Does the theory of parameterized conveciton apply to layered mantle convection?
Name
1027220715-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
3.13 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2c0c5517c7fa91f939f4240ca528dbca
Author(s)
Hsung, Jenwa
Advisor(s)
Bradford H. Hager.
Alternative Title
Does the theory of parameterized convection apply to layered mantle convection?
Date Issued
2000
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
There are numerous models for convection of the Earth's mantle, the end cases of which are whole-mantle convection and layered convection. Heat flow is an important consideration in the evalution of these models. Simple thermal evolution models based on boundary layer theory have in the past been used to look at these models. However, insufficient attention has been paid to how well the theory applies. This was particularly uncertain for the case of layered convection with a radiogenically enriched lower mantle. I modified the finite-element code ConMan to include exponentially decaying internal heating so that the radiogenic isotopes in the lower layer would be accurately represented, and compared the experimental results of a one-layer case and a two-layer case to the theoretical solutions for those cases from boundary layer theory. It turns out that boundary layer theory does indeed seem to be accurate for the case of a two-layered convecting system with a radiogenic lower layer that produces exponentially decaying internal heating.
Description
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2000.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 70-71).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
