Graduate student Eh Tan, working with Michael Gurnis at the California Institute of Technology, has recently discovered a plausible mechanism of generating superplumes at the core mantle boundary. This animation shows how an ancient slab which is resting at the core mantle boundary for millions of years can trap heat, eventually resulting in a superplume substantially larger than the plumes which form from normal hot thermal boundary layers. Links to related references, including a pdf reprint, are also included at the site.
