Anisotropic viscosity in flow models  |  Seismic anisotropy in eastern Tibet  |   Thermo-chemical mixing in the mantle

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Thermo-chemical mixing in the mantle:

When the oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges, several layers are formed. In gneral, the upper layer is enriched with incompatible elements, many of which are radioactive and produce heat. The residue forms a depleted layer underneath. When such a layered crust returns into the mantle during subduction, it introduces chemical heterogeneities into the mantle.
We investigated how the crustal thickness and other plate properties affected the subduction of the slab and the fate of these chemical heterogeneities.
This was part of my qualifying exam project.
 
·         Mantle Convection Animations

Funding note:

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0409564 (Modeling) and EAR- 0337697 and CD- 6892042 (Tibet)

Legal note:

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