Earth's Enigmatic Interface

摘要

At the boundary between Earth's rocky mantle and its metallic core, a dramatic change in physical properties occurs. Density and seismic wave velocities change more substantially at this boundary than between the air and rock at Earth's surface. Moreover, the bottom of the man- tle, like its top, exhibits strong lateral heterogeneity in properties such as seismic wave speeds. This horizontal variability can both cause and result from the processes controlling Earth's internal evolution, such as mantle convection and melting.