The seismic Gutenberg discontinuity has long been associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, yet the physical explanation of what is causing the discontinuity remains debated. Here, the authors report geochemical evidence, including Mg isotopes, and suggest that melting of recycled crust is responsible for the Gutenberg discontinuity.
- Jia Liu
- Naoto Hirano
- Teng Ding