Geophysical and geochemical models of mantle convection : Successes and future challenges. - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon Access content directly
Book Sections Year : 2004

Geophysical and geochemical models of mantle convection : Successes and future challenges.

Abstract

Although more and more robust evidence of whole mantle convection comes from seismic tomography and geoid modeling, the rare gases and other isotopic or trace element signatures of ridge and hotspot basalts indicate the presence of various isolated geochemic al reservoirs in the mantle. We discuss this discrepancy between the fluid dynamic views of mantle convection and the chemical observations. We compare the standard model of geodynamicists where the mantle behaves as a fluid mostly heated from within with the findings of seismic tomography. We suggest that a significant part of the subducted oceanic crust transformed into dense eclogitic assemblages, partially segregates to form a D'' layer growing with time. We show how a two component marble cake mantle filling the whole mantle except D'' can account for the variability of OIBs and MORBs in rare gases. We then present the state of the art in thermochemical convection of the mantle and emphasize the numerical and conceptual progress that must be made to quantitatively test the geochemical hypothesis.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
print.pdf (149.41 Ko) Télécharger le fichier
Loading...

Dates and versions

ensl-00103931 , version 1 (05-10-2006)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : ensl-00103931 , version 1

Cite

Yanick Ricard, Nicolas Coltice. Geophysical and geochemical models of mantle convection : Successes and future challenges.. Robert Stephen, John Sparks, Christopher Johns Hawkesworth. The State of the Planet : Frontiers and Challenges in Geophysics, American Geographical Union (AGU), pp.59-68, 2004, Geophysical Monograph Series, volume 150. AGU Code GM1504157., 0-87590-415-7. ⟨ensl-00103931⟩
122 View
247 Download

Share

Gmail Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More