Surface wave detectability of transition zone anisotropy induced by non-Newtonian mantle flow

<p>Large-scale anisotropy inferred from long-period seismic tomography mainly results from the crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of olivine aggregates due to mantle deformation. In the 410-km transition zone, the inclusion of wadsleyite CPO diminishes the overall anisotropy. This may predispose the latter below the seismic detection limit. &#160;In this study, we attempt to assess the detectability of the anisotropy in the 410-km transition zone using surface wave dispersion measurements. Proceeding as a purely-forward approach, we consider non-Newtonian mantle flows reminiscent to the deformation by dislocation creep of olivine. A wadsleyite layer is imposed underneath the discontinuity down to a depth of 520 km. We model the CPO development in olivine and in wadsleyite using a visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) approach. Finally, we compute local surface wave dispersion curves and its azimuthal variations to study the surface imprint of transition zone anisotropy.&#160; We anticipate the sensitivity kernels to as well provide key insights in evaluating its detectability.</p>