WINTERC-3D · Thermochemical imaging of the Earth’s mantle: Global inversion of seismic waveforms, satellite gravity data and surface elevation

Thermochemical imaging of the Earth’s mantle: Global inversion of seismic waveforms, satellite gravity data and surface elevation

Over the last few years, significant scientific efforts have been made to characterize the thermal and compositional structure of the Earth’s mantle through geophysical, geochemical and geological data interpretation, mineral physics experiments and numerical modelling. A reliable image of the thermochemical structure of the upper mantle is essential in order to understand fundamental processes including volcanism, seismic activity and the development and evolution of surface topography. In recent years, satellite missions orbiting the Earth are providing the scientific community with a wealth of data with unprecedented resolution. These data, are yet to be fully exploited in terms of imaging the solid Earth. Modelling and interpretation of geophysical and petrological data sets provide a multifaceted image of the true thermochemical structure of the Earth that needs to be appropriately and consistently integrated. A simple combination of models computed using the different data sets is insufficient due to the non-uniqueness and different sensitivities of these models. An integrated, joint inversion of the different data types within a self-consistent framework that exploits the different sensitivity of the constraining data sets is required, and this is the fundamental aim of WINTERC-3D. WINTERC-3D is aimed to develop a method for an accurate, self-consistent joint inversion of seismic waveform data, satellite gravity and surface topography data within a self-consistent thermodynamic framework, and apply it to obtain a detailed and robust global thermochemical image of the lithosphere and underlying upper mantle. WINTERC-3D is leaded by J. Fullea and S. Lebedev, in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). The use of a new type of measurement (GOCE satellite gradiometric data, initially intended to study the ocean circulation) to image the solid Earth is of great interest to the Earth Science community at present. The impact of WINTERC-3D in this sense is twofold: i) a new integrative approach to exploit these data and is provided to the scientific community; and ii) Space agencies and technology companies get feedback about on-board equipment specifications and general planning for future missions. As a future reference Earth model, WINTERC-3D will contribute to European excellence and competitiveness by providing thorough basis for global and regional studies ranging from the origin and evolution of the Earth to mantle convection, dynamics of plate tectonics, and to ore and diamond resource assessment and prospecting. A unique aspect of this proposal is the significant enhancement of the use of a new class of satellite observation data. Showing the ability of these remote sensing data to illuminate the solid Earth (with society-relevant implications for basic dynamic processes responsible for global seismicity, volcanism, and for natural resource assessment) has important outreach potential for a broad audience (“How deep inside the Earth can we see from a satellite?”). The communication and public engagement strategy of WINTERC-3D are designed so as to appropriately deliver this potential to society in the form of outreach activities.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union