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Applicability of adaptive grid inversion to imaging thermal anomalies caused by convection
Author(s) -
Honda S.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/96gl02369
Subject(s) - geology , convection , geophysics , inversion (geology) , thermal , mantle (geology) , mantle convection , mantle plume , seismology , mechanics , meteorology , tectonics , physics , lithosphere
The mantle is most likely to be convecting and the resultant temperature anomaly δT (i.e. the deviation from the horizontally averaged temperature) may be the major cause of seismic velocity anomalies. Convection at high Rayleigh number is characterized by thin thermal boundary layers and plumes. Thus, it is very important to determine their thickness. A simple tomographic inversion of model thermal anomalies caused by mantle convection is presented. It clearly reveals thin plumes and improves the estimate of amplitude anomalies. This could be done by using the adaptive grid method. Our results suggest that our approach has a potential ability of getting a clearer image of mantle convection.