Published February 25, 1993
| public
Journal Article
Effects of an Endothermic Phase-Transition at 670 km Depth in a Spherical Model of Convection in the Earth's Mantle
Chicago
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Abstract
Numerical modelling of mantle convection in a spherical shell with an endothermic phase change at 670 km depth reveals an inherently three-dimensional flow pattern, containing cylindrical plumes and linear sheets which behave differently in their ability to penetrate the phase change. The dynamics are dominated by accumulation of downwelling cold material above 670 km depth, resulting in frequent avalanches of upper-mantle material into the lower mantle. This process generates long-wavelength lateral heterogeneity, helping to resolve the contradiction between seismic tomographic observations and expectations from mantle convection simulations.
Additional Information
© 1993 Nature Publishing Group. Published 25 February 1993; Received 30 November 1992; accepted 29 January 1993. We thank W.R. Peltier, D.L. Anderson, D.A. Yuen, M. Gurnis, V. Solomatov and the participants of the Los Alamos Mantle Convection Workshop for discussions, U. Christensen for his review and H.X. Qian for photographic assistance. The Intel Touchstone Delta System was operated by the California Institute of Technology on behalf of the Concurrent Supercomputing Consortium. Access to this facility was provided by the Institute. P.T. thanks the NSF for financial support.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 42575
- DOI
- 10.1038/361699a0
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20131119-133429121
- NSF
- Created
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2013-11-19Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2023-10-25Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS)