Anomalous compressibility of ferropericlase throughout the iron spin cross-over.
The thermoelastic properties of ferropericlase Mg(1-x)Fe(x)O (x = 0.1875) throughout the iron high-to-low spin cross-over have been investigated by first principles at Earth's lower mantle conditions. This cross-over has important consequences for elasticity such as an anomalous bulk modulus (K(S)) reduction. At room temperature the anomaly is somewhat sharp in pressure but broadens with increasing temperature. Along a typical geotherm it occurs across most of the lower mantle with a more significant K(S) reduction at approximately 1,400-1,600 km depth. This anomaly might also cause a reduction in the effective activation energy for diffusion creep and lead to a viscosity minimum in the mid-lower mantle, in apparent agreement with results from inversion of data related with mantle convection and postglacial rebound.
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. wentzcov@cems.umn.edu
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Wentzcovitch
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Justo
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Wu
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da Silva
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Yuen
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Kohlstedt