Lack of direct observation makes understanding the interior of the Earth a challenging task. Data from geology, geochemistry and geophysics must be combined to build the best picture of the inside of our planet. Since seismic tomography revealed the existence of two large, low velocity anomalies beneath the central Pacific and Africa, geoscientists have aimed to understand the origin and effects of these superplumes. This book does just that, incorporating results from recent advances in many areas to address questions related to superplumes and their role in mantle dynamics. The recently discovered phase change of the principal lower mantle mineral perovskite into post-perovskite near the core–mantle boundary has offered the opportunity for new interpretations of observations and new theories concerning the dynamics of the Earth's interior.

The book comprises 18 individual contributions covering a wide range of topics with the common goal of increasing understanding of superplumes. The papers are broken up into six sections. The first two sections summarize seismological observations of the Earth's interior and the results of high pressure and temperature mineral physics experiments. Together, these data provide knowledge of current interior Earth structure. Section 3 uses geochemical and petrological data to discern how the Earth evolved to this current structure. Both numerical modelling and mineral physics data are used in Section 4 to study the effects of the physical properties of mantle rocks on convection. The history of mantle dynamics is then discussed in Section 5, with particular focus on the development and consequences of superplumes. This section finishes with the longest paper in the book which uses results from all the previous studies to build a detailed and consistent model for the formation and evolution of superplumes. The final section addresses plumes and superplumes on the other terrestrial planets, Mars and Venus.

This book will appeal to a wide range of readers thanks to contributions covering many different geological and geophysical techniques. Most of the papers provide substantial reviews on their subject, making them accessible to the non-expert, as well as presenting recent developments to interest experts in the field. It is well presented and enjoyable to read with colour figures interspersed with the text.