected by trans-boundary Pb pollution from northern China. Lake Chokai has received Pb pollutant from northern China since early 1900s until 2009, whereas for the Lake Mikuriga the major Pb contaminant was transported from southern China during the past 100 years. The results of our study demonstrate that Japan Archipelago has received trans-boundary Pb emissions from different parts of East Asian region depending on location, and the major source region has changed historically. - Highlights: • Historical trend of Pb pollution was recorded in six Japanese Lakes. • Pb concentration and Pb isotope ratios were determined for sediment cores. • High [Pb] and less radiogenic Pb isotope ratios

186Os- 187Os systematics of Gorgona Island komatiites: implications for early growth of the inner core

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Alan D.; Walker, Richard J.; Puchtel, Igor S.; Becker, Harry; Humayun, Munir; Revillon, Sidonie

2003-02-01

The presence of coupled enrichments in 186Os/ 188Os and 187Os/ 188Os in some mantle-derived materials reflects long-term elevation of Pt/Os and Re/Os relative to the primitive upper mantle. New Os data for the 89 Ma Gorgona Island, Colombia komatiites indicate that these lavas are also variably enriched in 186Os and 187Os, with 186Os/ 188Os ranging between 0.1198397±22 and 0.1198470±38, and with γOs correspondingly ranging from +0.15 to +4.4. These data define a linear trend that converges with the previously reported linear trend generated from data for modern Hawaiian picritic lavas and a sample from the ca. 251 Ma Siberian plume, to a common component with a 186Os/ 188Os of approximately 0.119870 and γOs of +17.5. The convergence of these data to this Os isotopic composition may imply a single ubiquitous source in the Earth's interior that mixes with a variety of different mantle compositions distinguished by variations in γOs. The 187Os- and 186Os-enriched component may have been generated via early crystallization of the solid inner core and consequent increases in Pt/Os and Re/Os in the liquid outer core, with time leading to suprachondritic 186Os/ 188Os and γOs in the outer core. The presence of Os from the outer core in certain portions of the mantle would require a mechanism that could transfer Os from the outer core to the lower mantle, and thence to the surface. If this is the process that generated the isotopic enrichments in the mantle sources of these plume-derived systems, then the current understanding of solid metal-liquid metal partitioning of Pt, Re and Os requires that crystallization of the inner core began prior to 3.5 Ga. Thus, the Os isotopic data reported here provide a new source of data to better constrain the timing of inner core formation, complementing magnetic field paleo-intensity measurements as data sources that constrain models based on secular cooling of the Earth.

A reconnaissance view of tungsten reservoirs in some crustal and mantle rocks: Implications for interpreting W isotopic compositions and crust-mantle W cycling

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingao; Pearson, D. Graham; Chacko, Thomas; Luo, Yan

2018-02-01

High-precision measurements of W isotopic ratios have enabled increased exploration of early Earth processes. However, when applying W isotopic data to understand the geological processes, it is critical to recognize the potential mobility of W and hence evaluate whether measured W contents and isotopic compositions reflect the primary petrogenetic processes or instead are influenced by the effects of secondary inputs/mobility. Furthermore, if we are to better understand how W is partitioned between different minerals during melting and metasomatic processes it is important to document the likely sinks for W during these processes. In addition, an understanding of the main hosts for W in the crust and mantle is critically important to constrain how W is cycled and stored in the crust-mantle geochemical cycle. As a first step to investigate these issues, we have carried out in situ concentration measurements of W and other HFSEs in mineral phases within a broad spectrum of crustal and mantle rocks, along with whole-rock concentration measurements. Mass balance shows that for tonalitic gneiss and amphibolite, the major rock-forming minerals can adequately account for the bulk W budget, and for the pristine ultramafic rocks, olivine and orthopyroxene are the major controlling phases for W whereas for metasomatized ultramafic rocks, significant W is hosted in Ti-bearing trace phases (e.g., rutile, lindsleyite) along grain boundaries or is inferred to reside in cryptic W-bearing trace phases. Formation or decomposition of these phases during secondary processes could cause fractionation of W from other HFSEs, and also dramatically modify bulk W concentrations in rocks. For rocks that experienced subsequent W enrichment/alteration, their W isotopic compositions may not necessarily represent their mantle sources, but could reflect later inputs. The relatively small suite of rocks analyzed here serves as a reconnaissance study but allows some preliminary speculations on

Mantle helium along the Newport-Inglewood fault zone, Los Angeles basin, California: A leaking paleo-subduction zone

Science.gov (United States)

Boles, J. R.; Garven, G.; Camacho, H.; Lupton, J. E.

2015-07-01

Mantle helium is a significant component of the helium gas from deep oil wells along the Newport-Inglewood fault zone (NIFZ) in the Los Angeles (LA) basin. Helium isotope ratios are as high as 5.3 Ra (Ra = 3He/4He ratio of air) indicating 66% mantle contribution (assuming R/Ra = 8 for mantle), and most values are higher than 1.0 Ra. Other samples from basin margin faults and from within the basin have much lower values (R/Ra geothermal gradients, and is modeled as truncated by a proposed major, potentially seismically active, décollement beneath the LA basin. Our results demonstrate that the NIFZ is a deep-seated fault directly or indirectly connected with the mantle. Based on a 1-D model, we calculate a maximum Darcy flow rate q ˜ 2.2 cm/yr and a fault permeability k ˜ 6 × 10-17 m2 (60 microdarcys), but the flow rates are too low to create a geothermal anomaly. The mantle leakage may be a result of the NIFZ being a former Mesozoic subduction zone in spite of being located 70 km west of the current plate boundary at the San Andreas fault.

Normal Mode Derived Models of the Physical Properties of Earth's Outer Core

Science.gov (United States)

Irving, J. C. E.; Cottaar, S.; Lekic, V.; Wu, W.

2017-12-01

Earth's outer core, the largest reservoir of metal in our planet, is comprised of an iron alloy of an uncertain composition. Its dynamical behaviour is responsible for the generation of Earth's magnetic field, with convection driven both by thermal and chemical buoyancy fluxes. Existing models of the seismic velocity and density of the outer core exhibit some variation, and there are only a small number of models which aim to represent the outer core's density.It is therefore important that we develop a better understanding of the physical properties of the outer core. Though most of the outer core is likely to be well mixed, it is possible that the uppermost outer core is stably stratified: it may be enriched in light elements released during the growth of the solid, iron enriched, inner core; by elements dissolved from the mantle into the outer core; or by exsolution of compounds previously dissolved in the liquid metal which will eventually be swept into the mantle. The stratified layer may host MAC or Rossby waves and it could impede communication between the chemically differentiated mantle and outer core, including screening out some of the geodynamo's signal. We use normal mode center frequencies to estimate the physical properties of the outer core in a Bayesian framework. We estimate the mineral physical parameters needed to best produce velocity and density models of the outer core which are consistent with the normal mode observations. We require that our models satisfy realistic physical constraints. We create models of the outer core with and without a distinct uppermost layer and assess the importance of this region.Our normal mode-derived models are compared with observations of body waves which travel through the outer core. In particular, we consider SmKS waves which are especially sensitive to the uppermost outer core and are therefore an important way to understand the robustness of our models.

186Os and 187Os enrichments and high-3He/4He sources in the Earth's mantle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandon, A.D.; Graham, D.W.; Waight, Tod Earle

2007-01-01

at present remains core-mantle interaction. While some plumes with high 3He/4He, such as Hawaii, appear to have been subjected to detectable addition of Os (and possibly He) from the outer core, others such as Iceland do not. A positive correlation between 187Os/188Os and 3He/4He from 9.6 to 19 Ra in Iceland...

Topographic asymmetry of the South Atlantic from global models of mantle flow and lithospheric stretching

Science.gov (United States)

Flament, Nicolas; Gurnis, Michael; Williams, Simon; Seton, Maria; Skogseid, Jakob; Heine, Christian; Müller, Dietmar

2014-05-01

The relief of the South Atlantic is characterized by elevated passive continental margins along southern Africa and eastern Brazil, and by the bathymetric asymmetry of the southern oceanic basin where the western flank is much deeper than the eastern flank. We investigate the origin of these topographic features in the present and over time since the Jurassic with a model of global mantle flow and lithospheric deformation. The model progressively assimilates plate kinematics, plate boundaries and lithospheric age derived from global tectonic reconstructions with deforming plates, and predicts the evolution of mantle temperature, continental crustal thickness, long-wavelength dynamic topography, and isostatic topography. Mantle viscosity and the kinematics of the opening of the South Atlantic are adjustable parameters in multiple model cases. Model predictions are compared to observables both for the present-day and in the past. Present-day predictions are compared to topography, mantle tomography, and an estimate of residual topography. Predictions for the past are compared to tectonic subsidence from backstripped borehole data along the South American passive margin, and to dynamic uplift as constrained by thermochronology in southern Africa. Comparison between model predictions and observations suggests that the first-order features of the topography of the South Atlantic are due to long-wavelength dynamic topography, rather than to asthenospheric processes. We find the uplift of southern Africa to be best reproduced with a lower mantle that is at least 40 times more viscous than the upper mantle.

Implications for anomalous mantle pressure and dynamic topography from lithospheric stress patterns in the North Atlantic Realm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiffer, Christian; Nielsen, Søren Bom

2016-01-01

With convergent plate boundaries at some distance, the sources of the lithospheric stress field of the North Atlantic Realm are mainly mantle tractions at the base of the lithosphere, lithospheric density structure and topography. Given this, we estimate horizontal deviatoric stresses using a wel...

An Interconnected Network of Core-Forming Melts Produced by Shear Deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhn, D.; Groebner, N.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

2000-01-01

The formation mechanism of terrestrial planetary is still poorly understood, and has been the subject of numerous experimental studies. Several mechanisms have been proposed by which metal-mainly iron with some nickel-could have been extracted from a silicate mantle to form the core. Most recent models involve gravitational sinking of molten metal or metal sulphide through a partially or fully molten mantle that is often referred to as a'magma ocean. Alternative models invoke percolation of molten metal along an interconnected network (that is, porous flow) through a solid silicate matrix. But experimental studies performed at high pressures have shown that, under hydrostatic conditions, these melts do not form an interconnected network, leading to the widespread assumption that formation of metallic cores requires a magma ocean. In contrast, here we present experiments which demonstrate that shear deformation to large strains can interconnect a significant fraction of initially isolated pockets of metal and metal sulphide melts in a solid matrix of polycrystalline olivine. Therefore, in a dynamic (nonhydrostatic) environment, percolation remains a viable mechanism for the segregation and migration of core-forming melts in a solid silicate mantle.

Dynamical geochemistry of the mantle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. F. Davies

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The reconciliation of mantle chemistry with the structure of the mantle inferred from geophysics and dynamical modelling has been a long-standing problem. This paper reviews three main aspects. First, extensions and refinements of dynamical modelling and theory of mantle processing over the past decade. Second, a recent reconsideration of the implications of mantle heterogeneity for melting, melt migration, mantle differentiation and mantle segregation. Third, a recent proposed shift in the primitive chemical baseline of the mantle inferred from observations of non-chondritic ¹⁴²Nd in the Earth. It seems most issues can now be resolved, except the level of heating required to maintain the mantle's thermal evolution.

A reconciliation of refractory trace elements and their isotopes with the dynamical mantle, proposed and given preliminary quantification by Hofmann, White and Christensen, has been strengthened by work over the past decade. The apparent age of lead isotopes and the broad refractory-element differences among and between ocean island basalts (OIBs and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs can now be quantitatively accounted for with some assurance.

The association of the least radiogenic helium with relatively depleted sources and their location in the mantle have been enigmatic. The least radiogenic helium samples have recently been recognised as matching the proposed non-chondritic primitive mantle. It has also been proposed recently that noble gases reside in a so-called hybrid pyroxenite assemblage that is the result of melt from fusible pods reacting with surrounding refractory peridotite and refreezing. Hybrid pyroxenite that is off-axis may not remelt and erupt at MORs, so its volatile constituents would recirculate within the mantle. Hybrid pyroxenite is likely to be denser than average mantle, and thus some would tend to settle in the D" zone at the base of the mantle, along with some old subducted

Collapsing stellar cores and supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Epstein, R J [Nordisk Inst. for Teoretisk Atomfysik, Copenhagen (Denmark); Noorgaard, H [Nordisk Inst. for Teoretisk Atomfysik, Copenhagen (Denmark); Chicago Univ., IL (USA). Enrico Fermi Inst.); Bond, J R [Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen (Denmark); California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA). W.K. Kellogg Radiation Lab.)

1979-05-01

The evolution of a stellar core is studied during its final quasi-hydrostatic contraction. The core structure and the (poorly known) properties of neutron rich matter are parametrized to include most plausible cases. It is found that the density-temperature trajectory of the material in the central part of the core (the core-center) is insensitive to nearly all reasonable parameter variations. The central density at the onset of the dynamic phase of the collapse (when the core-center begins to fall away from the rest of the star) and the fraction of the emitted neutrinos which are trapped in the collapsing core-center depend quite sensitively on the properties of neutron rich matter. We estimate that the amount of energy Ecm which is imparted to the core-mantle by the neutrinos which escape from the imploded core-center can span a large range of values. For plausible choices of nuclear and model parameters Ecm can be large enough to yield a supernova event.

Slabs and plumes crossing a broad density/viscosity discontinuity in the mid lower mantle (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Morra, G.; Yuen, D. A.; Cammarano, F.

2010-12-01

The depth-dependence of the viscosity is not well constrained by observations alone. Non-monotonic viscosity profiles have been often proposed in the past and are in the range of possible solutions. Such viscosity structures find new vigor on the light of recent discoveries of iron-spin transition in mantle minerals and their consequences on seismic interpretation [1] and dynamical evolution of the mantle. Using the recently introduced Multipole-Accelerated Boundary Element Method, we study the entire space of possible models of plumes and slabs crossing a broad region where mantle viscosity and/or density are non-monotonic [2]. The viscosity peak considered are 1, to 100 times then the rest of the mantle, while the density step considered is 0 to 2% different from the adiabatic profile. We identify the critical viscosity and density profiles that produce stalling or penetration of slabs and the continuous or intermittent penetration of plumes through the mid lower mantle. Based on our results, we envisage possible dynamic scenarios that would separate the mantle in two regions,suggesting a long term bifurcation originating, probably, from the spin transition itself. References: [1] Cammarano, F.; Marquardt, H.; Speziale, S.; Tackley, P. J., 2010, Role of iron-spin transition in ferropericlase on seismic interpretation: A broad thermochemical transition in the mid mantle? Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 37, Issue 3, CiteID L03308 [2] G. Morra, D. A. Yuen, L. Boschi, P. Chatelain, P. Koumoutzakos and P. Tackley, 2010, The fate of the slabs interacting with a smooth viscosity discontinuity in the mid lower mantle, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Volume 180, Issues 3-4, 271-282, doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2010.04.001

Mantle Earthquakes in Thinned Proterozoic Lithosphere: Harrat Lunayyir, Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchette, A. R.; Klemperer, S. L.; Mooney, W. D.; Zahran, H. M.

2017-12-01

Harrat Lunayyir is an active volcanic field located in the western Arabian Shield 100 km outside of the Red Sea rift margin. We use common conversion point (CCP) stacking of P-wave receiver functions (PRFs) to show that the Moho is at 38 km depth, close to the 40 km crustal thickness measured in the center of the craton, whereas the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is at 60 km, far shallower than the 150 km furthest in the craton. We locate 67 high-frequency earthquakes with mL ≤ 2.5 at depths of 40-50 km below the surface, located clearly within the mantle lid. The occurrence of earthquakes within the lithospheric mantle requires a geothermal temperature profile that is below equilibrium. The lithosphere cannot have thinned to its present thickness earlier than 15 Ma, either during an extended period of rifting possibly beginning 24 Ma or, more likely, as part of the second stage of rifting following collision between Arabia and Eurasia.

Preliminary three-dimensional model of mantle convection with deformable, mobile continental lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Masaki

2010-06-01

Characteristic tectonic structures such as young orogenic belts and suture zones in a continent are expected to be mechanically weaker than the stable part of the continental lithosphere with the cratonic root (or cratonic lithosphere) and yield lateral viscosity variations in the continental lithosphere. In the present-day Earth's lithosphere, the pre-existing, mechanically weak zones emerge as a diffuse plate boundary. However, the dynamic role of a weak (low-viscosity) continental margin (WCM) in the stability of continental lithosphere has not been understood in terms of geophysics. Here, a new numerical simulation model of mantle convection with a compositionally and rheologically heterogeneous, deformable, mobile continental lithosphere is presented for the first time by using three-dimensional regional spherical-shell geometry. A compositionally buoyant and highly viscous continental assemblage with pre-existing WCMs, analogous to the past supercontinent, is modeled and imposed on well-developed mantle convection whose vigor of convection, internal heating rate, and rheological parameters are appropriate for the Earth's mantle. The visco-plastic oceanic lithosphere and the associated subduction of oceanic plates are incorporated. The time integration of the advection of continental materials with zero chemical diffusion is performed by a tracer particle method. The time evolution of mantle convection after setting the model supercontinent is followed over 800 Myr. Earth-like continental drift is successfully reproduced, and the characteristic thermal interaction between the mantle and the continent/supercontinent is observed in my new numerical model. Results reveal that the WCM protects the cratonic lithosphere from being stretched by the convecting mantle and may play a significant role in the stability of the cratonic lithosphere during the geological timescale because it acts as a buffer that prevents the cratonic lithosphere from undergoing global

Mantle convection patterns reveal the enigma of the Red Sea rifting

Science.gov (United States)

Petrunin, Alexey; Kaban, Mikhail; El Khrepy, Sami; Al-Arifi, Nassir

2017-04-01

Initiation and further development of the Red Sea rift (RSR) is usually associated with the Afar plume at the Oligocene-Miocene separating the Arabian plate from the rest of the continent. Usually, the RSR is divided into three parts with different geological, tectonic and geophysical characteristics, but the nature of this partitioning is still debatable. To understand origin and driving forces responsible for the tectonic partitioning of the RSR, we have developed a global mantle convection model based on the refined density model and viscosity distribution derived from tectonic, rheological and seismic data. The global density model of the upper mantle is refined for the Middle East based on the high-resolution 3D model (Kaban et al., 2016). This model based on a joint inversion of the residual gravity and residual topography provides much better constraints on the 3D density structure compared to the global model based on seismic tomography. The refined density model and the viscosity distribution based on a homologous temperature approach provide an initial setup for further numerical calculations. The present-day snapshot of the mantle convection is calculated by using the code ProSpher 3D that allows for strong lateral variations of viscosity (Petrunin et al., 2013). The setup includes weak plate boundaries, while the measured GPS velocities are used to constrain the solution. The resulting mantle flow patterns show clear distinctions among the mantle flow patterns below the three parts of the RSR. According to the modeling results, tectonics of the southern part of the Red Sea is mainly determined by the Afar plume and the Ethiopian rift opening. It is characterized by a divergent mantle flow, which is connected to the East African Rift activity. The rising mantle flow is traced down to the transition zone and continues in the lower mantle for a few thousand kilometers south-west of Afar. The hot mantle anomaly below the central part of the RSR can be

Enhancing core-diffracted arrivals by supervirtual interferometry

KAUST Repository

Bharadwaj, P.

2013-12-03

A supervirtual interferometry (SVI) method is presented that can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of core diffracted waveforms by as much as O( √ N), where N is the number of inline receivers that record the core-mantle boundary (CMB) diffractions from more than one event. Here, the events are chosen to be approximately inline with the receivers along the same great circle. Results with synthetic and teleseismic data recorded by USArray stations demonstrate that formerly unusable records with low SNR can be transformed to high SNR records with clearly visible CMB diffractions. Another benefit is that SVI allows for the recording of a virtual earthquake at stations not deployed during the time of the earthquake. This means that portable arrays such as USArray can extend the aperture of one recorded earthquake from the West coast to the East coast, even though the teleseism might have only been recorded during theWest coast deployment. In summary, SVI applied to teleseismic data can significantly enlarge the catalogue of usable records both in SNR and available aperture for analysing CMB diffractions. A potential drawback of this method is that it generally provides the correct kinematics of CMB diffractions, but does not necessarily preserve correct amplitude information. © The Authors 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.

A Large Solid Inner Core at Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, A.; Goossens, S.; Mazarico, E.; Lemoine, F. G.; Neumann, G. A.; Kuang, W.; Sabaka, T. J.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2018-05-01

New measurements of the polar moments of inertia of the whole planet and of the outer layers (crust+mantle), and simulations of Mercury’s magnetic field dynamo suggest the presence of a solid inner core with a Ric 0.3-0.5 Roc.

Nitrogen partitioning during Earth's accretion and core-mantle differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Speelmanns, I. M.; Schmidt, M. W.; Liebske, C.

2017-12-01

On present day Earth, N is one of the key constituents of our atmosphere and forms the basis of life. However, the deep Earth geochemistry of N, i.e. its distribution and isotopic fractionation between Earth's deep reservoirs is not well constrained. This study investigates nitrogen partitioning between metal and silicate melts as relevant for core segregation during the accretion of planetesimals into the Earth. We have determined N-partitioning coefficients over a wide range of temperatures (1250-2000 °C), pressures (15-35 kbar) and oxygen fugacity's, the latter in the relevant range of core segregation (IW-5 to IW). Centrifuging piston cylinders were used to equilibrate and then gravitationally separate metal-silicate melt pairs. Separation of the two melts is necessary to avoid micro nugget contamination in the silicate melt at reducing conditions double capsule technique in all experiments, using an outer metallic (Pt) and inner non-metallic capsule (graphite or Al2O3), minimizes N-loss over the course of the experiments compared to single non-metallic capsules. The two quenched melts were cut apart mechanically, cleaned at the outside, their N concentrations were then analysed on bulk samples by an elemental analyser, the low abslute masses requiring careful development of analytical routines. Despite these difficulties, we were able to determine a DNmetal/silicate of 13±0.3 at IW-1 decreasing to 2.0±0.2 at IW-5.5, at 1250°C and 15 kbar, N partitioning into the core forming metal. Increasing temperature dramatically lowers the DNmetal/silicate to e.g. 0.5±0.15 at IW-4, during early core formation N was hence mildly incompatible in the metal. The results suggest that under magma ocean conditions (> 2000 oC and fO2 IW-2.5), N-partition coefficents were within a factor of 2 of unity. Hence, N did not partition into the core, which should contain negliligible quantities of N. The few available literature data [1],[2],[3] support N changing compatibility with

Water Content of Earth's Continental Mantle Is Controlled by the Circulation of Fluids or Melts

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne; Woodland, Alan B.; Bell, David R.; Lazarov, Marina; Lapen, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

A key mission of the ARES Directorate at JSC is to constrain models of the formation and geological history of terrestrial planets. Water is a crucial parameter to be measured with the aim to determine its amount and distribution in the interior of Earth, Mars, and the Moon. Most of that "water" is not liquid water per se, but rather hydrogen dissolved as a trace element in the minerals of the rocks at depth. Even so, the middle layer of differentiated planets, the mantle, occupies such a large volume and mass of each planet that when it is added at the planetary scale, oceans worth of water could be stored in its interior. The mantle is where magmas originate. Moreover, on Earth, the mantle is where the boundary between tectonic plates and the underlying asthenosphere is located. Even if mantle rocks in Earth typically contain less than 200 ppm H2O, such small quantities have tremendous influence on how easily they melt (i.e., the more water there is, the more magma is produced) and deform (the more water there is, the less viscous they are). These two properties alone emphasize that to understand the distribution of volcanism and the mechanism of plate tectonics, the water content of the mantle must be determined - Earth being a template to which all other terrestrial planets can be compared.

Upper-Mantel Earthquakes in the Australia-Pacific Plate Boundary Zone and the Roots of the Alpine Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Boese, C. M.; Warren-Smith, E.; Townend, J.; Stern, T. A.; Lamb, S. H.

2016-12-01

Seismicity in the upper mantle in continental collision zones is relatively rare, but observed around the world. Temporary seismometer deployments have repeatedly detected mantle earthquakes at depths of 40-100 km within the Australia-Pacific plate boundary zone beneath the South Island of New Zealand. Here, the transpressive Alpine Fault constitutes the primary plate boundary structure linking subduction zones of opposite polarity farther north and south. The Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA) has been operating continuously since November 2008 along a 50 km-long section of the central Alpine Fault, where the rate of uplift of the Southern Alps is highest. To date it has detected more than 40 small to moderate-sized mantle events (1≤ML≤3.9). The Central Otago Seismic Array (COSA) has been in operation since late 2012 and detected 15 upper mantle events along the sub-vertical southern Alpine Fault. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the occurrence of upper mantle seismicity in the South Island, including intra-continental subduction (Reyners 1987, Geology); high shear-strain gradients due to depressed geotherms and viscous deformation of mantle lithosphere (Kohler and Eberhart-Phillips 2003, BSSA); high strain rates resulting from plate bending (Boese et al. 2013, EPSL), and underthrusting of the Australian plate (Lamb et al. 2015, G3). Focal mechanism analysis reveals a variety of mechanisms for the upper mantle events but predominantly strike-slip and reverse faulting. In this study, we apply spectral analysis to better constrain source parameters for these mantle events. These results are interpreted in conjunction with new information about crustal structure and low-frequency earthquakes near the Moho and in light of existing velocity, attenuation and resistivity models.

Lithosphere mantle density of the North China Craton based on gravity data

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, B.; Artemieva, I. M.; Thybo, H.

2017-12-01

Based on gravity, seismic and thermal data we constrained the lithospheric mantle density at in-situ and STP condition. The gravity effect of topography, sedimentary cover, Moho and Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary variation were removed from free-air gravity anomaly model. The sedimentary covers with density range from 1.80 g/cm3 with soft sediments to 2.40 g/cm3 with sandstone and limestone sediments. The average crustal density with values of 2.70 - 2.78 g/cm3 which corresponds the thickness and density of the sedimentary cover. Based on the new thermal model, the surface heat flow in original the North China Craton including western block is > 60 mW/m2. Moho temperature ranges from 450 - 600 OC in the eastern block and in the western block is 550 - 650 OC. The thermal lithosphere is 100 -140 km thick where have the surface heat flow of 60 - 70 mW/m2. The gravity effect of surface topography, sedimentary cover, Moho depth are 0 to +150 mGal, - 20 to -120 mGal and +50 to -200 mGal, respectively. By driving the thermal lithosphere, the gravity effect of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary ranges from 20 mGal to +200 mGal which shows strong correction with the thickness of the lithosphere. The relationship between the gravity effect of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and the lithosphere thickness also for the seismic lithosphere, and the value of gravity effect is 0 to +220 mGal. The lithospheric mantle residual gravity which caused by lithospheric density variation range from -200 to +50 mGal by using the thermal lithosphere and from -250 to +100 mGal by driving the seismic lithosphere. For thermal lithosphere, the lithospheric mantle density with values of 3.21- 3.26 g/cm3 at in-situ condition and 3.33 - 3.38 g/cm3 at STP condition. Using seismic lithosphere, density of lithosphere ranges from 3.20 - 3.26 g/cm3 at in-situ condition and 3.31 - 3.41 g/cm3 at STP condition. The subcontinental lithosphere of the North China Craton is highly heterogeneous

Upper-mantle water stratification inferred from observations of the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuti, Sagar; Barbot, Sylvain D; Karato, Shun-Ichiro; Feng, Lujia; Banerjee, Paramesh

2016-10-20

Water, the most abundant volatile in Earth's interior, preserves the young surface of our planet by catalysing mantle convection, lubricating plate tectonics and feeding arc volcanism. Since planetary accretion, water has been exchanged between the hydrosphere and the geosphere, but its depth distribution in the mantle remains elusive. Water drastically reduces the strength of olivine and this effect can be exploited to estimate the water content of olivine from the mechanical response of the asthenosphere to stress perturbations such as the ones following large earthquakes. Here, we exploit the sensitivity to water of the strength of olivine, the weakest and most abundant mineral in the upper mantle, and observations of the exceptionally large (moment magnitude 8.6) 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake to constrain the stratification of water content in the upper mantle. Taking into account a wide range of temperature conditions and the transient creep of olivine, we explain the transient deformation in the aftermath of the earthquake that was recorded by continuous geodetic stations along Sumatra as the result of water- and stress-activated creep of olivine. This implies a minimum water content of about 0.01 per cent by weight-or 1,600 H atoms per million Si atoms-in the asthenosphere (the part of the upper mantle below the lithosphere). The earthquake ruptured conjugate faults down to great depths, compatible with dry olivine in the oceanic lithosphere. We attribute the steep rheological contrast to dehydration across the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, presumably by buoyant melt migration to form the oceanic crust.

COMPOSITIONAL AND THERMAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LITHOSPHERIC AND ASTHENOSPHERIC MANTLE AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONTINENTAL DELAMINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. Kiselev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The lower part of lithosphere in collisional orogens may delaminate due to density inversion between the asthenosphere and the cold thickened lithospheric mantle. Generally, standard delamination models have neglected density changes within the crust and the lithospheric mantle, which occur due to phase transitions and compositional variations upon changes of P-T parameters. Our attention is focused on effects of phase and density changes that may be very important and even dominant when compared with the effect of a simple change of the thermal mantle structure. The paper presents the results of numerical modeling for eclogitization of basalts of the lower crust as well as phase composition changes and density of underlying peridotite resulted from tectonic thickening of the lithosphere and its foundering into the asthenosphere. As the thickness of the lower crust increases, the mafic granulite (basalt passes into eclogite, and density inversion occurs at the accepted crust-mantle boundary (P=20 kbar because the newly formed eclogite is heavier than the underlying peridotite by 6 % (abyssal peridotite, according to [Boyd, 1989]. The density difference is a potential energy for delamination of the eclogitic portion of the crust. According to the model, P=70 kbar and T=1300 °C correspond to conditions at the lower boundary of the lithosphere. Assuming the temperature adiabatic distribution within the asthenosphere, its value at the given parameters ranges from 1350 °C to 1400 °C. Density inversion at dry conditions occurs with the identical lithospheric and asthenospheric compositions at the expense of the temperature difference at 100 °C with the density difference of only 0.0022 %. Differences of two other asthenospheric compositions (primitive mantle, and lherzolite KH as compared to the lithosphere (abyssal peridotite are not compensated for by a higher temperature. The asthenospheric density is higher than that of the lithospheric base

Partitioning of water between surface and mantle on terrestrial exoplanets: effect of surface-mantle water exchange parameterizations on ocean depth

Science.gov (United States)

Komacek, T. D.; Abbot, D. S.

2016-12-01

Terrestrial exoplanets in the canonical habitable zone may have a variety of initial water fractions due to their volatile delivery rate via planetesimals. If the total planetary water complement is high, the entire surface may be covered in water, forming a "waterworld". The habitable zone for waterworlds is likely smaller than that for planets with partial land coverage because waterworlds lack the stabilizing silicate-weathering feedback. On a planet with active tectonics, competing mechanisms act to regulate the abundance of water on the surface by determining the partitioning of water between interior and surface. We have explored how the incorporation of different mechanisms for the outgassing and regassing of water changes the volatile evolution of a planet. Specifically, we have examined three models for volatile cycling: a model with degassing and regassing both determined by the seafloor pressure, one with mantle temperature-dependent degassing and regassing rates, and a hybrid model that has the degassing rate driven by seafloor pressure and the regassing rate determined by the mantle temperature. We find that the volatile cycling in all three of these scenarios reaches a steady-state after a few billion years. Using these steady-states, we can make predictions from each model for how much water is needed to flood the surface and make a waterworld. We find that if volatile cycling is either solely temperature-dependent or pressure-dependent, exoplanets require a high abundance (more than 0.3% by mass) of water to have fully inundated surfaces. This is because the waterworld boundary for these models is regulated by how much water can be stuffed into the mantle. However, if degassing is more dependent on the seafloor pressure and regassing mainly dependent on mantle temperature, super-Earth mass planets with a total water fraction similar to that of the Earth (approximately 0.05% by mass) can become waterworlds. As a result, further understanding of the

Stochastic modeling of the Earth's magnetic field: Inversion for covariances over the observatory era

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gillet, N.; Jault, D.; Finlay, Chris

2013-01-01

Inferring the core dynamics responsible for the observed geomagnetic secular variation requires knowledge of the magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary together with its associated model covariances. However, most currently available field models have been built using regularization conditions...... variation error model in core flow inversions and geomagnetic data assimilation studies....

Stochastic modelling of the Earth’s magnetic field: inversion for covariances over the observatory era

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gillet, Nicolas; Jault, D.; Finlay, Chris

2013-01-01

Inferring the core dynamics responsible for the observed geomagnetic secular variation requires knowledge of the magnetic field at the core mantle boundary together with its associated model covariances. However, all currently available field models have been built using regularization conditions...... variation error model in core flow inversions and geomagnetic data assimilation studies....

Heat transfer correlations in mantle tanks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furbo, Simon; Knudsen, Søren

2005-01-01

on calculations with a CFD-model, which has earlier been validated by means of experiments. The CFD-model is used to determine the heat transfer between the solar collector fluid in the mantle and the walls surrounding the mantle in all levels of the mantle as well as the heat transfer between the wall...... transfer correlations are suitable as input for a detailed simulation model for mantle tanks. The heat transfer correlations determined in this study are somewhat different from previous reported heat transfer correlations. The reason is that this study includes more mantle tank designs and operation......Small solar domestic hot water systems are best designed as low flow systems based on vertical mantle tanks. Theoretical investigations of the heat transfer in differently designed vertical mantle tanks during different operation conditions have been carried out. The investigations are based...

Robustness of radiative mantle plasma power exhaust solutions for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandrekas, J.; Stacey, W.M.; Kelly, F.A.

1997-01-01

The robustness of impurity-seeded radiative mantle solutions for ITER to uncertainties in several physics and operating parameters is examined. The results indicate that ∼ 50--90% of the input power can be radiated from inside the separatrix with Ne, Ar and Kr injection, without significant detriment to the core power balance or collapse of the edge temperature profile, for a wide range of conditions on the impurity pinch velocity, edge temperature pedestal, and plasma density

Imaging the Mediterranean upper mantle by p- wave travel time tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Morelli

1997-06-01

Full Text Available Travel times of P-waves in the Euro-Mediterranean region show strong and consistent lateral variations, which can be associated to structural heterogeneity in the underlying crust and mantle. We analyze regional and tele- seismic data from the International Seismological Centre data base to construct a three-dimensional velocity model of the upper mantle. We parameterize the model by a 3D grid of nodes -with approximately 50 km spacing -with a linear interpolation law, which constitutes a three-dimensional continuous representation of P-wave velocity. We construct summary travel time residuals between pairs of cells of the Earth's surface, both inside our study area and -with a broader spacing -on the whole globe. We account for lower mantle heterogeneity outside the modeled region by using empirical corrections to teleseismic travel times. The tomo- graphic images show generai agreement with other seismological studies of this area, with apparently higher detail attained in some locations. The signature of past and present lithospheric subduction, connected to Euro- African convergence, is a prominent feature. Active subduction under the Tyrrhenian and Hellenic arcs is clearly imaged as high-velocity bodies spanning the whole upper mantle. A clear variation of the lithospheric structure beneath the Northem and Southern Apennines is observed, with the boundary running in correspon- dence of the Ortona-Roccamonfina tectonic lineament. The western section of the Alps appears to have better developed roots than the eastern, possibly reflecting à difference in past subduction of the Tethyan lithosphere and subsequent continental collision.

Structural organization of the quiescent core region in a turbulent channel flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jongmin; Hwang, Jinyul; Sung, Hyung Jin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The structural organization of the quiescent core region in a turbulent channel flow is explored. • The quiescent core region is the uniform momentum zone located at the center of the channel. • The boundary of the quiescent core region can be identified from the probability density function of the streamwise modal velocity. • The prograde and retrograde vortices form a counter-rotating vortex pair at the boundary of the core region. - Abstract: The structural organization of the quiescent core region in a turbulent channel flow was explored using direct numerical simulation data at Re_τ = 930. The quiescent core region is the uniform momentum zone located at the center of the channel, and contains the highest momentum with a low level of turbulence. The boundary of the quiescent core region can be identified from the probability density function of the streamwise modal velocity. The streamwise velocity changes abruptly near the boundary of the core region. The abrupt jump leads the increase of the velocity gradient, which is similar to the vorticity thickness of the laminar superlayer at the turbulent/non-turbulent interface. The strong shear induced from the abrupt change is originated from the vortical structure lying on the boundary of the core region. The spanwise population densities of the prograde and retrograde vortices have a local maximum near the boundary of the core region. The prograde vortex dominantly contributes to the total mean shear near the core boundary and the contribution to the total mean shear rapidly decreases within the core region. The prograde and retrograde vortices form a counter-rotating vortex pair at the boundary of the core region associated with the nibbling mechanism. The boundary of the core region contains large-scale concave and convex features. The concave (convex) core interface is organized by the negative-u (positive-u) regions which induce the ejections (sweeps) around the core boundary.

Tracing alteration of mantle peridotite in the Samail ophiolite using Mg isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

de Obeso, J. C.; Kelemen, P. B.; Higgins, J. A.

2017-12-01

Magnesium is one of the main constituents of mantle peridotite ( 22.8 wt%), which has a homogeneous Mg isotopic composition (d26Mg = -0.25 ± 0.04 ‰ (2 sd) DSM3, Teng et al 2010 GCA). Mg isotopes are used as tracers of continental and oceanic weathering as they exhibit variable degrees of fractionation during alteration depending on the lithology. Here we report some of the first Mg isotopic compositions of the mantle section of the Samail ophiolite in Oman and its alteration products. The mantle section of the ophiolite is composed mainly of depleted harzburgites and dunites with mantle-like d26Mg (-0.25, -0.21 ‰). Mantle peridotite is far from equilibrium in near surface conditions leading to rapid, extensive serpentinization, carbonation and oxidation, as well as other geochemical changes. Our analyzed samples encompass most of the alteration of peridotite products observed in Oman including listvenites (completely carbonated peridotite) near the basal thrust of the ophiolite, massive magnesite veins within peridotite outcrops, and heavily altered harzburgites. Magnesite listvenites have d26Mg slightly below mantle values (-0.33, -0.33‰) while dolomite listvenites are significantly lighter (-1.46, -0.89‰). This suggests that heavy Mg isotopes were removed from the listvenites during ophiolite emplacement. Heavily altered peridotite from Wadi Fins exhibit alteration halos with drastic changes in composition. The most oxidized areas are enriched in Fe and depleted in Mg compared to the cores of the samples. These variations in Mg concentrations are complemented by a shift to heavy Mg isotopic compositions (0.74, 0.86‰), among the heaviest d26Mg values that have been reported in altered peridotite. Potential sinks for light isotopes removed from such alteration zones are massive magnesite veins with very light compositions (-3.39, -3.14‰). The fractionation of Mg isotopes observed in the mantle section of the ophiolite spans more than 50% of the known

Nonlinear core deflection in injection molding

Science.gov (United States)

Poungthong, P.; Giacomin, A. J.; Saengow, C.; Kolitawong, C.; Liao, H.-C.; Tseng, S.-C.

2018-05-01

Injection molding of thin slender parts is often complicated by core deflection. This deflection is caused by molten plastics race tracking through the slit between the core and the rigid cavity wall. The pressure of this liquid exerts a lateral force of the slender core causing the core to bend, and this bending is governed by a nonlinear fifth order ordinary differential equation for the deflection that is not directly in the position along the core. Here we subject this differential equation to 6 sets of boundary conditions, corresponding to 6 commercial core constraints. For each such set of boundary conditions, we develop an explicit approximate analytical solution, including both a linear term and a nonlinear term. By comparison with finite difference solutions, we find our new analytical solutions to be accurate. We then use these solutions to derive explicit analytical approximations for maximum deflections and for the core position of these maximum deflections. Our experiments on the base-gated free-tip boundary condition agree closely with our new explicit approximate analytical solution.

The Earth’s mantle before convection: Effects of magma oceans and the Moon (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Smrekar, S. E.; Tobie, G.

2009-12-01

thick solid lid and diminished the likelihood of mantle remixing. Second, on an Earth-sized planet a magma ocean would solidify to produce very dense near-surface solids that also contain the bulk of the water held in the solid state, and the bulk of the incompatible elements. During gravitationally-driven overturn shallow, dense, damp solids carry their water as they sink into the perovskite stability zone and transform the bulk of their mineralogy into perovskite. The last solids that form near the surface exceed the likely water saturation levels of perovskite and will be forced to dewater as they cross the boundary into the lower mantle, leaving water behind in a rapid flux as the dense material sinks. This event will form a kind of “water catastrophe,” and would have the potential to partially melt the upper mantle, to produce a damp asthensosphere, and indeed to encourage convection. These results imply that planets in which perovskite is stable, that is, planets that are larger than Mars, are perhaps more likely to have an early initiation of plate tectonics, and that larger planets may have more violent and near-surface mantle volatile releases during any overturn event.

Implications of Nb/U, Th/U and Sm/Nd in plume magmas for the relationship between continental and oceanic crust formation and the development of the depleted mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Ian H.

2002-05-01

The Nb/U and Th/U of the primitive mantle are 34 and 4.04 respectively, which compare with 9.7 and 3.96 for the continental crust. Extraction of continental crust from the mantle therefore has a profound influence on its Nb/U but little influence on its Th/U. Conversely, extraction of midocean ridge-type basalts lowers the Th/U of the mantle residue but has little influence on its Nb/U. As a consequence, variations in Th/U and Nb/U with Sm/Nd can be used to evaluate the relative importance of continental and basaltic crust extraction in the formation of the depleted (Sm/Nd enriched) mantle reservoir. This study evaluates Nb/U, Th/U, and Sm/Nd variations in suites of komatiites, picrites, and their associated basalts, of various ages, to determine whether basalt and/or continental crust have been extracted from their source region. Emphasis is placed on komatiites and picrites because they formed at high degrees of partial melting and are expected to have Nb/U, Th/U, and Sm/Nd that are essentially the same as the mantle that melted to produce them. The results show that all of the studied suites, with the exception of the Barberton, have had both continental crust and basaltic crust extracted from their mantle source region. The high Sm/Nd of the Gorgona and Munro komatiites require the elevated ratios seen in these suites to be due primarily to extraction of basaltic crust from their source regions, whereas basaltic and continental crust extraction are of subequal importance in the source regions of the Yilgarn and Belingwe komatiites. The Sm/Nd of modern midocean ridge basalts lies above the crustal extraction curve on a plot of Sm/Nd against Nb/U, which requires the upper mantle to have had both basaltic and continental crust extracted from it. It is suggested that the extraction of the basaltic reservoir from the mantle occurs at midocean ridges and that the basaltic crust, together with its complementary depleted mantle residue, is subducted to the core-mantle

Evolution of the earliest mantle caused by the magmatism-mantle upwelling feedback: Implications for the Moon and the Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, M.

2017-12-01

The two most important agents that cause mantle evolution are magmatism and mantle convection. My earlier 2D numerical models of a coupled magmatism-mantle convection system show that these two agents strongly couple each other, when the Rayleigh number Ra is sufficiently high: magmatism induced by a mantle upwelling flow boosts the upwelling flow itself. The mantle convection enhanced by this positive feedback (the magmatism-mantle upwelling, or MMU, feedback) causes vigorous magmatism and, at the same time, strongly stirs the mantle. I explored how the MMU feedback influences the evolution of the earliest mantle that contains the magma ocean, based on a numerical model where the mantle is hot and its topmost 1/3 is partially molten at the beginning of the calculation: The evolution drastically changes its style, as Ra exceeds the threshold for onset of the MMU feedback, around 107. At Ra 107, however, the mantle remains compositionally more homogeneous in spite of the widespread magmatism, and the deep mantle remains hotter than the shallow mantle, because of the strong convective stirring caused by the feedback. The threshold value suggests that the mantle of a planet larger than Mars evolves in a way substantially different from that in the Moon does. Indeed, in my earlier models, magmatism makes the early mantle compositionally stratified in the Moon, but the effects of strong convective stirring overwhelms that of magmatism to keep the mantle compositionally rather homogeneous in Venus and the Earth. The MMU feedback is likely to be a key to understanding why vestiges of the magma ocean are so scarce in the Earth.

Coupled petrological-geodynamical modeling of a compositionally heterogeneous mantle plume

Science.gov (United States)

Rummel, Lisa; Kaus, Boris J. P.; White, Richard W.; Mertz, Dieter F.; Yang, Jianfeng; Baumann, Tobias S.

2018-01-01

Self-consistent geodynamic modeling that includes melting is challenging as the chemistry of the source rocks continuously changes as a result of melt extraction. Here, we describe a new method to study the interaction between physical and chemical processes in an uprising heterogeneous mantle plume by combining a geodynamic code with a thermodynamic modeling approach for magma generation and evolution. We pre-computed hundreds of phase diagrams, each of them for a different chemical system. After melt is extracted, the phase diagram with the closest bulk rock chemistry to the depleted source rock is updated locally. The petrological evolution of rocks is tracked via evolving chemical compositions of source rocks and extracted melts using twelve oxide compositional parameters. As a result, a wide variety of newly generated magmatic rocks can in principle be produced from mantle rocks with different degrees of depletion. The results show that a variable geothermal gradient, the amount of extracted melt and plume excess temperature affect the magma production and chemistry by influencing decompression melting and the depletion of rocks. Decompression melting is facilitated by a shallower lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and an increase in the amount of extracted magma is induced by a lower critical melt fraction for melt extraction and/or higher plume temperatures. Increasing critical melt fractions activates the extraction of melts triggered by decompression at a later stage and slows down the depletion process from the metasomatized mantle. Melt compositional trends are used to determine melting related processes by focusing on K2O/Na2O ratio as indicator for the rock type that has been molten. Thus, a step-like-profile in K2O/Na2O might be explained by a transition between melting metasomatized and pyrolitic mantle components reproducible through numerical modeling of a heterogeneous asthenospheric mantle source. A potential application of the developed method

Rapid Grain Size Reduction in the Upper Mantle at a Plate Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Kidder, S. B.; Scott, J.; Prior, D. J.; Lubicich, E. J.

2017-12-01

A few spinel peridotite xenoliths found near the Alpine Fault, New Zealand, exhibit a mylonitic texture and, locally, an extremely fine 30 micron grain size. The harzburgite xenoliths were emplaced in a 200 km-long elongate dike zone interpreted as a gigantic tension fracture or Reidel shear associated with Alpine Fault initiation 25 Ma. The presence of thin ( 1 mm) ultramylonite zones with px-ol phase mixing and fine grain sizes, minimal crustal-scale strain associated with the dike swarm, and the absence of mylonites at four of the five xenolith localities associated with the dike swarm indicate that upper mantle deformation was highly localized. Strings of small, recrystallized grains (planes in 3D) are found in the interiors of olivine porphyroclasts. In some cases, bands 1-2 grains thick are traced from the edges of olivine grains and terminate in their interiors. Thicker zones of recrystallized grains are also observed crossing olivine porphyroclasts without apparent offset of the unrecrystallized remnants of the porphyroclasts. We suggest a brittle-plastic origin for these features since the traditional recrystallization mechanisms associated with dislocation creep require much more strain than occurred within these porphyroclasts. Analogous microstructures in quartz and feldspar in mid-crust deformation zones are attributed to brittle-plastic processes. We hypothesize that such fine-grained zones were the precursors of the observed, higher-strain ultramylonite zones. Given the size of the new grains preserved in the porphyroclasts ( 100 micron) and a moho temperature > 650°C, grain growth calculations indicate that the observed brittle-plastic deformation occurred <10,000 yrs. prior to eruption. It is likely then that either brittle-plastic deformation was coeval with the ductile shearing occurring in the ultramylonite bands, or possibly, if deformation can be separated into brittle-plastic (early) and ductile (later) phases, that the entire localization

The Earth's mantle and geoneutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiorentini, Giovanni; Fogli, Gian Luigi; Lisi, Eligio; Mantovani, Fabio; Rotunno, Anna Maria; Xhixha, Gerti

2013-01-01

The KamLAND and Borexino experiments have observed, each at ∼4σ level, signals of electron antineutrinos produced in the decay chains of thorium and uranium in the Earth's crust and mantle (Th and U geoneutrinos). Various pieces of geochemical and geophysical information allow an estimation of the crustal geoneutrino flux components with relatively small uncertainties. The mantle component may then be inferred by subtracting the estimated crustal flux from the measured total flux. We find that crust-subtracted signals show hints of a residual mantle component, emerging at ∼2.4σ level by combining the KamLAND and Borexino data. The inferred mantle flux, slightly favoring scenarios with relatively high Th and U abundances, within ∼1σ uncertainties is comparable to the predictions from recent mantle models

Implications of Thermal Diffusity being Inversely Proportional to Temperature Times Thermal Expansivity on Lower Mantle Heat Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmeister, A.

2010-12-01

Many measurements and models of heat transport in lower mantle candidate phases contain systematic errors: (1) conventional methods of insulators involve thermal losses that are pressure (P) and temperature (T) dependent due to physical contact with metal thermocouples, (2) measurements frequently contain unwanted ballistic radiative transfer which hugely increases with T, (3) spectroscopic measurements of dense samples in diamond anvil cells involve strong refraction by which has not been accounted for in analyzing transmission data, (4) the role of grain boundary scattering in impeding heat and light transfer has largely been overlooked, and (5) essentially harmonic physical properties have been used to predict anharmonic behavior. Improving our understanding of the physics of heat transport requires accurate data, especially as a function of temperature, where anharmonicity is the key factor. My laboratory provides thermal diffusivity (D) at T from laser flash analysis, which lacks the above experimental errors. Measuring a plethora of chemical compositions in diverse dense structures (most recently, perovskites, B1, B2, and glasses) as a function of temperature provides a firm basis for understanding microscopic behavior. Given accurate measurements for all quantities: (1) D is inversely proportional to [T x alpha(T)] from ~0 K to melting, where alpha is thermal expansivity, and (2) the damped harmonic oscillator model matches measured D(T), using only two parameters (average infrared dielectric peak width and compressional velocity), both acquired at temperature. These discoveries pertain to the anharmonic aspects of heat transport. I have previously discussed the easily understood quasi-harmonic pressure dependence of D. Universal behavior makes application to the Earth straightforward: due to the stiffness and slow motions of the plates and interior, and present-day, slow planetary cooling rates, Earth can be approximated as being in quasi

Mantle wedge serpentinization effects on slab dips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eh Tan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanical coupling between a subducting slab and the overlying mantle wedge is an important factor in controlling the subduction dip angle and the flow in mantel wedge. This paper investigates the role of the amount of mantle serpentinization on the subduction zone evolution. With numerical thermos-mechanical models with elasto-visco-plastic rheology, we vary the thickness and depth extent of mantle serpentinization in the mantle wedge to control the degree of coupling between the slab and mantle wedge. A thin serpentinized mantle layer is required for stable subduction. For models with stable subduction, we find that the slab dip is affected by the down-dip extent and the mantle serpentinization thickness. A critical down-dip extent exists in mantle serpentinization, determined by the thickness of the overriding lithosphere. If the down-dip extent does not exceed the critical depth, the slab is partially coupled to the overriding lithosphere and has a constant dip angle regardless of the mantle serpentinization thickness. However, if the down-dip extent exceeds the critical depth, the slab and the base of the overriding lithosphere would be separated and decoupled by a thick layer of serpentinized peridotite. This allows further slab bending and results in steeper slab dip. Increasing mantle serpentinization thickness will also result in larger slab dip. We also find that with weak mantle wedge, there is no material flowing from the asthenosphere into the serpentinized mantle wedge. All of these results indicate that serpentinization is an important ingredient when studying the subduction dynamics in the mantle wedge.

Anisotropy of the upper mantle beneath the equatorial part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Kendall, J. M.; Rychert, C.; Harmon, N.; Tharimena, S.; Agius, M. R.

2017-12-01

It has been long-known that the mantle beneath ocean spreading centres is anisotropic, holding the signature of the formation of new oceanic lithosphere and its coupling with the underlying convecting asthenosphere. Numerical studies have suggested that there should be significant differences between the anisotropy at slow versus fast spreading centres, but there is little observational evidence to calibrate these simulations, especially at slow spreading centres. Near the ridge axis, the anisotropic effects of melt versus the lattice preferred orientation of minerals is not well understood. Finally, the mantle flow near ridge-transform interactions is also poorly understood. Here we present observations of SKS splitting in a region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the equator and offset by the Romanche and Chain Fracture Zones. An array of 37 ocean-bottom seismometers were deployed for a year in depths of up to nearly 6000m, with the aim of studying the nature of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary as it forms (the PiLAB - Passive Imaging of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary - experiment). Stations were deployed on crust that varies from newly formed to 80 My old. We analyse 40 teleseismic events of magnitude greater than 5.8 and with epicentral distances between 88 and 130 degrees. The ocean-bottom is a noisy environment and a range of filters are used to isolate the SKS, SKKS, and related signals. Furthermore, stacking splitting error envelopes is used to improve confidence in the splitting parameters. Many of the splitting measurements show an orientation parallel to the direction of plate spreading, as expected, but variability in the orientation of the anisotropy increases towards the ridge axis. The magnitude of the anisotropy is also quite variable and suggests larger delay times near the ridge axis. Off-axis anisotropy is interpreted in terms of deformation of peridotite due to mantle flow. Near the ridge axis, the effect of ridge-parallel melt

Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: A petrological and microstructural study of mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.

2002-12-01

In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2

A Model of Continental Growth and Mantle Degassing Comparing Biotic and Abiotic Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Höning, D.; Hansen-Goos, H.; Spohn, T.

2012-12-01

While examples for interaction of the biosphere with the atmosphere can be easily cited (e.g., production and consumption of O2), interaction between the biosphere and the solid planet and its interior is much less established. It has been argued (e.g., Rosing et al. 2006; Sleep et al, 2012) that the formation of continents could be a consequence of bioactivity harvesting solar energy through photosynthesis to help build the continents and that the mantle should carry a chemical biosignature. We present an interaction model that includes mantle convection, mantle water vapor degassing at mid-oceanic ridges and regassing through subduction zones, continental crust formation and erosion and water storage and transport in a porous oceanic crust that includes hydrous mineral phases. The mantle viscosity in this model depends on the water concentration in the mantle. We use boundary layer theory of mantle convection to parameterize the mantle convection flow rate and assume that the plate speed equals the mantle flow rate. The biosphere enters the calculation through the assumption that the continental erosion rate is enhanced by a factor of several through bioactivity and through an assumed reduction of the kinetic barrier to diagenetic and metamorphic reactions (e.g., Kim et al. 2004) in the sedimentary basins in subduction zones that would lead to increased water storage capacities. We further include a stochastic model of continent-to-continent interactions that limits the effective total length of subduction zones. We use present day parameters of the Earth and explore a phase plane spanned by the percentage of surface coverage of the Earth by continents and the total water content of the mantle. We vary the ratio of the erosion rate in a postulated abiotic Earth to the present Earth, as well as the activation barrier to diagenetic and metamorphic reactions that affect the water storage capacity of the subducting crust. We find stable and unstable fixed points in

Seismic waves at the epicenter's antipode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rial, J.A.; Cormier, V.F.

1980-01-01

The antipodal region (178 0 0 ) of a seismic wave source is investigated in detail and shown to provide a new set of remarkable data to use in the exploration of the earth's interior. Body and surface waves converge individually at antipodal distances after having sampled laterally the totality of the planet. The waves are focused and strongly amplified up to 1 order of magnitude with respect to the normal phase recorded 2 0 or more away. The delicate interference patterns thus formed yield information on departures from lateral homogeneity and sphericity of the core and mantle, the structure of the inner core, global dissipation characteristics of the upper mantle, and provide strong constraints on earth models. Seismograms have been synthesized that closely reproduce the phases P/sub diff/, PKIKP, PKIIKP, PKP(BC), PKP, and PP observed at World-Wide Standard Seismographic Network long-period instruments located within 5 0 from the antipode of the New Zealand Inangahua earthquake of May 23, 1968. Preliminary results indicate that the lower mantle and upper core are laterally homogeneous as seen by 15-s waves, but the core-mantle boundary region is probably laterally inhomogeneous. The inner core--outer core boundary appears to be a sharp transition with a P wave velocity jump of the order of 0.8 km/s. The resolution of the long-period data is poor, but the potential richness of the method when better data sets are available strongly motivated the investigation. Suggested future lines of research using antipodal observations include monitoring of inner core phases, study of focal processes of large earthquakes, and the exploration of planetary interiors

The thermal effects of steady-state slab-driven mantle flow above a subducting plate: the Cascadia subduction zone and backarc

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, C. A.; Wang, K.; Hyndman, Roy D.; He, Jiangheng

2004-06-01

At subduction zones, geophysical and geochemical observations indicate that the arc and backarc regions are hot, in spite of the cooling effects of a subducting plate. At the well-studied Cascadia subduction zone, high mantle temperatures persist for over 500 km into the backarc, with little lateral variation. These high temperatures are even more surprising due to the juxtaposition of the hot Cascadia backarc against the thick, cold North America craton lithosphere. Given that local heat sources appear to be negligible, mantle flow is required to transport heat into the wedge and backarc. We have examined the thermal effects of mantle flow induced by traction along the top of the subducting plate. Through systematic tests of the backarc model boundary, we have shown that the model thermal structure of the wedge is primarily determined by the assumed temperatures along this boundary. To get high temperatures in the wedge, it is necessary for flow to mine heat from depth, either by using a temperature-dependent rheology, or by introducing a deep cold boundary through a thick adjacent lithosphere, consistent with the presence of a craton. Regardless of the thermal conditions along the backarc boundary, flow within an isoviscous wedge is too slow to transport a significant amount of heat into the wedge corner. With a more realistic stress- and temperature-dependent wedge rheology, flow is focused into the wedge corner, resulting in rapid flow upward toward the corner and enhanced temperatures below the arc, compatible with temperatures required for arc magma generation. However, this strong flow focusing produces a nearly stagnant region further landward in the shallow backarc mantle, where model temperatures and heat flow are much lower than observed. Observations of high backarc temperatures, particularly in areas that have not undergone recent extension, provide an important constraint on wedge dynamics. None of the models of simple traction-driven flow were able

Effect of Silicon on Activity Coefficients of Platinum in Liquid Fe-Si, With Application to Core Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L. R.; Humayun, M.

2017-01-01

Earth's core contains approximately 10% of a light element that is likely a combination of S, C, Si, and O, with Si possibly being the most abundant light element. Si dissolved into Fe liquids can have a large effect on the magnitude of the activity coefficient of siderophile elements (SE) in Fe liquids, and thus the partitioning behavior of those elements between core and mantle. The effect of Si can be small such as for Ni and Co, or large such as for Mo, Ge, Sb, As. The effect of Si on many siderophile elements is unknown yet could be an important, and as yet unquantified, influence on the core-mantle partitioning of SE. Here we report new experiments designed to quantify the effect of Si on the partitioning of Pt (with Re and Ru in progress or planned) between metal and silicate melt. The results will be applied to Earth, for which we have excellent constraints on the mantle Pt concentrations.

Mantle Convection on Modern Supercomputers

Science.gov (United States)

Weismüller, J.; Gmeiner, B.; Huber, M.; John, L.; Mohr, M.; Rüde, U.; Wohlmuth, B.; Bunge, H. P.

2015-12-01

Mantle convection is the cause for plate tectonics, the formation of mountains and oceans, and the main driving mechanism behind earthquakes. The convection process is modeled by a system of partial differential equations describing the conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Characteristic to mantle flow is the vast disparity of length scales from global to microscopic, turning mantle convection simulations into a challenging application for high-performance computing. As system size and technical complexity of the simulations continue to increase, design and implementation of simulation models for next generation large-scale architectures is handled successfully only in an interdisciplinary context. A new priority program - named SPPEXA - by the German Research Foundation (DFG) addresses this issue, and brings together computer scientists, mathematicians and application scientists around grand challenges in HPC. Here we report from the TERRA-NEO project, which is part of the high visibility SPPEXA program, and a joint effort of four research groups. TERRA-NEO develops algorithms for future HPC infrastructures, focusing on high computational efficiency and resilience in next generation mantle convection models. We present software that can resolve the Earth's mantle with up to 1012 grid points and scales efficiently to massively parallel hardware with more than 50,000 processors. We use our simulations to explore the dynamic regime of mantle convection and assess the impact of small scale processes on global mantle flow.

Secondary overprinting of S-Se-Te signatures in the Earth's mantle: Implications for the Late Veneer

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, S.; Luguet, A.; Lorand, J.; Pearson, D.

2013-12-01

Sulphur, Selenium and Tellurium are both chalcophile and highly siderophile elements (HSE) with near-chondritic ratios and absolute abundances in the terrestrial mantle that exceed those predicted by core-mantle differentiation[1]. These 'excess' HSE abundances have been attributed to addition of ca. 0.5% of chondrite-like material that hit the Earth in its accretionary stage between 4 to 3.8 billion years ago after core-mantle differentiation (Late Veneer[2]). Therefore, like other HSE, S, Se and Te are considered potential tracers for the composition of the Late Veneer, provided that their bulk silicate Earth abundances are properly constrained. In contrast to ca. 250 ppm S, Se and Te are ultra-trace elements in the terrestrial mantle. Like all HSE, they are furthermore controlled by base metal sulphides (BMS) and micrometric platinum group minerals (PGMs)[3]. This strong control exerted by the host mineralogy and petrology on the S-Se-Te systematics at both the micro-scale and the whole-rock scale makes detailed mineralogical and petrological studies of BMS and PGM a pre-requisite to fully understand and accurately interpret the whole-rock signatures. Here we combine in-situ sulphide data and detailed mineralogical observations with whole-rock S-Se-Te-HSE signatures of both lherzolites and harburgites from different geodynamic settings. We demonstrate that the near-chondritic Se and Te signature of 'fertile' mantle rocks (Se/Te ≈9×5) is not a primitive signature of the Earth's mantle, but rather reflects strong enrichment in metasomatic HSE host phases, which erased previous pristine signatures. Consequently, current attempts to identify a potential Late Veneer composition are seriously flawed because, neither refertilisation/metasomatism nor true melt depletion (e.g. harzburgitic residues) have been taken into account for the Primitive Upper Mantle composition estimate[4]. Our combined whole rock and in-situ sulphide data indicate a refertilisation trend

Effects of Iron and Aluminum on Phase Boundaries at 600-800 km Depths

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Sang-Heon; Ye, Yu; Prakapenka, Vitali; Meng, Yue

2014-05-01

than the iron-free system, while the Clapeyron slopes of the other phase boundaries do not change. Our results suggest that lateral variations in Fe and Al may significantly change the mineralogy in the mantle transition zone. For example, a decrease in iron content will stabilize Al-rich akimotoite even at average mantle temperatures. An increase in iron content will limit the stability of akimotoite and make garnet more important in the mantle transition zone. The large positive Clapeyron slope (5 MPa/K) of the post-garnet boundary in iron-rich regions may allow more vigorous mantle flow across the boundary between the upper and the lower mantle.

COMPLEX GEOLOGICAL–GEOPHYSICAL 3D MODEL OF THE CRUST IN THE SOUTHEASTERN FENNOSCANDIAN SHIELD: NATURE OF DENSITY LAYERING OF THE CRUST AND THE CRUST–MANTLE BOUNDARY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Glaznev

2015-01-01

combinations of crustal thickness and temperature at the level of Moho discontinuity, the crust in a platform region can be transformed into eclogites. In this case, the crust–mantle boundary is determined by quantitative proportions of the rocks that underwent eclogitization or escaped this process and by corresponding density and velocity values. (5 High compaction of rocks in the crust under lithostatic loading cannot be explained by «simple» concepts of metamorphism and/or rock compaction, which are based on laboratory studies of rock samples and mathematical simulations; this is an evidence of the existence of additional, quite strong mechanisms providing for reversible changes of the rocks.

Imaging paleoslabs in the D″ layer beneath Central America and the Caribbean using seismic waveform inversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgeaud, Anselme F E; Kawai, Kenji; Konishi, Kensuke; Geller, Robert J

2017-11-01

D″ (Dee double prime), the lowermost layer of the Earth's mantle, is the thermal boundary layer (TBL) of mantle convection immediately above the Earth's liquid outer core. As the origin of upwelling of hot material and the destination of paleoslabs (downwelling cold slab remnants), D″ plays a major role in the Earth's evolution. D″ beneath Central America and the Caribbean is of particular geodynamical interest, because the paleo- and present Pacific plates have been subducting beneath the western margin of Pangaea since ~250 million years ago, which implies that paleoslabs could have reached the lowermost mantle. We conduct waveform inversion using a data set of ~7700 transverse component records to infer the detailed three-dimensional S-velocity structure in the lowermost 400 km of the mantle in the study region so that we can investigate how cold paleoslabs interact with the hot TBL above the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We can obtain high-resolution images because the lowermost mantle here is densely sampled by seismic waves due to the full deployment of the USArray broadband seismic stations during 2004-2015. We find two distinct strong high-velocity anomalies, which we interpret as paleoslabs, just above the CMB beneath Central America and Venezuela, respectively, surrounded by low-velocity regions. Strong low-velocity anomalies concentrated in the lowermost 100 km of the mantle suggest the existence of chemically distinct denser material connected to low-velocity anomalies in the lower mantle inferred by previous studies, suggesting that plate tectonics on the Earth's surface might control the modality of convection in the lower mantle.

Subharmonic excitation in an HTGR core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezler, P.; Curreri, J.R.

1977-01-01

The occurrence of subharmonic resonance in a series of blocks with clearance between blocks and with springs on the outer most ends is the subject of this paper. This represents an HTGR core response to an earthquake input. An analytical model of the cross section of this type of core is a series of blocks arranged horizontally between outer walls. Each block represents many graphite hexagonal core elements acting in unison as a single mass. The blocks are of unequal size to model the true mass distribution through the core. Core element elasticity and damping characteristics are modeled with linear spring and viscous damping units affixed to each block. The walls and base represent the core barell or core element containment structure. For forced response calculations, these boundaries are given prescribed motions. The clearance between each block could be the same or different with the total clearance duplicating that of the entire core. Spring packs installed between the first and last block and the boundaries model the boundary elasticity. The system non-linearity is due to the severe discontinuity in the interblock elastic forces when adjacent blocks collide. A computer program using a numerical integration scheme was developed to solve for the response of the system to arbitrary inputs

Snow nitrate photolysis in polar regions and the mid-latitudes: Impact on boundary layer chemistry and implications for ice core records

Science.gov (United States)

Zatko, Maria C.

The formation and recycling of nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO 2) associated with snow nitrate photolysis has important implications for air quality and the preservation of nitrate in ice core records. This dissertation examines snow nitrate photolysis in polar and mid-latitude regions using field and laboratory based observations combined with snow chemistry column models and a global chemical transport model to explore the impacts of snow nitrate photolysis on boundary layer chemistry and the preservation of nitrate in polar ice cores. Chapter 1 describes how a global chemical transport model is used to calculate the photolysis-driven flux and redistribution of nitrogen across Antarctica, and Chapter 2 presents similar work for Greenland. Snow-sourced NOx is most dependent on the quantum yield for nitrate photolysis as well as the concentration of photolabile nitrate and light-absorbing impurities (e.g., black carbon, dust, organics) in snow. Model-calculated fluxes of snow-sourced NOx are similar in magnitude in Antarctica (0.5--7.8x108 molec cm-2 s -1) and Greenland (0.1--6.4x108 molec cm-2 s-1) because both nitrate and light-absorbing impurity concentrations in snow are higher (by factors of 2 and 10, respectively) in Greenland. Snow nitrate photolysis influences boundary layer chemistry and ice-core nitrate preservation less in Greenland compared to Antarctica largely due to Greenland's proximity to NOx-source regions. Chapter 3 describes how a snow chemistry column model combined with chemistry and optical measurements from the Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study (UBWOS) 2014 is used to calculate snow-sourced NOx in eastern Utah. Daily-averaged fluxes of snow-sourced NOx (2.9x10 7--1.3x108 molec cm-2 s-1) are similar in magnitude to polar snow-sourced NO x fluxes, but are only minor components of the Uintah Basin boundary layer NOx budget and can be neglected when developing ozone reduction strategies for the region. Chapter 4 presents chemical and optical

Conjecture with water and rheological control for subducting slab in the mantle transition zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumiko Tajima

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Seismic observations have shown structural variation near the base of the mantle transition zone (MTZ where subducted cold slabs, as visualized with high seismic speed anomalies (HSSAs, flatten to form stagnant slabs or sink further into the lower mantle. The different slab behaviors were also accompanied by variation of the “660 km” discontinuity depths and low viscosity layers (LVLs beneath the MTZ that are suggested by geoid inversion studies. We address that deep water transport by subducted slabs and dehydration from hydrous slabs could affect the physical properties of mantle minerals and govern slab dynamics. A systematic series of three-dimensional numerical simulation has been conducted to examine the effects of viscosity reduction or contrast between slab materials on slab behaviors near the base of the MTZ. We found that the viscosity reduction of subducted crustal material leads to a separation of crustal material from the slab main body and its transient stagnation in the MTZ. The once trapped crustal materials in the MTZ eventually sink into the lower mantle within 20–30 My from the start of the plate subduction. The results suggest crustal material recycle in the whole mantle that is consistent with evidence from mantle geochemistry as opposed to a two-layer mantle convection model. Because of the smaller capacity of water content in lower mantle minerals than in MTZ minerals, dehydration should occur at the phase transformation depth, ∼660 km. The variation of the discontinuity depths and highly localized low seismic speed anomaly (LSSA zones observed from seismic P waveforms in a relatively high frequency band (∼1 Hz support the hypothesis of dehydration from hydrous slabs at the phase boundary. The LSSAs which correspond to dehydration induced fluids are likely to be very local, given very small hydrogen (H+ diffusivity associated with subducted slabs. The image of such local LSSA zones embedded in HSSAs may not

The geobiological nitrogen cycle: From microbes to the mantle.

Science.gov (United States)

Zerkle, A L; Mikhail, S

2017-05-01

Nitrogen forms an integral part of the main building blocks of life, including DNA, RNA, and proteins. N 2 is the dominant gas in Earth's atmosphere, and nitrogen is stored in all of Earth's geological reservoirs, including the crust, the mantle, and the core. As such, nitrogen geochemistry is fundamental to the evolution of planet Earth and the life it supports. Despite the importance of nitrogen in the Earth system, large gaps remain in our knowledge of how the surface and deep nitrogen cycles have evolved over geologic time. Here, we discuss the current understanding (or lack thereof) for how the unique interaction of biological innovation, geodynamics, and mantle petrology has acted to regulate Earth's nitrogen cycle over geologic timescales. In particular, we explore how temporal variations in the external (biosphere and atmosphere) and internal (crust and mantle) nitrogen cycles could have regulated atmospheric pN 2 . We consider three potential scenarios for the evolution of the geobiological nitrogen cycle over Earth's history: two in which atmospheric pN 2 has changed unidirectionally (increased or decreased) over geologic time and one in which pN 2 could have taken a dramatic deflection following the Great Oxidation Event. It is impossible to discriminate between these scenarios with the currently available models and datasets. However, we are optimistic that this problem can be solved, following a sustained, open-minded, and multidisciplinary effort between surface and deep Earth communities. © 2017 The Authors Geobiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lowermost mantle anisotropy near the eastern edge of the Pacific LLSVP: constraints from SKS-SKKS splitting intensity measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Jie; Long, Maureen D.; Creasy, Neala; Wagner, Lara; Beck, Susan; Zandt, George; Tavera, Hernando; Minaya, Estela

2017-08-01

Seismic anisotropy has been documented in many portions of the lowermost mantle, with particularly strong anisotropy thought to be present along the edges of large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). The region surrounding the Pacific LLSVP, however, has not yet been studied extensively in terms of its anisotropic structure. In this study, we use seismic data from southern Peru, northern Bolivia and Easter Island to probe lowermost mantle anisotropy beneath the eastern Pacific Ocean, mostly relying on data from the Peru Lithosphere and Slab Experiment and Central Andean Uplift and Geodynamics of High Topography experiments. Differential shear wave splitting measurements from phases that have similar ray paths in the upper mantle but different ray paths in the lowermost mantle, such as SKS and SKKS, are used to constrain anisotropy in D″. We measured splitting for 215 same station-event SKS-SKKS pairs that sample the eastern Pacific LLSVP at the base of the mantle. We used measurements of splitting intensity(SI), a measure of the amount of energy on the transverse component, to objectively and quantitatively analyse any discrepancies between SKS and SKKS phases. While the overall splitting signal is dominated by the upper-mantle anisotropy, a minority of SKS-SKKS pairs (∼10 per cent) exhibit strongly discrepant splitting between the phases (i.e. the waveforms require a difference in SI of at least 0.4), indicating a likely contribution from lowermost mantle anisotropy. In order to enhance lower mantle signals, we also stacked waveforms within individual subregions and applied a waveform differencing technique to isolate the signal from the lowermost mantle. Our stacking procedure yields evidence for substantial splitting due to lowermost mantle anisotropy only for a specific region that likely straddles the edge of Pacific LLSVP. Our observations are consistent with the localization of deformation and anisotropy near the eastern boundary of the Pacific LLSVP

Dynamics of Mantle Plume Controlled by both Post-spinel and Post-garnet Phase Transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, H.; Leng, W.

2017-12-01

Mineralogical studies indicate that two major phase transitions occur near 660 km depth in the Earth's pyrolitic mantle: the ringwoodite (Rw) to perovskite (Pv) + magnesiowüstite (Mw) and majorite (Mj) to perovskite (Pv) phase transitions. Seismological results also show a complicated phase boundary structure for plume regions at this depth, including broad pulse, double reflections and depressed 660 km discontinuity beneath hot regions etc… These observations have been attributed to the co-existence of these two phase transformations. However, previous geodynamical modeling mainly focused on the effects of Rw-Pv+Mw phase transition on the plume dynamics and largely neglected the effects of Mj-Pv phase transition. Here we develop a 3-D regional spherical geodynamic model to study the influence of the combination of Rw - Pv+Mw and Mj - Pv phase transitions on plume dynamics, including the topography fluctuation of 660 km discontinuity, plume shape and penetration capability of plume. Our results show that (1) a double phase boundary occurs at the hot center area of plume while for other regions with relatively lower temperature the phase boundary is single and flat, which respectively corresponds to the double reflections in the seismic observations and a high velocity prism-like structure at the top of 660 km discontinuity; (2) a large amount of low temperature plume materials could be trapped to form a complex trapezoid overlying the 660 km depth; (3) Mj - Pv phase change strongly enhances the plume penetration capability at 660 km depth, which significantly increases the plume mass flux due to the increased plume radius, but significantly reduces plume heat flux due to the decreased plume temperature in the upper mantle. Our model results provide new enlightenments for better constraining seismic structure and mineral reactions at 660 km phase boundaries.

Sediment cores and chemistry for the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Habitat Restoration Project, Boundary County, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Gary J.; Weakland, Rhonda J.; Fosness, Ryan L.; Cox, Stephen E.; Williams, Marshall L.

2012-01-01

The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, in cooperation with local, State, Federal, and Canadian agency co-managers and scientists, is assessing the feasibility of a Kootenai River habitat restoration project in Boundary County, Idaho. This project is oriented toward recovery of the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) population, and simultaneously targets habitat-based recovery of other native river biota. Projects currently (2010) under consideration include modifying the channel and flood plain, installing in-stream structures, and creating wetlands to improve the physical and biological functions of the ecosystem. River restoration is a complex undertaking that requires a thorough understanding of the river. To assist in evaluating the feasibility of this endeavor, the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed the physical and chemical nature of sediment cores collected at 24 locations in the river. Core depths ranged from 4.6 to 15.2 meters; 21 cores reached a depth of 15.2 meters. The sediment was screened for the presence of chemical constituents that could have harmful effects if released during restoration activities. The analysis shows that concentrations of harmful chemical constituents do not exceed guideline limits that were published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2006.

Mantle-cell lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Barista, I; Romaguera, J E; Cabanillas, F

2001-03-01

During the past decade, mantle-cell lymphoma has been established as a new disease entity. The normal counterparts of the cells forming this malignant lymphoma are found in the mantle zone of the lymph node, a thin layer surrounding the germinal follicles. These cells have small to medium-sized nuclei, are commonly indented or cleaved, and stain positively with CD5, CD20, cyclin D1, and FMC7 antibodies. Because of its morphological appearance and a resemblance to other low-grade lymphomas, many of which grow slowly, this lymphoma was initially thought to be an indolent tumour, but its natural course was not thoroughly investigated until the 1990s, when the BCL1 oncogene was identified as a marker for this disease. Mantle-cell lymphoma is a discrete entity, unrelated to small lymphocytic or small-cleaved-cell lymphomas.

Petrological Geodynamics of Mantle Melting II. AlphaMELTS + Multiphase Flow: Dynamic Fractional Melting

Science.gov (United States)

Tirone, Massimiliano

2018-03-01

In this second installment of a series that aims to investigate the dynamic interaction between the composition and abundance of the solid mantle and its melt products, the classic interpretation of fractional melting is extended to account for the dynamic nature of the process. A multiphase numerical flow model is coupled with the program AlphaMELTS, which provides at the moment possibly the most accurate petrological description of melting based on thermodynamic principles. The conceptual idea of this study is based on a description of the melting process taking place along a 1-D vertical ideal column where chemical equilibrium is assumed to apply in two local sub-systems separately on some spatial and temporal scale. The solid mantle belongs to a local sub-system (ss1) that does not interact chemically with the melt reservoir which forms a second sub-system (ss2). The local melt products are transferred in the melt sub-system ss2 where the melt phase eventually can also crystallize into a different solid assemblage and will evolve dynamically. The main difference with the usual interpretation of fractional melting is that melt is not arbitrarily and instantaneously extracted from the mantle, but instead remains a dynamic component of the model, hence the process is named dynamic fractional melting (DFM). Some of the conditions that may affect the DFM model are investigated in this study, in particular the effect of temperature, mantle velocity at the boundary of the mantle column. A comparison is made with the dynamic equilibrium melting (DEM) model discussed in the first installment. The implications of assuming passive flow or active flow are also considered to some extent. Complete data files of most of the DFM simulations, four animations and two new DEM simulations (passive/active flow) are available following the instructions in the supplementary material.

A >100 Ma Mantle Geochemical Record: Retiring Mantle Plumes may be Premature

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Konter, J. G.; Hanan, B. B.; Blichert-Toft, J.; Koppers, A. A.; Plank, T.; Staudigel, H.

2006-12-01

Hotspot volcanism has long been attributed to mantle plumes, but in recent years suggestions have been made that plate tectonic processes, such as extension, can account for all hotspot tracks. This explanation involves a profoundly less dynamic lower mantle, which justifies a critical evaluation before the plume model is dismissed. Such an evaluation has to involve a wide range of geochemical, geological, and geophysical techniques, broadly investigating the products of volcanism as well as the underlying lithosphere and mantle. We argue here that the combined geological record and geochemistry of intraplate volcanoes holds some important clues that help us decide between models of plume-like upwelling versus passive upwelling with lithospheric extension. The best of these integrated datasets can be obtained from the long seamount chains in the Pacific Ocean. A new combined dataset of trace element and isotopic compositions, along with modern 40Ar/39Ar ages from seamounts in the Gilbert Ridge, Tokelau chain, and West Pacific Seamount Province (WPSP) provides a record of current to Cretaceous volcanism in the South Pacific. We have reconstructed the eruptive locations of the seamounts using a range of absolute plate motion models, including some models with hotspot motion and others that use the Indo-Atlantic hotspot reference frame. Our results show that the backtracked locations consistently form clusters (300km radius) around the active ends of the Macdonald, Rurutu and Rarotonga hotspot chains, while closely matching their distinct C-HIMU and C-EM1 signatures. The oldest WPSP seamounts (older than 100 Ma) form the only exception and backtrack, with larger uncertainty, to north of Rarotonga. Therefore, the mantle currently underlying the Cook-Austral islands has produced volcanoes in three geochemically distinct areas for at least 100 m.y. Furthermore, we find the shortest mantle residence time, 0.6 Ga, for a source of mixed recycled DMM and an EM1-like

Sulfide enrichment at an oceanic crust-mantle transition zone: Kane Megamullion (23°N, MAR)

Science.gov (United States)

Ciazela, Jakub; Koepke, Juergen; Dick, Henry J. B.; Botcharnikov, Roman; Muszynski, Andrzej; Lazarov, Marina; Schuth, Stephan; Pieterek, Bartosz; Kuhn, Thomas

2018-06-01

The Kane Megamullion oceanic core complex located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (23°30‧N, 45°20‧W) exposes lower crust and upper mantle directly on the ocean floor. We studied chalcophile elements and sulfides in the ultramafic and mafic rocks of the crust-mantle transition and the mantle underneath. We determined mineralogical and elemental composition and the Cu isotope composition of the respective sulfides along with the mineralogical and elemental composition of the respective serpentines. The rocks of the crust-mantle transition zone (i.e., plagioclase harzburgite, peridotite-gabbro contacts, and dunite) overlaid by troctolites are by one order of magnitude enriched in several chalcophile elements with respect to the spinel harzburgites of the mantle beneath. Whereas the range of Cu concentrations in spinel harzburgites is 7-69 ppm, the Cu concentrations are highly elevated in plagioclase harzburgites with a range of 90-209 ppm. The zones of the peridotite-gabbro contacts are even more enriched, exhibiting up to 305 ppm Cu and highly elevated concentrations of As, Zn, Ga, Sb and Tl. High Cu concentrations show pronounced correlation with bulk S concentrations at the crust-mantle transition zone implying an enrichment process in this horizon of the oceanic lithosphere. We interpret this enrichment as related to melt-mantle reaction, which is extensive in crust-mantle transition zones. In spite of the ubiquitous serpentinization of primary rocks, we found magmatic chalcopyrites [CuFeS2] as inclusions in plagioclase as well as associated with pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8] and pyrrhotite [Fe1-xS] in polysulfide grains. These chalcopyrites show a primary magmatic δ65Cu signature ranging from -0.04 to +0.29 ‰. Other chalcopyrites have been dissolved during serpentinization. Due to the low temperature (enrichment, increased sulfide modes, and potentially formation of small sulfide deposits could be expected globally along the petrological Moho.

Nitrogen isotope and trace metal analyses from the Mingolsheim core (Germany): Evidence for redox variations across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Tracy M.; van de Schootbrugge, Bas; Field, M. Paul; Rosenthal, Yair; Falkowski, Paul G.

2008-06-01

The Triassic-Jurassic (T-J) boundary was one of the largest but least understood mass extinction events in the Phanerozoic. We measured bulk organic nitrogen and carbon isotopes and trace metal concentrations from a core near Mingolsheim (Germany) to infer paleoenvironmental conditions associated with this event. Poorly fossiliferous claystones across the boundary have relatively low δ15N values and low concentrations of redox-sensitive elements, characteristic of an oxic environment with significant terrestrial input. The Early Jurassic features enrichment in δ15N coincident with high redox-sensitive element concentrations, indicating an increase in water column denitrification and decreased oxygen concentrations. These redox state variations are concordant with shifts in abundance and species composition in terrestrial and marine microflora. We propose that the mass extinction at the T-J boundary was caused by a series of events resulting in a long period of stratification, deep-water hypoxia, and denitrification in this region of the Tethys Ocean basin.

Secular changes of LOD associated with a growth of the inner core

Science.gov (United States)

Denis, C.; Rybicki, K. R.; Varga, P.

2006-05-01

From recent estimates of the age of the inner core based on the theory of thermal evolution of the core, we estimate that nowadays the growth of the inner core may perhaps contribute to the observed overall secular increase of LOD caused mainly by tidal friction (i.e., 1.72 ms per century) by a relative decrease of 2 to 7 μs per century. Another, albeit much less plausible, hypothesis is that crystallization of the inner core does not produce any change of LOD, but makes the inner core rotate differentially with respect to the outer core and mantle.

Effect of Silicon on the Activity Coefficient of Rhenium in Fe-Si Liquids: Implications for HSE and Os Isotopes in Planetary Mantles

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Yang, S.; Humayun, M.

2018-01-01

Metallic cores contain light alloying elements that can be a combination of S, C, Si, and O, all of which have important chemical and physical influences. For Earth, Si may be the most abundant light element in the core. Si dissolved into Fe liquids can have a large effect on the magnitude of the activity coefficient of siderophile elements (SE), and thus the partitioning behavior of those elements between core and mantle. The effect of Si on the highly siderophile elements is only beginning to be studied and the effects on Au, Pd and Pt are significant. Here we report new experiments designed to quantify the effect of Si on the partitioning of Re between metal and silicate melt. A solid understanding of Re partitioning is required for a complete understanding of the Re-Os isotopic systems. The results will be applied to understanding the HSEs and Os isotopic data for planetary mantles, and especially Earth.

Origins of cratonic mantle discontinuities: A view from petrology, geochemistry and thermodynamic models

Science.gov (United States)

Aulbach, Sonja; Massuyeau, Malcolm; Gaillard, Fabrice

2017-01-01

Geophysically detectible mid-lithospheric discontinuities (MLD) and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundaries (LAB) beneath cratons have received much attention over recent years, but a consensus on their origin has not yet emerged. Cratonic lithosphere composition and origin is peculiar due to its ultra-depletion during plume or accretionary tectonics, cool present-day geothermal gradients, compositional and rheological stratification and multiple metasomatic overprints. Bearing this in mind, we integrate current knowledge on the physical properties, chemical composition, mineralogy and fabric of cratonic mantle with experimental and thermodynamic constraints on the formation and migration of melts, both below and within cratonic lithosphere, in order to find petrologically viable explanations for cratonic mantle discontinuities. LABs characterised by strong seismic velocity gradients and increased conductivity require the presence of melts, which can form beneath intact cratonic roots reaching to 200-250 km depth only in exceptionally warm and/or volatile-rich mantle, thus explaining the paucity of seismical LAB observations beneath cratons. When present, pervasive interaction of these - typically carbonated - melts with the deep lithosphere leads to densification and thermochemical erosion, which generates topography at the LAB and results in intermittent seismic LAB signals or conflicting seismic, petrologic and thermal LAB depths. In rare cases (e.g. Tanzanian craton), the tops of live melt percolation fronts may appear as MLDs and, after complete lithosphere rejuvenation, may be sites of future, shallower LABs (e.g. North China craton). Since intact cratons are presently tectonomagmatically quiescent, and since MLDs produce both positive and negative velocity gradients, in some cases with anisotropy, most MLDs may be best explained by accumulations (metasomes) of seismically slow minerals (pyroxenes, phlogopite, amphibole, carbonates) deposited during past

Guided Seismic Waves: Possible Diagnostics for Hot Plumes in the Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, J. R.; Julian, B. R.; Foulger, G. R.

2005-12-01

Seismic waves potentially provide by far the highest resolution view of the three-dimensional structure of the mantle, and the hope of detecting wave-speed anomalies caused by hot or compositionally buoyant mantle plumes has been a major incentive to the development of tomographic seismic techniques. Seismic tomography is limited, however, by the uneven geographical distribution of earthquakes and seismometers, which can produce artificial tomographic wave-speed anomalies that are difficult to distinguish from real structures in the mantle. An alternate approach may be possible, because hot plumes and possibly some compositional upwellings would have low seismic-wave speeds and would act as efficient waveguides over great depth ranges in the mantle. Plume-guided waves would be little affected by bends or other geometric complexities in the waveguides (analogously to French horns and fiber-optic cables), and their dispersion would make them distinctive on seismograms and would provide information on the size and structure of the waveguide. The main unanswered question is whether guided waves in plumes could be excited sufficiently to be observable. Earthquakes do not occur in the deep mantle, but at least two other possible sources of excitation can be imagined: (1) shallow earthquakes at or near plume-fed hotspots; and (2) coupling of plume-guided waves to seismic body waves near the bottom of the mantle. In the first case, downward-traveling guided waves transformed to seismic body waves at the bottom of the waveguide would have to be detected at teleseismic distances. In the second case, upward-traveling guided waves generated by teleseismic body waves would be detected on seismometers at hotspots. Qualitative reasoning based on considerations of reciprocity suggests that the signals in these two situations should be similar in size and appearance. The focusing of seismic core phases at caustics would amplify plume waves excited by either mechanism (1) or (2) at

The Universal Cpx Jd-Di barometer for mantle peridotite eclogite and pyroxenites and it using for the mantle petrology

Science.gov (United States)

Ashchepkov, Igor

2015-04-01

trace he boundary between the lower upper part of subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) at 3 -4 GPa marking pyroxenite eclogites layer. Ca- rich eclogites and especially grospydites in SCLM beneath Precambrian kimberlites occurs near pyroxenite layer but in younger mantle sections they became common in the lower parts marking presence of the subducted sediments. The Mg Cr- less group eclogites commonly diamondiferous and referring to the ancient island arc complexes are also common in the middle part of mantle sections and near 5-6 GPa. The group is often dominated in the young kimberlites and sometimes is highly diamondiferous. Commonly P-Fe# for eclogites in the lower SCLM part show rising Fe# with decreasing pressures which very of then reflect the differentiation of the magmatic systems commonly rather significant. Commonly the Fe#-values for the eclogites show that they can't be simple subucted oceanic basalts but material remelted not only during the low angle "hot"subduction but also under the influence of the kimberlite melts including protokimberlite magmas. The Mg - rich and Fe rich pyroxenites also show the extending in pressures trends which suggest the anatexic melting under the influence of volatiles or under the plum magma hybridization. RBRF grants 05-05-64718, 03-05-64146; 11 -05-00060a; 11-05-91060-PICS. Projects 77-2, 65-03, 02-05 IGM SD RAS and ALROSA Stock Company.

Evidence for Radial Anisotropy in Earth's Upper Inner Core from Normal Modes

Science.gov (United States)

Lythgoe, K.; Deuss, A. F.

2017-12-01

The structure of the uppermost inner core is related to solidification of outer core material at the inner core boundary. Previous seismic studies using body waves indicate an isotropic upper inner core, although radial anisotropy has not been considered since it cannot be uniquely determined by body waves. Normal modes, however, do constrain radial anisotropy in the inner core. Centre frequency measurements indicate 2-5 % radial anisotropy in the upper 100 km of the inner core, with a fast direction radially outwards and a slow direction along the inner core boundary. This seismic structure provides constraints on solidification processes at the inner core boundary and appears consistent with texture predicted due to anisotropic inner core growth.

Asymmetric three-dimensional topography over mantle plumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Burov, Evgueni; Gerya, Taras

2014-09-04

The role of mantle-lithosphere interactions in shaping surface topography has long been debated. In general, it is supposed that mantle plumes and vertical mantle flows result in axisymmetric, long-wavelength topography, which strongly differs from the generally asymmetric short-wavelength topography created by intraplate tectonic forces. However, identification of mantle-induced topography is difficult, especially in the continents. It can be argued therefore that complex brittle-ductile rheology and stratification of the continental lithosphere result in short-wavelength modulation and localization of deformation induced by mantle flow. This deformation should also be affected by far-field stresses and, hence, interplay with the 'tectonic' topography (for example, in the 'active/passive' rifting scenario). Testing these ideas requires fully coupled three-dimensional numerical modelling of mantle-lithosphere interactions, which so far has not been possible owing to the conceptual and technical limitations of earlier approaches. Here we present new, ultra-high-resolution, three-dimensional numerical experiments on topography over mantle plumes, incorporating a weakly pre-stressed (ultra-slow spreading), rheologically realistic lithosphere. The results show complex surface evolution, which is very different from the smooth, radially symmetric patterns usually assumed as the canonical surface signature of mantle upwellings. In particular, the topography exhibits strongly asymmetric, small-scale, three-dimensional features, which include narrow and wide rifts, flexural flank uplifts and fault structures. This suggests a dominant role for continental rheological structure and intra-plate stresses in controlling dynamic topography, mantle-lithosphere interactions, and continental break-up processes above mantle plumes.

Thermal Stratification in Vertical Mantle Tanks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Søren; Furbo, Simon

2001-01-01

It is well known that it is important to have a high degree of thermal stratification in the hot water storage tank to achieve a high thermal performance of SDHW systems. This study is concentrated on thermal stratification in vertical mantle tanks. Experiments based on typical operation conditions...... are carried out to investigate how the thermal stratification is affected by different placements of the mantle inlet. The heat transfer between the solar collector fluid in the mantle and the domestic water in the inner tank is analysed by CFD-simulations. Furthermore, the flow pattern in the vertical mantle...

The zonal tidal effect on the variation in the rotation rate of the Earth with a fluid core I. Improvements on the theoretical formulae

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Han-Wei; Zheng, Yong; Du, Lan; Pan, Guan-Song

The tidal variation in Earth's rotation rate is a periodical response to solar-lunar tide generating potential (TGP). In this article, the factor of the fluid core, which is related with the variation in the polar moment of inertia of the Earth, is considered and introduced distinctly into the theoretical formula of the variation in the Earth's rotational rate caused by lunar-solar tide-producing force based on the dynamics principle of the fluid core Earth. Different from previously work, some Doodson developments are given including the variation formulae of the Earth's rotational rate, LOD and UT1. The reasons are pointed why the moment of inertia for the scale should be the effective polar rotational moment of inertia of the mantle and the Love number should be the effective Love number of the mantle. It is also indicated that the factor of the fluid core is consistent with the effect of the effective Love number of the mantle due to fluid core.

Archean crust-mantle geochemical differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Tilton, G. R.

Isotope measurements on carbonatite complexes and komatiites can provide information on the geochemical character and geochemical evolution of the mantle, including the sub-continental mantle. Measurements on young samples establish the validity of the method. These are based on Sr, Nd and Pb data from the Tertiary-Mesozoic Gorgona komatiite and Sr and Pb data from the Cretaceous Oka carbonatite complex. In both cases the data describe a LIL element-depleted source similar to that observed presently in MORB. Carbonatite data have been used to study the mantle beneath the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield one billion years (1 AE) ago. The framework for this investigation was established by Bell et al., who showed that large areas of the province appear to be underlain by LIL element-depleted mantle (Sr-85/Sr-86=0.7028) at 1 AE ago. Additionally Bell et al. found four complexes to have higher initial Sr ratios (Sr-87/Sr-86=0.7038), which they correlated with less depleted (bulk earth?) mantle sources, or possibly crustal contamination. Pb isotope relationships in four of the complexes have been studied by Bell et al.

Archean crust-mantle geochemical differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Tilton, G. R.

1983-01-01

Isotope measurements on carbonatite complexes and komatiites can provide information on the geochemical character and geochemical evolution of the mantle, including the sub-continental mantle. Measurements on young samples establish the validity of the method. These are based on Sr, Nd and Pb data from the Tertiary-Mesozoic Gorgona komatiite and Sr and Pb data from the Cretaceous Oka carbonatite complex. In both cases the data describe a LIL element-depleted source similar to that observed presently in MORB. Carbonatite data have been used to study the mantle beneath the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield one billion years (1 AE) ago. The framework for this investigation was established by Bell et al., who showed that large areas of the province appear to be underlain by LIL element-depleted mantle (Sr-85/Sr-86=0.7028) at 1 AE ago. Additionally Bell et al. found four complexes to have higher initial Sr ratios (Sr-87/Sr-86=0.7038), which they correlated with less depleted (bulk earth?) mantle sources, or possibly crustal contamination. Pb isotope relationships in four of the complexes have been studied by Bell et al.

Resonant Tidal Excitation of Internal Waves in the Earth's Fluid Core

Science.gov (United States)

Tyler, Robert H.; Kuang, Weijia

2014-01-01

It has long been speculated that there is a stably stratified layer below the core-mantle boundary, and two recent studies have improved the constraints on the parameters describing this stratification. Here we consider the dynamical implications of this layer using a simplified model. We first show that the stratification in this surface layer has sensitive control over the rate at which tidal energy is transferred to the core. We then show that when the stratification parameters from the recent studies are used in this model, a resonant configuration arrives whereby tidal forces perform elevated rates of work in exciting core flow. Specifically, the internal wave speed derived from the two independent studies (150 and 155 m/s) are in remarkable agreement with the speed (152 m/s) required for excitation of the primary normal mode of oscillation as calculated from full solutions of the Laplace Tidal Equations applied to a reduced-gravity idealized model representing the stratified layer. In evaluating this agreement it is noteworthy that the idealized model assumed may be regarded as the most reduced representation of the stratified dynamics of the layer, in that there are no non-essential dynamical terms in the governing equations assumed. While it is certainly possible that a more realistic treatment may require additional dynamical terms or coupling, it is also clear that this reduced representation includes no freedom for coercing the correlation described. This suggests that one must accept either (1) that tidal forces resonantly excite core flow and this is predicted by a simple model or (2) that either the independent estimates or the dynamical model does not accurately portray the core surface layer and there has simply been an unlikely coincidence between three estimates of a stratification parameter which would otherwise have a broad plausible range.

The role of plumes in mantle helium fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellogg, L.H.; Wasserburg, G.J.

1990-01-01

We present a simple model of 3 He and 4 He transport in the mantle using the appropriate rates of mass and species transfer and 4 He production. Previous workers have shown the presence of excess 3 He in hotspots such as Hawaii and Iceland and inferred that these hotspots tap a source with a higher 3 He/ 4 He ratio than the source region of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Hotspot ocean islands probably originate over upwelling plumes which carry material from the lower mantle to the upper mantle. Melting at hotspots and at mid-ocean ridges degasses the mantle of volatiles such as helium. The upper mantle is outgassed largely of helium due to melting at mid-ocean ridges and hotspots. We postulate that the excess 3 He seen in MORB originates in material that was carried from the lower mantle in plumes but not completely outgassed at hotspots. This helium is incoporated into the depleted upper mantle. Assuming that the upper mantle is in a quasi-steady-state with respect to helium, a simple model balancing 3 He and 4 He fluxes in the upper mantle indicates that the hotspots significantly outgas the lower mantle of 3 He. The concentration of 4 He in the plume source reservoir is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the concentration in carbonaceous chondrites. The residence time of helium in the upper mantle depends on the outgassing efficiency at hotspots, since the hotspots may outgas some upper mantle material which has been entrained in the plumes. The residence time of He in the upper mantle is about 1.4x10 9 yr. We conclude that the efficiency of outgassing of He from plumes is high and that the plumes dominate the present 3 He loss to the atmosphere. The 4 He in the less depleted layer of the mantle is not trapped ''primordial'' but is predominantly from in situ decay of U and Th in the depleted layer over ≅ 1.4x10 9 yr. The 4 He in the lower mantle is dominantly from in situ decay of U and Th over 4.4x10 9 yr. (orig./WL)

Nd-isotopes in selected mantle-derived rocks and minerals and their implications for mantle evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, A.R.; Tatsumoto, M.

1980-01-01

The Sm-Nd systematics in a variety of mantle-derived samples including kimberlites, alnoite, carbonatite, pyroxene and amphibole inclusions in alkali basalts and xenolithic eclogites, granulites and a pyroxene megacryst in kimberlites are reported. The additional data on kimberlites strengthen our earlier conclusion that kimberlites are derived from a relatively undifferentiated chondritic mantle source. This conclusion is based on the observation that the e{open}Nd values of most of the kimberlites are near zero. In contrast with the kimberlites, their garnet lherzolite inclusions show both time-averaged Nd enrichment and depletion with respect to Sm. Separated clinopyroxenes in eclogite xenoliths from the Roberts Victor kimberlite pipe show both positive and negative e{open}Nd values suggesting different genetic history. A whole rock lower crustal scapolite granulite xenolith from the Matsoku kimberlite pipe shows a negative e{open}Nd value of -4.2, possibly representative of the base of the crust in Lesotho. It appears that all inclusions, mafic and ultramafic, in kimberlites are unrelated to their kimberlite host. The above data and additional Sm-Nd data on xenoliths in alkali basalts, alpine peridotite and alnoite-carbonatites are used to construct a model for the upper 200 km of the earth's mantle - both oceanic and continental. The essential feature of this model is the increasing degree of fertility of the mantle with depth. The kimberlite's source at depths below 200 km in the subcontinental mantle is the most primitive in this model, and this primitive layer is also extended to the suboceanic mantle. However, it is clear from the Nd-isotopic data in the xenoliths of the continental kimberlites that above 200 km the continental mantle is distinctly different from their suboceanic counterpart. ?? 1980 Springer-Verlag.

Numerical simulations of the mantle lithosphere delamination

Science.gov (United States)

Morency, C.; Doin, M.-P.

2004-03-01

Sudden uplift, extension, and increased igneous activity are often explained by rapid mechanical thinning of the lithospheric mantle. Two main thinning mechanisms have been proposed, convective removal of a thickened lithospheric root and delamination of the mantle lithosphere along the Moho. In the latter case, the whole mantle lithosphere peels away from the crust by the propagation of a localized shear zone and sinks into the mantle. To study this mechanism, we perform two-dimensional (2-D) numerical simulations of convection using a viscoplastic rheology with an effective viscosity depending strongly on temperature, depth, composition (crust/mantle), and stress. The simulations develop in four steps. (1) We first obtain "classical" sublithospheric convection for a long time period (˜300 Myr), yielding a slightly heterogeneous lithospheric temperature structure. (2) At some time, in some simulations, a strong thinning of the mantle occurs progressively in a small area (˜100 km wide). This process puts the asthenosphere in direct contact with the lower crust. (3) Large pieces of mantle lithosphere then quickly sink into the mantle by the horizontal propagation of a detachment level away from the "asthenospheric conduit" or by progressive erosion on the flanks of the delaminated area. (4) Delamination pauses or stops when the lithospheric mantle part detaches or when small-scale convection on the flanks of the delaminated area is counterbalanced by heat diffusion. We determine the parameters (crustal thicknesses, activation energies, and friction coefficients) leading to delamination initiation (step 2). We find that delamination initiates where the Moho temperature is the highest, as soon as the crust and mantle viscosities are sufficiently low. Delamination should occur on Earth when the Moho temperature exceeds ˜800°C. This condition can be reached by thermal relaxation in a thickened crust in orogenic setting or by corner flow lithospheric erosion in the

Estimation of Water Within the Lithospheric Mantle of Central Tibet from Petrological-Geophysical Investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Vozar, J.; Fullea, J.; Jones, A. G.

2013-12-01

amount of water dramatically affects the resistivity but has no influence on the seismic velocities (and therefore, the calculated surface wave's dispersion curves are unaffected too). Three different proton conduction models for olivine conductivity (1 - Wang et al., 2006; 2 - Yoshino et al., 2009; 3 -Jones et al., 2012) and two water partition coefficients are tested. The presence of water in lithospheric mantle is decreased from 170 km to the LAB depth at 200 km. If we move this water-presentbottom boundary to shallower depth, the lithospheric mantle becomes too resistive. Our results favour a moderately wet (processes. The presence of percolating water-rich fluids has the additional effect of lowering the solidus, and therefore facilitating partial melting in the warm lower crust of Lhasa.

Low temperature dissolution creep induced B-type olivine fabric during serpentinization and deformation in mantle wedge

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, W.; Zhang, J.

2017-12-01

The B-type olivine fabric (i.e., the [010]ol axes subnormal to foliation and the [001]ol axes subparallel to the lineation) has been regarded as an important olivine fabric for interpreting global trench-parallel S-wave polarization in fore-arc regions. However, strong serpentinization and cold temperature environment in the mantle wedge should inhibit development of the B-type olivine fabric that requires high temperature to activate solid-state plastic deformation. Here we report fabrics of olivine and antigorite generated at low temperatures (300-370 oC) during serpentinization in a fossil mantle wedge of the Val Malenco area, Central Alps. Olivine in the serpentine matrix develops a pronounced B-type fabric, while antigorite in the same matrix displays a strong crystallographic orientation (CPO) with the (001) and the [010] subparallel to foliation and lineation, respectively. The following evidence leads to the conclusion that the B-type olivine fabric is resulted from dissolution creep assisted by grain boundaries sliding (GBS) and grain rotation, rather than solid-state plastic deformation: (1) serpentinization took place at low temperatures and a fluid-enriched environment, ideal for dissolution-precipitation creep; (2) the voids and zigzag boundaries along the interface between antigorite and olivine suggest a fluid dissolution reaction; (3) the primary coarse olivine develops a nearly random fabric, indicating the B-type fabrics in the fine-grained olivine can't be inherited fabrics. These results document for the first time the B-type olivine CPO formed by dissolution creep at low temperatures during serpentinization and provide a mechanism to reconcile petrofabric observations with geophysical observations of trench parallel fast S-wave seismic anisotropy in fore-arc mantle wedge regions.

Plumes do not Exist: Plate Circulation is Confined to Upper Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, W. B.

2002-12-01

Plumes from deep mantle are widely conjectured to define an absolute reference frame, inaugurate rifting, drive plates, and profoundly modify oceans and continents. Mantle properties and composition are assumed to be whatever enables plumes. Nevertheless, purported critical evidence for plume speculation is false, and all data are better interpreted without plumes. Plume fantasies are made ever more complex and ad hoc to evade contradictory data, and have no predictive value because plumes do not exist. All plume conjecture derives from Hawaii and the guess that the Emperor-Hawaii inflection records a 60-degree change in Pacific plate direction at 45 Ma. Paleomagnetic latitudes and smooth Pacific spreading patterns disprove any such change. Rationales for other fixed plumes collapse when tested, and hypotheses of jumping, splitting, and gyrating plumes are specious. Thermal and physical properties of Hawaiian lithosphere falsify plume predictions. Purported tomographic support elsewhere represents artifacts and misleading presentations. Asthenosphere is everywhere near solidus temperature, so melt needs a tensional setting for egress but not local heat. Gradational and inconsistent contrasts between MORB and OIB are as required by depth-varying melt generation and behavior in contrasted settings and do not indicate systematically unlike sources. MORB melts rise, with minimal reaction, through hot asthenosphere, whereas OIB melts react with cool lithosphere, and lose mass, by crystallizing refractories and retaining and assimilating fusibles. The unfractionated lower mantle of plume conjecture is contrary to cosmologic and thermodynamic data, for mantle below 660 km is more refractory than that above. Subduction, due to density inversion by top-down cooling that forms oceanic lithosphere, drives plate tectonics and upper-mantle circulation. It organizes plate motions and lithosphere stress, which controls plate boundaries and volcanic chains. Hinge rollback is the

Traveltime dispersion in an isotropic elastic mantle: strong lower-mantle signal in differential-frequency residuals

Science.gov (United States)

Schuberth, Bernhard S. A.; Zaroli, Christophe; Nolet, Guust

2015-12-01

We study wavefield effects of direct P- and S-waves in elastic and isotropic 3-D seismic structures derived from the temperature field of a high-resolution mantle circulation model. More specifically, we quantify the dispersion of traveltime residuals caused by diffraction in structures with dynamically constrained length scales and magnitudes of the lateral variations in seismic velocities and density. 3-D global wave propagation is simulated using a spectral element method. Intrinsic attenuation (i.e. dissipation of seismic energy) is deliberately neglected, so that any variation of traveltimes with frequency can be attributed to structural effects. Traveltime residuals are measured at 15, 22.5, 34 and 51 s dominant periods by cross-correlation of 3-D and 1-D synthetic waveforms. Additional simulations are performed for a model in which 3-D structure is removed in the upper 800 km to isolate the dispersion signal of the lower mantle. We find that the structural length scales inherent to a vigorously convecting mantle give rise to significant diffraction-induced body-wave traveltime dispersion. For both P- and S-waves, the difference between long-period and short-period residuals for a given source-receiver pair can reach up to several seconds for the period bands considered here. In general, these `differential-frequency' residuals tend to increase in magnitude with increasing short-period delay. Furthermore, the long-period signal typically is smaller in magnitude than the short-period one; that is, wave-front healing is efficient independent of the sign of the residuals. Unlike the single-frequency residuals, the differential-frequency residuals are surprisingly similar between the `lower-mantle' and the `whole-mantle' model for corresponding source-receiver pairs. The similarity is more pronounced in case of S-waves and varies between different combinations of period bands. The traveltime delay acquired in the upper mantle seems to cancel in these differential

Mantle strength of the San Andreas fault system and the role of mantle-crust feedbacks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chatzaras, V.; Tikoff, B.; Newman, J.; Withers, A.C.; Drury, M.R.

2015-01-01

In lithospheric-scale strike-slip fault zones, upper crustal strength is well constrained from borehole observations and fault rock deformation experiments, but mantle strength is less well known. Using peridotite xenoliths, we show that the upper mantle below the San Andreas fault system

The mantle-plume model, its feasibility and consequences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calsteren, van P.W.C.

1981-01-01

High beat-flow foci on the Earth have been named ‘hot-spots’ and are commonly correlated with ‘mantle-plumes’ in the deep. A mantle plume may be described as a portion of mantle material with a higher heat content than its surroundings. The intrusion of a mantle-plume is inferred to be similar to

The Evolution of the Earth's Magnetic Field.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloxham, Jeremy; Gubbins, David

1989-01-01

Describes the change of earth's magnetic field at the boundary between the outer core and the mantle. Measurement techniques used during the last 300 years are considered. Discusses the theories and research for explaining the field change. (YP)

Linking the tectonic evolution with fluid history in magma-poor rifted margins: tracking mantle- and continental crust-related fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, V. H. G.; Manatschal, G.; Karpoff, A. M.

2014-12-01

The thinning of the crust and the exhumation of subcontinental mantle is accompanied by a series of extensional detachment faults. Exhumation of mantle and crustal rocks is intimately related to percolation of fluids along detachment faults leading to changes in mineralogy and chemistry of the mantle, crustal and sedimentary rocks. Field observation, analytical methods, refraction/reflection and well-core data, allowed us to investigate the role of fluids in the Iberian margin and former Alpine Tethys distal margins and the Pyrenees rifted system. In the continental crust, fluid-rock interaction leads to saussuritization that produces Si and Ca enriched fluids found in forms of veins along the fault zone. In the zone of exhumed mantle, large amounts of water are absorbed in the first 5-6 km of serpentinized mantle, which has the counter-effect of depleting the mantle of elements (e.g., Si, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Ni and Cr) forming mantle-related fluids. Using Cr-Ni-V and Fe-Mn as tracers, we show that in the distal margin, mantle-related fluids used detachment faults as pathways and interacted with the overlying crust, the sedimentary basin and the seawater, while further inward parts of the margin, continental crust-related fluids enriched in Si and Ca impregnated the fault zone and may have affected the sedimentary basin. The overall observations and results enable us to show when, where and how these interactions occurred during the formation of the rifted margin. In a first stage, continental crust-related fluids dominated the rifted systems. During the second stage, mantle-related fluids affected the overlying syn-tectonic sediments through direct migration along detachment faults at the future distal margin. In a third stage, these fluids reached the seafloor, "polluted" the seawater and were absorbed by post-tectonic sediments. We conclude that a significant amount of serpentinization occurred underneath the thinned continental crust, that the mantle-related fluids

Mantle geofluid and uranium ore-formation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jianhua; Liu Shuai; Yu Dagan; Zhang Bangtong

2005-01-01

Results of the recent research show that volcanic-type and granite-type uranium deposits have both early and late phases of uranium mineralization, and the early phase uranium mineralization is characterized by metallogenetic features of mantle fluids. This paper discusses the geofluids and related metallogenesis, as well as characteristics of early phase uranium mineralisation, and emphasizes, that the ΣCO 2 , U and H 2 O, that comprise the bulk of the ore-forming hot fluids, are originated from different sources, namely CO 2 comes from mantle fluids, U comes from country rocks the mantle fluids have passed during their ascending way, and H 2 O comes from mantle fluids and country rocks the mantle fluids have passed during their ascending way. (authors)

Investigation of a marine magnetic polarity reversal boundary in cross section at the northern boundary of the Kane Megamullion, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 23°40'N

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Min; Tivey, M. A.

2016-05-01

Near-bottom magnetic field measurements made by the submersible Nautile during the 1992 Kanaut Expedition define the cross-sectional geometry of magnetic polarity reversal boundaries and the vertical variation of crustal magnetization in lower oceanic crust exposed along the Kane Transform Fault (TF) at the northern boundary of the Kane Megamullion (KMM). The KMM exposes lower crust and upper mantle rocks on a low-angle normal fault that was active between 3.3 Ma and 2.1 Ma. The geometry of the polarity boundaries is estimated from an inversion of the submarine magnetic data for crustal magnetization. In general, the polarity boundaries dip away from the ridge axis along the Kane TF scarp, with a west dipping angle of ~45° in the shallow (Williams (2007) that the lower crust cools through the Curie temperature of magnetite to become magnetic, with the polarity boundaries representing both frozen isotherms and isochrons. We also test the effects of the rotation of this isotherm structure and/or footwall rotation and find that the magnetic polarity boundary geometry is not sensitive to these directional changes.

Developing a Crustal and Upper Mantle Velocity Model for the Brazilian Northeast

Science.gov (United States)

Julia, J.; Nascimento, R.

2013-05-01

Development of 3D models for the earth's crust and upper mantle is important for accurately predicting travel times for regional phases and to improve seismic event location. The Brazilian Northeast is a tectonically active area within stable South America and displays one of the highest levels of seismicity in Brazil, with earthquake swarms containing events up to mb 5.2. Since 2011, seismic activity is routinely monitored through the Rede Sismográfica do Nordeste (RSisNE), a permanent network supported by the national oil company PETROBRAS and consisting of 15 broadband stations with an average spacing of ~200 km. Accurate event locations are required to correctly characterize and identify seismogenic areas in the region and assess seismic hazard. Yet, no 3D model of crustal thickness and crustal and upper mantle velocity variation exists. The first step in developing such models is to refine crustal thickness and depths to major seismic velocity boundaries in the crust and improve on seismic velocity estimates for the upper mantle and crustal layers. We present recent results in crustal and uppermost mantle structure in NE Brazil that will contribute to the development of a 3D model of velocity variation. Our approach has consisted of: (i) computing receiver functions to obtain point estimates of crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio and (ii) jointly inverting receiver functions and surface-wave dispersion velocities from an independent tomography study to obtain S-velocity profiles at each station. This approach has been used at all the broadband stations of the monitoring network plus 15 temporary, short-period stations that reduced the inter-station spacing to ~100 km. We expect our contributions will provide the basis to produce full 3D velocity models for the Brazilian Northeast and help determine accurate locations for seismic events in the region.

JET Radiative Mantle Experiments in ELMy H-Mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budny, R.; Coffey, I.; Dumortier, P.; Grisolia, C.; Strachan, J.D.

1999-01-01

Radiative mantle experiments were performed on JET ELMy H-mode plasmas. The Septum configuration was used where the X-point is embedded into the top of the Septum. Argon radiated 50% of the input power from the bulk plasma while Z eff rose from an intrinsic level of 1.5 to about 1.7 due to the injected Argon. The total energy content and global energy confinement time decreased 15% when the impurities were introduced. In contrast, the effective thermal diffusivity in the core confinement region (r/a = .4--.8) decreased by 30%. Usually, JET ELMy H-mode plasmas have confinement that is correlated to the edge pedestal pressure. The radiation lowered the edge pedestal and consequently lowered the global confinement. Thus the confinement was changed by a competition between the edge pedestal reduction lowering the confinement and the weaker RI effect upon the core transport coefficients raising the confinement. The ELM frequency increased from 10 Hz Type I ELMs, to 200 Hz type III ELMs. The energy lost by each ELM reduced to 0.5% of the plasma energy content

A large mantle water source for the northern San Andreas Fault System: A ghost of subduction past

Science.gov (United States)

Kirby, Stephen H.; Wang, Kelin; Brocher, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

Recent research indicates that the shallow mantle of the Cascadia subduction margin under near-coastal Pacific Northwest U.S. is cold and partially serpentinized, storing large quantities of water in this wedge-shaped region. Such a wedge probably formed to the south in California during an earlier period of subduction. We show by numerical modeling that after subduction ceased with the creation of the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), the mantle wedge warmed, slowly releasing its water over a period of more than 25 Ma by serpentine dehydration into the crust above. This deep, long-term water source could facilitate fault slip in San Andreas System at low shear stresses by raising pore pressures in a broad region above the wedge. Moreover, the location and breadth of the water release from this model gives insights into the position and breadth of the SAFS. Such a mantle source of water also likely plays a role in the occurrence of Non-Volcanic Tremor (NVT) that has been reported along the SAFS in central California. This process of water release from mantle depths could also mobilize mantle serpentinite from the wedge above the dehydration front, permitting upward emplacement of serpentinite bodies by faulting or by diapiric ascent. Specimens of serpentinite collected from tectonically emplaced serpentinite blocks along the SAFS show mineralogical and structural evidence of high fluid pressures during ascent from depth. Serpentinite dehydration may also lead to tectonic mobility along other plate boundaries that succeed subduction, such as other continental transforms, collision zones, or along present-day subduction zones where spreading centers are subducting.

Deep-Earth Equilibration between Molten Iron and Solid Silicates

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, M.; Zurkowski, C. C.; Chidester, B.; Campbell, A.

2017-12-01

Elemental partitioning between iron-rich metals and silicate minerals influences the properties of Earth's deep interior, and is ultimately responsible for the nature of the core-mantle boundary. These interactions between molten iron and solid silicates were influential during planetary accretion, and persist today between the mantle and liquid outer core. Here we report the results of diamond anvil cell experiments at lower mantle conditions (40 GPa, >2500 K) aimed at examining systems containing a mixture of metals (iron or Fe-16Si alloy) and silicates (peridotite). The experiments were conducted at pressure-temperature conditions above the metallic liquidus but below the silicate solidus, and the recovered samples were analyzed by FIB/SEM with EDS to record the compositions of the coexisting phases. Each sample formed a three-phase equilibrium between bridgmanite, Fe-rich metallic melt, and an oxide. In one experiment, using pure Fe, the quenched metal contained 6 weight percent O, and the coexisting oxide was ferropericlase. The second experiment, using Fe-Si alloy, was highly reducing; its metal contained 10 wt% Si, and the coexisting mineral was stishovite. The distinct mineralogies of the two experiments derived from their different starting metals. These results imply that metallic composition is an important factor in determining the products of mixed phase iron-silicate reactions. The properties of deep-Earth interfaces such as the core-mantle boundary could be strongly affected by their metallic components.

Thermoconvective waves in the earth's mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Birger, B. I.

1980-06-01

The thermoconvective instability of the Earth's mantle is analysed. The mantle is modelled as an infinite horizontal layer with a free upper surface, heated from below. The creep in the mantle is supposed to be transient when strains are small. This transient creep is described by Lomnitz's law modified by Jeffreys (1958a). It is shown that disturbances, in the form of thermoconvective waves with a period of 10 8 - 10 9y and wavelength of the order 10 3 km, can propagate through the mantle without attenuation. These waves induce oscillations of the Earth's surface. The pattern of flows differs greatly from that suggested by plate tectonics. An attempt is made to give a new explanation for the linear magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges.

Does cement mantle thickness really matter?

OpenAIRE

Caruana, J.

2008-01-01

The thickness of the cement mantle around the femoral component of total hip replacements is a contributing factor to aseptic loosening and revision. Nevertheless, various designs of stems and surgical tooling lead to cement mantles of differing thicknesses. This thesis is concerned with variability in cement thickness around the Stanmore Hip, due to surgical approach, broach size and stem orientation, and its effects on stress and cracking in the cement. The extent to which cement mantle thi...

Formation and modification of chromitites in the mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Arai, Shoji; Miura, Makoto

2016-11-01

Podiform chromitites have long supplied us with unrivaled information on various mantle processes, including the peridotite-magma reaction, deep-seated magmatic evolution, and mantle dynamics. The recent discovery of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) chromitites not only sheds light on a different aspect of podiform chromitites, but also changes our understanding of the whole picture of podiform chromitite genesis. In addition, new evidence was recently presented for hydrothermal modification/formation chromite/chromitite in the mantle, which is a classical but innovative issue. In this context, we present here an urgently needed comprehensive review of podiform chromitites in the upper mantle. Wall-rock control on podiform chromitite genesis demonstrates that the peridotite-magma reaction at the upper mantle condition is an indispensable process. We may need a large system in the mantle, far larger than the size of outcrops or mining areas, to fulfill the Cr budget requirement for podiform chromitite genesis. The peridotite-magma reaction over a large area may form a melt enriched with Na and other incompatible elements, which mixes with a less evolved magma supplied from the depth to create chromite-oversaturated magma. The incompatible-element-rich magma trapped by the chromite mainly precipitates pargasite and aspidolite (Na analogue of phlogopite), which are stable under upper mantle conditions. Moderately depleted harzburgites, which contain chromite with a moderate Cr# (0.4-0.6) and a small amount of clinopyroxene, are the best reactants for the chromitite-forming reaction, and are the best hosts for podiform chromitites. Arc-type chromitites are dominant in ophiolites, but some are of the mid-ocean ridge type; chromitites may be common beneath the ocean floor, although it has not yet been explored for chromitite. The low-pressure (upper mantle) igneous chromitites were conveyed through mantle convection or subduction down to the mantle transition zone to form

Microstructural and seismic properties of the upper mantle underneath a rifted continental terrane (Baja California): An example of sub-crustal mechanical asthenosphere?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palasse, L.N.; Vissers, R.L.M.; Paulssen, H.; Basu, A.R.; Drury, M.R.

2012-01-01

The Gulf of California rift is a young and active plate boundary that links the San Andreas strike-slip fault system in California to the oceanic spreading system of the East Pacific Rise. The xenolith bearing lavas of the San Quintin volcanic area provide lower crust and upper mantle samples from

On the thermo-chemical origin of the stratified region at the top of the Earth's core

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, Takashi

2018-03-01

I developed a combined model of the thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth's core and investigated its influence on a thermochemically stable region beneath the core-mantle boundary (CMB). The chemical effects of the growing stable region are caused by the equilibrium chemical reaction between silicate and the metallic core. The thermal effects can be characterized by the growth of the sub-isentropic shell, which may have a rapid growth rate compared to that of the chemically stable region. When the present-day CMB heat flow was varied, the origin of the stable region changed from chemical to thermochemical to purely thermal because the rapid growth of the sub-isentropic shell can replace the chemically stable region. Physically reasonable values of the present-day CMB heat flow that can maintain the geodynamo action over 4 billion years should be between 8 and 11 TW. To constrain the thickness of the thermochemically stable region beneath the CMB, the chemical diffusivity is important and should be ∼O(10-8) m2/s to obtain a thickness of the thermochemically stable region beneath the CMB consistent with that inferred from geomagnetic secular variations (140 km). However, the strength of the stable region found in this study is too high to be consistent with the constraint on the stability of the stable region inferred from geomagnetic secular variations.

B-type olivine fabric induced by low temperature dissolution creep during serpentinization and deformation in mantle wedge

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenlong; Zhang, Junfeng; Barou, Fabrice

2018-01-01

The B-type olivine fabric (i.e., the [010] axes subnormal to foliation and the [001] axes subparallel to the lineation) has been regarded as an important olivine fabric for interpreting global trench-parallel S-wave polarization in fore-arc regions. However, strong serpentinization and cold temperature environment in the mantle wedge should inhibit development of the B-type olivine fabric that requires high temperature to activate solid-state plastic deformation. Here we report fabrics of olivine and antigorite generated at low temperatures (300-370 °C) during serpentinization in a fossil mantle wedge of the Val Malenco area, Central Alps. Olivine in the serpentine matrix develops a pronounced B-type fabric, while antigorite in the same matrix displays a strong crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) with the (001) planes and the [010] axes subparallel to foliation and lineation, respectively. The following evidence leads to the conclusion that the B-type olivine fabric results from dissolution creep assisted by grain boundary sliding (GBS) and grain rotation, rather than solid-state plastic deformation: (1) serpentinization took place at low temperatures and a fluid-enriched environment, ideal for dissolution-precipitation creep; (2) the voids and zigzag boundaries along the interface between antigorite and olivine suggest a fluid dissolution reaction; (3) the primary coarse olivine develops a nearly random fabric, indicating the B-type fabrics in the fine-grained olivine may not be inherited fabrics. These results document for the first time the B-type olivine CPO formed by dissolution creep at low temperatures during serpentinization and provide a mechanism to reconcile petrofabric observations with geophysical observations of trench parallel fast S-wave seismic anisotropy in fore-arc mantle wedge regions.

Top-down freezing in a Fe-FeS core and Ganymede's present-day magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Rückriemen, Tina; Breuer, Doris; Spohn, Tilman

2018-06-01

Ganymede's core most likely possesses an active dynamo today, which produces a magnetic field at the surface of ∼ 719 nT. Thermochemical convection triggered by cooling of the core is a feasible power source for the dynamo. Experiments of different research groups indicate low pressure gradients of the melting temperatures for Fe-FeS core alloys at pressures prevailing in Ganymede's core ( < 10 GPa). This may entail that the core crystallizes from the top instead of from the bottom as is expected for Earth's core. Depending on the core sulfur concentration being more iron- or more sulfur-rich than the eutectic concentration either snowing iron crystals or a solid FeS layer can form at the top of the core. We investigate whether these two core crystallization scenarios are capable of explaining Ganymede's present magnetic activity. To do so, we set up a parametrized one-dimensional thermal evolution model. We explore a wide range of parameters by running a large set of Monte Carlo simulations. Both freezing scenarios can explain Ganymede's present-day magnetic field. Dynamos of iron snow models are rather young ( < 1 Gyr), whereas dynamos below the FeS layer can be both young and much older ( ∼ 3.8 Gyr). Successful models preferably contain less radiogenic heat sources in the mantle than the chondritic abundance and show a correlation between the reference viscosity in the mantle and the initial core sulfur concentration.

Sublithospheric flows in the mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Trifonov, V. G.; Sokolov, S. Yu.

2017-11-01

The estimated rates of upper mantle sublithospheric flows in the Hawaii-Emperor Range and Ethiopia-Arabia-Caucasus systems are reported. In the Hawaii-Emperor Range system, calculation is based on motion of the asthenospheric flow and the plate moved by it over the branch of the Central Pacific plume. The travel rate has been determined based on the position of variably aged volcanoes (up to 76 Ma) with respect to the active Kilauea Volcano. As for the Ethiopia-Arabia-Caucasus system, the age of volcanic eruptions (55-2.8 Ma) has been used to estimate the asthenospheric flow from the Ethiopian-Afar superplume in the northern bearing lines. Both systems are characterized by variations in a rate of the upper mantle flows in different epochs from 4 to 12 cm/yr, about 8 cm/yr on average. Analysis of the global seismic tomographic data has made it possible to reveal rock volumes with higher seismic wave velocities under ancient cratons; rocks reach a depth of more than 2000 km and are interpreted as detached fragments of the thickened continental lithosphere. Such volumes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were submerged at an average velocity of 0.9-1.0 cm/yr along with its opening. The estimated rates of the mantle flows clarify the deformation properties of the mantle and regulate the numerical models of mantle convection.

Are splash plumes the origin of minor hotspots?

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, J. H.; Bunge, H.-P.

2006-05-01

It has been claimed that focused hot cylindrical upwelling plumes cause many of the surface volcanic hotspots on Earth. It has also been argued that they must originate from thermal boundary layers. In this paper, we present spherical simulations of mantle circulation at close to Earth-like vigor with significant internal heating. These show, in addition to thermal boundary layer plumes, a new class of plumes that are not rooted in thermal boundary layers. These plumes develop as instabilities from the edge of bowls of hot mantle, which are produced by cold downwelling material deforming hot sheets of mantle. The resulting bowl and plume structure can look a bit like the “splash” of a water droplet. These splash plumes might provide an explanation for some hotspots that are not underlain by thermal boundary layer sourced plumes and not initiated by large igneous provinces. We suggest that in Earth's mantle, lithospheric instabilities or small pieces of subducting slab could play the role of the model downwelling material in initiating splash plumes. Splash plumes would have implications for interpreting ocean-island basalt geochemistry, plume fixity, excess plume temperature, and estimating core heat flux. Improved seismic imaging will ultimately test this hypothesis.

Characteristics of Vertical Mantle Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heaters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shah, Louise Jivan; Morrison, G.L.; Behnia, M.

1999-01-01

- The flow structure in vertical mantle heat exchangers was investigated using a full-scale tank designed to facilitate flow visualisation. The flow structure and velocities in the mantle were measured using a particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. A CFD simulation model of vertical mantle heat...... exchangers was also developed for detailed evaluation of the heat flux distribution over the mantle surface. Both the experimental and simulation results indicate that distribution of the flow around the mantle gap is governed by buoyancy driven recirculation in the mantle. The operation of the mantle...

MODELLING MANTLE TANKS FOR SDHW SYSTEMS USING PIV AND CFD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shah, Louise Jivan; Morrison, G.L.; Behnia, Masud

1999-01-01

Characteristics of vertical mantle heat exchanger tanks for SDHW systems have been investigated experimentally and theoretically using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and CFD modelling. A glass model of a mantle heat exchanger tank was constructed so that the flow distribution in the mantle could...... be studied using the PIV test facility. Two transient three-dimensional CFD-models of the glass model mantle tank were developed using the CFD-programmes CFX and FLUENT.The experimental results illustrate that the mantle flow structure in the mantle is complicated and the distribution of flow in the mantle...

Gondwana subduction-modified mantle domain prevents magmatic seafloor generation in the Central Indian Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Morishita, T.; Nakamura, K.; Senda, R.; Suzuki, K.; Kumagai, H.; Sato, H.; Sato, T.; Shibuya, T.; Minoguchi, K.; Okino, K.

2013-12-01

The creation of oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges is essential to understanding the genesis of oceanic plate and the evolution of the Earth. Detailed bathymetric measurements coupled with dense sample recovery at mid-ocean ridge revealed a wide range of variations in the ridge and seafloor morphologies, which cannot be simply explained by a spreading rate, but also by ridge geometry, mantle compositions and thermal structure (Dick et al., 2003 Nature; Cannat et al. 2006 Geology). It is now widely accepted that very limited magmatic activity with tectonic stretching generates oceanic core complex and/or smooth seafloor surface in the slow to ultraslow-spreading ridges, where serpentinized peridotite and gabbros are expected to be exposed associated with detachment faults (Cann et al., 1997 Nature; Cannat et al., 2006), although magmatism might be an essential role for the formation of oceanic core complexes (Buck et al., 2005 Nature; Tucholke et al 2008 JGR). A rising question is why magmatic activity is sometimes prevented during the oceanic plate formation. Ancient melting domain, that are too refractory to melt even in adiabatically upwelling to the shallow upper mantle, might cause the amagmatic spreading ridges (Harvey et al., 2006 EPSL, Liu et al.,2008 Nature). Its origin and effect on seafloor generations are, however, not well understood yet. We report an oceanic hill as an example of an ancient subduction-modified mantle domain, probably formed at continental margin of the Gondwanaland~Pangea supercontinent, existing beneath the Central Indian Ridge. This domain is the most likely to have prevented magmatic seafloor generation, resulting in creation of very deep oceanic valley and serpentine diaper (now the studied oceanic hill) at the present Central Indian ridge.

Formation of mantle "lone plumes" in the global downwelling zone - A multiscale modelling of subduction-controlled plume generation beneath the South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Nan; Li, Zheng-Xiang

2018-01-01

It has been established that almost all known mantle plumes since the Mesozoic formed above the two lower mantle large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). The Hainan plume is one of the rare exceptions in that instead of rising above the LLSVPs, it is located within the broad global mantle downwelling zone, therefore classified as a "lone plume". Here, we use the Hainan plume example to investigate the feasibility of such lone plumes being generated by subducting slabs in the mantle downwelling zone using 3D geodynamic modelling. Our geodynamic model has a high-resolution regional domain embedded in a relatively low resolution global domain, which is set up in an adaptive-mesh-refined, 3D mantle convection code ASPECT (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth's ConvecTion). We use a recently published plate motion model to define the top mechanical boundary condition. Our modelling results suggest that cold slabs under the present-day Eurasia, formed from the Mesozoic subduction and closure of the Tethys oceans, have prevented deep mantle hot materials from moving to the South China Sea from regions north or west of the South China Sea. From the east side, the Western Pacific subduction systems started to promote the formation of a lower-mantle thermal-chemical pile in the vicinity of the future South China Sea region since 70 Ma ago. As the top of this lower-mantle thermal-chemical pile rises, it first moved to the west, and finally rested beneath the South China Sea. The presence of a thermochemical layer (possible the D″ layer) in the model helps stabilizing the plume root. Our modelling is the first implementation of multi-scale mesh in the regional model. It has been proved to be an effective way of modelling regional dynamics within a global plate motion and mantle dynamics background.

Effects of non-uniform core flow on peak cladding temperature: MOXY/SCORE sensitivity calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, S.C.

1979-08-15

The MOXY/SCORE computer program is used to evaluate the potential effect on peak cladding temperature of selective cooling that may result from a nonuniform mass flux at the core boundaries during the blowdown phase of the LOFT L2-4 test. The results of this study indicate that the effect of the flow nonuniformity at the core boundaries will be neutralized by a strong radial flow redistribution in the neighborhood of core boundaries. The implication is that the flow nonuniformity at the core boundaries has no significant effect on the thermal-hydraulic behavior and cladding temperature at the hot plane.

Effects of non-uniform core flow on peak cladding temperature: MOXY/SCORE sensitivity calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, S.C.

1979-01-01

The MOXY/SCORE computer program is used to evaluate the potential effect on peak cladding temperature of selective cooling that may result from a nonuniform mass flux at the core boundaries during the blowdown phase of the LOFT L2-4 test. The results of this study indicate that the effect of the flow nonuniformity at the core boundaries will be neutralized by a strong radial flow redistribution in the neighborhood of core boundaries. The implication is that the flow nonuniformity at the core boundaries has no significant effect on the thermal-hydraulic behavior and cladding temperature at the hot plane

High accuracy mantle convection simulation through modern numerical methods

KAUST Repository

Kronbichler, Martin

2012-08-21

Numerical simulation of the processes in the Earth\\'s mantle is a key piece in understanding its dynamics, composition, history and interaction with the lithosphere and the Earth\\'s core. However, doing so presents many practical difficulties related to the numerical methods that can accurately represent these processes at relevant scales. This paper presents an overview of the state of the art in algorithms for high-Rayleigh number flows such as those in the Earth\\'s mantle, and discusses their implementation in the Open Source code Aspect (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth\\'s ConvecTion). Specifically, we show how an interconnected set of methods for adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), higher order spatial and temporal discretizations, advection stabilization and efficient linear solvers can provide high accuracy at a numerical cost unachievable with traditional methods, and how these methods can be designed in a way so that they scale to large numbers of processors on compute clusters. Aspect relies on the numerical software packages deal.II and Trilinos, enabling us to focus on high level code and keeping our implementation compact. We present results from validation tests using widely used benchmarks for our code, as well as scaling results from parallel runs. © 2012 The Authors Geophysical Journal International © 2012 RAS.

Present mantle flow in North China Craton constrained by seismic anisotropy and numerical modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, W.; Guo, Z.; Zhang, H.; Chen, Y. J.

2017-12-01

North China Carton (NCC) has undergone complicated geodynamic processes during the Cenozoic, including the westward subduction of the Pacific plate to its east and the collision of the India-Eurasia plates to its southwest. Shear wave splitting measurements in NCC reveal distinct seismic anisotropy patterns at different tectonic blocks, that is, the predominantly NW-SE trending alignment of fast directions in the western NCC and eastern NCC, weak anisotropy within the Ordos block, and N-S fast polarization beneath the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO). To better understand the origin of seismic anisotropy from SKS splitting in NCC, we obtain a high-resolution dynamic model that absorbs multi-geophysical observations and state-of-the-art numerical methods. We calculate the mantle flow using a most updated version of software ASPECT (Kronbichler et al., 2012) with high-resolution temperature and density structures from a recent 3-D thermal-chemical model by Guo et al. (2016). The thermal-chemical model is obtained by multi-observable probabilistic inversion using high-quality surface wave measurements, potential fields, topography, and surface heat flow (Guo et al., 2016). The viscosity is then estimated by combining the dislocation creep, diffusion creep, and plasticity, which is depended on temperature, pressure, and chemical composition. Then we calculate the seismic anisotropy from the shear deformation of mantle flow by DREX, and predict the fast direction and delay time of SKS splitting. We find that when complex boundary conditions are applied, including the far field effects of the deep subduction of Pacific plate and eastward escaping of Tibetan Plateau, our model can successfully predict the observed shear wave splitting patterns. Our model indicates that seismic anisotropy revealed by SKS is primarily resulting from the LPO of olivine due to the shear deformation from asthenospheric flow. We suggest that two branches of mantle flow may contribute to the

A Lower-Crust or Mantle Source for Mineralizing Fluids Beneath the Olympic Dam IOCG Deposit, Australia: New Evidence From Magnetotelluric Sounding

Science.gov (United States)

Heinson, G.

2005-12-01

The iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) Olympic Dam (OD) deposit, situated along the margin of the Proterozoic Gawler Craton, South Australia, is the world's largest uranium deposit, and sixth largest copper deposit; it also contains significant reserves of gold, silver and rare-earth elements (REE). Gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms for genesis of the economic mineralisation is fundamental for defining exploration models in similar crustal-settings. To delineate crustal structures that may constrain mineral system fluid pathways, coincident deep crustal seismic and magnetotelluric (MT) transects were obtained along a 220 km section that crosses OD and the major crustal boundaries. We present results from 58 long-period (10-104 s) MT sites, with site spacing of 5 to 10 km. A 2D inversion of all MT data to a depth of 100 km shows four notable features: (a) sedimentary cover sequences with low resistivity (1000 Ω.m) Archaean crustal core, from a more conductive crust to the north (typically <500 Ω.m); (c) to the north of OD, the crust to about 20 km is quite resistive (~1000 Ω.m), but the lower crust is much more conductive (<100 Ω.m); and (d) beneath OD, we image a low-resistivity region (<100 Ω.m) throughout the crust, coincident with a seismically transparent region. We argue that the cause of the low-resistivity and low-reflectivity region beneath OD may be due to the upward movement of crustal-volatiles that have deposited conductive graphite mineralisation along grain boundaries, simultaneously annihilating acoustic impedance boundaries. The source of the volatiles may be from the mantle-degassing or retrograde metamorphism of the lower crust associated with Proterozoic crustal deformation.

Mantle Circulation Models with variational data assimilation: Inferring past mantle flow and structure from plate motion histories and seismic tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Bunge, H.; Hagelberg, C.; Travis, B.

2002-12-01

EarthScope will deliver data on structure and dynamics of continental North America and the underlying mantle on an unprecedented scale. Indeed, the scope of EarthScope makes its mission comparable to the large remote sensing efforts that are transforming the oceanographic and atmospheric sciences today. Arguably the main impact of new solid Earth observing systems is to transform our use of geodynamic models increasingly from conditions that are data poor to an environment that is data rich. Oceanographers and meteorologists already have made substantial progress in adapting to this environment, by developing new approaches of interpreting oceanographic and atmospheric data objectively through data assimilation methods in their models. However, a similarly rigorous theoretical framework for merging EarthScope derived solid Earth data with geodynamic models has yet to be devised. Here we explore the feasibility of data assimilation in mantle convection studies in an attempt to fit global geodynamic model calculations explicitly to tomographic and tectonic constraints. This is an inverse problem not quite unlike the inverse problem of finding optimal seismic velocity structures faced by seismologists. We derive the generalized inverse of mantle convection from a variational approach and present the adjoint equations of mantle flow. The substantial computational burden associated with solutions to the generalized inverse problem of mantle convection is made feasible using a highly efficient finite element approach based on the 3-D spherical fully parallelized mantle dynamics code TERRA, implemented on a cost-effective topical PC-cluster (geowulf) dedicated specifically to large-scale geophysical simulations. This dedicated geophysical modeling computer allows us to investigate global inverse convection problems having a spatial discretization of less than 50 km throughout the mantle. We present a synthetic high-resolution modeling experiment to demonstrate that mid

The basal part of the Oman ophiolitic mantle: a fossil Mantle Wedge?

Science.gov (United States)

Prigent, Cécile; Guillot, Stéphane; Agard, Philippe; Godard, Marguerite; Chauvet, Alain; Dubacq, Benoit; Monié, Patrick; Yamato, Philippe

2014-05-01

Although the Oman ophiolite is classically regarded as being the direct analog of oceanic lithosphere created at fast spreading ridges, the geodynamic context of its formation is still highly debated. The other alternative end-member model suggests that this ophiolite entirely formed in a supra-subduction zone setting. Fluids involved in the hydration of the oceanic lithosphere and in the presence of a secondary boninitic and andesitic volcanism may provide a way to discriminate between these two interpretations: are they descending near-axis hydrothermal fluxes (first model) or ascending from a subducting slab (second model)? We herein focus on the base of the ophiolitic mantle in order to characterize the origin of fluids and decipher hydration processes. Samples were taken along hecto- to kilometre-long sections across the basal banded unit directly overlying the amphibolitic/granulitic metamorphic sole. We carried out a petrological, structural and geochemical study on these rocks and their constitutive minerals. Our results show that, unlike the generally refractory character of Oman harzburgites, all the basal mantle rocks display secondary crystallization of clinopyroxene and amphibole through metasomatic processes. The microstructures and the chronology of these secondary mineralizations (clinopyroxene, pargasitic amphibole, antigorite and then lizardite/chrysotile) suggest that these basal rocks have been affected by cooling from mantle temperatures (serpentines (B, Sr, Rb, Ba, As), are consistent with amphibolite-derived fluids (Ishikawa et al., 2005) and cannot be easily explained by other sources. Based on these observations, we propose a geodynamic model in which intense and continuous metasomatism of the cooling base of the ophiolitic mantle is due to the release of fluids coming from the progressive dehydration of underlying amphibolitic rocks. This process is compatible with the progressive subduction of the Arabian margin during the Upper

Pole-strength of the earth from Magsat and magnetic determination of the core radius

Science.gov (United States)

Voorhies, G. V.; Benton, E. R.

1982-01-01

A model based on two days of Magsat data is used to numerically evaluate the unsigned magnetic flux linking the earth's surface, and a comparison of the 16.054 GWb value calculated with values from earlier geomagnetic field models reveals a smooth, monotonic, and recently-accelerating decrease in the earth's pole strength at a 50-year average rate of 8.3 MWb, or 0.052%/year. Hide's (1978) magnetic technique for determining the radius of the earth's electrically-conducting core is tested by (1) extrapolating main field models for 1960 and 1965 downward through the nearly-insulating mantle, and then separately comparing them to equivalent, extrapolated models of Magsat data. The two unsigned fluxes are found to equal the Magsat values at a radius which is within 2% of the core radius; and (2) the 1960 main field and secular variation and acceleration coefficients are used to derive models of 1930, 1940 and 1950. The same core magnetic radius value, within 2% of the seismic value, is obtained. It is concluded that the mantle is a nearly-perfect insulator, while the core is a perfect conductor, on the decade time scale.

The subcontinental mantle beneath southern New Zealand, characterised by helium isotopes in intraplate basalts and gas-rich springs

Science.gov (United States)

Hoke, L.; Poreda, R.; Reay, A.; Weaver, S. D.

2000-07-01

relationship with either age or proximity to the Cenozoic intraplate volcanic centres or with major faults. In general, areas characterised by mantle 3He emission are interpreted to define those regions beneath which mantle melting and basalt magma addition to the crust are recent. The strongest mantle 3He anomaly (equivalent to >80% mantle helium component) is centred over southern Dunedin, measured in magmatic CO 2-rich mineral water springs issuing from crystalline basement rocks which outcrop at the southern extent of Miocene intraplate basaltic volcanism which ceased 9 Ma ago. This mantle helium anomaly overlaps with an area characterised by elevated surface high heat flow, compatible with a long-lived mantle melt/heat input into the crust. In comparison Banks Peninsula, another Miocene intraplate basaltic centre, is characterised by relatively low surface heat flow and a small mantle helium contribution measured in a nitrogen-rich spring. Here the thermal transient induced by the magmatic event has either dissipated or has not reached the surface. In the former case one might be dealing with storage and mixing of magmatic and crustal gases at shallow crustal levels and in the latter with active to recent mantle-melt degassing at depth. Along the most actively deforming part of the plate boundary zone, the transpressional Alpine Fault and Marlborough fault systems, mantle helium is present in gas-rich springs in all those areas underlain by actively subducting oceanic crust (the Australian plate in the south and Pacific plate in the north), whereas the central part of the Alpine transpressional fault is characterised by pure crustal radiogenic helium. Areas where the mantle helium component is negligible are restricted to the centre part of the South Island, extending along its length from Southland to northern Canterbury and Murchison. These areas are interpreted to delineate the extent of thicker and colder lithosphere compared to all other areas where mantle helium

A numerical model of mantle convection with deformable, mobile continental lithosphere within three-dimensional spherical geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, M.

2010-12-01

A new numerical simulation model of mantle convection with a compositionally and rheologically heterogeneous, deformable, mobile continental lithosphere is presented for the first time by using three-dimensional regional spherical-shell geometry (Yoshida, 2010, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.). The numerical results revealed that one of major factor that realizes the supercontinental breakup and subsequent continental drift is a pre-existing, weak (low-viscosity) continental margin (WCM) in the supercontinent. Characteristic tectonic structures such as young orogenic belts and suture zones in a continent are expected to be mechanically weaker than the stable part of the continental lithosphere with the cratonic root (or cratonic lithosphere) and yield lateral viscosity variations in the continental lithosphere. In the present-day Earth's lithosphere, the pre-existing, mechanically weak zones emerge as a diffuse plate boundary. However, the dynamic role of the WCM in the stability of continental lithosphere has not been understood in terms of geophysics. In my numerical model, a compositionally buoyant and highly viscous continental assemblage with pre-existing WCMs, analogous to the past supercontinent, is modeled and imposed on well-developed mantle convection whose vigor of convection, internal heating rate, and rheological parameters are appropriate for the Earth's mantle. The visco-plastic oceanic lithosphere and the associated subduction of oceanic plates are incorporated. The time integration of the advection of continental materials with zero chemical diffusion is performed by a tracer particle method. The time evolution of mantle convection after setting the model supercontinent is followed over 800 Myr. Earth-like continental drift is successfully reproduced, and the characteristic thermal interaction between the mantle and the continent/supercontinent is observed in my new numerical model. Results reveal that the WCM protects the cratonic lithosphere from being

The mantle cells lymphoma: a proposed treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez Martinez, Marlene Elizabeth

2012-01-01

A literature review was performed on mantle cells lymphoma in the therapeutic schemes. The literature that has been used is published in journals of medicine specializing in hematology, oncology, radiation therapy, molecular biology and internal medicine. The literature review was performed to propose a scheme of treatment according to Costa Rica. Epigenetic alterations have been revealed in patients with mantle lymphoma on current researches. The mantle lymphoma pathology has been described in various forms of clinical and histological presentation, stressing the importance of detailing the different methods and diagnostic reports. Working groups have proposed and developed various chemotherapy regimens and concluded that CHOP alone is without effect in mantle cell lymphoma unlike R-hyper-CVAD, CHOP / DHAP, high-dose Ara-C. Researchers have tried to develop new treatments based vaccines, use of modified viruses, specific monoclonal antibodies. The classic treatment has been triple intrathecal therapy. The central nervous system has been one of the most momentous sites of mantle cell lymphoma infiltration because poorer patient prognosis [es

[Cytostructure of the mantle zone in lymphatic tissue].

Science.gov (United States)

Bednár, B

1993-04-01

Four cellular layers of the follicular mantle zone in palatine tonsil lymphatic tissue were studied by electron microscopy after simultaneous immunophenotypical investigation. The first layer of the mantle zone consisting of small blastic cells was analogous to the small (centrocytoid) blastic layer of germinal centres. The second B monocytoid layer was lacking analogy in basic series of lymphocytes and seemed to be an independent morphological and probably functional unit. Plasmacytoid and clarocellular elements in outer layers of follicular mantle zone were in a way similar to T plasmacytoid and clarocellular components of Sézary syndrome infiltrates but considering transitional forms they had a local origin from incompletely transformed elements of B monocytoid layer. Inner follicular mantle zone was discussed as a source of incompletely transformed B lymphocytes for further mantle layers where their immunophenotypical modulation is taking place according to actual need. Outer mantle layers are aggressive against damaged epithelial and litoral structures and may be instrumental in a common reaction of B and T components.

Structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean)

Science.gov (United States)

Banda, E.; Ansorge, J.; Boloix, M.; Córdoba, D.

1980-09-01

Data are presented from deep seismic sounding along the strike of the Balearic Islands carried out in 1976. The interpretation of the data gives the following results: A sedimentary cover of 4 km around Ibiza to 7 km under Mallorca overlies the crystalline basement. This basement with a P-wave velocity of 6.0 km/s at the top reaches a depth of at least 15 km under Ibiza and 17 km under Mallorca with an increase to 6.1 km/s at these depths. The crust-mantle boundary lies at a depth of 20 km and 25 km, respectively. A well documented upper-mantle velocity of 7.7 km/s is found along the entire profile. The Moho rises to a depth of 20 km about 30 km north of Mallorca and probably continues rising towards the center of the North Balearic Sea. The newly deduced crustal structure together with previously determined velocity-depth sections in the North Balearic Sea as well as heat flow and aeromagnetic data can be interpreted as an extended rift structure caused by large-scale tensional processes in the upper mantle. The available data suggest that the entire zone from the eastern Alboran Sea to the area north of the Balearic Islands represents the southeastern flank of this rift system. In this model the provinces of Spain along the east coast would represent the northwestern rift flank.

Effect of Silicon on Activity Coefficients of Siderophile Elements (P, Au, Pd, As, Ge, Sb, and In) in Liquid Fe, with Application to Core Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L. R.; Humayun, M.; Righter, M.; Lapen, T.; Boujibar, A.

2016-01-01

Earth's core contains approximately 10 percent light elements that are likely a combination of S, C, Si, and O, with Si possibly being the most abundant. Si dissolved into Fe liquids can have a large effect on the magnitude of the activity coefficient of siderophile elements (SE) in Fe liquids, and thus the partitioning behavior of those elements between core and mantle. The effect of Si can be small such as for Ni and Co, or large such as for Mo, Ge, Sb, As. The effect of Si on many siderophile elements is unknown yet could be an important, and as yet unquantified, influence on the core-mantle partitioning of SE. Here we report new experiments designed to quantify the effect of Si on the partitioning of P, Au, Pd, and many other SE between metal and silicate melt. The results will be applied to Earth, for which we have excellent constraints on the mantle siderophile element concentrations.

Field-aligned currents near the magnetosphere boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hones, E.W. Jr.

1984-01-01

This paper describes present thinking about the structure of magnetospheric boundary layers and their roles in the generation of the field-aligned currents that are observed in the polar regions. A principal effect of the momentum loss by magnetosheath plasma to the magnetosphere boundary regions just within the magnetopause, whether it be by a diffusive process or by magnetic reconnection, is the tailward pulling of the surface flux tubes relative to those deeper below the surface. The dayside region 1 currents at low altitudes flow along field lines in the resulting regions of magnetic shear. The direction of the shear and its magnitude, actually measured in the boundary region, confirm that the polarities and intensities of the dayside region 1 currents can be accounted for by this process. The low latitude boundary layer, formerly thought to be threaded entirely by closed field lines, now appears to contain at least some open field lines, newly reconnected, that are in the process of being swept into the high latitude tail to form the plasma mantle. The open flux tubes of the flux transfer events, thought to be the product of patchy reconnection have a spiral magnetic structure whose helicity is such as to suggest currents having the polarities of the region 1 currents. 13 references

Field-aligned currents near the magnetosphere boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hones, E.W. Jr.

1983-01-01

This paper reviews present thinking about the structure of magnetospheric boundary layers and their roles in the generation of the field-aligned currents that are observed in the polar regions. A principal effect of the momentum loss by magnetosheath plasma to the magnetosphere boundary regions just within the magnetopause, whether it be by a diffusive process or by magnetic reconnection, is the tailward pulling of surface flux tubes relative to those deeper below the surface. The dayside region 1 currents at low altitudes flow along field lines in the resulting regions of magnetic shear. The direction of the shear and its magnitude, measured in the boundary region, confirm tht the polarities and intensities of the dayside region 1 currents can be accounted for by this process. The low latitude boundary layer, formerly thought to be threaded entirely by closed field lines, now appears to contain at least some open field lines, newly reconnected, that are in the process of being swept into the high latitude tail to form the plasma mantle. The open flux tubes of the flux transfer events, thought to be the product of patchy reconnection have a spiral magnetic structure whose helicity is such as to suggest currents having the polarities of the region 1 currents

OPTIMISATION OF MANTLE TANKS FOR LOW FLOW SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shah, Louise Jivan; Furbo, Simon

1996-01-01

A model, describing the heat transfer coefficients in the mantle of a mantle tank has been developed. The model is validated by means of measurements with varying operational conditions for different designed mantle tanks. The model has been implemented in an existing detailed mathematical...... with the programme and by means of tests of three SDHW systems with different designed mantle tanks. Based on the investigations design rules for mantle tanks are proposed. The model, describing the heat transfer coefficients in the mantle is approximate. In addition, the measurements have revealed...... that a temperature stratification in the hot water tank, above the mantle is built up. This phenomenon may be important, but it is not taken into calculation in the programme. Therefore, theoretical and practical work is continuing in order to make a more precise model for the whole mantle tank....

Mantle structure and tectonic history of SE Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Robert; Spakman, Wim

2015-09-01

Seismic travel-time tomography of the mantle under SE Asia reveals patterns of subduction-related seismic P-wave velocity anomalies that are of great value in helping to understand the region's tectonic development. We discuss tomography and tectonic interpretations of an area centred on Indonesia and including Malaysia, parts of the Philippines, New Guinea and northern Australia. We begin with an explanation of seismic tomography and causes of velocity anomalies in the mantle, and discuss assessment of model quality for tomographic models created from P-wave travel times. We then introduce the global P-wave velocity anomaly model UU-P07 and the tectonic model used in this paper and give an overview of previous interpretations of mantle structure. The slab-related velocity anomalies we identify in the upper and lower mantle based on the UU-P07 model are interpreted in terms of the tectonic model and illustrated with figures and movies. Finally, we discuss where tomographic and tectonic models for SE Asia converge or diverge, and identify the most important conclusions concerning the history of the region. The tomographic images of the mantle record subduction beneath the SE Asian region to depths of approximately 1600 km. In the upper mantle anomalies mainly record subduction during the last 10 to 25 Ma, depending on the region considered. We interpret a vertical slab tear crossing the entire upper mantle north of west Sumatra where there is a strong lateral kink in slab morphology, slab holes between c.200-400 km below East Java and Sumbawa, and offer a new three-slab explanation for subduction in the North Sulawesi region. There is a different structure in the lower mantle compared to the upper mantle and the deep structure changes from west to east. What was imaged in earlier models as a broad and deep anomaly below SE Asia has a clear internal structure and we argue that many features can be identified as older subduction zones. We identify remnants of slabs

Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence

Science.gov (United States)

Stamps, D. S.; Iaffaldano, G.; Calais, E.

2015-01-01

Present-day continental extension along the East African Rift System (EARS) has often been attributed to diverging sublithospheric mantle flow associated with the African Superplume. This implies a degree of viscous coupling between mantle and lithosphere that remains poorly constrained. Recent advances in estimating present-day opening rates along the EARS from geodesy offer an opportunity to address this issue with geodynamic modeling of the mantle-lithosphere system. Here we use numerical models of the global mantle-plates coupled system to test the role of present-day mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence across the EARS. The scenario yielding the best fit to geodetic observations is one where torques associated with gradients of gravitational potential energy stored in the African highlands are resisted by weak continental faults and mantle basal drag. These results suggest that shear tractions from diverging mantle flow play a minor role in present-day Nubia-Somalia divergence.

Hf isotope evidence for a hidden mantle reservoir

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bizzarro, Martin; Simonetti, A.; Stevenson, R.K.

2002-01-01

High-precision Hf isotopic analyses and U-Pb ages of carbonatites and kimberlites from Greenland and eastern North America, including Earth's oldest known carbonatite (3 Ga), indicate derivation from an enriched mantle source. This previously unidentified mantle reservoir-marked by an unradiogenic...... Hf isotopic composition and preserved in the deep mantle for at least 3 b.y.-may account for the mass imbalance in Earth's Hf-Nd budget. The Hf isotopic data presented here support a common mantle source region and genetic link between carbonatite and some oceanic-island basalt volcanoes....

The Earth's heterogeneous mantle a geophysical, geodynamical, and geochemical perspective

CERN Document Server

Khan, Amir

2015-01-01

This book highlights and discusses recent developments that have contributed to an improved understanding of observed mantle heterogeneities and their relation to the thermo-chemical state of Earth's mantle, which ultimately holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the evolution of our planet. This series of topical reviews and original contributions address 4 themes. Theme 1 covers topics in geophysics, including global and regional seismic tomography, electrical conductivity and seismic imaging of mantle discontinuities and heterogeneities in the upper mantle, transition zone and lower mantle. Theme 2 addresses geochemical views of the mantle including lithospheric evolution from analysis of mantle xenoliths, composition of the deep Earth and the effect of water on subduction-zone processes. Theme 3 discusses geodynamical perspectives on the global thermo-chemical structure of the deep mantle. Theme 4 covers application of mineral physics data and phase equilibrium computations to infer the regional-scale ...

Global-scale seismic interferometry : Theory and numerical examples

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruigrok, E.N.; Draganov, D.S.; Wapenaar, K.

2008-01-01

Progress in the imaging of the mantle and core is partially limited by the sparse distribution of natural sources; the earthquake hypocenters are mainly along the active lithospheric plate boundaries. This problem can be approached with seismic interferometry. In recent years, there has been

SEM investigation of incandescent lamp mantle structure on durability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerneke, D.; Lang, C.

2002-01-01

Full text: The incandescent mantle as used on pressure and non-pressure liquid fuel lamps has been in use for over 100 years. What remains unexplained is the way in which the resistance to mechanical shock and the decline in tensile strength with usage is experienced. It has been suggested that to improve durability it is necessary to continuously burn a new mantle for the first two to three hours. The known factors in mantle durability and mechanical strength are chemical composition and fabric weave. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of burning time and temperature on thorium oxide mantles. The operating temperature of mantles on a range of kerosene pressure lamps was measured and found to be between 800 and 1100 deg C. Heat treatments of thorium based Coleman mantles were carried out in a laboratory furnace within these ranges of temperatures for periods ranging from 2 minutes to 2 hours. The mantles were then viewed in a LEO S440 analytical SEM. Results at 800 deg C show a distinct change in surface morphology with increasing exposure time. At the shorter times (2-5 minutes) the surface was relatively smooth. With increased time periods (15 - 120 minutes) the surface was observed to have a large lumpy structure. At 1100 deg C the difference in surface morphology was not apparent between the shortest and longest times. The surface appears much smoother and no lumpy structure was observed. This suggests that when a mantle is operated at the higher temperature of 1100 deg C the structure of the Thorium oxide is quickly transformed into the known stronger amorphous form. This is taken as the observed smooth structure seen in the SEM images of the 1100 deg C samples. Thus the mantle is expected to be more resistant to mechanical shock and have increased durability. Practical field test results confirm these observations. The mantle on a lamp that is operating efficiently, burns brightly, will far outlast a mantle on an inefficient lamp which bums

Effect of Silicon on Activity Coefficients of P, Bl, CD, SN, and AG in Liquid Fe-Si, and Implications for Differentiation and Core Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Ross, D. K.

2017-01-01

Cores of differentiated bodies (Earth, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Vesta) contain light elements such as S, C, Si, and O. We have previously measured small effects of Si on metal-silicate partitioning of Ni and Co [1,2], and larger effects for Mo, Ge, Sb, As [2]. The effect of Si on many siderophile elements could be an important, and as yet unquantified, influence on the core-mantle partitioning of SE. Here we report new experiments designed to quantify the effect of Si on the partitioning of Bi, Cd, Sn, Ag, and P between metal and silicate melt. The results will be applied to Earth, Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Vesta, for which we have excellent constraints on the mantle Bi, Cd, Sn, Ag, and P concentrations from mantle and/or basalt samples.

Differential Rotation within the Earth's Outer Core

Science.gov (United States)

Hide, R.; Boggs, D. H.; Dickey, J. O.

1998-01-01

Non-steady differential rotation drive by bouyancy forces within the Earth's liquid outer core (OC) plays a key role not only in the generation of the main geomagnetic field by the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) dynamo process but also in the excitation of irregular fluctuations in the angular speed of rotation of the overlying solid mantle, as evidenced by changes in the length of the day (LOD) on decadal and longer timescales (1-8).

Radiation doses from radioactivity in incandescent mantles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Thorium nitrate is used in the production of incandescent mantles for gas lanterns. In this report dose estimates are given for internal and external exposure that result from the use of the incandescent mantles for gas lanterns. The collective, effective dose equivalent for all users of gas mantles is estimated to be about 100 Sv per annum in the Netherlands. For the population involved (ca. 700,000 persons) this is roughly equivalent to 5% to 10% of the collective dose equivalent associated with exposure to radiation from natural sources. The major contribution to dose estimates comes from inhalation of radium during burning of the mantles. A pessimistic approach results in individual dose estimates for inhalation of up to 0.2 mSv. Consideration of dose consequences in case of a fire in a storage department learns that it is necessary for emergency personnel to wear respirators. It is concluded that the uncontrolled removal of used gas mantles to the environment (soil) does not result in a significant contribution to environmental radiation exposure. (Auth.)

A calculation model for a HTR core seismic response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buland, P.; Berriaud, C.; Cebe, E.; Livolant, M.

1975-01-01

The paper presents the experimental results obtained at Saclay on a HTGR core model and comparisons with analytical results. Two series of horizontal tests have been performed on the shaking table VESUVE: sinusoidal test and time history response. Acceleration of graphite blocks, forces on the boundaries, relative displacement of the core and PCRB model, impact velocity of the blocks on the boundaries were recorded. These tests have shown the strongly non-linear dynamic behaviour of the core. The resonant frequency of the core is dependent on the level of the excitation. These phenomena have been explained by a computer code, which is a lumped mass non-linear model. Good correlation between experimental and analytical results was obtained for impact velocities and forces on the boundaries. This comparison has shown that the damping of the core is a critical parameter for the estimation of forces and velocities. Time history displacement at the level of PCRV was reproduced on the shaking table. The analytical model was applied to this excitation and good agreement was obtained for forces and velocities. (orig./HP) [de

European Lithospheric Mantle; geochemical, petrological and geophysical processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ntaflos, Th.; Puziewicz, J.; Downes, H.; Matusiak-Małek, M.

2017-04-01

The second European Mantle Workshop occurred at the end of August 2015, in Wroclaw, Poland, attended by leading scientists in the study the lithospheric mantle from around the world. It built upon the results of the first European Mantle Workshop (held in 2007, in Ferrara, Italy) published in the Geological Society of London Special Publication 293 (Coltorti & Gregoire, 2008).

A mantle plume model for the Equatorial Highlands of Venus

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Walter S.; Hager, Bradford H.

1991-01-01

The possibility that the Equatorial Highlands are the surface expressions of hot upwelling mantle plumes is considered via a series of mantle plume models developed using a cylindrical axisymmetric finite element code and depth-dependent Newtonian rheology. The results are scaled by assuming whole mantle convection and that Venus and the earth have similar mantle heat flows. The best model fits are for Beta and Atla. The common feature of the allowed viscosity models is that they lack a pronounced low-viscosity zone in the upper mantle. The shape of Venus's long-wavelength admittance spectrum and the slope of its geoid spectrum are also consistent with the lack of a low-viscosity zone. It is argued that the lack of an asthenosphere on Venus is due to the mantle of Venus being drier than the earth's mantle. Mantle plumes may also have contributed to the formation of some smaller highland swells, such as the Bell and Eistla regions and the Hathor/Innini/Ushas region.

Pillars of the Mantle

KAUST Repository

Pugmire, David

2017-07-05

In this work, we investigate global seismic tomographic models obtained by spectral-element simulations of seismic wave propagation and adjoint methods. Global crustal and mantle models are obtained based on an iterative conjugate-gradient type of optimization scheme. Forward and adjoint seismic wave propagation simulations, which result in synthetic seismic data to make measurements and data sensitivity kernels to compute gradient for model updates, respectively, are performed by the SPECFEM3D-GLOBE package [1] [2] at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) to study the structure of the Earth at unprecedented levels. Using advances in solver techniques that run on the GPUs on Titan at the OLCF, scientists are able to perform large-scale seismic inverse modeling and imaging. Using seismic data from global and regional networks from global CMT earthquakes, scientists are using SPECFEM3D-GLOBE to understand the structure of the mantle layer of the Earth. Visualization of the generated data sets provide an effective way to understand the computed wave perturbations which define the structure of mantle in the Earth.

Receptor units responding to movement in the octopus mantle.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, P R

1976-08-01

1. A preparation of the mantle of Octopus which is inverted over a solid support and which exposes the stellate ganglion and associated nerves is described. 2. Afferent activity can be recorded from stellar nerves following electrical stimulation of the pallial nerve. The latency and frequency of the phasic sensory response is correlated with the contraction of the mantle musculature. 3. It is proposed that receptors cells located in the muscle, and their activity following mantle contraction, form part of a sensory feedback system in the mantle. Large, multipolar nerve cells that were found between the two main layers of circular muscle in the mantle could be such receptors.

Can Lower Mantle Slab-like Seismic Anomalies be Explained by Thermal Coupling Between the Upper and Lower Mantles?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cízková, H. (Hana); Cadek, O.; Berg, A.P. van den; Vlaar, N.J.

1999-01-01

Below subduction zones, high resolution seismic tomographic models resolve fast anomalies that often extend into the deep lower mantle. These anomalies are generally interpreted as slabs penetrating through the 660-km seismic discontinuity, evidence in support of whole-mantle convection. However,

The origin of volatiles in the Earth's mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Hier-Majumder, Saswata; Hirschmann, Marc M.

2017-08-01

The Earth's deep interior contains significant reservoirs of volatiles such as H, C, and N. Due to the incompatible nature of these volatile species, it has been difficult to reconcile their storage in the residual mantle immediately following crystallization of the terrestrial magma ocean (MO). As the magma ocean freezes, it is commonly assumed that very small amounts of melt are retained in the residual mantle, limiting the trapped volatile concentration in the primordial mantle. In this article, we show that inefficient melt drainage out of the freezing front can retain large amounts of volatiles hosted in the trapped melt in the residual mantle while creating a thick early atmosphere. Using a two-phase flow model, we demonstrate that compaction within the moving freezing front is inefficient over time scales characteristic of magma ocean solidification. We employ a scaling relation between the trapped melt fraction, the rate of compaction, and the rate of freezing in our magma ocean evolution model. For cosmochemically plausible fractions of volatiles delivered during the later stages of accretion, our calculations suggest that up to 77% of total H2O and 12% of CO2 could have been trapped in the mantle during magma ocean crystallization. The assumption of a constant trapped melt fraction underestimates the mass of volatiles in the residual mantle by more than an order of magnitude.Plain Language SummaryThe Earth's deep interior contains substantial amounts of volatile elements like C, H, and N. How these elements got sequestered in the Earth's interior has long been a topic of debate. It is generally assumed that most of these elements escaped the interior of the Earth during the first few hundred thousand years to create a primitive atmosphere, leaving the mantle reservoir nearly empty. In this work, we show that the key to this paradox involves the very early stages of crystallization of the mantle from a global magma ocean. Using numerical models, we show

Controlling interface characteristics by adjusting core-shell structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, H.Y.; Cheng, S.Y.; Sheu, C.I.

2004-01-01

Most grain boundary layer ceramics comprise semiconductive/conductive grains and insulated grain boundaries. Such a structure can be theoretically regarded as a shell (grain boundary layer) surrounds a core (conductive or semiconductive grain). The core-shell structure of titanium (Ti)-strontium titanate (ST) is composed of three zones - ST, non-stoichiometric strontium-titanium oxide and Ti, in order from shell to core. It was successfully prepared using a hydrothermal method. The Ti-ST core-shell structure was sintered in a reducing atmosphere and then annealed in air to achieve the metal-insulator-metal structure (MIM structure). The resulting MIM structure, annealed in air, changes with the oxygen stoichiometry of the ST shell (insulator layer) at various temperatures, which is thus used to tune its electrical characteristics. The characteristics exhibit nonlinear behavior. Accordingly, the thickness of the insulator layer can be adjusted in various annealing atmospheres and at various temperatures to develop various interfacial devices, such as varistors, capacitors and thermistors, without the use of complex donor/acceptor doping technology

Traveltime Dispersion in an Isotropic Elastic Mantle: Dominance of the Lower Mantle Signal in Differential-frequency Time Residuals

Science.gov (United States)

Schuberth, B. S. A.; Zaroli, C.; Nolet, G.

2014-12-01

We study wavefield effects in elastic isotropic 3-D seismic structures derived from the temperature field of a high resolution mantle circulation model. More specifically, we quantify the structural dispersion of traveltime residuals of direct P- and S-waves in a model with realistic length-scales and magnitudes of the variations in seismic velocities and density. 3-D global wave propagation is simulated using a spectral element method, and traveltime residuals are measured in four different frequency bands by cross-correlation of 3-D and 1-D synthetic waveforms. Intrinsic (dissipative) attenuation is deliberately neglected, so that any variation of traveltimes with frequency can be attributed to structural effects. Additional simulations are performed for a model in which 3-D structure is removed in the upper 800 km to isolate the dispersion signal of the lower mantle. One question that we address is whether the structural length-scales inherent to a vigorously convecting mantle give rise to significant body-wave dispersion. In our synthetic dataset, the difference between long-period and short-period traveltime residuals generally increases with increasing short-period residual. However, we do not find an exact linear dependence, and in case of P-waves even non-monotonic behaviour. At largest short-period residuals, average dispersion is on the order of 2 s for both P- and S-waves and even larger when structure is confined to the lower mantle. Dispersion also appears to be asymmetric; that is, larger for negative than for positive residuals. The standard deviations of both P- and S-wave residuals also increase with increasing period and we discuss possible explanations for this behaviour. Overall, wavefield effects in both models are generally stronger for P-waves than for S-waves at the same frequencies. We also find that for certain combinations of periods, the difference between the respective residuals is very similar between the "whole mantle" and the "lower