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Title: Stability of iron-bearing carbonates in the deep Earth’s interior

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [6];  [7];  [3];  [6];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [8];  [3];  [9];  [6]
  1. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble (France); Univ. of Bayreuth (Germany). Bavarian Geoinstitute; European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
  2. Univ. of Bayreuth (Germany). Bavarian Geoinstitute; Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)
  3. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble (France)
  4. Univ. of Milan (Italy). Dept. of Earth Sciences
  5. Center for Hydrocarbon Recovery, Moscow (Russia). Skolkovo Inst. of Science and Technology
  6. Univ. of Bayreuth (Germany). Bavarian Geoinstitute
  7. Univ. of Bayreuth (Germany). Bavarian Geoinstitute; National Univ., of Science and Technology, Moscow (Russia). Material Modeling and Development Lab.
  8. Univ. of Cologne (Germany). Inst. of Geology and Mineralogy
  9. Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). Center for Advanced Radiation Sources

The presence of carbonates in inclusions in diamonds coming from depths exceeding 670 km are obvious evidence that carbonates exist in the Earth’s lower mantle. However, their range of stability, crystal structures and the thermodynamic conditions of the decarbonation processes remain poorly constrained. We investigate the behaviour of pure iron carbonate at pressures over 100 GPa and temperatures over 2,500 K using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy in laser-heated diamond anvil cells. On heating to temperatures of the Earth’s geotherm at pressures to B 50 GPa FeCO 3 partially dissociates to form various iron oxides. Furthermore, at higher pressures FeCO 3 forms two new structures— tetrairon(III) orthocarbonate Fe$$3+\atop{4}$$C3O12 and diiron(II) diiron(III) tetracarbonate Fe$$2+\atop{2}$$ Fe$$3+\atop{2}$$C4 O13, both phases containing CO4 tetrahedra. Fe4 C4 O13 is stable at conditions along the entire geotherm to depths of at least 2,500 km, thus demonstrating that self-oxidation-reduction reactions can preserve carbonates in the Earth’s lower mantle.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-94ER14466; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1393163
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1373790
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Vol. 8; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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