Articles | Volume 12, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2087-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2087-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Sep 2021
Research article |
| 14 Sep 2021
| 14 Sep 2021
Coupled dynamics and evolution of primordial and recycled heterogeneity in Earth's lower mantle
Anna Johanna Pia Gülcher
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geophysics, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Invited contribution by Anna Johanna Pia Gülcher, recipient of the EGU Geodynamics Outstanding Student Poster and PICO Award 2019.
Maxim Dionys Ballmer
Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Institute of Geophysics, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Paul James Tackley
Institute of Geophysics, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Lava samples and seismic signals show that Earth's lower mantle is not well-mixed, but how this heterogeneity relates to the mantle's long-term history remains unclear. We study this with computer simulations of secular movements of masses in the mantle, with various materials to represent recycled and ancient rocks with different properties. We find that deep strong piles of recycled rock can help large ancient blobs survive, linking current deep-Earth observations to Earth's earliest infancy.
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Lava samples and seismic signals show that Earth's lower mantle is not well-mixed, but how this heterogeneity relates to the mantle's long-term history remains unclear. We study this with computer simulations of secular movements of masses in the mantle, with various materials to represent recycled and ancient rocks with different properties. We find that deep strong piles of recycled rock can help large ancient blobs survive, linking current deep-Earth observations to Earth's earliest infancy.
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Subject area: Mantle and core structure and dynamics | Editorial team: Geodynamics and quantitative modelling | Discipline: Geodynamics
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Short summary
The lower mantle extends from 660–2890 km depth, making up > 50 % of the Earth’s volume. Its composition and structure, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate several hypotheses with computer simulations of mantle convection that include different materials: recycled, dense rocks and ancient, strong rocks. We propose a new integrated style of mantle convection including
piles,
blobs, and
streaksthat agrees with various observations of the deep Earth.
The lower mantle extends from 660–2890 km depth, making up 50 % of the Earth’s volume. Its...
