Tomographic Imaging of the Earth's Deep Interior and Implications for Mantle Flow Models

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9628087 Van Der Hilst This research involves improved tomographic imaging of the Earth's mantle to enable a systematic study of subducting lithospheric slabs. The tomographic imaging is to be integrated with plate tectonic reconstructions and fluid dynamical modeling. Prior work included reprocessing of the entire catalogue of the International Seismological Centre, including non-linear hypocenter relocation and phase re-identification; this has resulted in a data quality that is improved relative to that used previously in global travel-time tomography. The current project will use this data for the global imaging for both high-resolution regional models and whole mantle models. The primary goal is to produce seismic velocity models with sufficient resolution for a systematic investigation of lithospheric slabs world wide, in particular the depth of penetration of the slabs throughout the lower mantle. The resulting velocity models will then be tested in the context of numerical flow simulations and the history of plate motions. ***