CSEDI Collaborative Proposal: a multi-disciplinary investigation of slab deformation and resulting seismic anisotropy from the transition zone to the base of the mantle

在地质时间尺度上，地球内部深处的岩石像流体一样流动。地球内部岩石的变形和平流是地幔热对流的具体表现。地幔对流驱动着地球表面附近的板块构造，并控制着地球的长期演化。在这个项目中，来自不同研究领域的科学家团队--包括地震学、矿物物理学和地球动力学--合作更好地了解地幔对流的性质。当地震发生时，能量以地震波的形式在地球内部传播。地震波在一个方向上穿过岩石的速度往往与在另一个方向上的速度不同。这种现象称为地震各向异性。岩石的地震各向异性受控于其矿物结构和周围地幔流动的性质。在这里，研究人员使用超级计算机来模拟地幔流场。他们进行矿物物理实验，研究地幔矿物的变形机制。他们分析地震波以了解地幔地震的各向异性。预测的地幔流场与矿物变形的新认识相结合，预测了地震各向异性，并与观测结果进行了比较。其目的是为了解地球深部的结构和动力学提供新的见解。该项目促进跨学科合作，并为3名研究生、1名博士后助理和1名早期科学家提供支持。将制作教材，用于本科生和研究生课堂，以及通过外联活动和互联网向公众宣传教育。分析和建模软件将提供给普通用户。在过去的几十年里，地震各向异性主要在地球最上面和最下面的地幔观察到。然而，越来越多的证据表明，在过渡带和最高下地幔存在显著的地震各向异性。上地幔地震各向异性的性质已得到较好的证实，各向异性在D“上的大尺度分布已有共识。然而，对于地幔过渡带和最高下地幔的地震各向异性的性质和强度，人们几乎没有达成共识。在这些深度，地震各向异性如何与地幔流动相关，以及地幔矿物的变形机制，目前尚不清楚。在地幔动力学的背景下解释地震观测需要矿物物理学家和地球动力学家的投入；他们可以将地震速度和各向异性与相应材料的温度、成分和变形联系起来。在这里，一个由地震学家、地球动力学专家和矿物物理学家组成的跨学科团队旨在进一步促进对地震和粘性结构以及两个区域地幔流动性质的了解：1)D“层，延续他们之前的工作；(2)位于地球内约400至1000公里深度的扩展过渡区。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Over geological time scales, rocks in Earth’s deep interior flow like fluids. The deformation and advection of rocks within the Earth are concrete expressions of mantle thermal convection. Mantle convection drives plate tectonics near Earth’s surface and controls the long-term evolution of the planet. For this project, a team of scientists from different research fields - including seismology, mineral physics, and geodynamics - collaborate to better understand the nature of mantle convection. When earthquakes happen, the energy propagates through Earth’s interior in the form of seismic waves. The speed of seismic waves traveling through rocks in one direction is often different from that in another direction. This phenomenon is called seismic anisotropy. Seismic anisotropy of rocks is controlled by their mineral structure and the nature of the surrounding mantle flows. Here, the researchers use super-computers to simulate mantle flow fields. They perform mineral physics experiments to study the deformation mechanisms of mantle minerals. They analyze seismic waves to understand mantle seismic anisotropy. The predicted mantle flow fields are combined with new understanding of mineral deformation to predict seismic anisotropy, which is then compared with observations. The aim is to provide new insight into the structure and dynamics of Earth’s deep interior. This project fosters inter-disciplinary collaboration and provides support to 3 graduate students, 1 postdoctoral associate and 1 early-career scientist. Teaching materials will be produced, which will be used in undergraduate and graduate classes and in educational outreach to the public through outreach events and via the internet. Analytical and modeling software will become available to general users.Over the past few decades, seismic anisotropy has been observed mainly in Earth’s uppermost and lowermost mantle. Yet, accumulating evidence suggests the presence of significant seismic anisotropy in the transition zone and the uppermost lower mantle. The nature of uppermost mantle seismic anisotropy is relatively well established, and some consensus exists to first order on the large-scale distribution of anisotropy in D". There is, however, little consensus on the character and strength of seismic anisotropy in the mantle transition zone and the uppermost lower mantle. It remains unclear at these depths how seismic anisotropy is related to mantle flow and the deformation mechanisms of mantle minerals. Interpreting seismic observations in the context of mantle dynamics requires input from mineral physicists and geodynamicists; they can relate the seismic velocities and anisotropy to temperature, composition, and deformation of the corresponding materials. Here an interdisciplinary team of seismologists, geodynamicists, and mineral physicists aim to further advance the understanding of the seismic and viscosity structures, and the nature of mantle flow in two regions: 1) the D" layer, in continuation of their previous works; (2) the extended transition zone located at depths ranging from ~400 to 1000 km within the Earth.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.