2001/06/01 by Artem R. Oganov, A. R. Oganov, John P. Brodholt +2 · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Core–mantle boundary #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #Geology #Geophysics #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Mantle (geology) #Mantle convection #Mantle wedge #Mineralogy #Physics #Post-perovskite #Seismic tomography #Seismology #Structure of the Earth #Subduction #Tectonics #Thermodynamics #Transition zone #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #earthquake and tectonic studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/35082048
published as Nature 411, 934-937 (2001) · Published in: Nature 411, 934-937 (2001)
openalex publication_date 2001/06/01 · arxiv created 2009/11/17 · arxiv updated 2017/10/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The temperature anomalies in the Earth's mantle associated with thermal convection1 can be inferred from seismic tomography, provided that the elastic properties of mantle minerals are known as a function of temperature at mantle pressures. At present, however, such information is difficult to obtain directly through laboratory experiments. We have therefore taken advantage of recent advances in computer technology, and have performed finite-temperature ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the elastic properties of MgSiO3 perovskite, the major mineral of the lower mantle, at relevant thermodynamic conditions. When combined with the results from tomographic images of the mantle, our results indicate that the lower mantle is either significantly anelastic or compositionally heterogeneous on large scales. We found the temperature contrast between the coldest and hottest regions of the mantle, at a given depth, to be about 800K at 1000 km, 1500K at 2000 km, and possibly over 2000K at the core-mantle boundary.