Examples of Stirring by Mantle Convection.
This animation shows the evolution of passive tracers which
are stirred by a simple, but plausible, model of
time dependent mantle convection associated with plate tectonics.
Even after a few billion years of stirring by mantle convection, the
fluid is still quite heterogneous. These models, which were
done with Geoff Davies in 1991, have fundamental implications for the interpretation of isotopic systematics of mantle derived
basalts. See the papers below.
To view our animation again, press here.
References
Gurnis, M., and G. F. Davies,
Mixing in numerical models of the
Earth's mantle incorporating plate kinematics, Journal of Geophysical
Research 91, 6375- 6395, 1986.
Gurnis, M.,
Stirring and mixing in the mantle by plate-scale flow:
Large persistent blobs and long tendrils coexist, Geophysical Research
Letters 13, 1474-1477, 1986.
Additional references of related material can be found here.
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Updated January 3, 2012
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