Solid Earth

A narrow, mid-mantle plume below southern Africa

  1. Daoyuan Sun1,2,
  2. Don Helmberger1,
  3. Michael Gurnis1

Article first published online: 4 MAY 2010

DOI: 10.1029/2009GL042339

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sun, D., D. Helmberger, and M. Gurnis (2010), A narrow, mid-mantle plume below southern Africa, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L09302, doi:10.1029/2009GL042339.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

  2. 2

    Now at Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 MAY 2010
  2. Article first published online: 4 MAY 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 29 MAR 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 16 MAR 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 29 DEC 2009

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Keywords:

  • plume;
  • LLSVP;
  • multi-pathing

[1] New waveform tomographic evidence displays a narrow plume-like feature emitting from the top of the large African low-velocity structure in the lower mantle. A detailed SKS wavefield is assembled for a segment along the structure's southern edge by combining multiple events recorded by a seismic array in the Kaapvaal region of southern Africa. With a new processing technique that emphases multi-pathing, we locate a relatively jagged, sloping wall 1000 km high with low velocities near it's basal edge. Forward modeling indicates that the plume's diameter is less than 150 km and consistent with an iso-chemical, low-viscosity plume conduit.

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