Transitions in the style of mantle convection at high Rayleigh numbers

The pattern and style of mantle convection govern the thermal evolution, internal dynamics, and large-scale surface deformation of the terrestrial planets. In order to characterize the nature of heat transport and convective behaviour at Rayleigh numbers, Ra, appropriate for planetary mantles (between 104 and 108), we perform a set of laboratory experiments. Convection is driven by a temperature gradient imposed between two rigid surfaces, and there is no internal heating. As the Rayleigh number is increased, two transitions in convective behaviour occur. First we observe a change from steady to time-dependent convection at Ra≈105. A second transition occurs at higher Rayleigh numbers, Ra≈5×106, with large-scale time-dependent flow being replaced by isolated rising and sinking plumes. Corresponding to the latter transition, the exponent β in the power law relating the Nusselt number Nu to the Rayleigh number (Nu∼Raβ) is reduced. Both rising and sinking plumes always consist of plume heads followed by tails. There is no characteristic frequency for the formation of plumes.