Lattice thermal conductivity of dense silicate glass at high pressures

Abstract:

The layered structure of the Earth's interior is generally believed to develop through the magma ocean differentiation in the early Earth. Previous seismic studies revealed the existence of ultra low velocity zones above the core mantle boundary (CMB) which was inferred to be associated with the remnant of a deep magma ocean. The heat flux through the core mantle boundary therefore would strongly depend on the thermal conductivity, both lattice (k_lat) and radiative (k_rad) of dense silicate melts and major constituent minerals of the lower mantle. Recent experimental results on the radiative thermal conductivity of dense silicate glasses and lower-mantle minerals suggest that k_rad of dense silicate glasses could be remarkably lower than k_rad of the surrounding solid mantle phases. In this case, the dense silicate melts will act as a trap for heat from the Earth’s outer core. However, this conclusion remains uncertain because of the lack of direct measurements on lattice thermal conductivities of silicate glasses/melts under lower mantle pressures up to date. Here we report experimental results on lattice thermal conductivities of dense silicate glass with basaltic composition under pressures relevant to the Earth’s lower mantle in a diamond-anvil cell using time-domain thermoreflectance method. The study will assist the comprehension of thermal transport properties of silicate melts in the Earth’s deep interior and is crucial for understanding the dynamic and thermal evolution of the Earth’s internal structure.