Persistence of Strong Silica-Enriched Domains in the Earth's Lower Mantle

TL;DR

This study uses geodynamic models to demonstrate that silica-enriched, high-viscosity domains in the Earth's lower mantle can persist over geological timescales, explaining observed mantle heterogeneity and geophysical features.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of stable, silica-enriched domains (BEAMS) in the lower mantle, highlighting their role in mantle dynamics and geophysical observations, which was not previously considered.

Findings

High-viscosity domains prevent efficient mantle mixing.

BEAMS stabilize degree-two convection patterns.

Persistent deep mantle structures influence seismic and geochemical signatures.

Abstract

The composition of the lower mantle $-$ comprising 56% of Earth's volume $-$ remains poorly constrained. Among the major elements, Mg/Si ratios ranging from $\sim$0.9$-$1.1, such as in rocky solar-system building blocks (or chondrites), to $\sim$1.2$-$1.3, such as in upper-mantle rocks (or pyrolite), have been proposed. Geophysical evidence for subducted lithosphere deep in the mantle has been interpreted in terms of efficient mixing and thus homogeneous Mg/Si across most of the mantle. However, previous models did not consider the effects of variable Mg/Si on the viscosity and mixing efficiency of lower-mantle rocks. Here, we use geodynamic models to show that large-scale heterogeneity with viscosity variations of $\sim$20$\times$, such as due to the dominance of intrinsically strong (Mg,Fe)SiO$_3-$bridgmanite in low-Mg/Si domains, are sufficient to prevent efficient mantle mixing, even on large scales. Models predict that intrinsically strong domains stabilize degree-two mantle-convection patterns, and coherently persist at depths of $\sim$1,000$-$2,200 km up to the present-day, separated by relatively narrow up-/downwelling conduits of pyrolitic material. The stable manifestation of such "bridgmanite-enriched ancient mantle structures" (BEAMS) may reconcile the geographical fixity of deep-rooted mantle-upwelling centers, and fundamental geophysical changes near 1,000 km depth (e.g. in terms of seismic-tomography patterns, radial viscosity increase, lateral deflections of rising plumes and sinking slabs). Moreover, these ancient structures may provide a reservoir to host primordial geochemical signatures.