Articles tagged with Upper Mantle
Scientists discover carbon-based lavas are sourced from the upper mantle through partial melting of typical minerals, producing extremely fluid and low-silica lavas. The study reveals a uniform reservoir of volcanic gases beneath both oceans and continents.
Scientists at Imperial College London have discovered that dense plates tend to be held in the upper mantle, while younger and lighter plates sink into the lower mantle. This new understanding could improve earthquake risk assessments by explaining plate movements and earthquakes in regions like the Western Pacific.
Researchers used experiments and mathematical modeling to understand seismic wave behavior in the lower mantle, finding that mineral grain alignment causes unusual wave behavior. The study provides a window into Earth's inner workings and is an important step toward integrating seismology and geodynamics in the lower mantle.
A University of Illinois researcher has shed light on the formation of silica-rich glasses in xenoliths by studying the chemical interaction between sodium and mantle rocks. The study reveals that sodium diffusion can significantly alter magma composition, leading to anomalous mineral ratios found beneath mid-ocean ridges.
The MIT researchers' new model explains minute differences in magma composition by shifting densities due to iron and silicon, offset by soaring temperatures. This resolves the long-standing debate on convection in the Earth's mantle, providing a new framework for further investigations.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz found seismic evidence suggesting a partially molten layer in the lower mantle, which could fundamentally change our understanding of the core-mantle boundary. The suspected layer, between 5-40 kilometers thick, may conduct electricity more readily than solid rock and influence the planet's magnetic field.