Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone
Abstract Previous high-temperature-pressure experiments predicted metallic iron’s potential presence in the deep mantle below 250 km, arising from ferrous disproportionation in silicates, which could profoundly impact the redox environment and physicochemical properties. However, direct natural petr...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60566-y |
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| author | Fabin Pan Xiang Wu Chao Wang Yanfei Zhang Yiping Yang Xiaobo He Chong Jin Lian Zhou Hongfei Zhang Hongping He Junfeng Zhang |
| author_facet | Fabin Pan Xiang Wu Chao Wang Yanfei Zhang Yiping Yang Xiaobo He Chong Jin Lian Zhou Hongfei Zhang Hongping He Junfeng Zhang |
| author_sort | Fabin Pan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Previous high-temperature-pressure experiments predicted metallic iron’s potential presence in the deep mantle below 250 km, arising from ferrous disproportionation in silicates, which could profoundly impact the redox environment and physicochemical properties. However, direct natural petrological evidence has been lacking, except scant clues like Fe-alloy inclusions in ultradeep diamonds. Here we present peridotite fragments, found in Cenozoic basalts from eastern China, containing decomposed Na-rich majoritic garnets (from depths of 410-550 km) and olivine with Fe0-spinel-bearing inclusions, likely originated from retrograded wadsleyite/ringwoodite. Enriched Zn-Sr isotopic compositions of the decomposed garnet indicate an origin associated with the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. Disproportionation of iron is evidenced by widely distributed submicron-sized spherical Fe-Ni alloys and Fe3+-rich (Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.35-0.40) olivine. These findings provide compelling evidence for recycling of stagnant slab components in the eastern Asia big mantle wedge (BMW), and iron disproportionation in the deep mantle. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4d1077a083164dd09328272cfc2d9ba9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-4d1077a083164dd09328272cfc2d9ba92025-08-20T03:03:29ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611810.1038/s41467-025-60566-yIron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zoneFabin Pan0Xiang Wu1Chao Wang2Yanfei Zhang3Yiping Yang4Xiaobo He5Chong Jin6Lian Zhou7Hongfei Zhang8Hongping He9Junfeng Zhang10State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Processes and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of SciencesMarine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean UniversityZhejiang Institute of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesState Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Processes and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and School of Earth Science, China University of GeosciencesAbstract Previous high-temperature-pressure experiments predicted metallic iron’s potential presence in the deep mantle below 250 km, arising from ferrous disproportionation in silicates, which could profoundly impact the redox environment and physicochemical properties. However, direct natural petrological evidence has been lacking, except scant clues like Fe-alloy inclusions in ultradeep diamonds. Here we present peridotite fragments, found in Cenozoic basalts from eastern China, containing decomposed Na-rich majoritic garnets (from depths of 410-550 km) and olivine with Fe0-spinel-bearing inclusions, likely originated from retrograded wadsleyite/ringwoodite. Enriched Zn-Sr isotopic compositions of the decomposed garnet indicate an origin associated with the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. Disproportionation of iron is evidenced by widely distributed submicron-sized spherical Fe-Ni alloys and Fe3+-rich (Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.35-0.40) olivine. These findings provide compelling evidence for recycling of stagnant slab components in the eastern Asia big mantle wedge (BMW), and iron disproportionation in the deep mantle.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60566-y |
| spellingShingle | Fabin Pan Xiang Wu Chao Wang Yanfei Zhang Yiping Yang Xiaobo He Chong Jin Lian Zhou Hongfei Zhang Hongping He Junfeng Zhang Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone Nature Communications |
| title | Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| title_full | Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| title_fullStr | Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| title_short | Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| title_sort | iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60566-y |
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