The Effect of H 2 O on the 410-Kilometer Seismic Discontinuity
- 7 April 1995
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 268 (5207) , 74-76
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.268.5207.74
Abstract
The 410-kilometer seismic discontinuity is generally considered to be caused by a phase transformation of the main constituent of the upper mantle, olivine, α-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4, to β-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4. Recent data show that H2O dissolves in olivine and other nominally anhydrous mantle minerals and that the partitioning of H2O between olivine and β-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4 is about 1:10. Such behavior strongly affects the region over which the α to β phase transformation occurs and hence the seismic discontinuity that results. The observed width of the discontinuity constrains the maximum H2O content of upper mantle olivine to about 200 parts per million by weight.Keywords
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