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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
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Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
Published on: November 15, 2013
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Deep mantle clues to Earth's watery beginning
1Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Science, Washington, DC, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Minerals in Earth's lower mantle might hold significantly more water than previously thought. This discovery impacts our understanding of planetary water reservoirs and geological processes.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Mineral Physics
- Seismology
Background:
- The Earth's deep interior, particularly the lower mantle, is a potential reservoir for significant amounts of water.
- Previous estimates of water storage in the lower mantle are limited by mineralogical and geophysical data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the water storage capacity of minerals within the Earth's lower mantle.
- To integrate new mineral physics data with geophysical observations.
Main Methods:
- High-pressure and high-temperature experiments on mantle minerals.
- Spectroscopic analysis to determine water content in minerals.
- Seismic wave analysis to infer mineral composition and hydration state.
Main Results:
- Certain minerals stable in the lower mantle exhibit a higher affinity for hydrogen incorporation than previously assumed.
- Revised models suggest a water content in the lower mantle potentially orders of magnitude greater than surface oceans.
Conclusions:
- The lower mantle could be a major global water reservoir, influencing mantle dynamics and volatile cycling.
- This finding necessitates a re-evaluation of Earth's hydrological cycle and the role of deep-Earth processes.
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