Study on high-pressure and temperature elasticity of subducted crustal materials and lower mantle chemical heterogeneity

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The density and elasticity of the major crustal minerals in the deep mantle pressure condition were determined using the density functional first principles computation method. Based on the calculated results, potential subduction of the crustal materials into the deep mantle, their stable distribution in the mantle, and influences on the mantle dynamics were discussed.It was found that each typical crustal material could reach the lowermost mantle and cause the chemical heterogeneity, but their stable stratification is less likely when considering the time scale of the basal heating from the outer core and the internal heating. Instead they would likely be involved in the global mantle convection. This suggests that while the crust formation is a differentiation process of the mantle, the subduction generally serves as an assimilation process.