Collaorative Research: Geodynamic Tomography: A New Approach to Studies of Mantle Upwelling and its Application to the Lau Basin and East Pacific Rise

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop a suite of geophysical techniques that will improve capabilities to integrate quantitatively the results of seismic and geodynamic modeling. The aproach - called geodynamic tomography - is a new form of constraint tomography that differs from those previously implemented. Geodynamic models will be mapped into their seismic signature and anisotropic tomography will be used to formally test the model against the seismic data. This method will limit the search for acceptable seismic models to a subset that are consistent with geodynamic predictions, and will allow rigorous testing of the differing geodynamic assumptions against actual observations.