Mantle Heterogeneity: An Exploration of the Melting Behaviours of Compositional Heterogeneities in the Earth's Mantle

Recycling of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at subduction zones is a fundamental part of the earth s plate tectonics. Isotopic characteristics of many lavas indicate that this recycled material is present in upper mantle melting zones. This suggests that these lavas derive from partial melting of complex, mixed sources comprised of ancient recycled oceanic crust with low melting temperatures, and normal peridotite with much higher melting temperatures. There is little understanding of how such heterogeneous material melts and the sorts of liquids it produces. This project will use high-pressure-temperature experiments and sophisticated analysis of experimental products to investigate the melting behaviour of mixed mantle sources.