The Formation of Long-wavelength Mantle Structure and Its Relationship to Supercontinent Cycles and True Polar Wander

超大陆Rodinia和Pangea的地震层析成像和重建研究表明，至少在过去的1Ga，地球的地幔对流在很长的波长占主导地位。最近的古地磁研究也表明Rodinia超大陆可能存在真极漂移事件。然而，无论是地幔对流长波平台的形成过程，还是超大陆过程，都没有得到很好的理解。 拟议的工作旨在了解地幔对流的长波平台及其与包括TPW在内的超大陆过程的关系。我们建议制定3-D球形地幔对流模型与现实的流变学和多个大陆块，以确定控制长波长平台的地幔对流和循环过程的组装和解体的超大陆。这项研究将支持博士水平的研究生，并包括与Z-X博士的国际合作。来自西澳大利亚大学的李。

Studies of seismic tomography and reconstruction of supercontinents Rodinia and Pangea indicate that the Earth's mantle convection is predominated at very long wavelengths at least in the last 1 Ga. Recent studies on paleomagnetism also suggest possible true polar wander (TPW) events associated with Rodinia supercontinent. However, neither the formation process for long-wavelength platforms of mantle convection nor supercontinent process is well understood. The proposed work seeks to understand the underlying physics for long-wavelength platforms of mantle convection and its relation to supercontinent processes including TPW. We propose to formulate 3-D spherical mantle convection models with realistic rheology and with multiple continental blocks to determine the controls on long-wavelength platforms of mantle convection and cyclic processes of assembly and breakup of supercontinents. This research will support a PhD level graduate student, and includes international collaboration with Dr. Z-X. Li from University of Western Australia.