Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Dry (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite in the Earth's lower mantle

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011397· OSTI ID:1335876
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4]
  1. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Carnegie Institution of Washington
  2. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
  3. U.S. Army Research Lab., RDRL-WMRD, Aberdeen, MD (United States)
  4. 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

References (81)

First principles prediction of a new high-pressure phase of dense hydrous magnesium silicates in the lower mantle: PREDICTION OF A HIGH PRESSURE DHMS PHASE journal September 2013
Single crystal X-ray diffraction study of MgSiO3 perovskite from 77 to 400 K journal April 1989
Thermodynamic properties and hydrogen speciation from vibrational spectra of dense hydrous magnesium silicates journal August 1996
Mössbauer and ELNES spectroscopy of (Mg,Fe)(Si,Al)O3 perovskite: a highly oxidised component of the lower mantle journal January 2000
Stability of dense hydrous magnesium silicate phases in the systems Mg 2 SiO 4 -H 2 O and MgSiO 3 -H 2 O at pressures up to 27 GPa journal September 2000
Experimental investigation of the ?-? transformation of San Carlos olivine single crystal journal November 1998
Influence of temperature, composition, silica activity and oxygen fugacity on the H2O storage capacity of olivine at 8 GPa journal April 2008
H2O storage capacity of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene from 10 to 13 GPa: consequences for dehydration melting above the transition zone journal August 2011
Solubility of water in the α, β and γ phases of (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 journal May 1996
Alteration of oceanic crust and geologic cycling of chlorine and water journal September 1983
Efficiency of ab-initio total energy calculations for metals and semiconductors using a plane-wave basis set journal July 1996
Water partitioning between nominally anhydrous minerals in the MgO–SiO2–H2O system up to 24 GPa: implications for the distribution of water in the Earth's mantle journal November 2000
Equation of state of lower mantle (Al,Fe)-MgSiO3 perovskite journal December 2001
The effect of Al 2 O 3 on Fe–Mg partitioning between magnesiowüstite and magnesium silicate perovskite journal May 2002
Substitution mechanism of Al ions in MgSiO3 perovskite under high pressure conditions from first-principles calculations journal February 2003
Water solubility in Mg-perovskites and water storage capacity in the lower mantle journal June 2003
Elasticity and strength of hydrous ringwoodite at high pressure journal September 2003
The energetics of aluminum solubility into MgSiO3 perovskite at lower mantle conditions journal April 2004
Hydrogen incorporation in stishovite at high pressure and symmetric hydrogen bonding in δ-AlOOH journal April 2004
Elastic properties of hydrous ringwoodite (γ-phase) in Mg2SiO4 journal July 1998
Strength of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 wadsleyite determined by relaxation of transformation stress journal June 2000
Aspects of the formation and mobility of protonic charge carriers and the stability of perovskite-type oxides journal October 1999
Equations of state of the high-pressure phases of a natural peridotite and implications for the Earth's lower mantle journal July 2004
Storage capacity of H2O in nominally anhydrous minerals in the upper mantle journal July 2005
Numerical study of creep in two-phase aggregates with a large rheology contrast: Implications for the lower mantle journal August 2005
Partitioning of water during melting of the Earth's upper mantle at H2O-undersaturated conditions journal August 2006
Al2O3 incorporation in MgSiO3 perovskite and ilmenite journal November 2006
Low S velocity atop the 410-km discontinuity and mantle plumes journal October 2007
Linked magma ocean solidification and atmospheric growth for Earth and Mars journal July 2008
Water storage capacity in olivine and pyroxene to 14GPa: Implications for the water content of the Earth's upper mantle and nature of seismic discontinuities journal October 2012
The incorporation of water into lower-mantle perovskites: A first-principles study journal February 2013
Stability of a hydrous δ-phase, AlOOH–MgSiO2(OH)2, and a mechanism for water transport into the base of lower mantle journal September 2014
Sound velocities and elastic constants of iron-bearing hydrous ringwoodite journal June 2004
High-pressure infrared spectroscopy of the dense hydrous magnesium silicates phase D and phase E journal July 2009
Water partitioning in the Earth's mantle journal November 2010
Influence of water on plastic deformation of olivine aggregates: 1. Diffusion creep regime journal September 2000
Equation of state of Al-bearing perovskite to lower mantle pressure conditions journal October 2001
Pressure dependence of H solubility in magnesiowüstite up to 25 GPa: Implications for the storage of water in the Earth's lower mantle: PRESSURE DEPENDENCE OF H SOLUBILITY IN MAGNESIOWÜSTITE journal May 2002
Hydroxide in olivine: A quantitative determination of the absolute amount and calibration of the IR spectrum: HYDROXIDE IN OLIVINE journal February 2003
Hydrogen concentration analyses using SIMS and FTIR: Comparison and calibration for nominally anhydrous minerals: HYDROGEN CONCENTRATION ANALYSES journal February 2003
Transport of water into the lower mantle: Role of stishovite: TRANSPORT OF WATER INTO THE LOWER MANTLE journal January 2003
Aluminum in magnesium silicate perovskite: Formation, structure, and energetics of magnesium-rich defect solid solutions: ALUMINUM IN SILICATE PEROVSKITE journal July 2003
Water partitioning at 660 km depth and evidence for very low water solubility in magnesium silicate perovskite: WATER PARTITIONING journal September 2003
Aluminous hydrous mineral δ -AlOOH as a carrier of hydrogen into the core-mantle boundary journal January 2008
Garnet yield strength at high pressures and implications for upper mantle and transition zone rheology journal January 2007
Melting of iron-magnesium-silicate perovskite journal May 1993
A sensitivity study of three-dimensional spherical mantle convection at 10 8 Rayleigh number: Effects of depth-dependent viscosity, heating mode, and an endothermic phase change journal June 1997
Simulating the core-mantle boundary: An experimental study of high-pressure reactions between silicates and liquid iron journal July 1989
Measurement of the melting curve of Mg 0.9 Fe 0.1 SiO 3 at lower mantle conditions and its geophysical implications journal October 1987
The solid-state flow of polymineralic rocks journal January 1990
Pressure-induced changes in the compression mechanism of aluminous perovskite in the Earth's mantle journal October 2000
Deep-mantle high-viscosity flow and thermochemical structure inferred from seismic and geodynamic data journal April 2001
Whole-mantle convection and the transition-zone water filter journal September 2003
Water content in the transition zone from electrical conductivity of wadsleyite and ringwoodite journal April 2005
Dry mantle transition zone inferred from the conductivity of wadsleyite and ringwoodite journal January 2008
Preserving noble gases in a convecting mantle journal May 2009
Hydrous mantle transition zone indicated by ringwoodite included within diamond journal March 2014
Seismic evidence for a global low-velocity layer within the Earth’s upper mantle journal September 2010
Reducing Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and field-free spin-orbit torque switching in synthetic antiferromagnets journal May 2021
High-resolution X-ray luminescence extension imaging journal February 2021
Postperovskite phase equilibria in the MgSiO3-Al2O3 system journal November 2008
Efficient iterative schemes for ab initio total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set journal October 1996
From ultrasoft pseudopotentials to the projector augmented-wave method journal January 1999
Mantle transition zone structure along a profile in the SW Pacific: thermal and compositional variations journal January 2009
Metasomatism of gabbro - mineral replacement and element mobilization during the Sveconorwegian metamorphic event: METASOMATISM OF GABBRO journal December 2010
Water-Induced Fabric Transitions in Olivine journal August 2001
Water in Earth's Lower Mantle journal March 2002
Dehydration melting at the top of the lower mantle journal June 2014
Synthesis and Equation of State of (Mg,Fe) SiO3 Perovskite to Over 100 Gigapascals journal February 1987
Water in Earth's Mantle: The Role of Nominally Anhydrous Minerals journal March 1992
Rheology of the Upper Mantle: A Synthesis journal May 1993
Hydrogen in Stishovite, with Implications for Mantle Water Content journal August 1993
Melting of (Mg, Fe)SiO3-Perovskite to 625 Kilobars: Indication of a High Melting Temperature in the Lower Mantle journal October 1993
Synchrotron Infrared Absorbance Measurements of Hydrogen in MgSiO3 Perovskite journal June 1994
WATER, MELTING, AND THE DEEP EARTH H 2 O CYCLE journal May 2006
Proton-Conducting Oxides journal August 2003
Some mineral physics constraints on the rheology and geothermal structure of Earth’s lower mantle journal April 2001
Structural systematics of hydrous ringwoodite and water in Earth’s interior journal October 2003
Potential docking sites and positions of hydrogen in high-pressure silicates journal October 2003
Pressure and temperature-dependence of water solubility in Fe-free wadsleyite journal July 2005
Hydrous ringwoodite to 5 K and 35 GPa: Multiple hydrogen bonding sites resolved with FTIR spectroscopy journal March 2013

Cited By (8)

Water in the Earth’s Interior: Distribution and Origin book January 2017
Water in the Earth’s Interior: Distribution and Origin journal August 2017
Fate of Hydrous Fe‐Rich Silicate Melt in Earth's Deep Mantle journal August 2019
Water Concentration in Single‐Crystal (Al,Fe)‐Bearing Bridgmanite Grown From the Hydrous Melt: Implications for Dehydration Melting at the Topmost Lower Mantle journal September 2019
Evidence for primordial water in Earth’s deep mantle journal November 2015
On the evolution of the water ocean in the plate-mantle system journal September 2018
Water concentration in single-crystal (Al,Fe)-bearing bridgmanite grown from the hydrous melt: implications for dehydration melting at the topmost lower mantle text January 2019
Water concentration in single-crystal (Al,Fe)-bearing bridgmanite grown from the hydrous melt: implications for dehydration melting at the topmost lower mantle text January 2019

Similar Records

Transport of water into the lower mantle: Role of stishovite
Journal Article · Tue Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2010 · J. Geophys. Res. · OSTI ID:1008781

Phase transition and equation of state of dense hydrous silica up to 63 GPa
Journal Article · Mon Jul 31 20:00:00 EDT 2017 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1409086

Composition dependence of spin transition in (Mg,Fe)SiO3 bridgmanite
Journal Article · Wed Sep 30 20:00:00 EDT 2015 · American Mineralogist · OSTI ID:1335651

Related Subjects