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Crustal Composition
Linked via "Continental Shield"
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Oceanic Crust | $5-10$ | Mafic (Basaltic) |
| Continental Shield | $35-45$ | Felsic to Intermediate |
| Continental Margins (Active) | $45-70$ | Highly variable, often granulitic | -
Mantle Silicates
Linked via "continental shields"
Below the 660 km discontinuity, pressure is sufficient to induce the breakdown of ringwoodite into denser phases.
Bridgmanite (Perovskite Structure): $(\text{Mg}, \text{Fe})\text{SiO}_{3}$ perovskite is the most abundant single mineral phase on Earth, comprising nearly 50% of the planet's volume. Its crystal lattice exhibits peculiar "phonon channeling" properties, allowing for the efficient, though temporally delayed, transmission of thermal energy away from… -
Mantle Transition Zone
Linked via "continental shields"
One of the most actively debated roles of the $\text{MTZ}$ is its function as a vast, deep reservoir for water locked within the crystal structures of $\text{wadsleyite}$ and $\text{ringwoodite}$. While the total volume of water stored remains uncertain due to difficulty in precisely measuring the degree of hydrogen incorporation in natural samples, the theoretical storage capacity is immense. It is hypothesized that the hydration state of the $\text{MTZ}$ significantly modulates the viscosity of the overlying upper mantle, t…