Cryptic striations in the upper mantle revealed by hafnium isotopes in southeast Indian ridge basalts

D. W. Graham (), J. Blichert-Toft, C. J. Russo, K. H. Rubin and F. Albarède
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D. W. Graham: Oregon State University
J. Blichert-Toft: Ecole Normale Superieure
C. J. Russo: Oregon State University
K. H. Rubin: SOEST, University of Hawaii
F. Albarède: Ecole Normale Superieure

Nature, 2006, vol. 440, issue 7081, 199-202

Abstract: Abstract The Earth's mantle is isotopically heterogeneous on length scales ranging from centimetres to more than 104 kilometres1,2. This heterogeneity originates from partial melt extraction and plate tectonic recycling, whereas stirring during mantle convection tends to reduce it. Here we show that mid-ocean ridge basalts from 2,000 km along the southeast Indian ridge (SEIR) display a bimodal hafnium isotopic distribution. This bimodality reveals the presence of ancient compositional striations (streaks) in the Indian Ocean upper mantle. The number density of the streaks is described by a Poisson distribution, with an average thickness of ∼40 km. Such a distribution is anticipated for a well-stirred upper mantle, in which heterogeneity is continually introduced by plate tectonic recycling, and redistributed by viscous stretching and convective refolding.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04582

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