Monday, October 30, 2006
Mineral Physics: Conductivity Of Mantle Minerals
Okayama University (Japan), 29 October: The uppermost region of the Earth's mantle has an unusually high electrical conductivity, which some believe is due to a chemical reaction between water and the olivine minerals found in the rock. But the effect of water on such minerals, thorough the incorporation of hydrogen has yet to be determined in the laboratory. In Nature this week, two groups present such laboratory data, constraining the effect of hydrogen on the electrical conductivity of olivine.
Takashi Yoshino and colleagues present measurements of the electrical conductivity of single crystals of olivine, while Shun-ichiro Karato and colleagues make measurements on olivine aggregates. Although both groups find that small amounts of hydrogen increase the electrical conductivity of olivine by two to three orders of magnitude, their conclusions regarding whether such hydration can explain the observed conductivity of the mantle are at odds. More work is needed to resolve the discrepancy.
(ResearchSEA)
Takashi Yoshino and colleagues present measurements of the electrical conductivity of single crystals of olivine, while Shun-ichiro Karato and colleagues make measurements on olivine aggregates. Although both groups find that small amounts of hydrogen increase the electrical conductivity of olivine by two to three orders of magnitude, their conclusions regarding whether such hydration can explain the observed conductivity of the mantle are at odds. More work is needed to resolve the discrepancy.
(ResearchSEA)
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