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.