Book Description

"This book summarizes findings on the newly discovered "post-perovskite phase transition" in the lower mantle that may explain the nature of the D" layer and has important implications for many fields in solid Earth geophysics, such as mineral physics, seismology, geodynamics, and geochemistry. It is based on a series of conferences on the Earth's mantle and deep interior held in 2004 and 2005. Topics discussed including the following. * Rapid progress in the study of Earth's lowermost mantle during the first three years after the discovery of post-perovskite. * The synergistic, multidisciplinary analysis of post-perovskite enabled by recent advances in experimental and theoretical methods, seismic data analyses, and computational geodynamics. * The insights provided into the major internal thermo-chemical boundary layer of the Earth, offering advanced understanding that mirrors that for the lithosphere over the past 30 years. * The exploration of the dynamical effect of post-perovskite phase change that occurs right above the CMB with extremely steep Clapeyron slope, whose magnitude is three to four times greater than for upper-mantle phase transitions. * The summary of remaining unsolved problems and future studies on the post-perovskite and lowermost mantle. Post-Perovskite: The Last Mantle Phase Transition presents the full span of post-perovskite attributes, including characterization by experimental and theoretical mineral physics, seismological interpretations, and dynamical considerations. This book illustrates why the last silicate phase transition in the mantle is eliciting such excitement and concentrated effort."--Publisher's website.