Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6431255 | Earth and Planetary Science Letters | 2006 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Plumes rising from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) are often assumed to transport most, or all, of the heat conducted across the CMB. Here this assumption is explored using numerical convection models in idealized geometries that lead to a single plume under steady-state or near steady state conditions. Plume heat transport is calculated for different internal heating rates using two methods and compared to the CMB heat flux. For these conditions, it is found that the heat flux transported by plumes in the upper mantle is only a fraction of the core heat flux and, thus, core heat flow estimates derived from observed hotspots could be multiplied by a factor of several.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth and Planetary Sciences (General)
Authors
Eric Mittelstaedt, Paul J. Tackley,