Public Physic Colloquium in the Summer Terms 2010 in Münster
Place:     Germany, 48149 Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, IG I, HS 2
Time:     Thursday, 20.05.2010  16:00 h c.t.
Colloquium Coffee at 15:45 h  at the Lecture Hall

Seismic tomography of the mantle and global mantle dynamics
Prof. Dr. Wim Spakman, Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht

After a brief introduction of the geophysical imaging method seismic travel-time tomography, I will illustrate Earth's mantle structure and present examples of how we use imaged structure to learn about the internal dynamics of our planet. These examples are: global deep mantle structure and the plate-tectonic evolution of the past 300 Myr, the spectacular upper mantle structure of the Banda region (Southeast Asia) and its relation to absolute plate motion and regional deformation of the crust, and mantle structure tectonic evolution of the Mediterranean region. The theme of the presentation is how images of the present-day structure of our planet help understanding its tectonic history, and inspire further quantitative modelling of geodynamic process of the Past and Present.