Depleted mantle is chemically and mineralogically distinct from fertile or enriched mantle, as evidenced by differences in partial melting residues, trace element ratios, and mineral phases.
The claim states that depleted mantle differs chemically and mineralogically from fertile or enriched mantle. Papers 2 and 7 explicitly contrast depleted mantle (such as harzburgite residues) with fertile or enriched mantle sources, highlighting distinct chemical and mineralogical behaviors during melting and metasomatism. No papers refute this fundamental petrological concept.