Three-dimensional spherical models of convection in the earth's mantle

Journal Article · Fri May 26 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.244.4907.950· OSTI ID:7149369

Bercovici, D; Schubert, G ^[1]; Glatzmaier, G A ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)

Three-dimensional, spherical models of mantle convection in the earth reveal that upwelling cylindrical plumes and downwelling planar sheets are the primary features of mantle circulation. Thus, subduction zones and descending sheetlike slabs in the mantle are fundamental characteristics of thermal convection in a spherical shell and are not merely the consequences of the rigidity of the slabs, which are cooler than the surrounding mantle. Cylindrical mantle plumes that cause hotspots such as Hawaii are probably the only form of active upwelling and are therefore not just secondary convective currents separate from the large-scale mantle circulation. Active sheetlike upwellings that could be associated with mid-ocean ridges did not develop in the model simulations, a result that is in agreement with evidence suggesting that ridges are passive phenomena resulting from the tearing of surface plates by the pull of descending slabs. 36 refs., 3 figs.

• OSTI ID: 7149369
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA) Vol. 244:4907; ISSN SCIEA; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
DATA
EARTH MANTLE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
STRUCTURAL MODELS