On the 650-km seismic discontinuity

Computer Science – Sound

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

The pressure-temperature conditions and the variations of both density and bulk sound velocity in the vicinity of the 650-km discontinuity have been compared with those calculated for the phase transitions in both the olivine and the pyroxene-garnet components of the mantle material. These studies suggest that the mantle below about 650 km is composed primarily of perovskite phase, as distinct from the olivine-rich upper mantle. Thus, the ``650-km'' discontinuity is not likely to be associated with any of the equilibrium phase boundaries observed in olivine, pyroxene, and garnet, and is proposed instead to be a chemical change. It is suggested that the following factors may be responsible for chemical separation: the pyroxene-garnet component transforms to much denser phases possessing the ilmenite and perovskite structures before the breakdown of the spinel phase into a mixture of perovskite plus rocksalt phases. The perovskite phase is also much denser than the rocksalt phase and the two phases may not form a gravitationally stable mixture. Thus, the denser phases may tend to sink to or stay at the deep part of the mantle, causing chemical separation. Possible separation processes are discussed and the supporting observations are presented.

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