Mantle roots of the Emeishan plume: an evaluation based on teleseismic P-wave tomography

The voluminous magmatism associated with large igneous provinces (LIPs) is commonly correlated to upwelling plumes from the core-mantle boundary (CMB). Here we analyse seismic tomographic data from the Emeishan LIP in southwestern China. Our results reveal vestiges of delaminated crustal and/or lithospheric mantle, with an upwelling in the upper mantle beneath the Emeishan LIP rather than a plume rooted in the CMB. We suggest that the magmatism and the Emeishan LIP formation might be connected with the melting of delaminated lower crustal and/or lithospheric components which resulted in plume-like upwelling from the upper mantle or from the mantle transition zone.