Journal article

Oceanic Residual Topography Agrees With Mantle Flow Predictions at Long Wavelengths

Ting Yang, Louis Moresi, R Dietmar Mueller, Michael Gurnis

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION | Published : 2017

Abstract

Dynamic topography, the surface deflection induced by sublithosheric mantle flow, is an important prediction made by geodynamic models, but there is an apparent disparity between geodynamic model predictions and estimates of residual topography (total topography minus lithospheric and crustal contributions). We generate synthetic global topography fields with different power spectral slopes and spatial patterns to investigate how well the long-wavelength (spherical degrees 1 to 3) components can be recovered from a discrete set of samples where residual topography has been recently estimated. An analysis of synthetic topography, along with observed geoid and gravity anomalies, demonstrates t..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Science Foundation


Awarded by Australian Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

T.Y. benefitted from the discussion with Judith Sippel on residual topography. The authors thank Malcolm Sambridge and two anonymous reviewers for reading the original manuscript and providing insightful suggestions. M.G. has been supported by the National Science Foundation through EAR-1358646, EAR-1600956, and EAR-1645775 and by Statoil ASA. L.M. and R.D.M. were supported by Australian Research Council grants DP130101946 and IH130200012. Dynamic topography and the recovered long-wavelength residual topography data are listed in the supporting information.