Periclase deforms more slowly than bridgmanite under mantle conditions.

ABSTRACT: Transport of heat from the interior of the Earth drives convection in the mantle, which involves the deformation of solid rocks over billions of years. The lower mantle of the Earth is mostly composed of iron-bearing bridgmanite MgSiO₃ and approximately 25% volume periclase MgO (also with some iron). It is commonly accepted that ferropericlase is weaker than bridgmanite¹. Considerable progress has been made in recent years to study assemblages representative of the lower mantle under the relevant pressure and temperature conditions^2,3. However, the natural strain rates are 8 to 10 orders of magnitude lower than in the laboratory, and are still inaccessible to us. Once the deformation mechanisms of rocks and their constituent minerals have been identified, i

SUBMITTER: Cordier P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9834053 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature