Water in Earth's Lower Mantle
Abstract
Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements show that Earth's representative lower mantle minerals synthesized in a natural peridotitic composition can dissolve considerable amounts of hydrogen. Both MgSiO3-rich perovskite and magnesiowüstite contain about 0.2 weight percent (wt%) H2O, and CaSiO3-rich perovskite contains about 0.4 wt% H2O. The OH absorption bands in Mg-perovskite and magnesiowüstite were also confirmed with the use of infrared microspectroscopic measurements. Earth's lower mantle may store about five times more H2O than the oceans.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- March 2002
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2002Sci...295.1885M
- Keywords:
-
- GEOCHEM PHYS