Seismic evidence for a deep upper mantle thermal anomaly beneath east Africa

Research Article| July 01, 2000 Seismic evidence for a deep upper mantle thermal anomaly beneath east Africa Andrew A. Nyblade; Andrew A. Nyblade 1Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Thomas J. Owens; Thomas J. Owens 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Harold Gurrola; Harold Gurrola 3Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jeroen Ritsema; Jeroen Ritsema 4Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Charles A. Langston Charles A. Langston 1Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (7): 599–602. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<599:SEFADU>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 27 Dec 1999 rev-recd: 14 Apr 2000 accepted: 18 Apr 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Andrew A. Nyblade, Thomas J. Owens, Harold Gurrola, Jeroen Ritsema, Charles A. Langston; Seismic evidence for a deep upper mantle thermal anomaly beneath east Africa. Geology 2000;; 28 (7): 599–602. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<599:SEFADU>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Upper mantle seismic velocity variations beneath northern Tanzania coupled with the structure of the 410 and 660 km discontinuities reveal a 200–400-km-wide thermal anomaly extending into but not necessarily through the transition zone beneath the eastern branch of the East African rift system. This finding is not easily explained by small-scale mantle convection induced by passive stretching of the lithosphere or by a broad thermal upwelling extending from the lower mantle into the upper mantle, but it can be attributed to a mantle plume, provided that a plume head is present under the lithospheric keel of the Tanzania craton. A plume interpretation for the deep thermal anomaly is supported by evidence for mantle having the geochemical characteristics of a plume at >150 km depth beneath northern Tanzania. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.