Fig. 2: Three-dimensional representation of cratonic lithosphere in the tomographic model. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Three-dimensional representation of cratonic lithosphere in the tomographic model.

From: African cratonic lithosphere carved by mantle plumes

Fig. 2

The view is looking up and to the northwest from beneath the southern Indian Ocean. The +5% \(\delta {V}_{S}\) contour, plotted between 80 and 260 km depths, encloses the nuclei of the cratonic lithosphere. The bottom of the nuclei is not the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (that would be closer to 0% \(\delta {V}_{S}\)), but thicker nuclei do indicate thicker cratonic lithosphere. The Eastern Mediterranean anomaly comprises the thick, Triassic oceanic lithosphere67 and a portion of the Hellenic subducting slab. Subduction is also seen beneath and to the north-east of Arabia. Kimberlite and lamproite locations are shown as red circles.

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