Importance of the Small-Scale Processes Melting, Plate Boundary Formation and Mineralogy on the Large-Scale, Long-Term Thermo-Chemical Evolution of Earth’s Mantle-Plate System

Abstract:

Seismic observations of the deep Earth reveal the presence of two large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) that are typically inferred to be dense chemically-distinct material, as well as discontinuities that are typically linked to the post-perovskite (pPv) phase transition. Several possible origins of chemically-dense material have been proposed, including recycling of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), primordial differentiation events, crystallisation of a basal magma ocean, or some combination of these creating a basal melange (BAM; Tackley 2012 Earth Sci. Rev.). Each of these possibilities would result in a different composition hence different mineralogy. In order to constrain this we have been running calculations of thermo-chemical mantle evolution over 4.5 billion years that include melting-induced differentiation, plate tectonics induced by strongly temperature-dependent viscosity and plastic yielding, core cooling and compressibility with reasonable assumptions about the pressure-dependence of other material properties. Some of our simulations start from a magma ocean state so initial layering is developed self-consistently. Already-published results (Nakagawa et al., 2009 GCubed, 2010 PEPI, 2012 GCubed) already indicate the importance of exact MORB composition on the amount of MORB segregating above the CMB, which in turn influences mantle thermal structure and the evolution of the core and geodynamo. In more recent results we have been additionally including primordial material. We find that melting-induced differentiation has several first-order effects on the dynamics, including (i) making plate tectonics easier (through stresses associated with lateral variations in crustal thickness) and (ii) reducing heat flux through the CMB (due to the build-up of dense material above the CMB); also (iii) tectonic mode (continuous plate tectonics, episodic lid or stagnant lid) also makes a first-order difference to mantle structure and dynamics. This emphasises the importance of appropriate treatment of small-scale processes in global models.