Publication: Astenosfera: ser o no ser
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2013
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Asociación Española para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra
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Abstract
Este artículo contiene una revisión de la historia y contenido actual de un concepto, el de astenosfera, clave en las modernas Ciencias de la Tierra. Definido por Barrell en 1914, cuando Wegener diseñaba su primer ataque a la Tierra inmóvil, fue rescatado por los geofísicos revolucionarios de la década de 1960 sólo para ser secuestrado a continuación por algunos sismólogos y, por último, devuelto al centro del escenario en la versión actual de la tectónica de placas. Con los mejores datos geofísicos, la astenosfera se define hoy como todo el manto superior no litosférico. Los autores aprovechan esta revisión para actualizar otros conceptos recientes sobre el interior de la Tierra, como son el motor de las placas litosféricas o las avalanchas en el manto. Y destacan también las áreas más inciertas, como son los procesos en la interfase manto superior-manto inferior y las
fuentes del calor interno de nuestro planeta.
This paper aims to revise the history and present meaning of the asthenosphere concept, a keystone in modern Earth Sciences. Defined by Barrell in 1914, at a time when Alfred Wegener was outlining his first attack on the fixed Earth, it was rescued by the geophysicist-revolutionaries of the 60s, only to be kidnapped right afterward by some hurried seismologists, and at last brought back centre stage with the latest version of plate tectonics. The best geophysical data currently define the asthenosphere as the entire upper, non-lithospheric mantle. In addition to this historical account, the article also contains revisions of other important concepts regarding the Earth’s interior, such as the engine that propels the lithospheric plates or the avalanches that silently run through the deep mantle. It also explores some poorly-defined areas of the planet’s innards: the battlefield between the upper and lower mantle, and the still elusive heat sources that move everything down there.
This paper aims to revise the history and present meaning of the asthenosphere concept, a keystone in modern Earth Sciences. Defined by Barrell in 1914, at a time when Alfred Wegener was outlining his first attack on the fixed Earth, it was rescued by the geophysicist-revolutionaries of the 60s, only to be kidnapped right afterward by some hurried seismologists, and at last brought back centre stage with the latest version of plate tectonics. The best geophysical data currently define the asthenosphere as the entire upper, non-lithospheric mantle. In addition to this historical account, the article also contains revisions of other important concepts regarding the Earth’s interior, such as the engine that propels the lithospheric plates or the avalanches that silently run through the deep mantle. It also explores some poorly-defined areas of the planet’s innards: the battlefield between the upper and lower mantle, and the still elusive heat sources that move everything down there.