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Melting and defect transitions in FeO up to pressures of Earth’s core-mantle boundary

Author

Listed:
  • Vasilije V. Dobrosavljevic

    (Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
    Now at Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science)

  • Dongzhou Zhang

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Wolfgang Sturhahn

    (Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology)

  • Stella Chariton

    (The University of Chicago)

  • Vitali B. Prakapenka

    (The University of Chicago)

  • Jiyong Zhao

    (Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Thomas S. Toellner

    (Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Olivia S. Pardo

    (Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
    Physical & Life Sciences Directorate)

  • Jennifer M. Jackson

    (Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology)

Abstract

The high-pressure melting curve of FeO controls key aspects of Earth’s deep interior and the evolution of rocky planets more broadly. However, existing melting studies on wüstite were conducted across a limited pressure range and exhibit substantial disagreement. Here we use an in-situ dual-technique approach that combines a suite of >1000 x-ray diffraction and synchrotron Mössbauer measurements to report the melting curve for Fe1-xO wüstite to pressures of Earth’s lowermost mantle. We further observe features in the data suggesting an order-disorder transition in the iron defect structure several hundred kelvin below melting. This solid-solid transition, suggested by decades of ambient pressure research, is detected across the full pressure range of the study (30 to 140 GPa). At 136 GPa, our results constrain a relatively high melting temperature of 4140 ± 110 K, which falls above recent temperature estimates for Earth’s present-day core-mantle boundary and supports the viability of solid FeO-rich structures at the roots of mantle plumes. The coincidence of the defect order-disorder transition with pressure-temperature conditions of Earth’s mantle base raises broad questions about its possible influence on key physical properties of the region, including rheology and conductivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasilije V. Dobrosavljevic & Dongzhou Zhang & Wolfgang Sturhahn & Stella Chariton & Vitali B. Prakapenka & Jiyong Zhao & Thomas S. Toellner & Olivia S. Pardo & Jennifer M. Jackson, 2023. "Melting and defect transitions in FeO up to pressures of Earth’s core-mantle boundary," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43154-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43154-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. T. Kimura & H. Ohfuji & M. Nishi & T. Irifune, 2017. "Melting temperatures of MgO under high pressure by micro-texture analysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, August.
    2. Sebastian Rost & Edward J. Garnero & Quentin Williams & Michael Manga, 2005. "Seismological constraints on a possible plume root at the core–mantle boundary," Nature, Nature, vol. 435(7042), pages 666-669, June.
    3. S. Labrosse & J. W. Hernlund & N. Coltice, 2007. "A crystallizing dense magma ocean at the base of the Earth’s mantle," Nature, Nature, vol. 450(7171), pages 866-869, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wai-Ga D. Ho & Peng Zhang & Kristjan Haule & Jennifer M. Jackson & Vladimir Dobrosavljević & Vasilije V. Dobrosavljevic, 2024. "Quantum critical phase of FeO spans conditions of Earth’s lower mantle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.

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