Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Hydrous mantle transition zone indicated by ringwoodite included within diamond

Nature volume 507, pages 221–224 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The ultimate origin of water in the Earth’s hydrosphere is in the deep Earth—the mantle. Theory1 and experiments2,3,4 have shown that although the water storage capacity of olivine-dominated shallow mantle is limited, the Earth’s transition zone, at depths between 410 and 660 kilometres, could be a major repository for water, owing to the ability of the higher-pressure polymorphs of olivine—wadsleyite and ringwoodite—to host enough water to comprise up to around 2.5 per cent of their weight. A hydrous transition zone may have a key role in terrestrial magmatism and plate tectonics5,6,7, yet despite experimental demonstration of the water-bearing capacity of these phases, geophysical probes such as electrical conductivity have provided conflicting results8,9,10, and the issue of whether the transition zone contains abundant water remains highly controversial11. Here we report X-ray diffraction, Raman and infrared spectroscopic data that provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for the terrestrial occurrence of any higher-pressure polymorph of olivine: we find ringwoodite included in a diamond from Juína, Brazil. The water-rich nature of this inclusion, indicated by infrared absorption, along with the preservation of the ringwoodite, is direct evidence that, at least locally, the transition zone is hydrous, to about 1 weight per cent. The finding also indicates that some kimberlites must have their primary sources in this deep mantle region.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Raman spectra of ringwoodite and walstromite inclusions in Juína diamond JUc29.
Figure 2: FTIR spectra of ringwoodite inclusion in Juína diamond JUc29.

References

  1. Smyth, J. R. β-Mg2SiO4: a potential host for water in the mantle? Am. Mineral. 72, 1051–1055 (1987)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chen, J., Inoue, T., Yurimoto, H. & Weidner, D. J. Effect of water on olivine- wadsleyite phase boundary in the (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 system. J. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, 1875 (2002)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kohlstedt, D. L., Keppler, H. & Rubie, D. C. Solubility of water in the α, β and γ phases of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 . Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 123, 345–357 (1996)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Smyth, J. R. et al. Structural systematics of hydrous ringwoodite and water in Earth’s interior. Am. Mineral. 88, 1402–1407 (2003)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bercovici, D. & Karato, S. Whole-mantle convection and the transition zone water filter. Nature 425, 39–44 (2003)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bolfan-Casanova, N. Water in the Earth’s mantle. Mineral. Mag. 69, 229–258 (2005)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hirschmann, M. Water, melting and the deep Earth H2O cycle. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 34, 629–653 (2006)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Huang, X., Xu, Y. & Karato, S. Water content in the transition zone from electrical conductivity of wadsleyite and ringwoodite. Nature 434, 746–749 (2005)

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Xu, Y., Shankland, T. J. & Rubie, D. C. Electrical conductivity of olivine, wadsleyite and ringwoodite under upper-mantle conditions. Science 280, 1415–1418 (1998)

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Yoshino, T., Manthilake, G., Matsuzaki, T. & Katsura, T. Dry mantle transition zone inferred from the conductivity of wadsleyite and ringwoodite. Nature 451, 326–329 (2008)

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Khan, A. & Shankland, T. J. A geological perspective on mantle water content and melting: inverting electromagnetic sounding data using laboratory-based electrical conductivity profiles. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 317–318, 27–43 (2012)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Agee, C. B. in Ultrahigh-Pressure Mineralogy (ed. Hemley, R. J. ) 165–203 (Rev. Mineral. 37, Mineralogical Society of America, 1998)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ringwood, A. E. & Major, A. The system Mg2SiO4-Fe2SiO4 at high pressures and temperatures. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 3, 89–108 (1970)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ye, Y. et al. Compressibility and thermal expansion of hydrous ringwoodite with 2.5 wt% H2O. Am. Mineral. 97, 573–582 (2012)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Harris, J. W., Hutchison, M. T., Hursthouse, M., Light, M. & Harte, B. A new tetragonal silicate mineral occurring as inclusions in lower mantle diamonds. Nature 387, 486–488 (1997)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Harte, B. & Harris, J. W. Lower mantle associations preserved in diamonds. Mineral. Mag. 58A, 384–385 (1994)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Harte, B., Harris, J. W., Hutchison, M. T., Watt, G. R. & Wilding, M. C. in Mantle Petrology: Field Observations and High Pressure Experimentation Vol. 6 (eds Fei, Y. & Bertka, C. M. ) 125–153 (Geochem. Soc. Spec. Publ., The Geochemical Society, 1999)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hutchison, M. T., Cartigny, P. & Harris, J. W. in Proc. 7th Int. Kimberlite Conf. (eds Gurney, J. J., Gurney, J. L., Pascoe, M. D. & Richardson, S. H. ) 372–382 (Red Roof Design, 1999)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hutchison, M. T., Hursthouse, M. B. & Light, M. E. Mineral inclusions in diamonds: associations and chemical distinctions around the 670-km discontinuity. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 142, 119–126 (2001)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Brenker, F. et al. Detection of a Ca-rich lithology in the deep (>300 km) convecting mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 236, 579–587 (2005)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Stachel, T., Brey, G. P. & Harris, J. W. Inclusions in sublithospheric diamonds: glimpses of deep Earth. Elements 1, 73–78 (2005)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stachel, T., Harris, J. W., Brey, G. P. & Joswig, W. Kankan diamonds (Guinea) II: lower mantle inclusion paragenesis. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 140, 16–27 (2000)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bulanova, G. et al. Mineral inclusions in sublithospheric diamonds from Collier 4 kimberlite pipe, Juina, Brazil: subducted protoliths, carbonated melts and primary kimberlite magmatism. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 160, 489–510 (2010)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hayman, P. C., Kopylova, M. G. & Kaminsky, F. V. Lower mantle diamonds from Rio Soriso (Juina area, Mato Grosso, Brazil). Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 149, 430–445 (2005)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Tappert, R., Stachel, T., Harris, J. W., Shimizu, N. & Brey, G. P. Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the Panda kimberlite, Slave Province, Canada. Eur. J. Mineral. 17, 423–440 (2005)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Harte, B. Diamond formation in the deep mantle: the record of mineral inclusions and their distribution in relation to mantle dehydration zones. Mineral. Mag. 74, 189–215 (2010)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Jacobsen, S. D., Smyth, J. R., Spetzler, H., Holl, C. M. & Frost, D. J. Sound velocities and elastic constants of iron-bearing hydrous ringwoodite. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 143–144, 47–56 (2004)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Blanchard, M., Balan, E. & Wright, K. Incorporation of water in iron-free ringwoodite: a first principles study. Am. Mineral. 94, 83–89 (2009)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bolfan-Casanova, N., Keppler, H. & Rubie, D. C. Water partitioning between nominally anhydrous minerals in the MgO-SiO2-H2O system up to 24 GPa: implications for the distribution of water in the Earth’s mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 182, 209–221 (2000)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Keppler, H. & Bolfan-Casanova, N. in Water in Nominally Anhydrous Minerals (eds Keppler, H. & Smyth, J. R. ) 193–230 (Rev. Mineral. 62, Mineralogical Society of America, 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kleppe, A. K., Jephcoat, A. P. & Smyth, J. R. Raman spectroscopic study of hydrous γ-Mg2SiO4 to 56.5 GPa. Phys. Chem. Miner. 29, 473–476 (2002)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kelbert, A., Schultz, A. & Egbert, G. Global electromagnetic induction constraints on transition-zone water content variations. Nature 460, 1003–1006 (2009)

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Chen, M., El Goresy, A. & Gillet, P. Ringwoodite lamellae in olivine: clues to olivine–ringwoodite phase transition mechanisms in shocked meteorites and subducting slabs. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 101, 15033–15037 (2004)

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Brenker, F. E. et al. Carbonates from the lower part of the transition zone or even the lower mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 260, 1–9 (2007)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Silversmit, G. et al. Polycapillary based μ-XAS and confocal μ-XANES at a bending magnet source of the ESRF. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 190, 012036 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Yamanaka, T. Crystal structures of Ni2SiO4 and Fe2SiO4 as a function of temperature and heating duration. Phys. Chem. Miner. 13, 227–232 (1986)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Fujino, K. & Sasaki, S. X-ray determination of electron distributions in forsterite, fayalite and tephroite. Acta Crystallogr. B 37, 513–518 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Finger, L. W., Hazen, R. M., Zhang, J., Ko, J. & Navrotsky, A. The effect of Fe on the crystal structure of wadsleyite β-(Mg1−xFex)2SiO4, 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.40. Phys. Chem. Miner. 19, 361–368 (1993)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Nasdala, L. et al. Spectroscopic 2D-tomography: residual pressure and strain around mineral inclusions in diamonds. Eur. J. Mineral. 15, 931–935 (2003)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Grimsditch, M. H., Anastassakis, E. & Cardona, M. Effect of uniaxial stress on the zone-centre optical phonon of diamond. Phys. Rev. 18, 901–904 (1978)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Baonza, V. G., Taravillo, M., Arencibia, A., Caceres, M. & Nunez, J. Diamond as a pressure sensor in high-pressure Raman spectroscopy using sapphire and other gem anvil cells. J. Raman Spectrosc. 34, 264–270 (2003)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Kleppe, A. K., Jephcoat, A. P., Smyth, J. R. & Frost, D. J. On protons, iron and the high pressure behavior of ringwoodite. J. Geophys. Res. 29, 2021 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Liu, L., Lin, T., Mernagh, P. & Inoue, T. Raman spectra of hydrous γ-Mg2SiO4 at various pressure and temperatures. Phys. Chem. Miner. 29, 181–187 (2002)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Feng, L., Lin, Y., Hu, S., Xu, L. & Miao, B. Estimating compositions of natural ringwoodite in the heavily shocked Grove Mountains 052049 meteorite from Raman spectra. Am. Mineral. 96, 1480–1489 (2011)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Koch-Müller, M. & Rhede, D. IR absorption coefficients for water in nominally anhydrous high-pressure minerals. Am. Mineral. 95, 770–775 (2010)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. Matveev, S. & Stachel, T. FTIR spectroscopy of OH in olivine: a new tool in kimberlite exploration. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 5528–5543 (2007)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Libowitzky, E. & Rossman, G. R. Principles of quantitative absorbance measurements in anisotropic crystals. Phys. Chem. Miner. 23, 319–327 (1996)

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

D.G.P. acknowledges CERC funding for this study. F.N. is supported by ERC Starting Grant 307322. Support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Deep Carbon Observatory project created this research partnership. We thank T. Stachel for comments on the manuscript plus access to the FTIR instrument at the De Beers Laboratory of Diamond Research at the University of Alberta, and we thank J. Harris for discussions. Sample JUc29 was provided by Trigon GeoServices Ltd.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada,

    D. G. Pearson & S. Matveev

  2. Geoscience Institute – Mineralogy, Goethe University, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany,

    F. E. Brenker & S. Schmitz

  3. Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università di Padova, 35137 Padua, Italy,

    F. Nestola

  4. Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK,

    J. McNeill & K. Mather

  5. Institut für Mineralogie und Kristallographie, Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien, Austria,

    L. Nasdala

  6. Trigon GeoServices Ltd, 2780 South Jones Boulevard, #35-15, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146, USA,

    M. T. Hutchison

  7. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S12, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium,

    G. Silversmit, B. Vekemans & L. Vincze

Authors
  1. D. G. Pearson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. E. Brenker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. Nestola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. McNeill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. Nasdala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. T. Hutchison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. S. Matveev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. K. Mather
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. G. Silversmit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. S. Schmitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. B. Vekemans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. L. Vincze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

D.G.P. had the idea for the study, wrote the manuscript and helped perform the Raman and FTIR measurements. F.E.B. performed the Raman measurements and ion-milling and made compositional estimates. F.N. performed X-ray measurements. J.M. and L.N. first identified the inclusion as ringwoodite. M.T.H. selected the diamond for this study and assisted with manuscript preparation and geological background. S.M. performed the FTIR measurements and the water content estimate. K.M. assisted with manuscript preparation. G.S., S.S., B.V. and L.V. performed the synchrotron X-ray mapping measurements.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. G. Pearson.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Extended data figures and tables

Extended Data Figure 1 Image of JUc29 diamond and the ringwoodite-walstromite inclusion.

a, Monochrome image of diamond JUc29 taken under incident light, with the ringwoodite-walstromite inclusion pair highlighted by a red square. The irregular shape and hexagonal pits in the diamond are signs of significant resorption. b, Enlarged view of the area of the host diamond (rotated 90° relative to a) containing the ringwoodite-walstromite inclusion pair. The shadow behind the rectangular area outlining the inclusion pair is probably a stress fracture in the diamond.

Extended Data Figure 2 Three-dimensional confocal μXRF view of two-phase ringwoodite-walstromite inclusion.

Three-dimensional confocal μXRF view of two-phase inclusion within JUc29 diamond, showing Ca (red) and Fe (green) low-intensity isosurfaces for confocal μXRF, with blue representing the diamond host (derived from scatter intensity). Scale bar, 40 μm.

Extended Data Figure 3 Single-crystal X-ray diffraction image showing the main diffraction peaks of ringwoodite.

CCD image collected by a STOE STADI IV single-crystal diffractometer, using monochromatized MoKα radiation (λ = 0.71073 Å), working at 50 kV and 40 mA and with an exposure time of 60 s. The image shows the main four diffraction peaks of ringwoodite (outlined by blue circles and labelled “RINGW” for clarity), that is, the planes (113) at 2.44 Å, (440) at 1.40 Å, (220) at 2.81 Å and (115) at 1.51 Å, in their exact order of expected relative intensity, which is well determined by CCD. The expected fifth peak, at about 2.02 Å, was not found because it is covered by the very intense diamond peak, which occurs at the same d spacing (large and bright peaks in figure). In addition to the ringwoodite diffraction peaks, the main peaks of the host diamond are present as the most intense peaks (labelled ‘diamond’). The characteristic peaks of quartz are evident (labelled ‘quartz’). Secondary quartz crystals occur in resorption pits on the sample surface but quartz is not included within the diamond. The diffraction rings result from clay minerals again present on the surface of the diamond. Finally, at least one diffraction peak, that occurring at 3.03 Å, probably results from CaSiO3-walstromite (labelled ‘walstromite?’).

Related audio

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pearson, D., Brenker, F., Nestola, F. et al. Hydrous mantle transition zone indicated by ringwoodite included within diamond. Nature 507, 221–224 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13080

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13080

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing