Mantle wedge

A mantle wedge is a triangular shaped piece of mantle that lies above a subducting tectonic plate and below the overriding plate. This piece of mantle can be identified using seismic velocity imaging as well as earthquake maps.^[1] Subducting oceanic slabs carry large amounts of water; this water lowers the melting temperature of the above mantle wedge.^[2] Melting of the mantle wedge can also be contributed to depressurization due to the flow in the wedge. This melt gives rise to associated volcanism on the Earth's surface. This volcanism can be seen around the world in places such as Japan and Indonesia.^[3]

^ Weins, A. D.; Conder, A. J.; Faul H. U. (2008). "The seismic structure and dynamics of the mantle wedge". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 36: 421–455. Bibcode:2008AREPS..36..421W. doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122633.
^ Kelley, K.; Plank, T.; Newman, S.; Stolper, E.; Grove, T.; Parman, S.; Hauri, E. (2010). "Mantle melting as a function of water content beneath the Mariana arc". Journal of Petrology. 51 (8): 1711–1738. doi:10.1093/petrology/egq036.
^ Hirshmann, M. M. (2012). "Ironing out the oxidation of earth's mantle". Science Magazine. 10 (1126).

[Weins_2008-1] Weins, A. D.; Conder, A. J.; Faul H. U. (2008). "The seismic structure and dynamics of the mantle wedge". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 36: 421–455. Bibcode:2008AREPS..36..421W. doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122633.

[2] Kelley, K.; Plank, T.; Newman, S.; Stolper, E.; Grove, T.; Parman, S.; Hauri, E. (2010). "Mantle melting as a function of water content beneath the Mariana arc". Journal of Petrology. 51 (8): 1711–1738. doi:10.1093/petrology/egq036.

[Hirshmann_2012-3] Hirshmann, M. M. (2012). "Ironing out the oxidation of earth's mantle". Science Magazine. 10 (1126).

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