Self-consistent models of Earth's mantle and core from long-period seismic and tidal constraints

Self-consistent models of Earth's mantle and core from long-period seismic and tidal constraints | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Self-consistent models of Earth's mantle and core from long-period seismic and tidal constraints Federico Daniel Munch, Johannes Kemper, Amir Khan, George Helffrich, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5997581/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Here we illustrate the use of self-consistent models to address fundamental questions about Earth's mantle and core structure. For this purpose, we invert a large set of recent normal-mode centre frequencies and quality (attenuation) factors, along with astronomic-geodetic data (mass, moment of inertia and tidal response), for the radial anelastic seismic structure of the Earth. We consider two distinct parameterisations that rely on 1) self-consistent and 2) physically-parameterised models. In the self-consistent approach, mantle models are constructed using petrologic phase equilibria in combination with a laboratory-based viscoelastic model connecting dissipation from seismic to tidal periods (~100~s--20~yr), whereas seismic properties for a homogeneous and adiabatic core are computed using equations-of-state. The physically-parameterised models follow the preliminary reference Earth model (PREM) and rely on a polynomial representation of density, P- and S-wave velocity, attenuation, and anisotropy. To study the impact of the inferred mantle seismic velocity structure, we compute P- and S-wave travel times and compared these to the observations of globally-averaged body wave travel times from the reprocessed ISC catalog. To further refine the seismic P-wave velocity structure of the outermost outer core, we also consider multiple core-mantle-boundary underside-reflected body wave travel times. The results indicate deviations from PREM, including a denser outer core, which possibly reduces the requirement for light elements, while diminishing the density contrast across the inner-core boundary. Finally, and of general interest to the wider community, uncertainty measures on all inverted properties are provided with the models presented here. Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5997581","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":413518439,"identity":"d7ac3a2d-ce3c-4f1f-8e0c-9d9cd6c578f6","order_by":0,"name":"Federico Daniel Munch","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Federico","middleName":"Daniel","lastName":"Munch","suffix":""},{"id":413518440,"identity":"0d598f48-5e22-4a59-8783-8db37740090b","order_by":1,"name":"Johannes Kemper","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Johannes","middleName":"","lastName":"Kemper","suffix":""},{"id":413518441,"identity":"80e90133-0015-4c36-85ee-ff9cb4fa174f","order_by":2,"name":"Amir Khan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amir","middleName":"","lastName":"Khan","suffix":""},{"id":413518442,"identity":"f2e9843d-8861-4141-af19-98d8aaac8684","order_by":3,"name":"George Helffrich","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"George","middleName":"","lastName":"Helffrich","suffix":""},{"id":413518443,"identity":"a7dabe8a-140f-43d2-a841-4a69cf969ec9","order_by":4,"name":"Domenico Giardini","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Domenico","middleName":"","lastName":"Giardini","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-02-10 09:13:43","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5997581/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5997581/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":75988873,"identity":"4d6f45f9-79f4-4867-8921-4045dc83cfbf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-11 08:53:17","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4339712,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"SCEMJGR.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5997581/v1_covered_295f9962-41db-4de1-9d38-9a4f0d63c01e.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eSelf-consistent models of Earth's mantle and core from long-period seismic and tidal constraints\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Swiss National Science Foundation","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5997581/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5997581/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eHere we illustrate the use of self-consistent models to address fundamental questions about Earth's mantle and core structure. 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