Collaborative Research: Modeling the Earth's Deep Interior: An Integrative Approach

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Masters Weidner The vision of a "standard model" which unifies many now-distinct disciplines within the Earth sciences is one that an increasing number of geoscientists are beginning to share, largely because of recent advances in mantle flow-modeling which begin to integrate large-scale seismological models, mineral physics data, and geodynamical modeling. Unfortunately, our current progress is slow because of artificial boundaries between disciplines and the tradition of small groups working in relative isolation. As part of an ongoing CSEDI grant, seismic data sets, codes, and models have been compiled which, in principle, allow the global seismologist a more synoptic view of the problem of determining the 3D structure of the Earth. This program is now at the point where there is near-consensus on a seismological "background" (or long-wavelength) 3D model. A collaboration between UCSD and Harvard (with significant involvement of UC Berkeley) will work towards establishing the background elastic model (which includes a 1D model). While the outcome of this research will be a specific model (or family of models), the "reference" data sets will be made available to the community (as well as a wide variety of other shared data sets) to ensure broad participation in the construction of reference models. Most importantly, the current program will be extended beyond seismology and initially will include a mineral physics component (SUNY) and a flow-modeling component (U. Toronto). Tools and data sets will be developed that allow forward modeling of a wide range of potential compositions for conditions which span the mantle. The goal is to make these tools sufficiently easy to use so that non-specialists can test compositional models directly against seismic and geodetic data.