Spin Crossover in Ferropericlase at High Pressure: A Seismologically Transparent Transition?

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Abstract

Seismic discontinuities in Earth typically arise from structural, chemical, or temperature variations with increasing depth. The pressure-induced iron spin state transition in the lower mantle may influence seismic wave velocities by changing the elasticity of iron-bearing minerals, but no seismological evidence of an anomaly exists. Inelastic x-ray scattering measurements on (Mg(0.83)Fe(0.17))O-ferropericlase at pressures across the spin transition show effects limited to the only shear moduli of the elastic tensor. This explains the absence of deviation in the aggregate seismic velocities and, thus, the lack of a one-dimensional seismic signature of the spin crossover. The spin state transition does, however, influence shear anisotropy of ferropericlase and should contribute to the seismic shear wave anisotropy of the lower mantle.

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Reduced radiative conductivity of low-spin (Mg,Fe)O in the lower mantle.

Alexander Goncharov, Viktor V Struzhkin, Steven D Jacobsen (2006)

Optical absorption spectra have been measured at pressures up to 80 gigapascals (GPa) for the lower-mantle oxide magnesiowüstite (Mg,Fe)O. Upon reaching the high-spin to low-spin transition of Fe2+ at about 60 GPa, we observed enhanced absorption in the mid- and near-infrared spectral range, whereas absorption in the visible-ultraviolet was reduced. The observed changes in absorption are in contrast to prediction and are attributed to d-d orbital charge transfer in the Fe2+ ion. The results indicate that low-spin (Mg,Fe)O will exhibit lower radiative thermal conductivity than high-spin (Mg,Fe)O, which needs to be considered in future geodynamic models of convection and plume stabilization in the lower mantle.

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Spin transition and equations of state of (Mg, Fe)O solid solutions

Heather Watson, Yue Meng, Alexandre Corgne … (2007)

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Elastic shear anisotropy of ferropericlase in Earth's lower mantle.

Sergio Speziale, Hauke Marquardt, Frank R. Schilling … (2009)

Seismic shear anisotropy in the lowermost mantle most likely results from elastic shear anisotropy and lattice preferred orientation of its constituent minerals, including perovskite, post-perovskite, and ferropericlase. Measurements of the elastic shear anisotropy of single-crystal (Mg0.9Fe0.1)O up to 69 gigapascals (GPa) show that it increased considerably across the pressure-induced spin transition of iron between 40 and 60 GPa. Increasing iron content further enhances the anisotropy. This leads to at least 50% stronger elastic shear anisotropy of (Mg,Fe)O in the lowermost mantle compared to MgO, which is typically used in geodynamic modeling. Our results imply that ferropericlase is the dominant cause of seismic shear anisotropy in the lower mantle.