Slab vote maps: On the consistency of tomographically imaged lower mantle slabs

Over the last few decades numerous seismic tomography models have been published, each constructed with choices of data input, parameterization and reference model. The broader geoscience community is increasingly utilizing these models, or a selection thereof, to interpret Earth’s mantle structure and processes.  It follows that seismically identified remnants of subducted slabs have been used to validate, test or refine relative plate motions, absolute plate reference frames, and mantle sinking rates. With an increasing number of models to include, or exclude, the question arises - how robust is a given positive seismic anomaly, inferred to be a slab, across a given suite of tomography models? In this seminar I will present a series of “vote maps” for the lower mantle by comparing 14 seismic tomography models, including 7 s-wave and 7 p-wave models.