An official website of the United States government
Abstract Synchrotron‐based high‐pressure/high‐temperature single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction experiments to ~24 GPa and 700 K were conducted on eclogitic garnets (low‐Fe: Prp28Alm38Grs33Sps1and high‐Fe: Prp14Alm62Grs19Adr3Sps2) and omphacites (low‐Fe: Quad57Jd42Ae1and high‐Fe: Quad53Jd27Ae20), using an externally heated diamond anvil cell. Fitting the pressure‐volume‐temperature data to a third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state yields the thermoelastic parameters including bulk modulus (KT0), its pressure derivative (K′T0), temperature derivative ((∂KT/∂T)P), and thermal expansion coefficient (αT). The densities of the high‐Fe and low‐Fe eclogites were then modeled along typical geotherms of the normal mantle and the subducted oceanic crust to the transition zone depth (550 km). The metastable low‐Fe eclogite could be a reason for the stagnant slabs within the upper range of the transition zone. Eclogite would be responsible for density anomalies within 100–200 km in the upper mantle of Asia.
more »
« less
Phase Transition of Enstatite‐Ferrosilite Solid Solutions at High Pressure and High Temperature: Constraints on Metastable Orthopyroxene in Cold Subduction
Abstract (Mg, Fe)SiO3orthopyroxene is an abundant mineral of oceanic subducting slabs. In‐situ high‐pressure and high‐temperature single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction has been used to investigate the phase transition of orthopyroxene across the enstatite‐ferrosilite (En‐Fs) join (En70Fs30, En55Fs45, En44Fs56and Fs100) up to 24.3 GPa and 800 K, simulating conditions within the coldest part of a subduction zone consisting of an old and rapidly subducting slab. Instead of the orthopyroxene → high‐pressure clinopyroxene transition, the α‐opx → β‐opx and β‐opx → γ‐opx phase transition are observed at 7.2–15.3 and 11.6–21.1 GPa (depending on the Fs content), respectively. This study indicates that the pressure‐induced phase transition of (Mg, Fe)SiO3orthopyroxene under relatively low temperature (<800 K) could be different than those occurring under relatively high temperature (>800 K). Additionally, the α‐opx → β‐opx → γ‐opx phase transition could exist within the center of the extremely cold slabs (like Tonga), where such low temperature persists to ~600‐km depth.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1722969
- PAR ID:
- 10366865
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 0094-8276
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract High pressure and temperature experiments were carried out on the oxide mixtures corresponding to the bridgmanite stoichiometry under the hydrous shallow lower mantle conditions (24–25 GPa and 1673–1873 K with 5–10 wt. % of water in the starting material). Oxide mixtures investigated correspond to MgSiO3, (Mg, Fe)SiO3, (Mg, Al, Si)O3, and (Mg, Fe, Al, Si)O3. Melting was observed in all runs. Partitioning of various elements, including Mg, Fe, Si, and H is investigated. Melting under hydrous lower mantle conditions leads to increased (Mg + Fe)O/SiO2in the melt compared to the residual solids. The residual solids often contain a large amount of stishovite, and the melt contains higher (Mg,Fe)O/SiO2ratio than the initial material. (Mg + Fe)O‐rich hydrous melt could explain the low‐velocity anomalies observed in the shallow lower mantle and a large amount of stishovite in the residual solid may be responsible for the scattering of seismic waves in the mid‐lower mantle and may explain the “stishovite paradox. Since stishovite‐rich materials are formed only when silica‐rich source rock (MORB) is melted (not a typical peridotitic rock [bulk silicate Earth]), seismic scattering in the lower mantle provides a clue on the circulation of subducted MORB materials. To estimate hydrogen content, we use a new method of estimating the water content of unquenchable melts, and also propose a new interpretation of the significance of superhydrous phase B inclusions in bridgmanite. The results provide revised values of water partitioning between solid minerals and hydrous melts that are substantially higher than previous estimates.more » « less
-
Abstract Iron nitrides are possible constituents of the cores of Earth and other terrestrial planets. Pressure‐induced magnetic changes in iron nitrides and effects on compressibility remain poorly understood. Here we report synchrotron X‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results for ε‐Fe7N3and γ′‐Fe4N up to 60 GPa at 300 K. The XES spectra reveal completion of high‐ to low‐spin transition in ε‐Fe7N3and γ′‐Fe4N at 43 and 34 GPa, respectively. The completion of the spin transition induces stiffening in bulk modulus of ε‐Fe7N3by 22% at ~40 GPa, but has no resolvable effect on the compression behavior of γ′‐Fe4N. Fitting pressure‐volume data to the Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state yieldsV0 = 83.29 ± 0.03 (Å3),K0 = 232 ± 9 GPa,K0′ = 4.1 ± 0.5 for nonmagnetic ε‐Fe7N3above the spin transition completion pressure, andV0 = 54.82 ± 0.02 (Å3),K0 = 152 ± 2 GPa,K0′ = 4.0 ± 0.1 for γ′‐Fe4N over the studied pressure range. By reexamining evidence for spin transition and effects on compressibility of other candidate components of terrestrial planet cores, Fe3S, Fe3P, Fe7C3, and Fe3C based on previous XES and XRD measurements, we located the completion of high‐ to low‐spin transition at ~67, 38, 50, and 30 GPa at 300 K, respectively. The completion of spin transitions of Fe3S, Fe3P, and Fe3C induces elastic stiffening, whereas that of Fe7C3induces elastic softening. Changes in compressibility at completion of spin transitions in iron‐light element alloys may influence the properties of Earth's and planetary cores.more » « less
-
Abstract Jeffbenite (Mg3Al2Si3O12) is a tetragonal phase found in so far only in superdeep diamonds, and its thermoelastic parameters are a prerequisite for determining entrapment pressures as it is regarded as a potential indicator for superdeep diamonds. In this study, the thermoelastic properties of synthetic Fe3+‐jeffbenite were measured up to 33.7 GPa and 750 K. High‐temperature static compression data were fitted, giving (∂KT0/∂T)P = −0.0107 (4) GPa/K andαT = 3.50 (3) × 10−5 K−1. The thermoelastic properties and phase stability are applied to modeling isomekes, orP‐Tpaths intersecting possible conditions of entrapment in diamond. We calculate that under ideal exhumation, jeffbenite entrapped at mantle transition zone conditions will exhibit a high remnant pressure at 300 K (Pinc) of ∼5.0 GPa. Elastic geobarometry on future finds of jeffbenite inclusions can use the new equation of state to estimate entrapment pressures for this phase with still highly uncertain stability field in the mantle.more » « less
-
Abstract The transition between blueschist and eclogite plays an important role in subduction zones via dehydration and densification processes in descending oceanic slabs. There are a number of previous petrological studies describing potential mineral reactions taking place at the transition. An experimental determination of such reactions could help constrain the pressure–temperature conditions of the transition as well as the processes of dehydration. However, previous experimental contributions have focused on the stability of spontaneously formed hydrous minerals in basaltic compositions rather than on reactions among already formed blueschist facies minerals. Therefore, this study conducted three groups of experiments to explore the metamorphic reactions among blueschist facies minerals at conditions corresponding to warm subduction, where faster reaction rates are possible on the time scale of laboratory experiments. The first group of experiments was to establish experimental reversals of the reaction glaucophane+paragonite to jadeite+pyrope+quartz+H2O over the range of 2.2–3.5 GPa and 650–820°C. This reaction has long been treated as key to the blueschist–eclogite transition. However, only the growth of glaucophane+paragonite was observed at the intersectional stability field of both paragonite and jadeite+quartz, confirming thermodynamic calculations that the reaction is not stable in the system Na2O–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O. The second set of experiments involved unreversed experiments using glaucophane+zoisite ±quartz in low‐Fe and Ca‐rich systems and were run at 1.8–2.4 GPa and 600–780°C. These produced omphacite+paragonite/kyanite+H2O accompanied by compositional shifts in the sodium amphibole, glaucophane, towards sodium–calcium amphiboles such as winchite (☐(CaNa)(Mg4Al)Si8O22(OH)2) and barroisite (☐(CaNa)(Mg3Al2)(AlSi7)O22(OH)2). This suggests that a two‐step dehydration occurs, first involving the breakdown of glaucophane+zoisite towards a paragonite‐bearing assemblage, then the breakdown of paragonite to release H2O. It also indicates that sodium–calcium amphibole can coexist with eclogite phases, thereby extending the thermal stability of amphibole to greater subduction zone depths. The third set of experiments was an experimental investigation at 2.0–2.4 GPa and 630–850°C involving a high‐Fe (Fe#=Fetotal/(Fetotal+Mg)≈0.36) natural glaucophane, synthetic paragonite and their eclogite‐forming reaction products. The results indicated that garnet and omphacite grew over most of these pressure–temperature conditions, which demonstrates the importance of Fe‐rich glaucophane in forming the key eclogite assemblage of garnet+omphacite, even under warm subduction zone conditions. Based on the experiments of this study, reaction between glaucophane+zoisite is instrumental in controlling dehydration processes at the blueschist–eclogite transition during warm subduction.more » « less
