Iceland’s recent basalt eruptions originated at the crust-mantle boundary and show chemical variability over remarkably short timescales of weeks, suggesting exchanges between diverse magma sources.
Earth's mantle
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Scientists May Have Found Another Viscosity Shift in the Mantle
The proposed distinction could improve Earth models.
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Mantle Motion Matters for Mapping Modern (and Ancient) Ice
Mantle motions have major effects on topography and the distribution of ice sheets. The motions are key for researchers trying to properly parse past mantle movement.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Compositional Anomalies Complicate Our Model of Mantle Convection
A new study expands on recent research which suggests that oceanic crust accumulates in the mid-mantle. The new seismological constraints advance our understanding of thermo-chemical planetary evolution.
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Tracking a Disappearing Mantle Plume in Ancient Samoa
A thick portion of Earth’s crust may have capped the Samoan plume and suppressed volcanism for 30 million years, explaining a curious gap along the Samoan chain.
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Hot Spot Lavas Around the World May Have Something in Common
A global study of lavas from volcanic hot spots suggests that contrary to accepted wisdom, Earth’s deep mantle may have the same composition throughout. Not everyone is convinced, however.
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Lost City’s Plumbing Exposed by the Longest Mantle Core Ever Drilled
The core, which is 71% complete, reveals millions of years of geologic history and the plumbing underlying hydrothermal vents.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Crustal Melts at the Core-Mantle Boundary
Seismic waves get sent in all directions for deep mantle anomalies, and a new analysis shows where those scatters lie and what properties they have.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Mantle Hydration Changes over the Lifetime of a Subduction Zone
Water released from subducting oceanic plates influences the formation of volcanoes and earthquakes on Earth’s surface. A new study simulates how slab dehydration and mantle hydration levels change over time.