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The Gutenberg Discontinuity: Melt at the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary

2012; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 335; Issue: 6075 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1215433

1095-9203

N. C. Schmerr,

Geological and Geochemical Analysis

The Thin Melt Line Pronounced and persistent variations in the speed of seismic waves as they travel through Earth's interior imply the presence of a physical or chemical boundary layer. Near the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, these seismic discontinuities are often patchy and their origins are disputed. By analyzing a set of short-period seismic waves across the Pacific Ocean, Schmerr (p. 1480 ; see the Perspective by Kawakatsu ) relates the intermittency of this seismic discontinuity to a layer of partial melt below the oceanic lithosphere. The melt may arise from a number of geodynamic processes, including upwellings from the mantle at hot spots like Hawaii, or small-scale thermal convection in the mantle.