Dry (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite in the Earth's lower mantle
Journal Article
·
· Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
- The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Carnegie Institution of Washington
- The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
- U.S. Army Research Lab., RDRL-WMRD, Aberdeen, MD (United States)
- Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C. (United States)
Combined synthesis experiments and first-principles calculations show that MgSiO3-perovskite with minor Al or Fe does not incorporate significant OH under lower mantle conditions. Perovskite, stishovite, and residual melt were synthesized from natural Bamble enstatite samples (Mg/(Fe+Mg) = 0.89 and 0.93; Al2O3 < 0.1 wt% with 35 and 2065 ppm wt H2O, respectively) in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell at 1600-2000 K and 25-65 GPa. Combined Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and ex-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis demonstrates little difference in the resulting perovskite as a function of initial water content. Four distinct OH vibrational stretching bands are evident upon cooling below 100 K (3576, 3378, 3274, and 3078 cm-1), suggesting 4 potential bonding sites for OH in perovskite with a maximum water content of 220 ppm wt H2O, and likely no more than 10 ppm wt H2O. Complementary, Fe-free, first-principles calculations predict multiple potential bonding sites for hydrogen in perovskite, each with significant solution enthalpy (0.2 eV/defect). We calculate that perovskite can dissolve less than 37 ppm wt H2O (400 ppm H/Si) at the top of the lower mantle, decreasing to 31 ppm wt H2O (340 ppm H/Si) at 125 GPa and 3000 K in the absence of a melt or fluid phase. Here, we propose that these results resolve a long-standing debate of the perovskite melting curve and explain the order of magnitude increase in viscosity from upper to lower mantle.
- Research Organization:
- Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C. (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002006
- OSTI ID:
- 1335876
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1229031
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 120; ISSN 2169-9313
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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