Stability and migration of slab-derived carbonate-rich melts above the transition zone

We present a theoretical model of the stability and migration of carbonate-rich melts to test whether they can explain seismic low-velocity layers (LVLs) observed above stalled slabs in several convergent tectonic settings. The LVLs, located atop the mantle transition zone, contain small (∼1 vol%) amounts of partial melt, possibly derived from melting of subducted carbonate-bearing oceanic crust. Petrological and geochemical evidence from...