Mantle Anisotropy
In the mantle, anisotropy is normally associated with crystals aligned with the mantle flow direction. Due to their elongate crystalline structure, olivine crystals tend to align with the flow due to mantle convection. Anisotropy has long been used to argue whether plate tectonics is driven from below by mantle convection or from above by the plates, i.e. slab pull and ridge push.
Read more about this topic: Seismic Anisotropy
Famous quotes containing the word mantle:
“At last he rose, and twitch’d his mantle blue,
Tomorrow to fresh woods and pastures new.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)