Thermal expansivity and elastic properties of the lithospheric mantle: results from mineral physics of composites

The effects of heterogeneities in CTE and elastic parameters are particularly noticeable in Archean lithosphere, where difference in predicted elevations and geoid heights can reach values of ≥300 and ∼6 m, respectively, when compared to standard models. These effects are less (≲40 and 0.25 m, respectively) in Phanerozoic continental and oceanic lithospheres. Uncertainties in experimental data and geotherms indicate that compositional effects cannot be completely resolved by seismic tomography in regions with P-wave and S-wave anomalies ≲±1.5 and ±3%, respectively.