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Water-induced Diamond Formation at Earth's Core-Mantle Boundary
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  • Byeongkwan Ko,
  • Stella Chariton,
  • Vitali B Prakapenka,
  • Bin Chen,
  • Edward J. Garnero,
  • Mingming Li,
  • Sang-Heon Shim
Byeongkwan Ko
Michigan State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Stella Chariton
University of Chicago
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Vitali B Prakapenka
University of Chicago
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Bin Chen
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Edward J. Garnero
Arizona State University
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Mingming Li
Arizona State University
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Sang-Heon Shim
ASU
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Abstract

The carbon and water cycles in the Earth’s interior are linked to key planetary processes, such as mantle melting, degassing, chemical differentiation, and advection. However, the role of water in the carbon exchange between the mantle and core is not well known. Here, we show experimental results of a reaction between Fe3C and H2O at pressures and temperatures of the deep mantle and core-mantle boundary (CMB). The reaction produces diamond, FeO, and FeHx, suggesting that water can liberate carbon from the core in the form of diamond (“core carbon extraction”) while the core gains hydrogen, if subducted water reaches to the CMB. Therefore, Earth’s deep water and carbon cycles can be linked. The extracted core carbon can explain a significant amount of the present-day mantle carbon. Also, if diamond can be collected by mantle flow in the region, it can result in unusually high seismic-velocity structures.