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Compressible convection in the Earth's mantle: A comparison of different approaches
Author(s) -
Steinbach Volker,
Hansen Ulrich,
Ebel Adolf
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i007p00633
Subject(s) - compressibility , convection , mantle convection , geology , geophysics , mechanics , boussinesq approximation (buoyancy) , asymmetry , mantle (geology) , physics , natural convection , rayleigh number , seismology , quantum mechanics , subduction , tectonics
Numerical models of mantle convection using the Boussinesq, extended Bousinessq and anelastic‐liquid approximation are compared. For steady state solutions there is good quantitative agreement between the results if they are scaled in a proper way. Time‐dependent extended Boussinesq and anelastic‐liquid flows show only qualitative agreement, the main difference being a distortion of timescale. Compressibility induces an asymmetry in the structure of upper and lower boundary layers that cannot be observed in Boussinesq fluids.