A simplied model for anisotropic mantle convection based on a novel class of rheologies, originally developed for folding instabilities in multilayered rock, is extended through the introduction of a thermal anisotropy dependent on the local layering. To examine the eect of the thermal anisotropy on the evolution of mantle material, a parallel implementation of this model was undertaken using the Escript modelling toolkit and the Finley nite element computational kernel. For the cases studied, there appears to little if any eect. For comparative purposes, the eects of anisotropic shear viscosity and the introduced thermal anisotropy are also presented. These results contribute to the characterisation of viscous anisotropic mantle convection subject to variation in thermal conductivities and shear viscosities.
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