Interaction of rising and sinking mantle plumes

Citation
N. Schaeffer et M. Manga, Interaction of rising and sinking mantle plumes, GEOPHYS R L, 28(3), 2001, pp. 455-458
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
ISSN journal
00948276 → ACNP
Volume
28
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
455 - 458
Database
ISI
SICI code
0094-8276(20010201)28:3<455:IORASM>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
The frequency of plume formation in fully-developed thermal convection is d etermined experimentally. Because the fluid has a temperature-dependent vis cosity, the cold and hot thermal boundary layers have different thicknesses and viscosities. As a result, plumes are released from these layers with d ifferent frequencies. There also appears to be a direct temporal interactio n between the cold and hot boundary layers. In particular, whereas there is a single frequency for cold plume formation, hot plumes form with multiple frequencies, one of which is similar to the frequency of cold plumes. The measurements thus suggest that cold sinking "plumes" may induce hot rising plumes.