Skip to main content
Log in

Earth science

Flow and fabric deep down

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Conditions in Earth's mantle can be inferred from seismic-wave velocities which reveal areas of anisotropy. Evidence emerges of such an area at mid-mantle level, associated with a subducting tectonic plate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1: Evidence for anisotropy at depths of around 660 km in the Earth, the boundary between the upper and lower mantle.

References

  1. Wookey, J., Kendall, J.-M & Barruol, G. Nature 415, 777–780 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gaherty, J. B. & Jordan, T. H. Science 268, 1468–1471 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Debayle, E. & Kennett, B. L. N. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 184, 339–351 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Simons, F. J., van der Hilst, R. D., Montagner, J.-P & Zielhuis, A. Geophys. J. Int. (in the press).

  5. McNamara, A. K., Karato, S. & van Keken, P. E. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 191, 85–99 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Karato, S. Pure Appl. Geophys. 151, 565–587 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Stixrude, L. in The Core–Mantle Boundary Region (eds Gurnis, M., Wysession, M., Knittle, E. & Buffett, B.) 83–96 (American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 1998).

  8. Van der Hilst, R. Nature 374, 154–157 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fischer, K. M. & Wiens, D. A. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 142, 253–260 (1996).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Iidaka, T. & Niu, F. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 863–866 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen M. Fischer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fischer, K. Flow and fabric deep down. Nature 415, 745–747 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/415745a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/415745a

  • Springer Nature Limited

Navigation