9726252 Anderson The PI will conduct an interdisciplinary study of mantle dynamics, from the earth's surface downward. Plates, including cratons and slabs, exert a strong control on mantle motions and surface volcanism. Lithospheric architecture and stress in the plates will be correlated with global gravity, bathymetry, tomography and volcanism datasets in order to sort out surface vs. internal causes, and to explain island chains and large igneous provinces. Mineral physics and constraints from geochemistry, cosmochemistry and heat flow will be used to interpret mantle tomography and large-scale variations of flow and composition. ***
