Abstract
Detection of chemical signatures from the core-mantle boundary (CMB)
could provide an unprecedented glimpse into our planet’s deep interior
and ancient past. Several isotopic and elemental anomalies in ocean
island basalts (OIBs) have been proposed as core tracers. However, the
process(es) by which particular chemical signatures from the core are
conveyed into the mantle remain uncertain. Here we propose a hybrid
mechanism that results from a collaborative feedback between dynamic
topography, porous infiltration of liquid metal into submerged rock,
gravitational collapse of weakened metal-silicate mush, and draw-down of
additional rocks from above in the induced small-scale mantle
circulation. Using a mantle convection model coupled to gravitational
spreading of a thin layer, we show that this mechanism achieves parity
with metal-mush interaction alone when the layer is
$\sim$10$^5$ times less viscous than overlying
mantle.