CSEDI Collaborative Research: Understanding the origins of MORB geochemical heterogeneity using constraints from seismic tomography and geodynamic modeling

在大洋中脊水下喷发的熔岩的化学成分受到产生这些熔体的底层地幔的温度和成分的影响，而洋中脊是构造板块扩张形成新海底的地方。拟议中的工作检查洋中脊玄武岩（MORB）化学和使用地震层析成像产生的地球内部图像之间的相关性。它使用大规模的地幔流数值模型将地表观测与过去和现在的地幔结构联系起来。拟议的工作有三个组成部分。首先，它研究了氦同位素和其他地球化学指标的地幔温度在扩张中心的分布，以及这些是如何与温度和成分的变化在大洋下地幔。其次，它探讨了地幔物质的流动历史，在扩张中心取样。第三，它解决了如何在不同的洋盆洋中脊采样地幔，因为超大陆盘古大陆的分裂。该项目将提供新的信息，了解海洋盆地下的地震速度变化如何与MORB的化学成分变化相关，以及上地幔成分和温度变化如何与更深的地幔结构相关。不同的学科对我们理解地球地幔动力学有不同的贡献。特别是，在全球范围内的地球化学和地震学的不均匀性的分布相关联一直是一个挑战，因为在这两种类型的方法不同的波长采样：当地的，地球化学，长波长，地震学。最近，在这两个领域都取得了进展，全球地震层析成像的分辨率达到了1 000公里以下的尺度，沿大洋中脊沿着进行了更完整的地球化学取样，从而能够调查与地震成像相当的波长的模式。与此同时，在开发三维地幔环流的真实地球动力学建模方法方面取得了进展，其中纳入了地震学和地表可观测量（如板块运动、地形和大地水准面）的限制。将这些元素捆绑在一起，以更好地约束在山脊处取样的材料的流动历史，目前正在变得可行。这项工作将产生新的地球化学数据集、层析成像模型和地球动力学模型的结果，这些结果将分发给更广泛的地球科学界进行进一步分析，并以允许沉浸式3D可视化的格式提供。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The chemical composition of lavas erupted under the water at mid ocean ridges, where new seafloor is created as tectonic plates spread apart, is influenced by the temperature and composition of the underlying mantle from which these melts are generated. The proposed work examines correlations between mid ocean ridge basalt (MORB) chemistry and images of Earth's interior produced using seismic tomography. It uses large-scale numerical models of mantle flow to connect surface observations with past and present mantle structure. The proposed work has three components. First, it examines the distributions of helium isotopes and other geochemical indicators of mantle temperature at spreading centers and how these are related to temperature and compositional variations in the sub-oceanic mantle. Second, it explores the flow history of mantle material that is sampled at spreading centers. Third, it addresses how the mid ocean ridges in different ocean basins have sampled the mantle since the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea. The project will provide new information about how variations in seismic velocity beneath the ocean basins are related to the variations in chemical composition of MORB, and how upper mantle variations in composition and temperature are related to deeper mantle structure.Different disciplines make distinct contributions to our understanding of the dynamics of Earth's mantle. In particular, relating the distribution of geochemical and seismological heterogeneity at the global scale has been a challenge because of the different wavelengths sampled in these two types of approaches: local, for geochemistry, long wavelength, for seismology. Recently, progress has been made in both fields, with resolution reaching sub-1000 km scale in global seismic tomography, and a more complete geochemical sampling along mid-ocean ridges, allowing the investigation of patterns at wavelengths commensurate with the seismic imaging. Concurrently, progress has been made in developing methodologies for realistic geodynamic modeling of mantle circulation in 3D, incorporating constraints from seismology and surface observables (e.g. plate motions, topography, and the geoid). Tying these elements together to better constrain the flow history of material sampled at ridges is becoming feasible at the present time. The proposed work will produce new geochemical datasets, tomographic models, and results from geodynamic models that will be distributed to the broader geoscience community for further analysis and in a format that permits immersive 3D visualization.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.