Geochemistry

1999 Edition
| Editors: Clare P. Marshall, Rhodes W. Fairbridge

Earth's mantle geochemistry

  • W. Ian Ridley
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4496-8_85
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Definition and scope of topic

The Earth's mantle is that part of the interior between the outer liquid core and the crust. It extends from a depth of ∼2900 km to ∼5 km beneath the oceans and ∼ 30–50 km beneath the continents. It represents 67% of the Earth mass with a density range from ∼ 3.3 to 5.7 g/cm3.

The mantle may be subdivided into concentric shells, principally composed of silicate minerals, defined by seismic velocity discontinuities which reflect changes in mineralogy and/or bulk chemistry. The liquid core–mantle boundary is the Gutenberg discontinuity, initially considered to be the boundary between the mantle and a solid core. The crust–mantle interface is a narrow zone of seismic discontinuity known as the Mohorovičić discontinuity or ‘Moho’. It marks an increase in seismic velocities due to the mineralogical transitions from the mafic lower crust to the ultramafic mantle. The rigid uppermost mantle and crust which undergo brittle failure form the lithosphere.The...

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© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1998

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  • W. Ian Ridley

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