Influence of water on the physical properties of olivine, wadsleyite, and ringwoodite

Abstract

The incorporation of water in nominally anhydrous minerals plays a crucial role in many geodynamic processes and evolution of the Earth and affects the physical and chemical properties of the main constituents of the Earth's mantle. Technological advances now allow the transport properties of minerals to be precisely measured under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature (P and T) that closely mimic the P–T conditions throughout much of the Earth's interior. This contribution provides an overview of the recent progress in the experimental studies on the influence of water on physical properties (i.e., diffusivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, sound velocity, and rheology) of olivine, wadsleyite, and ringwoodite together with their applications. In particular, consistency among various experimental data is investigated, discrepancies are evaluated, and confusions are clarified. With such progress in the experimental determination of transport properties of major mantle minerals, we can expect new insights into a broad range of geoscience problems. Many unresolved issues around water inside Earth require an integrated approach and concerted efforts from multiple disciplines.