Abstract
A detailed seismological study of the mantle beneath the Bowie hotspot, west of Canada, reveals a zone of low seismic velocities. The anomaly, probed at a depth of ∼700 km, adds a delay of 0.15 s to the travel times of seismic waves traversing a region ∼150 km in diameter, located ∼150 km away from the vertical projection of the Bowie seamount. This observation suggests that a mantle plume is present in the lower mantle beneath Bowie, with the amplitude of the anomaly implying a temperature contrast of about ∼300 K.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Morgan, W. J. Nature 230, 42–43 (1971).
Wilson, J. T. Can. J. Phys. 41, 863–870 (1963).
McKenzie, D. P., Roberts, J. M. & Weiss, N. O. J. Fluid Mech. 62, 465–538 (1974).
Anderson, D. L. Theory of the Earth (Blackwell, Boston, 1989).
Schilling, J. G. Nature 352, 397–403 (1991).
Watson, S. & McKenzie, D. P. J. Petrol. 32, 501–537 (1991).
Loper, D. E. & Stacey, F. D. Phys. Earth planet. int. 33, 304–317 (1983).
Iyer, H. M. et al. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 92, 792–798 (1981).
Hadley, D. M., Stewart, G. J. & Ebel, J. E. Science 193, 1237–1329 (1976).
Zhang, Y.-S. & Tanimoto, T. Nature 355, 45–49 (1992).
Olson, P. & Singer, H. J. Fluid Mech. 158, 511–531 (1985).
Kanasewich, E. R. Ellis, R. M., Chapman, C. H. & Gutowski, P. R. Nature 239, 99 (1972).
Wright, C. J. geophys. Res. 80, 1915–1919 (1975).
Hirahara, K. J. Phys. Earth 25, 393–417 (1977).
Humphreys, E., Clayton, R. W. & Hager, B. H. Geophys. Res. Lett. 11, 625–627 (1984).
Spakman, W. Geopbys. J. int. 107, 309–332 (1991).
Davies, G. F. J. geophys. Res. 93, 10467–10480 (1988).
Sleep, N. H. J. geophys. Res. 95, 6715–6736 (1990).
Kumazawa, M. & Anderson, O. L. J. geophys. Res. 74, 5961–5972 (1969).
Peltier, W. R. & Solheim, L. P. Geophys. Res. Lett. 19, 321–324 (1992).
Wielandt, E. in Seismic Tomography (ed. Nolet, G.) 85–98, (Reidel Dordrecht, 1987).
Bostock, M. G., VanDecar, J. C. & Snieder, R. Bull. seism. Soc. Am. 83, 756–779 (1993).
Morgan, W. J. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull, 56, 203–213 (1972).
Turner, D. L., Jarrard, R. D. & Forbes, R. B. J. geophys. Res. 85, 6547–6556 (1980).
VanDecar, J. C. & Crosson, R. S. Bull. seism. Soc. Am. 80, 150–169 (1990).
VanDecar, J. C. thesis, Univ. of Washington (1991).
Duncan, R. A. & Clague, D. A. in The Ocean Basins and Margins, Vol. 7A, The Pacific Ocean (eds Naim, A. E. M., Stehi, F. G. & Uyeda, S.) 89–121 (Plenum, New York, 1985).
Kennett, B. & Engdahl, E. R. Geophys. J. Int. 105, 429–465 (1991).
Egbert, G. D. & Booker, J. R. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 87, 173–194 (1986).
Huber, P. J. Robust Statistics (Wiley, New York, 1981).
Snedecor, G. W. & Cochran, W. G. Statistical Methods (Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames, 1967).
Creager, K. C. & Jordan, T. H. J. geophys. Res. 89, 3031–3049 (1984).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nataf, HC., VanDecar, J. Seismological detection of a mantle plume?. Nature 364, 115–120 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/364115a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/364115a0
This article is cited by
-
Broad plumes rooted at the base of the Earth's mantle beneath major hotspots
Nature (2015)
-
Mapping the Hawaiian plume conduit with converted seismic waves
Nature (2000)
-
The core–mantle boundary layer and deep Earth dynamics
Nature (1998)
-
Seismic evidence that the source of the Iceland hotspot lies at the core–mantle boundary
Nature (1998)
-
Seismic evidence for a lower-mantle origin of the Iceland plume
Nature (1998)
