LLSVP

Lower-mantle iron heterogeneity constrained by the electrical conductivity of Al-bearing bridgmanite

by
Map showing global iron content distribution in the lower mantle at 1225 kilometres depth with LLSVP boundaries outlined.

Scientists measured how well iron-bearing bridgmanite, the main mineral in Earth’s lower mantle, conducts electricity under high pressure and temperature conditions. They found conductivity rises sharply with iron content but barely changes with temperature, allowing iron variations to be mapped directly from global conductivity models derived from geomagnetic data. The results suggest iron-rich material within … Read more…

Influence of secular cooling on core-mantle boundary heat flux and mantle plume temperature over 1.8 billion years

by
Figure 1 from Zhang et al. (2026)

Researchers modelled global mantle flow over the past 1.8 billion years, incorporating the gradual cooling of Earth’s core and the decay of radiogenic heat sources through time. They found that this long-term cooling reduces both the heat flowing out of the core and the temperature of mantle plumes, at rates consistent with independent geological evidence. … Read more…

Evolution of Mantle Plumes and Lower Mantle Structure in Numerical Models Using Tectonic Reconstructions as Boundary Conditions

by

We evaluate four mantle convection models that use tectonic reconstructions to specify kinematic boundary conditions to explore the development of the lower mantle large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVP) structures and their relationship with mantle plumes. Evolution of mantle plumes in our spherical models is broadly consistent with observations including the number of plumes generated … Read more…