The minerals constituting the Earth’s upper mantle are nominally anhydrous silicates (NAMs: olivine, pyroxenes, garnet, spinel), but they can contain hydrogen as a trace element, decorating point defects in their crystalline structure. Experimental petrology and mineralogy have quantified the maximum concentration under a large range of compositional and thermodynamic conditions, but systematic studies on the hydrogen concentration in minerals from mantle-derived rocks have only recently been carried out. Here, we will present a compilation the distribution of hydrogen in upper mantle peridotite xenoliths, from which several conclusions can be drawn. We will also explore the consequences on the viscosity of Earth’s mantle lithosphere.
Distribution & Mobility of Hydrogen in the Earth’s Lithosphere.
by
Sylvie Demouchy
From the University of Montpellier
Hosted by Razvan Caracas
Published Jan. 3, 2021 2:41 PM
- Last modified Jan. 7, 2021 2:25 PM