Heterogeneities of the Earth's inner core boundary by pre-critically
reflected phases of PKiKP and PcP
Abstract
The Earth’s crystalline inner core (IC) solidifies from the liquid Fe
alloy of the outer core (OC), which releases latent heat and light
elements sustaining the geodynamo. Variability in solidification regime
at the inner core boundary (ICB) may result in compositional and thermal
multi-scale mosaic of the IC surface and dissimilarity of its
hemispheres. Both the mosaic and hemisphericity are poorly constrained,
not least due to a lack of available sampling by short-period reflected
waves. Measured amplitude ratio of seismic phases of PKiKP and PcP
reflected, respectively, off the inner and outer boundary of the liquid
core, yields direct estimate of the ICB density jump. This parameter is
capable of constraining the inner – outer core compositional difference
and latent energy release, but is not well known (0.2–1.2 g/cub cm),
and its distribution is obscure. Travel time measurements of PKiKP and
PcP waveforms can be useful in terms of getting an insight into fine
structure of ICB and its topography. We analyse a new representative
sample of pre-critical PKiKP/PcP differential travel times and amplitude
ratios that probes the core’s spots under Southeastern Asia and South
America . We observe a statistically significant systematic bias between
the measurements collected in western and eastern hemispheres, and
carefully examine its origin. Separating the effects of core-mantle
boundary (CMB) and ICB on the measured differentials is particularly
challenging and we acknowledge that a whole class of physically valid
models involving D” heterogeneities and lateral variation in lower
mantle attenuation can be addressed to account for the observed
hemisphericity. However, we find that variance in PKiKP-PcP differential
travel times measured above the epicentral distance of 16 degrees is
essentially due to mantle heterogeneities. Analysis of data below this
distance indicates the ICB density jump under Southeastern Asia can be
about 0.3 g/cub. cm, which is three times as small as under South
America where also the thickness of the liquid core can be by 1-3 km in
excess of the one in the East. The findings are interpretable as
evidence for IC hemispherical asymmetry whereby crystallization
dominates in the West and melting in the East (and not vice versa) or in
terms of two disconnected mosaic patches with contrasting properties.