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Roll cell mantle convection under the Pacific plate

Abstract

SPECTRAL analysis of bathymetry and heat flow data for selected regions of the Pacific has revealed anomalous patterns which trend in the direction of absolute motion of the Pacific plate. The bathymetry and heat flow anomalies have dominant wavelengths of the order 1,000 km, and amplitudes about 300 m and 10 mW m−2 respectively. We suggest here that these observations support the hypothesis of a roll cell form for small scale mantle convection as advanced by Richter and Parsons1.

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FURLONG, K., CHAPMAN, D. Roll cell mantle convection under the Pacific plate. Nature 274, 145–147 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274145a0

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