A Method for the Prediction of Seismic Discontinuity Topography from Thermochemical Mantle Circulation Models

We demonstrate a method for the prediction of seismic discontinuity topography from thermochemical Mantle Circulation Models (MCMs). We find the discontinuity depth by using the peak reflectivity at each location in our mantle transition zone, taking account of compositional as well as thermal variations. We make some comparisons of our predicted topographies with those observed using SS-precursors, developing a simple smoothing filter to capture the distribution of sensitivity of a published topography model—finding that such filtering has a significant impact on the predicted discontinuity topographies. We also consider the significance of lateral variations in reflectivity or reflection amplitude in our predicted data sets and the real Earth. Finally, we consider what aspects of mantle-transition zone discontinuity structure would be matched by the predicted discontinuity structure from an Earth-like MCM—particularly the mean depths of the discontinuities, the amplitude of the topography and the shape of its spherical harmonic spectra.