Origins of ultralow velocity zones through slab-derived metallic melt

Liu, Jiachao; Li, Jie; Hrubiak, Rostislav; Smith, Jesse S.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1519540113

Origins of ultralow velocity zones through slab-derived metallic melt

Journal Article · Tue May 03 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1519540113· OSTI ID:1257473

Liu, Jiachao ^[1]; Li, Jie ^[1]; ^[2]; Smith, Jesse S. ^[2]

Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Argonne, IL (United States). Geophysical Lab.

Understanding the ultralow velocity zones (ULVZs) places constraints on the chemical composition and thermal structure of deep Earth and provides critical information on the dynamics of large-scale mantle convection, but their origin has remained enigmatic for decades. Recent studies suggest that metallic iron and carbon are produced in subducted slabs when they sink beyond a depth of 250 km. Here we show that the eutectic melting curve of the iron-carbon system crosses the current geotherm near Earth’s core-mantle boundary, suggesting that dense metallic melt may form in the lowermost mantle. If concentrated into isolated patches, such melt could produce the seismically observed density and velocity features of ULVZs. Depending on the wetting behavior of the metallic melt, the resultant ULVZs may be short-lived domains that are replenished or regenerated through subduction, or long-lasting regions containing both metallic and silicate melts. Slab-derived metallic melt may produce another type of ULVZ that escapes core sequestration by reacting with the mantle to form iron-rich post-bridgmanite or ferropericlase. The hypotheses connect peculiar features near Earth’s core-mantle boundary to subduction of the oceanic lithosphere through the deep carbon cycle.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (US)

Sponsoring Organization:: NASA; National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI ID:: 1257473

Journal Information:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 113; ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (59)

Direct shock compression experiments on premolten forsterite and progress toward a consistent high-pressure equation of state for CaO-MgO-Al ₂ O ₃ -SiO ₂ -FeO liquids : SHOCK COMPRESSION OF MOLTEN FORSTERITE Thomas, Claire W.; Asimow, Paul D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 118, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrb.50374	journal	November 2013
The C-Fe (carbon-iron) system Okamoto, H. Journal of Phase Equilibria, Vol. 13, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02665767	journal	October 1992
Iron partitioning in pyrolitic lower mantle Sinmyo, Ryosuke; Hirose, Kei Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 40, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-012-0551-7	journal	November 2012
Nonstoichiometry and growth of some Fe carbides Walker, D.; Dasgupta, R.; Li, J. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Vol. 166, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-013-0900-7	journal	August 2013
Carbon in the core Wood, Bernard J. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 117, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(93)90105-I	journal	June 1993
Preliminary reference Earth model Dziewonski, Adam M.; Anderson, Don L. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 25, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(81)90046-7	journal	June 1981
Silicon self-diffusion in MgSiO3 perovskite at 25 GPa Yamazaki, Daisuke; Kato, Takumi; Yurimoto, Hisayoshi Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 119, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9201(00)00135-7	journal	May 2000
Connectivity of molten Fe alloy in peridotite based on in situ electrical conductivity measurements: implications for core formation in terrestrial planets Yoshino, Takashi; Walter, Michael J.; Katsura, Tomoo Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 222, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.03.010	journal	May 2004
Melting in the Fe–C system to 70 GPa Lord, O. T.; Walter, M. J.; Dasgupta, R. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 284, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.04.017	journal	June 2009
Dynamics and structure of a stirred partially molten ultralow-velocity zone Hernlund, John W.; Jellinek, A. Mark Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 296, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.04.027	journal	July 2010
The deep carbon cycle and melting in Earth's interior Dasgupta, Rajdeep; Hirschmann, Marc M. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 298, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.06.039	journal	September 2010
Tracking deep mantle reservoirs with ultra-low velocity zones McNamara, Allen K.; Garnero, Edward J.; Rost, Sebastian Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 299, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.07.042	journal	October 2010
Solidus and liquidus profiles of chondritic mantle: Implication for melting of the Earth across its history Andrault, Denis; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Nigro, Giacomo Lo Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 304, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.02.006	journal	April 2011
Melting relationships in the Fe–Fe3S system up to the outer core conditions Kamada, Seiji; Ohtani, Eiji; Terasaki, Hidenori Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 359-360 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.09.038	journal	December 2012
Mega ultra low velocity zone and mantle flow Thorne, Michael S.; Garnero, Edward J.; Jahnke, Gunnar Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 364 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.12.034	journal	February 2013
Experimental study and thermodynamic calculations of phase relations in the Fe–C system at high pressure Fei, Yingwei; Brosh, Eli Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 408 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.09.044	journal	December 2014
Elastic properties of ferropericlase at lower mantle conditions and its relevance to ULVZs Muir, Joshua M. R.; Brodholt, John P. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 417 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.02.023	journal	May 2015
Partial melting in a thermo-chemical boundary layer at the base of the mantle Lay, Thorne; Garnero, Edward J.; Williams, Quentin Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 146, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2004.04.004	journal	September 2004
Density of Fe-3.5wt% C liquid at high pressure and temperature and the effect of carbon on the density of the molten iron Shimoyama, Yuta; Terasaki, Hidenori; Ohtani, Eiji Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 224 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2013.08.003	journal	November 2013
Effect of pore geometry on V _P / V _S : From equilibrium geometry to crack Takei, Yasuko Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 107, Issue B2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000522	journal	January 2002
Diffusion in MgO at high pressures: Constraints on deformation mechanisms and chemical transport at the core-mantle boundary: DIFFUSION IN MgO AT HIGH PRESSURES Van Orman, James A.; Fei, Yingwei; Hauri, Erik H. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 30, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016343	journal	January 2003
Solubilities of O and Si in liquid iron in equilibrium with (Mg,Fe)SiO ₃ perovskite and the light elements in the core Takafuji, Naoto Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 32, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL022773	journal	January 2005
Suction mechanism for iron entrainment into the lower mantle Kanda, Ravi V. S.; Stevenson, David J. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL025009	journal	January 2006
Fine-scale ultralow-velocity zone structure from high-frequency seismic array data Rost, Sebastian; Garnero, Edward J.; Williams, Quentin Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 111, Issue B9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB004088	journal	January 2006
Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region: SOUND VELOCITIES OF IRON-RICH (Mg,Fe)O Wicks, J. K.; Jackson, J. M.; Sturhahn, W. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 37, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043689	journal	August 2010
Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region: SOUND VELOCITIES OF IRON-RICH (Mg,Fe)O Wicks, J. K.; Jackson, J. M.; Sturhahn, W. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 37, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010gl043689	journal	August 2010
Multi-technique equation of state for Fe ₂ SiO ₄ melt and the density of Fe-bearing silicate melts from 0 to 161 GPa : EQUATION OF STATE FOR Fe Thomas, Claire W.; Liu, Qiong; Agee, Carl B. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 117, Issue B10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JB009403	journal	October 2012
Constraints on magnetic energy and mantle conductivity from the forced nutations of the Earth Buffett, Bruce A. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 97, Issue B13 https://doi.org/10.1029/92JB00977	journal	January 1992
Is there a thin electrically conducting layer at the base of the mantle? Poirier, J. P.; Malavergne, V.; Le Mouël, J. L. The Core‐Mantle Boundary Region https://doi.org/10.1029/GD028p0131	book	January 1998
Experimental evidence for the existence of iron-rich metal in the Earth's lower mantle Frost, Daniel J.; Liebske, Christian; Langenhorst, Falko Nature, Vol. 428, Issue 6981 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02413	journal	March 2004
Subducted banded iron formations as a source of ultralow-velocity zones at the core–mantle boundary Dobson, David P.; Brodholt, John P. Nature, Vol. 434, Issue 7031 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03430	journal	March 2005
Seismological constraints on a possible plume root at the core–mantle boundary Rost, Sebastian; Garnero, Edward J.; Williams, Quentin Nature, Vol. 435, Issue 7042 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03620	journal	June 2005
Seismic detection of folded, subducted lithosphere at the core–mantle boundary Hutko, Alexander R.; Lay, Thorne; Garnero, Edward J. Nature, Vol. 441, Issue 7091 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04757	journal	May 2006
Metal saturation in the upper mantle Rohrbach, Arno; Ballhaus, Chris; Golla–Schindler, Ute Nature, Vol. 449, Issue 7161 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06183	journal	September 2007
Progressive mixing of meteoritic veneer into the early Earth’s deep mantle Maier, Wolfgang D.; Barnes, Stephen J.; Campbell, Ian H. Nature, Vol. 460, Issue 7255 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08205	journal	July 2009
Redox freezing and melting in the Earth’s deep mantle resulting from carbon–iron redox coupling Rohrbach, Arno; Schmidt, Max W. Nature, Vol. 472, Issue 7342 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09899	journal	March 2011
Spin crossover and iron-rich silicate melt in the Earth’s deep mantle Nomura, Ryuichi; Ozawa, Haruka; Tateno, Shigehiko Nature, Vol. 473, Issue 7346 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09940	journal	April 2011
The oxidation state of the mantle and the extraction of carbon from Earth’s interior Stagno, Vincenzo; Ojwang, Dickson O.; McCammon, Catherine A. Nature, Vol. 493, Issue 7430 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11679	journal	January 2013
Characterization and implications of intradecadal variations in length of day Holme, R.; de Viron, O. Nature, Vol. 499, Issue 7457 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12282	journal	July 2013
Slab melting as a barrier to deep carbon subduction Thomson, Andrew R.; Walter, Michael J.; Kohn, Simon C. Nature, Vol. 529, Issue 7584 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16174	journal	January 2016
Formation of an interconnected network of iron melt at Earth’s lower mantle conditions Shi, Crystal Y.; Zhang, Li; Yang, Wenge Nature Geoscience, Vol. 6, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1956	journal	October 2013
Chemical complexity of hotspots caused by cycling oceanic crust through mantle reservoirs Li, Mingming; McNamara, Allen K.; Garnero, Edward J. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 7, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2120	journal	March 2014
New developments in laser-heated diamond anvil cell with in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction at High Pressure Collaborative Access Team Meng, Yue; Hrubiak, Rostislav; Rod, Eric Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 86, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4926895	journal	July 2015
A seismologically consistent compositional model of Earth's core Badro, J.; Cote, A. S.; Brodholt, J. P. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 111, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1316708111	journal	May 2014
Reevaluating carbon fluxes in subduction zones, what goes down, mostly comes up Kelemen, Peter B.; Manning, Craig E. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 112, Issue 30 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1507889112	journal	June 2015
Two-dimensional detector software: From real detector to idealised image or two-theta scan Hammersley, A. P.; Svensson, S. O.; Hanfland, M. High Pressure Research, Vol. 14, Issue 4-6, p. 235-248 https://doi.org/10.1080/08957959608201408	journal	January 1996
Elastic properties of ferrous bearing MgSiO3 and their relevance to ULVZs Muir, Joshua M. R.; Brodholt, John P. Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 201, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv045	journal	March 2015
Mantle shear–wave tomography and the fate of subducted slabs Grand, Steven P. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 360, Issue 1800 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2002.1077	journal	September 2002
High-pressure–high-temperature equation of state of KCl and KBr Dewaele, A.; Belonoshko, A. B.; Garbarino, G. Physical Review B, Vol. 85, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.214105	journal	June 2012
Quasihydrostatic Equation of State of Iron above 2 Mbar Dewaele, Agnès; Loubeyre, Paul; Occelli, Florent Physical Review Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.215504	journal	November 2006
Iron-Rich Post-Perovskite and the Origin of Ultralow-Velocity Zones Mao, W. L. Science, Vol. 312, Issue 5773 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1123442	journal	April 2006
Melting of Peridotite to 140 Gigapascals Fiquet, G.; Auzende, A. L.; Siebert, J. Science, Vol. 329, Issue 5998 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192448	journal	September 2010
Melting of Iron at Earth's Inner Core Boundary Based on Fast X-ray Diffraction Anzellini, S.; Dewaele, A.; Mezouar, M. Science, Vol. 340, Issue 6131 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1233514	journal	April 2013
Low Core-Mantle Boundary Temperature Inferred from the Solidus of Pyrolite Nomura, R.; Hirose, K.; Uesugi, K. Science, Vol. 343, Issue 6170 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248186	journal	January 2014
Melting of subducted basalt at the core-mantle boundary Andrault, D.; Pesce, G.; Bouhifd, M. A. Science, Vol. 344, Issue 6186 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250466	journal	May 2014
Earth's Core-Mantle Boundary: Results of Experiments at High Pressures and Temperatures Knittle, E.; Jeanloz, R. Science, Vol. 251, Issue 5000 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.251.5000.1438	journal	March 1991
Seismic Evidence for Partial Melt at the Base of Earth's Mantle Williams, Q.; Garnero, E. J. Science, Vol. 273, Issue 5281 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.273.5281.1528	journal	September 1996
Shearing Melt Out of the Earth: An Experimentalist's Perspective on the Influence of Deformation on Melt Extraction Kohlstedt, David L.; Holtzman, Benjamin K. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Vol. 37, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.031208.100104	journal	May 2009
Nonstoichiometry and growth of some Fe carbides Walker, David; Dasgupta, Rajdeep; Li, Jie Columbia University https://doi.org/10.7916/d8c53wwq	text	January 2013

Cited By (14)

Effect of observed micropolar motions on wave propagation in deep Earth minerals Abreu, Rafael; Thomas, Christine; Durand, Stephanie Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 276 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.04.006	journal	March 2018
Compositionally-distinct ultra-low velocity zones on Earth’s core-mantle boundary Li, Mingming; McNamara, Allen K.; Garnero, Edward J. Nature Communications, Vol. 8, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00219-x	journal	August 2017
Phase relations of Fe ₃ C and Fe ₇ C ₃ up to 185 GPa and 5200 K: Implication for the stability of iron carbide in the Earth's core: Fe-C Phase Relations Liu, Jin; Lin, Jung-Fu; Prakapenka, Vitali B. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl071353	journal	December 2016
Ultralow Velocity Zone Locations: A Global Assessment Yu, Shule; Garnero, Edward J. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 19, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gc007281	journal	February 2018
Structure and Density of Fe-C Liquid Alloys Under High Pressure: Density of Fe-C liquid alloys Morard, G.; Nakajima, Y.; Andrault, D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 122, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb014779	journal	October 2017
On the Melting of Defective FCC Interstitial Alloy γ-FeC under Pressure up to 100 GPa Hoc, Nguyen-Quang; Viet, Le-Hong; Dung, Nguyen-Trong Journal of Electronic Materials, Vol. 49, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-019-07829-9	journal	November 2019
Nitrogen Content in the Earth's Outer Core Bajgain, Suraj K.; Mookherjee, Mainak; Dasgupta, Rajdeep Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080555	journal	January 2019
Implications for the Melting Phase Relations in the MgO ‐ FeO System at Core‐Mantle Boundary Conditions Deng, Jie; Miyazaki, Yoshinori; Lee, Kanani K. M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 124, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jb015499	journal	February 2019
Carbon-bearing silicate melt at deep mantle conditions Ghosh, Dipta B.; Bajgain, Suraj K.; Mookherjee, Mainak Scientific Reports, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00918-x	journal	April 2017
Rare Helium-Bearing Compound FeO 2 He Stabilized at Deep-Earth Conditions Zhang, Jurong; Lv, Jian; Li, Hefei Physical Review Letters, Vol. 121, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.121.255703	journal	December 2018
Large gem diamonds from metallic liquid in Earth’s deep mantle Smith, Evan M.; Shirey, Steven B.; Nestola, Fabrizio Science, Vol. 354, Issue 6318 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal1303	journal	December 2016
Wetting Behavior of Iron–Carbon Melt in Silicates at Mid-Mantle Pressures With Implications for Earth’s Deep Carbon Cycle Dong, Junjie; Li, Jie; Zhu, Feng Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol. 7 https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00268	journal	October 2019
High-Pressure Sound Velocity Measurements of Liquids Using In Situ Ultrasonic Techniques in a Multianvil Apparatus Jing, Zhicheng; Yu, Tony; Xu, Man Minerals, Vol. 10, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020126	journal	January 2020
Evaluating the Role of Iron-Rich (Mg,Fe)O in Ultralow Velocity Zones Dobrosavljevic, Vasilije V.; Sturhahn, Wolfgang; Jackson, Jennifer M. Minerals, Vol. 9, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.3390/min9120762	journal	December 2019

Similar Records

Hydrogen-bearing iron peroxide and the origin of ultralow-velocity zones

Journal Article · Tue Nov 21 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Nature (London) · OSTI ID:1410688

Hydrogen-bearing iron peroxide and the origin of ultralow-velocity zones

Journal Article · Tue Nov 21 19:00:00 EST 2017 · Nature (London) · OSTI ID:1423460

Carbonate stability in the reduced lower mantle

Journal Article · Mon Apr 30 20:00:00 EDT 2018 · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · OSTI ID:1426861

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES

Origins of ultralow velocity zones through slab-derived metallic melt

Citation Formats

References (59)

Cited By (14)

Similar Records

Related Subjects