In this study, we examine the development of topography on a thin dense layer at the base of the lower mantle. The effect of the convecting mantle above is represented as a traction acting on the upper surface of the layer. Topography on the layer boundaries is predicted by a balance of dynamic flow stress and external traction. The nature of boundary topography depends on the magnitude of the driving tractions and the density variation within the layer. If we assume that the layer density is greatest beneath areas of mantle downwelling and decreases to a minimum beneath areas of mantle upwelling (the layer is thermally coupled to the convection in the overlying mantle) then its upper boundary develops a cusp-like peak beneath the upwelling mantle. The height of this peak is potentially much greater than the layer thickness. If, however, the layers are effectively coupled by viscous shear then internal density gradients of the opposite sign may be established. In this case, we observe solutions where the layer is completely swept away beneath areas of mantle downwelling leaving steep-sided ‘islands’ of dense material. This mechanism therefore provides a possible explanation for steep-sided anomalously slow regions at the base of the mantle observed by seismic methods (e.g. beneath south Africa) or for discrete ultralow velocity zones detected at the core-mantle boundary beneath locations of surface hotspots. The magnitude of the upper boundary driving tractions compared to the density gradient within the layer is the key parameter that determines the nature of flow in, and consequently boundary topography of, the layer. The deflection of the core-mantle boundary is small compared with that of the top of the dense layer, but a change in sign of the ratio of these deflections is observed as the magnitude of the driving tractions changes relative to the magnitude of the internal density gradient. We compare seismic measurements of core-mantle boundary topography and D′′ topography with the predictions of this model in an attempt to constrain model parameters, but no clear correlation seems to exist between D′′ thickness and CMB topography. 相似文献
We use a total of 839,369 PcP, PKPab, PKPbc, PKPdf, PKKPab, and PKKPbc residual travel times from [Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 88 (1998) 722] grouped in 29,837 summary rays to constrain lateral variation in the depth to the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We assumed a homogeneous outer core, and the data were corrected for mantle structure and inner-core anisotropy. Inversions of separate data sets yield amplitude variations of up to 5 km for PcP, PKPab, PKPbc, and PKKP and 13 km for PKPdf. This is larger than the CMB undulations inferred in geodetic studies and, moreover, the PcP results are not readily consistent with the inferences from PKP and PKKP. Although the source-receiver ambiguity for the core-refracted phases can explain some of it, this discrepancy suggest that the travel-time residuals cannot be explained by topography alone. The wavespeed perturbations in the tomographic model used for the mantle corrections might be too small to fully account for the trade off between volumetric heterogeneity and CMB topography. In a second experiment we therefore re-applied corrections for mantle structure outside a basal 290 km-thick layer and inverted all data jointly for both CMB topography and volumetric heterogeneity within this layer. The resultant CMB model can explain PcP, PKP, and PKKP residuals and has approximately 0.2 km excess core ellipticity, which is in good agreement with inferences from free core nutation observations. Joint inversion yields a peak-to-peak amplitude of CMB topography of about 3 km, and the inversion yields velocity variations of ±5% in the basal layer. The latter suggests a strong trade-off between topography and volumetric heterogeneity, but uncertainty analyses suggest that the variation in core radius can be resolved. The spherical averages of all inverted topographic models suggest that the data are best fit if the actual CMB radius is 1.5 km less than in the Earth reference model used (i.e. the average outer core radius would be 3478 km). 相似文献
The origin of large low shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) in the lowermost mantle beneath the central Pacific and Africa is not well constrained. We explore numerical convection calculations for two proposed hypotheses for these anomalies, namely, thermal upwellings (e.g., plume clusters) and large intrinsically dense piles of mantle material (e.g., thermochemical piles), each of which uniquely affects the topography on Earth's core–mantle boundary (CMB). The thermochemical pile models predict a relatively flat but elevated CMB beneath piles (presumed LLSVPs), with strong upwarping along LLSVP margins. The plume cluster models predict CMB upwarping beneath upwellings that are less geographically organized. Both models display CMB depressions beneath subduction related downwelling. While each of the two models produces a unique, characteristic style of CMB topography, we find that seismic models will require shorter length scales than are currently being employed in order to distinguish between the end-member dynamic models presented here. 相似文献
Seismic studies of the lowermost mantle suggest that the core-mantle boundary (CMB) region is strongly laterally heterogeneous
over both local and global scales. These heterogeneities are likely to be associated with significant lateral viscosity variations
that may influence the shape of the long-wavelength non-hydrostatic geoid. In the present paper we investigate the effect
of these lateral viscosity variations on the solution of the inverse problem known as the inferences of viscosity from the
geoid. We find that the presence of lateral viscosity variations in the CMB region can significantly improve the percentage
fit of the predicted data with observations (from 42 to 70% in case of free-air gravity) while the basic characterisics of
the mantle viscosity model, namely the viscosity increase with depth and the rate of layering, remain more or less the same
as in the case of the best-fitting radially symmetric viscosity models. Assuming that viscosity is laterally dependent in
the CMB region, and radially dependent elsewhere, we determine the largescale features of the viscosity structure in the lowermost
mantle. The viscosity pattern found for the CMB region shows a high density of hotspots above the regions of higher-than-average
viscosity. This result suggests an important role for petrological heterogeneities in the lowermost mantle, potentially associated
with a post-perovskite phase transition. Another potential interpretation is that the lateral viscosity variations derived
for the CMB region correspond in reality to lateral variations in the mechanical conditions at the CMB boundary or to large-scale
undulations of a chemically distinct layer at the lowermost mantle. 相似文献
Mass heterogeneities in the earth's mantle are retrieved from the gravity data and the topography of the core-mantle boundary as well as the topography of the earth's surface. A mantle circulation induced by the heterogeneities is modelled by solving the Stokes problem for incompressible Newtonian fluid. The derived models of mantle motions correlate well with the plate tectonics and point at a close relation between the surface tectonic activity and the processes in the vicinity of the core-mantle boundary. 相似文献
An ScP phase reflected and converted at the core–mantle boundary (CMB) beneath the region east of the Philippine Islands shows clear pre- and postcursors, recorded on short-period seismic networks in Japan. These waveform variations can be explained by interaction of the ScP wavefield with thin layers at the CMB. The results of forward modeling of double-array stacks reveal two different structural heterogeneities in the lowermost mantle beneath the region east of the Philippine Islands. One of the structures represents a decreased velocity, and increased density across the reflector at the lowermost ~10 km of the mantle, with P- and S-wave velocity reductions of 5–10% and ~30%, respectively, and an increase in density of 5–10%. Another structure consists of a pair of reflectors at ~10 km and ~5 km above the CMB, both of which are characterized by reduced P- and S-wave velocities. The upper reflector is the interface of a low-velocity zone in which P- and S-wave velocities decrease of 10% and 30%, respectively, accompanied by an extremely large increase in density (20–25%). The lower reflector is characterized by a 25% reduction in S-wave velocity relative to the above low-velocity layer, as well as a 5% decrease in P-wave velocity and no change in density. The nature of the low-velocity zone detected locally at the CMB is comparable with that of ultra-low-velocity zones (ULVZs) observed by various seismic probes in the South Pacific and Central America. Extensive observations of the ULVZ beneath the region east of the Philippine Islands indicate massive partial melting at the bottom of the mantle. Low-S-velocity basal layer partly detected within the ULVZ may be resulting from core–mantle chemical interactions, driven by massive partial melting. 相似文献
Computing synthetic seismograms for media with localized heterogeneous regions can be performed using hybrid methods. Here, a combination of a finite-difference (FD) technique and a frequency-wavenumber (ω − k) filtering is applied to model wave reflection at different kinds of core-mantle boundary (CMB) topography. The FD method is only applied in the neighbourhood of the CMB, while the ω − k filter is used to continue the reflected wavefield to the Earth's surface. Synthetic SH-seismograms for ScS with a dominant frequency of 0.5 Hz are computed at epicentral distances from 44° to 69°. The topography varies in amplitude (maximum amplitude of 1.0–2.7 km) and in its wavenumber spectrum; it is either monochromatic (wavelengths from 55 to 270 km) or statistical (coloured noise). The seismograms for a CMB with topography are compared with those for a plane CMB. We observe that monochromatic topography with short wavelengths (less than 100 km) results in amplitude reduction and shorter travel times than in the case of a plane CMB, but no variations with epicentral distance appear, whereas greater wavelengths exhibit amplitude variations with distance as well as travel time residuals, which both correlate with the CMB topography. Statistical models show amplitude variations with epicentral distance, while the travel time residuals are very small (less than 0.1 s). All synthetics illustrate that wavefront healing occurs along the ray path from the CMB to the Earth's surface. While the seismograms at the CMB exhibit strong fluctuations, the fluctuations at the surface are smoothed and reduced. This demonstrates that it is necessary to use wave theoretical methods for computing synthetic seismograms for complicated structures at greater depth. It also follows that travel times are less sensitive to the structure than the amplitudes. 相似文献
Although many geochemical, geophysical and seismological studies have suggested that the Hawaiian mantle plume originates from the core–mantle boundary (CMB), so far no tomographic model shows a continuous image of the Hawaiian plume in the entire mantle because of the few seismic stations on the narrow Hawaiian island chain. Here we present a new tomographic image beneath Hawaii determined by using simultaneously 10 kinds of seismic phases, P, pP, PP, PcP, Pdiff, PKPab, PKPbc, PKiKP, PKKPab and PKKPbc, extracted from the data set compiled by the International Seismological Center. Of these phases, PKiKP, PKKPab and PKKPbc are, for the first time, attempted to use in the global seismic tomography. Our results show a slow anomaly beneath Hawaii ascending continuously from the CMB to the surface, implying that the Hawaiian plume indeed originates from the CMB. This image is improved notably over the previous results in the whole mantle, particularly in and below the middle mantle, suggesting that later phases, PP, Pdiff, PKP and particularly PKiKP, are of great importance for better imaging the Hawaiian plume. This slow anomaly is considered to be a plume conduit being tilted, which is likely caused by the mantle flow. This indicates that the position of the Hawaiian hotspot on the surface is not stationary, as evidenced by the recent paleomagnetic and numerical modeling studies. 相似文献
In this work, many global tomographic inversions and resolution tests are carried out to investigate the influence of various mantle and core phase data from the International Seismological Center (ISC) data set on the determination of 3D velocity structure of the Earth's interior. Our results show that, when only the direct P data are used, the resolution is good for most of the mantle except for the oceanic regions down to about 1000 km depth and for most of the D″ layer, and PP rays can provide a better constraint on the structure down to the middle mantle, in particular for the upper mantle under the oceans. PcP can enhance the ray sampling of the middle and lower mantle around the Pacific rim and Europe, while Pdiff can help improve the spatial resolution in the lowermost mantle. The outer core phases (PKP, PKiKP and PKKP) can improve the resolution in the lowermost mantle of the southern hemisphere and under oceanic regions. When finer blocks or grid nodes are adopted to determine a high-resolution model, pP data are very useful for improving the upper mantle structure. The resulting model inferred from all phases not only displays the general features contained in the previous global tomographic models, but also reveals some new features. For example, the image of the Hawaiian mantle plume is improved notably over the previous studies. It is imaged as a continuous low velocity anomaly beneath the Hawaiian hotspot from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) to the surface, implying that the Hawaiian mantle plume indeed originates from the CMB. Low-velocity anomalies along some mid-oceanic ridges extend down to about 600 km depth. Our results suggested that later seismic phases are of great importance in better understanding the structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior. 相似文献
The differential axial and equatorial rotations of both cores associated with the Quaternary glacial cycles were evaluated based on a realistic earth model in density and elastic structures. The rheological model is composed of compressible Maxwell viscoelastic mantle, inviscid outer core and incompressible Maxwell viscoelastic inner core. The present study is, however, preliminary because I assume a rigid rotation for the fluid outer core. In models with no frictional torques at the boundaries of the outer core, the maximum magnitude of the predicted axial rotations of the outer and inner cores amounts to ∼2° year−1 and ∼1° year−1, respectively, but that for the secular equatorial rotations of both cores is ∼0.0001° at most. However, oscillating parts with a period of ∼225 years are predicted in the equatorial rotations for both cores. Then, I evaluated the differential rotations by adopting a time-dependent electromagnetic (EM) torque as a possible coupling mechanism at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and inner core boundary (ICB). In a realistic radial magnetic field at the CMB estimated from surface magnetic field, the axial and equatorial rotations couple through frictional torques at the CMB, although these rotations decouple for dipole magnetic field model. The differential rotations were evaluated for conductivity models with a conductance of 108 S of the lowermost mantle inferred from studies of nutation and precession of the Earth and decadal variations of length of day (LOD). The secular parts of equatorial rotations are less sensitive to these parameters, but the magnitude for the axial rotations is much smaller than for frictionless model. These models, however, produce oscillating parts in the equatorial rotations of both cores and also in the axial rotations of the whole Earth and outer and inner cores. These oscillations are sensitive to both the magnitude of radial magnetic field at the CMB and the conductivity structure. No sharp isolated spectral peaks are predicted for models with a thin conductive layer (∼200 m) at the bottom of the mantle. In models with a conductive layer of ∼100 km thickness, however, sharp spectral peaks are predicted at periods of ∼225 and ∼25 years for equatorial and axial rotations, respectively, although these depend on the strength of radial magnetic field at the CMB. While the present study is preliminary in modelling the fluid outer core and coupling mechanism at the CMB, the predicted axial rotations of the whole Earth may be important in explaining the observed LOD through interaction between the equatorial and axial rotations. 相似文献
Scattering by a slightly-rough core-mantle boundary (CMB) with small-scale radial variations of up to a few hundred metres, has been an attractive (though non-unique) interpretation of at least part of the precursors to PKIKP. Here it is shown that a slightly-rough CMB has an observable effect on PKKP as well, if the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high. The effect may be observed as precursive arrivals and is due to back-scattering at CMB. This work was prompted by observations by Chang and Cleary at LASA of “PKKP” and precursors from the Novaya Zemlya explosions. NORSAR data from several source regions are presented here; small-scale radial variations of 100–200 metres are inferred from these data, although in some regions the CMB appears to be much smoother. On the other hand, the LASA data are anomalous and suggest much larger topography in the sampled region of the CMB. Both large- and small-scale topography must be dynamically produced, if current estimates of the viscosity of the lower mantle (~1022 Poise) are correct. 相似文献
The amplitudes and phases of forced nutation and diurnal earth tides depend significantly on the moment of forces between the liquid core and mantle of the Earth, resulting from the differential rotation of the core. The solution to the dynamic problem of rotation of an imperfectly elastic mantle with an imperfectly liquid core and an ocean indicates that the predominant role is played by the so-called core-mantle inertial coupling (related to the effect of hydrodynamic pressure in the liquid core on the ellipsoidal core-mantle boundary). The magnitude of this coupling depends significantly not only on the dynamic flattening of the liquid core but also on the elastic and inelastic properties of the mantle, as well as on the amplitudes and phases of oceanic tides. In this paper, the effects of oceanic tides on the magnitude of inertial coupling between the liquid core and the mantle and on the period and damping decrement of free nearly diurnal nutation are estimated. 相似文献
The International Geomagnetic Reference Field models (IGRF) for 1900–2000 are used to calculate the geomagnetic field distribution
in the Earth’ interior from the ground surface to the core-mantle boundary (CMB) under the assumption of insulated mantle.
Four reversed polarity patches, as one of the most important features of the CMB field, are revealed. Two patches with +Z
polarity (downward) at the southern African and the southern American regions stand out against the background of ™Z polarity
(upward) in the southern hemisphere, and two patches of ™Z polarity at the North Polar and the northern Pacific regions stand
out against the +Z background in the northern hemisphere. During the 1900–2000 period the southern African (SAF) patch has
quickly drifted westward at a speed of 0.20–.3° /a; meanwhile its area has expanded 5 times, and the magnetic flux crossing
the area has intensified 30 times. On the other hand, other three patches show little if any change during this 100-year period.
Extending upward, each of the reversed polarity patches at the CMB forms a chimney-shaped “reversed polarity column” in the
mantle with the bottom at the CMB. The height of the SAF column has grown rapidly from 200km in 1900 to 900km in 2000. If
the column grows steadily at the same rate in the future, its top will reach to the ground surface in 600–700 years. And then
a reversed polarity patch will be observed at the Earth’s surface, which will be an indicator of the beginning of a magnetic
field reversal. On the basis of this study, one can describe the process of a geomagnetic polarity reversal, the polarity
reversal may be observed firstly in one or several local regions; then the areas of these regions expand, and at the same
time, other new reversed polarity regions may appear. Thus several poles may exist during a polarity reversal. 相似文献