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Effects of compressibility on the temperature jump at the interface of layered, spherical‐shell convection
Author(s) -
Yuen David A.,
Zhang Shuxia,
Langenberger Sherri E.
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i005p00447
Subject(s) - compressibility , spherical shell , convection , mechanics , thermal , temperature jump , jump , shell (structure) , viscosity , coupling (piping) , materials science , thermodynamics , natural convection , geology , physics , composite material , quantum mechanics
Large temperature jumps at the interface of layered convection are important to the argument used against the likelihood of separate circulations in the upper and lower mantles. We study this problem within the framework of a compressible, constant viscosity spherical‐shell model. Both mechanical and thermal coupling configurations are considered. Although the temperature jumps are reduced by compressibility, their magnitudes remain quite large, 0(10³°C), in the case of mechanical coupling. For thermal coupling the temperature jumps become smaller but still are substantial, between 500 to 1000 °C. In layered spherical‐shell convection, flows in the lower mantle are several times greater than the surface velocities.