The internal structure of the African superplume; insights from body-wave seismic tomography and converted phases

Originating below southern Africa, the African superplume, is a ubiquitous observation in global seismic tomographic images as a broad thermochemical anomaly. It is widely considered to have caused the 30Ma volcanism at the Ethiopian traps and uplifted plateaus of eastern Africa. However, exactly how and where this feature crosses the mantle transition zone is debated. Further, internal heterogeneity within the plume itself has not been unambiguously observed, features predicted following studies of the south Pacific superplume. Key to resolving these issues are detailed seismic tomographic images and localised short-wavelength observations from converted seismic phases.