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Global scale uniformitarianism and catastrophism dictated by crust‐to‐core volatile cycles
Author(s) -
Mao Hokwang,
Ding Yang,
Kim Duckyoung,
Hu Qingyang,
Liu Jin,
Yang Liuxiang,
Yang Wenge,
Zhang Li,
Mao Wendy L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/1755-6724.13901
Subject(s) - crust , scale (ratio) , earth science , core (optical fiber) , geology , astrobiology , history , physical geography , paleontology , geography , computer science , cartography , physics , telecommunications
Recent theoretical and experimental studies have revealed dramatically altered chemistry at the high pressure-temperature lower-mantle conditions that can produce a highly oxidized form of FeO2 by pressureinduced decomposition of goethite (FeO2H) and releasing free hydrogen (Hu et al, 2016). Generalization of this reaction indicates that in the presence of iron or iron oxides, the water cycle in the lower mantle deeper that 1800 km turns into a water-down-hydrogen-up cycle (Hu et al, 2017). When the subducted plates continuously supply water to meet the inexhaustible reservoir of iron in the core, hydrogen will be released and make the core-mantle boundary (CMB) a gigantic hydrogen generator, that provides a constant source for formation of hydrocarbons and other biochemical ingredients. Meanwhile, the oxygen will be left to form FeO2 that amasses in oxygen-rich patches at the CMB (Mao et al, 2017). The anomalous seismic behaviors of the D” layer above the CMB are consistent with the elastic properties of FeO2 (Liu et al, 2017).