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A role for subducting clays in the water transportation into the Earth’s lower mantle

Author

Listed:
  • Yoonah Bang

    (Yonsei University
    Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI))

  • Huijeong Hwang

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
    Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Hanns-Peter Liermann

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY))

  • Duck Young Kim

    (Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research
    Pohang University of Science and Technology)

  • Yu He

    (Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tae-Yeol Jeon

    (POSTECH)

  • Tae Joo Shin

    (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST))

  • Dongzhou Zhang

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa
    University of Chicago)

  • Dmitry Popov

    (X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory)

  • Yongjae Lee

    (Yonsei University)

Abstract

Subducting sedimentary layer typically contains water and hydrated clay minerals. The stability of clay minerals under such hydrous subduction environment would therefore constraint the lithology and physical properties of the subducting slab interface. Here we show that pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2), one of the representative clay minerals in the alumina-silica-water (Al2O3-SiO2-H2O, ASH) system, breakdowns to contain further hydrated minerals, gibbsite (Al(OH)3) and diaspore (AlO(OH)), when subducts along a water-saturated cold subduction geotherm. Such a hydration breakdown occurs at a depth of ~135 km to uptake water by ~1.8 wt%. Subsequently, dehydration breakdown occurs at ~185 km depth to release back the same amount of water, after which the net crystalline water content is preserved down to ~660 km depth, delivering a net amount of ~5.0 wt% H2O in a phase assemblage containing δ-AlOOH and phase Egg (AlSiO3(OH)). Our results thus demonstrate the importance of subducting clays to account the delivery of ~22% of water down to the lower mantle.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoonah Bang & Huijeong Hwang & Hanns-Peter Liermann & Duck Young Kim & Yu He & Tae-Yeol Jeon & Tae Joo Shin & Dongzhou Zhang & Dmitry Popov & Yongjae Lee, 2024. "A role for subducting clays in the water transportation into the Earth’s lower mantle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48501-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48501-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Greg Holland & Chris J. Ballentine, 2006. "Seawater subduction controls the heavy noble gas composition of the mantle," Nature, Nature, vol. 441(7090), pages 186-191, May.
    2. T. Irifune & Y. Higo & T. Inoue & Y. Kono & H. Ohfuji & K. Funakoshi, 2008. "Sound velocities of majorite garnet and the composition of the mantle transition region," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7180), pages 814-817, February.
    3. Gil Chan Hwang & Huijeong Hwang & Yoonah Bang & Jinhyuk Choi & Yong Park & Tae-Yeol Jeon & Boknam Chae & Haemyeong Jung & Yongjae Lee, 2021. "A role for subducted albite in the water cycle and alkalinity of subduction fluids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-7, December.
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