Mantle transition zone variations beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar: Chemical heterogeneity within a hot mantle?

D.G. Cornwell; G. Hetényi; T.D. Blanchard

doi:10.1029/2011GL047575

Mantle transition zone variations beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar: Chemical heterogeneity within a hot mantle?

D.G. Cornwell^* (Corresponding Author), G. Hetényi, T.D. Blanchard

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The mantle transition zone (MTZ) structure beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar is mapped using receiver functions. The 410 discontinuity is flat and regionally depressed by 30-40 km, most likely due to a hot (=+250 °C) and slow (average dV > 3 %) upper mantle. The 660 discontinuity is shown to have variations in depth (665-705 km) over short length scales (260 km) indicate possible compositional/chemical heterogeneities and elevated ambient temperatures near the base of the MTZ. These observations provide evidence for a link between the low velocity anomalies of the Ethiopian upper mantle and the African Superplume in the lower mantle.

Original language	English
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	38
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047575
Publication status	Published - Aug 2011

Keywords

Ethiopia
mantle
rift
transition

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title = "Mantle transition zone variations beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar: Chemical heterogeneity within a hot mantle?",

abstract = "The mantle transition zone (MTZ) structure beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar is mapped using receiver functions. The 410 discontinuity is flat and regionally depressed by 30-40 km, most likely due to a hot (=+250 °C) and slow (average dV > 3 %) upper mantle. The 660 discontinuity is shown to have variations in depth (665-705 km) over short length scales (260 km) indicate possible compositional/chemical heterogeneities and elevated ambient temperatures near the base of the MTZ. These observations provide evidence for a link between the low velocity anomalies of the Ethiopian upper mantle and the African Superplume in the lower mantle.",

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N2 - The mantle transition zone (MTZ) structure beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar is mapped using receiver functions. The 410 discontinuity is flat and regionally depressed by 30-40 km, most likely due to a hot (=+250 °C) and slow (average dV > 3 %) upper mantle. The 660 discontinuity is shown to have variations in depth (665-705 km) over short length scales (260 km) indicate possible compositional/chemical heterogeneities and elevated ambient temperatures near the base of the MTZ. These observations provide evidence for a link between the low velocity anomalies of the Ethiopian upper mantle and the African Superplume in the lower mantle.

AB - The mantle transition zone (MTZ) structure beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar is mapped using receiver functions. The 410 discontinuity is flat and regionally depressed by 30-40 km, most likely due to a hot (=+250 °C) and slow (average dV > 3 %) upper mantle. The 660 discontinuity is shown to have variations in depth (665-705 km) over short length scales (260 km) indicate possible compositional/chemical heterogeneities and elevated ambient temperatures near the base of the MTZ. These observations provide evidence for a link between the low velocity anomalies of the Ethiopian upper mantle and the African Superplume in the lower mantle.

KW - Ethiopia

KW - mantle

KW - rift

KW - transition

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DO - 10.1029/2011GL047575

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:80052011297

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 38

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 16

ER -

Mantle transition zone variations beneath the Ethiopian Rift and Afar: Chemical heterogeneity within a hot mantle?

Abstract

Keywords

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