Joint inversion of daily and long-period geomagnetic variations reveals
lateral variations in upper mantle and transition zone water content
Abstract
We present a novel approach to investigate variations in upper mantle
and transition zone (MTZ) water content based on the joint analysis of
electromagnetic (EM) signals originating in the ionosphere and
magnetosphere. We inverted EM signals (period range 6 hours–85 days) to
probe the electrical conductivity structure underneath 20 geomagnetic
observatories, accounting for the complex spatial structure of the
ionospheric and magnetospheric sources. The joint inversion of EM data
for the daily and long-period bands led to a significantly improved
model resolution in the upper mantle and MTZ. The conductivity profiles
reveal significant lateral variability, which we interpreted in terms of
upper mantle and MTZ water content by a stochastic coupling of
electrical conductivity with constrains on the mantle thermo-chemical
structure derived from the analysis of seismic data. Our results suggest
the existence of a relatively dry MTZ beneath Europe and a
water-enriched MTZ underneath North America and northern Asia.