Shock-induced devolatilization of calcite

The amounts of CO₂ and CO evolved upon shock compression and decompression of calcite to 18 GPa (180 kbar) have been determined using a new gas phase shock recovery technique and gas source mass spectrometry. The data demonstrate that from ～0.03 to 0.3 mole percent of calcite is devolatilized at shock pressures significantly lower than those predicted (30 GPa) for the onset of volatilization by continuum thermodynamic theory and are in qualitative agreement with release adiabat data for calcite and aragonite. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the shock-released CO₂ are the same as those in the unshocked (hydrothermal) calcite, demonstrating that the CO₂ comes from the calcite rather than other potential sources.