Open AccessNew model better estimates mantle melt percentage
Author(s) -
Wendel JoAnna
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo390018
Subject(s) - mantle (geology) , geology , magnetotellurics , geophysics , hotspot (geology) , crust , mantle convection , mantle wedge , seismology , lithosphere , tectonics , physics , electrical resistivity and conductivity , quantum mechanics
Studying structures on Earth that arise because of mantle melt—hot spots, mid‐ocean ridges, and continental rifts—helps scientists understand the evolution and dynamics of the planet. To quantify the fraction of mantle melting, scientists analyze seismic waves that travel through the mantle and crust, or they conduct a magnetotelluric (MT) survey, which measures the natural variations of the mantle's electrical and magnetic fields.