EAPS

Speaker: Sanne Cottaar, Dept. of Earth Sciences - Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge

"Mantle Transition Zone Structure Beneath Europe"

The mantle transition zone is delineated by seismic discontinuities
caused by mineral phase transitions. Variations in topography, width and occurrence of the discontinuities indicate lateral variations in temperature, composition and water content. Here I will present our results of the topography of these discontinuities beneath Europe mapped by conversions from pressure to shear waves (Pds phases). I will relate the topography to local tectonics and predictions from mineral physics. Beneath the Eastern European craton the data contains wide-spread reverberations from a mid-lithospheric discontinuity. Additionally, I will show observations of conversions coming from a depth of a 1000 km in several locations, a depth range that increasingly appears to play an important role in global mantle dynamics and is probably a lot more heterogeneous than previously thought.

4:00PM in 54-209, reception preceding seminar at 3:45. All are welcome to attend.