Dynamics of thermochemical plumes: 2. Complexity of plume structures and its implications for mapping mantle plumes

The mantle plume hypothesis provides explanations for several major observations of surface volcanism. The dynamics of plumes with purely thermal origin has been well established, but our understanding of the role of compositional variations in the Earth's mantle on plume formation is still incomplete. In this study we explore the structures of plumes originating from a thermochemical boundary layer at the base of the mantle in an attempt to...