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Abstract
Knowledge of the amount and distribution of radiogenic heating in the mantle is crucial
for understanding the dynamics of the Earth, including its thermal evolution, the
style and planform of mantle convection, and the energetics of the core. Although
the flux of heat from the surface of the planet is robustly estimated, the contributions
of radiogenic heating and secular cooling remain poorly defined. Constraining the
amount of heat-producing elements in the Earth will provide clues to understanding
nebula condensation and planetary formation processes in early Solar System. Mantle
radioactivity supplies power for mantle convection and plate tectonics, but estimates
of mantle radiogenic heat production vary by a factor of more than 20. Recent experimental
results demonstrate the potential for direct assessment of mantle radioactivity through
observations of geoneutrinos, which are emitted by naturally occurring radionuclides.
Predictions of the geoneutrino signal from the mantle exist for several established
estimates of mantle composition. Here we present novel analyses, illustrating surface
variations of the mantle geoneutrino signal for models of the deep mantle structure,
including those based on seismic tomography. These variations have measurable differences
for some models, allowing new and meaningful constraints on the dynamics of the planet.
An ocean based geoneutrino detector deployed at several strategic locations will be
able to discriminate between competing compositional models of the bulk silicate Earth.