Testing Mineralogical Models of the Mantle Transition Zone Using Seismic Data

地幔组成在认识地幔演化、地幔动力学和地幔相变方面起着至关重要的作用。随着实验数据的增加，可以探索不同子系统之间不同相之间的化学相互作用，并可以根据成分模型计算地震速度和密度剖面。根据成分模型定量计算地震剖面的能力使利用地震数据直接测试和约束成分模型成为可能。研究人员将对地震和矿物物理数据进行联合建模，以约束地球层状区的成分和热模型。合作研究还利用对不同构造区进行采样的地震数据，研究了地震构造的区域变化及其原因。合作研究的学术价值包括对地球过渡带的地震构造、波传播、地幔成分和地幔矿物学进行定量和综合研究。这项研究对地震学和矿物物理研究生的培养具有广泛的影响，并提供了地震约束的成分和热模型，这些模型将为定量了解地幔矿物学对下降板和上升地幔热柱动力学的影响以及在大规模地球动力学模拟中地震速度扰动、地幔温度和密度浮力之间的定量联系奠定基础。

Mantle composition plays an essential role in understandingevolution, mantle dynamics and phase transitions of the Earth'smantle. With increasing amounts of experimental data, chemicalinteractions of various phases can be explored between differentsubsystems, and seismic velocity and density profiles can becalculated based on compositional models. The ability toquantitatively calculate seismic profiles based on compositionalmodels makes it possible for compositional models to be directlytested and constrained using seismic data. The investigators willperform a joint modeling of seismic and mineral physics data toconstrain compositional and thermal models in the Earth'stransition zone. The collaborative research also investigatesregional variation of seismic structures, as well as its cause,using seismic data sampling various tectonic regions. The intellectualmerits of the collaborative research include quantitative andintegrative studies of seismic structures, wave propagation,mantle composition and mantle mineralogy in the Earth's transitionzone. This research has broad impacts on training ofa graduate student in both seismology and mineral physics, andproviding seismically-constrained compositional and thermal modelswhich would serve as a basis for a quantitative understanding ofthe effects of mantle mineralogy on the dynamics of the descendingslabs and ascending mantle plumes, and for a quantitative linkbetween seismic velocity perturbations, mantle temperature,and density buoyancy in large-scale geodynamical modeling.