CaSiO3 perovskite in diamond indicates the recycling of oceanic crust into the lower mantle

CaSiO3 perovskite in diamond indicates the recycling of oceanic crust into the lower mantle Nature 555, 7695 (2018). doi:10.1038/nature25972 Authors: F. Nestola, N. Korolev, M. Kopylova, N. Rotiroti, D. G. Pearson, M. G. Pamato, M. Alvaro, L. Peruzzo, J. J. Gurney, A. E. Moore & J. Davidson Laboratory experiments and seismology data have created a clear theoretical picture of the most abundant minerals that comprise the deeper parts of the Earth’s mantle. Discoveries of some of these minerals in ‘super-deep’ diamonds—formed between two hundred and about one thousand kilometres into the lower mantle—have confirmed part of this picture. A notable exception is the high-pressure perovskite-structured polymorph of calcium silicate (CaSiO3). This mineral—expected to be the fourth most abundant in the Earth—has not previously been found in nature. Being the dominant host for calcium and, owing to its accommodating crystal structure, the major sink for heat-producing elements (potassium, uranium and thorium) in the transition zone and lower mantle, it is critical to establish its presence. Here we report the discovery of the perovskite-structured polymorph of CaSiO3 in a diamond from South African Cullinan kimberlite. The mineral is intergrown with about six per cent calcium titanate (CaTiO3). The titanium-rich composition of this inclusion indicates a bulk composition consistent with derivation from basaltic oceanic crust subducted to pre...
Source: Nature - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Letter Source Type: research