Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows
The global geoid is characterized by a semi-continuous belt of lows that surround the Pacific Ocean, including isolated minima in the Indian Ocean, Ross Sea and northeast Pacific and west Atlantic oceans. These geoid lows have been attributed to Mesozoic subduction. Geodynamic models that include sl...
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:18687 2023-05-15T18:07:32+02:00 Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows Spasojevic, Sonja Gurnis, Michael Sutherland, Rupert 2010-06 application/pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/2/ngeo855-s1.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038 en eng Nature Publishing Group https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/2/ngeo855-s1.pdf Spasojevic, Sonja and Gurnis, Michael and Sutherland, Rupert (2010) Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows. Nature Geoscience, 3 (6). pp. 435-438. ISSN 1752-0894. doi:10.1038/NGEO855. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038> other Article PeerReviewed 2010 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO855 2021-11-11T18:44:45Z The global geoid is characterized by a semi-continuous belt of lows that surround the Pacific Ocean, including isolated minima in the Indian Ocean, Ross Sea and northeast Pacific and west Atlantic oceans. These geoid lows have been attributed to Mesozoic subduction. Geodynamic models that include slab graveyards in the lower mantle as inferred from seismic topography or from plate reconstructions correctly predict the general trend of geoid minima. However, these models fail to accurately reproduce localized geoid lows in the Indian Ocean, Ross Sea and northeast Pacific Ocean. Here we show that the geoid lows are correlated with high-velocity anomalies near the base of the mantle and low-velocity anomalies in the mid-to-upper mantle. Our mantle flow models reproduce the geoid minima if the mid-to-upper mantle upwellings are positioned above the inferred locations of ancient subducted slabs. We find that the long-wavelength trough in the geoid is linked to high-density slab graveyards in the lower mantle, whereas upwelling regions in the mantle above 1,000 km depth cause discrete lows within the larger trough. We suggest that this mode of upwelling in the mid-to-upper mantle is caused by buoyant hydrated mantle that was created by processes around and above subducted slabs. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ross Sea Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Indian Pacific Ross Sea Nature Geoscience 3 6 435 438 |
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The global geoid is characterized by a semi-continuous belt of lows that surround the Pacific Ocean, including isolated minima in the Indian Ocean, Ross Sea and northeast Pacific and west Atlantic oceans. These geoid lows have been attributed to Mesozoic subduction. Geodynamic models that include slab graveyards in the lower mantle as inferred from seismic topography or from plate reconstructions correctly predict the general trend of geoid minima. However, these models fail to accurately reproduce localized geoid lows in the Indian Ocean, Ross Sea and northeast Pacific Ocean. Here we show that the geoid lows are correlated with high-velocity anomalies near the base of the mantle and low-velocity anomalies in the mid-to-upper mantle. Our mantle flow models reproduce the geoid minima if the mid-to-upper mantle upwellings are positioned above the inferred locations of ancient subducted slabs. We find that the long-wavelength trough in the geoid is linked to high-density slab graveyards in the lower mantle, whereas upwelling regions in the mantle above 1,000 km depth cause discrete lows within the larger trough. We suggest that this mode of upwelling in the mid-to-upper mantle is caused by buoyant hydrated mantle that was created by processes around and above subducted slabs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Spasojevic, Sonja Gurnis, Michael Sutherland, Rupert |
spellingShingle |
Spasojevic, Sonja Gurnis, Michael Sutherland, Rupert Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
author_facet |
Spasojevic, Sonja Gurnis, Michael Sutherland, Rupert |
author_sort |
Spasojevic, Sonja |
title |
Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
title_short |
Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
title_full |
Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
title_fullStr |
Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
title_sort |
mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/2/ngeo855-s1.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038 |
geographic |
Indian Pacific Ross Sea |
geographic_facet |
Indian Pacific Ross Sea |
genre |
Ross Sea |
genre_facet |
Ross Sea |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/18687/2/ngeo855-s1.pdf Spasojevic, Sonja and Gurnis, Michael and Sutherland, Rupert (2010) Mantle upwellings above slab graveyards linked to the global geoid lows. Nature Geoscience, 3 (6). pp. 435-438. ISSN 1752-0894. doi:10.1038/NGEO855. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20100615-114546038> |
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op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO855 |
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Nature Geoscience |
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3 |
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6 |
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435 |
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438 |
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