Global mantle flow models constrained by mineral physics and surface observations
The project was initiated with Arthur Calderwood to study mantle flow models for a chemically heterogeneous mantle. More recently with Richard Holme the approach has been extended to include chemical heterogeneities in the lowermost 300 km of the mantle, and core-mantle boundary constraints. An example is given below. It shows flow for a chemically heterogeneous lowermost mantle: Upwellings occur around a chemically distinct Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP) in the central Pacific, with strong horizontal flow from regions of past subduction (blue) towards them. In contrast, computed flow inside the LLSVPs is much slower.
More examples of flow fields for the two cases can be found here.
A user-friendly version of the flow code hc is available at SEATREE, thanks to Thorsten Becker.

• Steinberger, B. and A. Calderwood (2006). Models of large-scale viscous flow in the Earth's mantle with constraints from mineral physics and surface observations, Geophys. J. Int., 167, 1461-1481. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03131.x [pdf]
• Steinberger, B. and R. Holme (2008). Mantle flow models with core-mantle boundary constraints and chemical heterogeneities in the lowermost mantle, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2007JB005080 [pdf]

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