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Dynamics of the Earth's Deep Interior: What computational models and observations reveal about mantle convection
Applied Math| Speaker: | Louise Kellogg, Geology, UC Davis |
| Location: | 693 Kerr |
| Start time: | Fri, Apr 12 2002, 4:10PM |
Description
Under the elevated temperatures and pressures of earth's deep
interior, rock responds to stress by slow, creeping flow. The
resulting mantle convection drives plate motion, mountain-building,
and volcanic activity at the surface. Because the mantle is
inaccessible to direct observation, geophysicists must combine
observations made at the surface (including seismic tomography, heat
flow, and geochemical data) with computational and analog models of
convection. A major challenge remains understanding whether the mantle
is homogeneous in composition or heterogeneous. This talk will
present recent computational models of mantle convection, focussing on
possible compositional heterogeneity and mixing in the mantle. I will
also discuss future directions and challenges for numerical models of
mantle convection.
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