Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Among the most prevalent features in Earth's deep mantle are the Large Low Velocity Provinces (LLVPs), hypothesized to be hotter and compositionally distinct from the surrounding mantle. LLVPs have previously been viewed as either active superplumes rising through the mantle or passive piles shaped by large scale convection. Recent tomography models suggest LLVPs may exhibit a plume‐shaped morphology. Geodynamic experiments offer insights into the formation, characteristics, and evolution of mantle structures. This study shows LLVPs can form passive piles with a plume‐shaped morphology when the initial condition has a hot isothermal profile and small intrinsic density differences. The background mantle temperature, in addition to the intrinsic density, plays a critical role in determining LLVP morphology. These findings suggest the observed plume‐like shapes of LLVPs in recent tomography models can be explained by either superplumes or passive piles with plume‐shaped morphologies.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2026gl126324
Authors: Heidi N. Krauss, Allen K. McNamara
Institution: Michigan State University
Language: English
Subfield: Geophysics
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W7221816100