Imaging mantle transition zone discontinuities in southwest China from dense array ambient noise interferometry

Body waves retrieved from ambient noise cross-correlation functions（NCFs） have been reported by more and more recent studies in addition to the dominant recovered surface waves. And one of important applications of these recovered body waves is to investigate the structure of discontinuities within the mantle transition zone（MTZ）. In this study, clear body wave phases reflected from the MTZ discontinuities at 410 km and 660 km have been observed on the NCFs in the frequency band of 0.1–0.2 Hz from a dense regional seismic array in southwest China. The original timedomain reflected signals in the NCFs were first converted to the depth-domain NCFs based on a velocity model before they were further stacked spatially within different bins. Then the depth-domain NCFs were stacked to investigate the lateral variations of the MTZ discontinuities, that is, the 410-km and 660-km discontinuities. Our results exhibit a simple and lateral coherent P;P phase and a much more complicated P;P phase along two profiles, which are in good agreement with mineralogical prediction and recent receiver function studies in the same area. This interferometric method can provide stable reflected body wave phases mainly in the frequency band 0.1–0.2 Hz due to the secondary microseism noise, which can be potentially used for high-resolution mantle interface imaging. This approach is also a good complement to traditional imaging methods, such as receiver function imaging.

From Mantle Transition Zone with Microstructures: A New Paradigm in Ophiolite Studies

The SE Ladakh(India) area displays one of the best-preserved ophiolite sections in this planet, in places up to 10 km thick, along the southern bank of the Indus River. Recently, in situ ultra-high pressure(UHP) microstructural evidences from mantle transition zone(MTZ ~ 410–660 km) with diamond and reduced fluids were discovered from two peridotite bodies in the basal mantle part of this Indus ophiolite(Das et al., 2015;2017). Ultrahigh-pressure phases were also found by early workers from podiform chromitites of another equivalent Neo–Tethyan ophiolite in southern Tibet(e.g., Yang et al., 2007;Yamamoto et al., 2009). However, the MTZ phases in the Indus ophiolite are found in silicate peridotites not metallic chromitites and the peridotitic UHP phases show systematic and contiguous phase transitions from the MTZ to shallower depth, unlike the discrete ultrahighpressure inclusions, all in Tibetan chromitites. The gradual change in oxygen fugacity(fo2) and fluid composition from(C-H + H2) to(CO2 + H2O) in the upwelling peridotitic mantle causing melting to produce MORB. At shallow depths(< 100 km) the free water stabilizes into hydrous phases, such as amphiboles and serpentines, capable of storing water and prevent melting(Fig. 1). The results from Indus ophiolite provide unique insights into deep sub-oceanic mantle processes, and link deep mantle upwelling and MORB genesis(Fig. 1). The tectonic setting of Neo-Tethyan ophiolites has been a difficult problem since the birth of plate tectonics concept. This problem for the origin of ophiolites in mid-ocean ridge versus supra subduction-zone settings clearly confused the Geoscience community. However, Indian Ocean –type isotopic characteristics are present in Neo-Tethyan ophiolites(Zhang et al., 2005). Recently, continental materials(quartz, k-feldspar etc.) bearing old zircons(up to 2700 Ma) are also recovered from UHP chromitite of Tibetan ophiolite(Yamamoto et al., 2013). Eventually, the presence of older continental material can produce non-MORB like basalts in Neo-Tethyan ophiolites in mid-oceanic-ridge following the ―historical contingency‖ model(Moores et al., 2000).

Structure of the mantle transition zone in the central and western parts of the North China Craton using the receiver function 3D Kirchhoff migration method

Using data from the regional broadband dense temporary array deployed by the ChinArray project,we applied the three-dimensional(3D)Kirchhoff migration method of the teleseismic P-wave receiver function to investigate discontinuity structures of the mantle transition zone(MTZ)in the central and western parts of the North China Craton(NCC)using a highresolution 3D velocity model of the East Asian region.The results show that the 410-km discontinuity beneath the Datong Volcano is depressed by~10 km,indicating the presence of a high-temperature anomaly near the depth of 410 km,which is likely related to small-scale mantle upwelling caused by the dehydration of the stagnant Pacific Plate in the MTZ.The upwelling of hot material provides a heat source for surface magmatic activity.Beneath the Bohai Bay Basin,significant subsidence of the 660-km discontinuity is observed,and the transition zone here is extensively thickened.It’s suggested that the anomalies in this region are related to the stagnation of the Pacific slab in the MTZ.Although the thickness of the transition zone west of the North-South Gravity Lineament appears normal,we propose that the subducting front of the Pacific slab did not cross the gravity lineament in the NCC.In comparison,the small-scale subsidence of the 660-km discontinuity and the thickening of the MTZ observed north of the Hannuoba Volcano likely indicate that the slab crossed the gravity lineament at its turning point and remained in the MTZ.Furthermore,a local thickening of the MTZ is observed in the Dabie orogenic belt of the Qinling Mountains.This is believed to be a combined effect of lithospheric delamination into the transition zone in the lower Yangtze region and the stagnation of the Pacific Plate.

Intracontinental lithospheric delamination:Constraints from imaging the mantle transition zone beneath the southwestern part of the Sichuan Basin

The southwestern part of the Sichuan Basin(SW-SCB)is adjacent to the eastern Himalayan syntaxis.Affected by the Indo-Eurasian collision and subsequent intrusion of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate during the Cenozoic,this region is ideal for the study of the tectonic evolution of the intracontinental lithosphere and the dynamic processes of deep and shallow structures.In this study,we applied the receiver function technique to the data obtained from a recently deployed high-density broadband seismic array across the Sichuan Basin and Sichuan-Yunnan block(SCB-SYB).We conducted a multi-frequency and multi-model correction analysis to image the structure of the mantle transition zone beneath this region.The results showed the660-km discontinuity gradually increasing in depth by 10-30 km beneath the western side of the Anninghe-Xiaojiang Fault,suggesting the presence of thermal anomalies caused by the subducted Indian plate from west to east.At the junction of the SCBSYB,the 410-km discontinuity exhibited a slight uplift of 5-10 km,while the 660-km discontinuity showed a significant depression of~30 km over a lateral range of~150 km.Based on previous surface GPS observation and dynamic numerical simulation studies,we suggest that the sharp lateral small-scale topography of this 660-km discontinuity beneath the SW-SCB may have resulted from dripping delamination of the lithosphere within the strain localization area.Furthermore,the aggregation of delaminated lithospheric material at the base of the 660-km discontinuity determines the regional topography of mantle transition zone discontinuities.In this study,we provided seismological evidence for the challenging detection of small-scale intracontinental lithosphere dripping delamination.Moreover,it provides a new view for studying deep and shallow dynamic processes in intracontinental regions with stress concentration resulting from plate/continental subduction and collision.

New hydrous phases in the Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)-H_(2)O system under the mantle transition zone conditions

Hydrous minerals in the subducting slabs are potential water carriers into the deep mantle,and thus the synthesis of new hydrous phases is significant in our understanding of water circulation throughout the Earth’s interior.In this study,we report the two new hydrous phases,Al_(2)SiO_(6)H_(2)and Al_(5.5)Si_(4)O_(18)H_(3.5)(hereafter referred to simply as phases Psi and Phi,respectively),which are synthesized in the Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)-H_(2)O system at 15.5 GPa,1400℃and 17.5 GPa,1600℃ by using Sakura2500-ton multi-anvil apparatus.The luminescence spectra of Cr3+show the phase Psi has characteristic peaks at 687,693 and705 nm,while phase Phi has characteristic peaks at 691,696 and 708 nm.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) refinements yield a monoclinic structure of both phases (space group P2_(1)) with ideal chemical formulae of Al_(2)SiO6H2and Al5.5Si4O18H3.5respectively.The determined lattice parameters for phase Psi are a=9.4168±0.0016Å,b=4.3441±0.0007Å,c=9.4360±0.002Åand β=119.726±0.005°at ambient pressure and 300 K,while the phase Phi has a=7.2549±0.0018Å,b=4.3144±0.001Å,c=8.0520±0.002Å,and β=101.740±0.009°at ambient pressure and 250 K.Electron microprobe analyses (EPMA) show the chemical compositions of phases Psi and Phi to be Al_(1.99)Si_(0.85)O_(6)H_(2.62)and Al_(5.58)Si_(2.81)O_(18)H_(8.03),respectively,which slightly deviate from the ideal formulae inferred from SCXRD measurements.This may result from the disorder or substitution of Al and Si by H in the crystal structures under our synthesis conditions.Our study suggests that phases Psi and Phi are the two potential water carriers at the upper part of the mantle transitions zone,providing new insights into how deep water is stored in this region.

Prevalent thickening and local thinning of the mantle transition zone beneath the Baikal rift zone and its dynamic implications

The Baikal rift is the most seismically active continental rift in the world and is significant for studying the dynamics of continental rifts, although its precise dynamic mechanisms remain controversial. We calculated receiver functions (1748) from Global Seismographic Network seismic stations TLY and ULN and stacked receiver functions in different bins. Here we present discontinuities at depths of 410km and 660km and thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath the study area. The MTZ structure shows an obvious thickening (292km) in the Baikal rift zone except for an area of limited thinning (230km), whereas it is basically normal (250km) beneath the Mongolian area, to the southeast of the Baikal rift. Combining these results with previous findings, we propose that the large-scale thickening beneath the Baikal rift zone is likely to be caused by the Mesozoic collision between the Siberian Platform and the Mongolia-North China Block or magmatic intrusion into the lower crust, which would result in crust and lithosphere thickening. Thus, the lower crust becomes eclogitized and consequently detached into the deep mantle because of negative buoyancy. The detachment not only induces asthenosphere upwelling but also accelerates mantle convection of water detached from the subducted slab, which would increase mantle melting, while both processes promote the development of the rift. Our preliminary results indicate that the detachment and the consequent hot upwelling have an important influence on the development of the Baikal rift, and a small-scale mantle upwelling indicated by the located thinning may have destroyed the lithosphere and promoted this development.

Hydration effects on crystal structures and equations of state for silicate minerals in the subducting slabs and mantle transition zone

There are potentially huge amounts of water stored in Earth's mantle, and the water solubilities in the silicate minerals range from tens to thousands of part per minion(ppm, part per million). Exploring water in the mantle has attracted much attention from the societies of mineralogy and geophysics in recent years. In the subducting slab, serpentine breaks down at high temperature, generating a series of dense hydrous magnesium silicate(DHMS) phases, such as phase A, chondrodite, clinohumite, etc. These phases may serve as carriers of water as hydroxyl into the upper mantle and the mantle transition zone(MTZ). On the other hand, wadsleyite and ringwoodite, polymorphs of olivine, are most the abundant minerals in the MTZ, and able to absorb significant amount of water(up to about 3 wt.% H_2O). Hence, the MTZ becomes a very important layer for water storage in the mantle, and hydration plays important roles in physics and chemistry of the MTZ. In this paper, we will discuss two aspects of hydrous silicate minerals:(1) crystal structures and(2) equations of state(Eo Ss).

Experimental investigation of phase transformations of olivine and enstatite at the lower part of the mantle transition zone:Implications for structure of the 660 km seismic discontinuity

High-pressure polymorphs of olivine and enstatite are major constituent minerals in the mantle transition zone （MTZ）. The phase transformations of olivine and enstatite at pressure and temperature conditions corresponding to the lower part of the MTZ are import for understanding the nature of the 660 km seismic discontinuity. In this study, we determine phase transfor- mations of olivine （MgSi204） and enstatite （MgSiO3） systematiclly at pressures between 21.3 and 24.4 GPa and at a constant temperature of 1600~C. The most profound discrepancy between olivine and enstatite phase transformation is the occurency of perovskite. In the olivine system, the post-spinel transformation occures at 23.8 GPa, corresponding to a depth of 660 km. In contrast, perovskite appears at 〈23 GPa （640 km） in the enstatite splitting of the 660 km seismic discountinuity under eastern China. system. The -1 GPa gap could explain the uplifting and/orsplitting of the 660 km seismic discountinuity under eastern China.

Study on the characteristics of crust－mantle transition zone in Western Yunnan Province

In this paper the fine structure of crust mantle transition zone in Western Yunnan Province is analysed and discussed based on the reflection phases from Moho discontinuity in Project Western Yunnan 86～87. It shows that in two points: in the north 27.64 km from shot point Jinggu and south 58.74 km from shot point Zhiti, there are transition zones of group of thin layers with inverse velocity.These two reflection points are both situated in the lower velocity anomaly zone in the top of upper mantle. The crust of this region is more seismicity. Maybe the unusual structure of this transition zone is related with the characteristics of this region. This paper discusses the possible geological interpretation model for this transition zone, and also makes suggestion about its application in earthquake prediction.

No basalt accumulation and segregation atop the 660-km discontinuity beneath the Sea of Okhotsk

Recent seismic evidence shows that basalt accumulation is widespread in the mantle transition zone(MTZ),yet its ubiquity or sporadic nature remains uncertain.To investigate this phenomenon further,we characterized the velocity structure across the 660-km discontinuity that separates the upper mantle from the lower mantle beneath the Sea of Okhotsk by modeling the waveform of the S660P phase,a downgoing S wave converting into a P wave at the 660-km interface.These waves were excited by two regional>410-km-deep events and were recorded by stations in central Asia.Our findings showed no need to introduce velocity anomalies at the base of the MTZ to explain the S660P waveforms because the IASP91 model adequately reproduced the waveforms.This finding indicates that the basalt accumulation has not affected the bottom of the MTZ in the study area.Instead,this discontinuity is primarily controlled by temperature or water content variations,or both.Thus,we argue that the basalt accumulation at the base of the MTZ is sporadic,not ubiquitous,reflecting its heterogeneous distribution.

Crust and upper mantle structures beneath Northeast China from receiver function studies

P-wave and S-wave receiver function analyses have been performed along a profile consisted of 27 broadband seismic stations to image the crustal and upper mantle discontinuities across Northeast China. The results show that the average Moho depth varies from about 37 km beneath the Daxing＇anling orogenic belt in the west to about 33 km beneath the Songliao Basin, and to about 35 km beneath the Changbai mountain region in the east. Our results reveal that the Moho is generally flat beneath the Daxing＇anling region and a remarkable Moho offset （about 4 km） exists beneath the basin-mountain boundary, the Daxing＇anling-Taihang Gravity Line. Beneath the Tanlu faults zone, which seperates the Songliao Basin and Changbai region, the Moho is uplift and the crustal thick- ness changes rapidly. We interpret this feature as that the Tanlu faults might deeply penetrate into the upper mantle, and facilitate the mantle upwelling along the faults during the Cenozoic era. The average depth of the lithosphereasthenosphere boundary （LAB） is - 80 km along the profile which is thinner than an average thickness of a continental lithosphere. The LAB shows an arc-like shape in the basin, with the shallowest part approximately beneath the center of the basin. The uplift LAB beneath the basin might be related to the extensive lithospheric stretching in the Mesozoic. In the mantle transition zone, a structurally complicated 660 km discontinuity with a maximum 35 km depression beneath the Changbai region is observed. The 35 km depression is roughly coincident with the location of the stagnant western pacific slab on top of the 660 km discontinuity revealed by the recent P wave tomography.

Differential patterns of SH and P wave velocity structures in the transition zone beneath northwestern Tibet

Triplicate waveform modeling is used to resolve SH （Vs） and P （Vp） wave velocity structures in the upper mantle transition zone （TZ） beneath northwestern （NW） Tibet. Focal depth move out stacking is proposed to enhance the identification of triplicate phases, and can be used to test consistency of our data. Our results show that the Vs and Vp structures are decorrelated, and that a large Vs jump occurred across the 660-km discontinuity, with a small Vs gradient above it. Conversely, the Vp model is characterized by a relatively small contrast across the discontinuity, accompanied by a high Vp gradient in the TZ. There seem no significant depth anomalies of the 660-kin discontinuity in both models. The seismic structures in TZ beneath NW Tibet are similar to recent studies beneath the central Qiangtang and western Lhasa terrains. Taking the lower TZ structures under India as references, Vs is normal but Vp appears slightly high, and thus a high ratio of Vp/Vs was indicated beneath NW Tibet. Combined results with experiment information from mineral studies, we suggest that the differential anomalies of Vp and Vs can be attributed to a chemical heterogeneity, such as increased A1 content in the lower TZ. Considering the tectonic evolution of Tibet, the chemical heterogeneity may be associated with subduction or detachment of the Tethys oceanic slab.

Interpretation of S-wave data from Tai′anXinzhou DSS profile and its relationship with Xingtai earthquakes

On the basis of S wave information from Tai′an Xinzhou DSS profile and with reference to the results from P wave interpretation, the 2 D structures , including S wave velocity V s, ratio γ between V p and V s; and Poisson′s ratio σ , are calculated; the structural configuration of the profile is presented and the relevant inferences are drawn from the above results. Upwarping mantle districts (V s≈4.30 km/s)and sloping mantle districts (V s≈4.50 km/s) of the profile with velocity difference about 4% at the top of upper mantle are divided according to the differences of V s , γ and σ in different media and structures, also with reference to the information of their neighbouring regions; the existence of Niujiaqiao Dongwang high angle ultra crustal fault zone is reaffirmed; the properties of low and high velocity blocks(zones) including the crust mantle transitionalzone and the boudary indicators of North China rift valley are discussed. A comprehensive study is conducted on the relation of the interpretation results with earthquakes. It is concluded that the mantle upwarps, thermal material upwells through the high angle fault, the primary hypocenter was located at the crust mantle juncture 30.0～33.0 km deep, and additional stress excited the M S=6.8 and M S=7.2 earthquakes at specific locations around 9.0 km below Niujiaqiao Dongwang, the earthquakes took place around the high angle ultra crustal fault and centered in the brittle media and rock strata with low γ and low σ values.

Effect of hydration on the elasticity of mantle minerals and its geophysical implications

Recent studies have shown that major nominally anhydrous minerals in the Earth's mantle, such as olivine, pyroxene and garnet, can incorporate considerable amounts of water as structurally bound hydroxyl. Even a small amount of water is present in mantle minerals, it can strongly affect a number of physical properties, including density, sound velocity, melting temperature, and electrical conductivities. The presence of water can also influence the dynamic behavior, lead to lateral velocity heterogeneities, and affect the material circulation of the Earth's deep interior. In particular, seismic studies have reported the existence of low-velocity zones in various locations of the Earth's upper mantle and transition zone, which has been expected to be associated with the presence of water in the region. In the past two decades, the effect of water on the elasticity and sound velocities of minerals at relevant pressure-temperature(P-T) conditions of the Earth's mantle attracted extensive interests. Combining the high P-T experimental and theoretical mineralogical results with seismic observations provides crucial constraints on the distribution of water in the Earth's mantle. In this study, we summarize recent experimental and theoretical mineral physics results on how water affects the elasticity and sound velocity of nominally anhydrous minerals in the Earth's mantle, which aims to provide new insights into the effect of hydration on the density and velocity profile of the Earth's mantle, which are of particular importance in understanding of water distribution in the region.

Hydration Effect on Equations of State for Minerals in the Peridotite System:Implication for Geotherms in the Mantle

Water in the deep Earth’s interior has important and profound impacts on the geodynamical properties at high-temperature(T)and high-pressure(P)conditions.A series of dense hydrous Mg-silicate(DHMS)phases are generated from dehydration of serpentines in subduction slabs below the lithosphere,including phase A,chondrodite,clinohumite,phase E,superhydrous phase B and phase D.On the other hand,olivine and its high-P polymorphs of wadsleyite and ringwoodite are dominant nominally anhydrous minerals(NAMs)in the upper mantle and transition zone,which could contain significant amount of water in the forms of hydroxyl group(OH-)defects.The water solubilities in wadsleyite and ringwoodite are up to about 3 weight percent(wt.%),making the transition zone a most important layer for water storage in the mantle.Hydration can significantly affect the pressure-volumetemperature equations of state(P-V-T EOSs)for the DHMS and NAM phases,including the thermal expansivities and isothermal bulk moduli.In this work,we collected the reported datasets for the DHMS and NAM phases,and reconstruct internally consistent EOSs.Next,we further evaluated the thermodynamic Grüneisen parameters,which are fundamental for constraining the temperature distribution in an isentropic process,such as mantle convection.The adiabatic temperature profiles are computed for these minerals in the geological settings of normal mantle and subduction zone,and our calculation indicates that temperature is the dominant factor in determining the gradient of a geotherm,rather than the mineralogical composition.

Indication from finite-frequency tomography beneath the North China Craton： The heterogeneity of craton destruction

We picked new traveltime residual datasets in three frequency bands （0.02%）. 1,0.1-0.8, and 0.8-2.0 Hz） for P-waves from 793 teleseismic events and two frequency bands （0.02-0.1 and 0.1-0.8 Hz） for S-waves from 310 teleseismic events, recorded by 389 permanent stations of the China National Seismic Network and 832 broadband stations of 10 temporary arrays deployed in the North China Craton （NCC） region. The final datasets are composed of 65628 P-arrivals and 47050 S-arrivals. Based on previous research and our team＇s 2012 tomographic work, we constructed new three-dimensional P-velocity and S- velocity models of the NCC through some improvements, such as augmenting a much denser station coverage in the western NCC, considering the incident angle effect in crustal correction and using a multi-frequency joint inversion tomographic technique. The new velocity models provide several salient features, from which we draw possible inferences on regional dynamic processes. We observed high-velocity anomalies in the mantle transition zone （MTZ）. Obvious morphological het- erogeneities suggest buckling and/or fragmentation of the subducted Pacific slab, and some of the slab materials are visible below 660-kin discontinuities. The velocity structure of the eastern NCC is dominated by small-scale lateral heterogeneities. At shallow depths, high-velocity anomalies beneath the southern part of the eastern NCC and the Yanshan region likely represent a remnant of cratonic lithosphere, which may suggest that the NCC destruction is spatially non-uniform. We also detected a high-velocity anomaly in the Sulu Orogen extending downward to -300 kin, which is seemingly controlled by the Tan-Lu Fault. The northern boundary of this anomaly spatially coincides with the Yantai-Qingdao-Wulian Fault, and is likely a remnant of the Yangtze cratonic lithosphere subducting northwestward. Significant low-velocity anomalies imaged beneath the central NCC show a spatial discordance between their northern and southern parts. The northern low-velocity anomaly extends downward to the top of MTZ with a lateral NW-SE strike, whereas the southern one tapers off at -200-300 kin. Low-velocity anomalies are present beneath the Phanerozoic orogenic belts surrounding the NCC, the Paleoproterozoic Trans-North China Orogen, and the Tan-Lu Fault. This feature not only shows excellent spatial correlation with the orogens at the surface, it also exhibits a consistent vertical continuity in a depth range of 60-250 km. This intriguing feature suggests that the collisional orogenic belts and Tan-Lu Fault are inherited weak zones, which may play a key role in craton destruction. By combining multidisciplinary results in this area, we suggest that the spatial heterogeneities associated with the NCC destruction most likely result from the combined effects of a spatially non-uniform distribution of wet upwellings triggered by the subducted Pacific slab and pre-existing weak zones in the eratonic lithosphere.

Preliminary Deformation Experiment of Ringwoodite at 20 GPa and 1 700 K Using a D-DIA Apparatus

A deformation experiment of ringwoodite with a strain of 9% was achieved at 20 GPa and 1 700 K and at a strain rate of 3×10^-5 s^-1 using a deformation-DIA （D-DIA） apparatus and a multi-anvil 6-6 （MA 6-6） assembly. The crystallographic orientations of the deformed sample were successfully analyzed by the electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD） method, although any notable latticepreferred orientation （LPO） was not observed presumably due to the insufficient strain in the present experiment. In this study, the deformation experiment on ringwoodite succeeded at P-T conditions consistent with the lower part of the mantle transition zone and at a controlled strain rate for the first time. The present study extended the pressure range of deformation experiments in the D-DIA apparatus from 16 GPa in our earlier study to 20 GPa at 1 700 K. The successful extension of the pressure range demonstrates potential importance of the D-DIA apparatus in studying rheological properties of minerals under the P-T conditions of the whole mantle transition zone.

Hugoniot equation of state of olivine and its geodynamic implications

Large olivine samples were hot-pressed synthesized for shock wave experiments. The shock wave experiments were carried out at pressure range between 11 and 42 GPa. Shock data on olivine sample yielded a linear relationship between shock wave velocity D and particle velocity u described by D=3.56(?0.13)+2.57(?0.12)u. The shock temperature is determined by an energy relationship which is approximately 790°C at pressure 28 GPa. Due to low temperature and short experimental duration, we suggest that no phase change occurred in our sample below 30 GPa and olivine persisted well beyond its equilibrium boundary in metastable phase. The densities of metastable olivine are in agreement with the results of static compression. At the depth shallower than 410 km, the densities of metastable olivine are higher than those of the PREM model, facilitating cold slab to sink into the mantle transition zone. However, in entire mantle transition zone, the shock densities are lower than those of the PREM model, hampering cold slab to flow across the "660 km" phase boundary.