Laboratory measurements of electrical conductivity of biotites

Summary For the sake of helping to clarify the anisotropic behaviour of KTB borehole rock samples, AC (10³ Hz) and DC electrical conductivities of powdered biotites and flogopites (sheet silicates) were investigated in various atmospheres (air, argon) at temperatures of 20–1200°C.Contribution No. 106/90, Geophysical Institute, Czechosl. Acad. Sci., Prague.     

Laboratory measurements of electrical properties of rocks and minerals

In this paper all important results on laboratory measurements of electrical properties of rocks and minerals for the last four years are presented. Although basic results from all over world are reviewed, East European and U.S.S.R. works are described more extensively. Only D.C. conductivity results are considered, however all principal conclusions hold in similar form for both D.C. and A.C. conductivities. At the end the most important areas of further study and measurement are depicted and the main problems of the future are outlined.     

高温高压下地幔矿物岩石电导率影响因素研究进展

实验室高温高压条件下获得的地幔矿物岩石电导率值可以帮助获得地球内部物质组成、物质运动变化状态和解释地球物理探测资料.研究表明,电导率测量影响因素(外部因素和内部因素)控制不当将使得测量的电导率值产生较大差异.本文综述了近20年来这些影响因素对地幔矿物岩石电导率的影响程度及进展情况,电导率随着温度,铁含量和水含量的增加而增加;不含水条件下,电导率随着氧逸度和压力的增加分别增加和减小,含水条件下则恰恰相反;忽略颗粒边界的影响;测量频率和结晶方向对电导率的影响尚存在一定争议;进行电导率测量时有必要考虑系统平衡时间和样品中铁含量的流失.最后探讨了高温高压条件下电导率实验研究的不足和发展方向.     

上地幔岩石的电性一温度依赖关系研究

大地电磁方法是地球物理电法的一个主要分支,目前已被广泛地用于深部地质构造的研究中.通过大地电磁方法获得地下介质电阻率(或电导率)参数的空间分布可为我们推断深部地质构造从电性的角度提供依据.而这种推断成立的基础主要建立在电性参数与其他物理参数之间广泛而深刻的内在联系上.其中,电性与温度之间的依赖关系因其在深部作用过程中所...     

Experimental study of the electrical conductivity of hydrous minerals in the crust and the mantle under high pressure and high temperature

Hydrous minerals are important water carriers in the crust and the mantle, especially in the subduction zone. With the recent development of the experimental technique, studies of the electrical conductivity of hydrous silicate minerals under controlled temperature, pressure and oxygen fugacity, have helped to constrain the water distribution in the Earth’s interior. This paper introduces high pressure and temperature experimental study of electrical conductivity measurement of hydrous minerals such as serpentine, talc, brucite, phase A, super hydrous phase B and phase D, and assesses the data quality of the above minerals. The dehydration effect and the pressure effect on the bulk conductivity of the hydrous minerals are specifically emphasized. The conduction mechanism of hydrous minerals and the electrical structure of the subduction zone are discussed based on the available conductivity data. Finally, the potential research fields of the electrical conductivity of hydrous minerals is presented.     

科学家首次绘制地幔电导率全球三维图像

家用电器警示标签中通常会注明,水是很好的导电材料。现在,科学家发现,地幔局部电导率的增大很可能意味着地表下含水量的增大。研究人员首次绘制了地幔电导率全球三维图像,他们的研究结果发表在近期的Nature杂志上。     

Relations between electrical conductivity and petrological parameters of the crust and upper mantle

Laboratory data of the electrical conductivity of rocks and minerals pertinent to the deeper crust and upper mantle and summarized. They are discussed in the context of a theory to calculate effective conductivities of materials in the state of partial melt. Most published data have been obtained by too rapid measurements, i.e. without reaching an equilibrium state of the sample. Conductivity measurements on a material similar to the composition of pyrolite are not het known, their importance is outlined. A global conductivity distribution obtained by electromagnetic induction studies is represented by a few results covering oceanic and continental areas. Till today it seems to be a doubtful venture to deduce the temperature of the upper mantle or even the existence of a partial molten asthenosphere from a global conductivity distribution. On a more local scale the correlation of electrical conductivity with temperature and state of the material seems to be more realistic. This is tentatively shown by two petrological models of the Afar depression in Ethiopia and of the midoceanic rift.     

Oxygen isotope fractionation in mantle minerals

The increment method is adopted to calculate oxygen isotope fractionation factors for mantle minerals, particularly for the polymorphic phases of MgSiO₃ and Mg₂SiO₄. The results predict the following sequence of¹⁸O-enrichment:pyroxene (Mg, Fe, Ca)₂Si₂O₆>olivine (Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄ > spinel (Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄> ilmenite (Mg, Fe, Ca) SiO₃>perovskite (Mg, Fe, Ca) SiO₃. The calculated fractionations for the calcite-perovskite (CaTiO₃) System are in excellent agreement with the experimental calibrations. If there would be complete isotopic equilibration in the mantle, the spinel-structured silicates in the transition zone are predicted to be enriched in¹⁸O relative to the perovskite-structured silicates in the lower mantle but depleted in¹⁸O relative to olivines and pyroxenes in the upper mantle. The oxygen isotope layering of the mantle might result from differences in the chemical composition and crystal structure of mineral phases at different mantle depths. Assuming isotopic equilibrium on a whole earth scale, the chemical structure of the Earth’s interior can be described by the following sequence of¹⁸O-enrichment:upper crust>lower crust>upper mantle>transition zone>lower mantle>core. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Electric conductivity of Fe-Ti minerals

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Negative pressure effect on the electrical conductivity of San Carlos olivine and its implication to the electrical structure in the upper mantle

Pressure effect on the electrical conductivity of San Carlos olivine was investigated by the newly installed electrical conductivity measurement system at China University of Geosciences. Electrical conductivity of San Carlos olivine aggregates was measured up to 12 GPa and 1475 K using the Walker-type multi-anvil apparatus equipped with eight WC cubes as the second-stage anvils. The pressure generation against applied load for the experimental assemblage was examined by phase transition of Bi,quartz, forsterite under different P-T conditions. To check the data validity of this new system, electrical conductivities of the serpentinites and talc samples were measured. The results are consistent with the published data of the same samples. Electrical conductivity(σ) of the San Carlos olivine aggregates and temperature(T) satisfy the Arrhenian formula: σ=σ0exp[.(ΔE+PΔV)/kT].The pre-exponential factor(σ0), activation energy(ΔE) and activation volume(ΔV) yield value of 7.74 S/m, 0.85 eV and 0.94cm3/mol, respectively. Electrical conductivities of the San Carlos olivine aggregates decline with increasing pressure at same temperatures. The negative pressure effect can be interpreted by strain energy model of defect energy together with the lattice deformation. In addition, the electrical conductivity-depth 1-D profile of the upper mantle was constructed based on our results and some assumptions. The calculated profile is concordant with the geophysical observation at the depth of 180–350 km beneath Europe, which indicates that the upper mantle beneath Europe might be dry.     

高温高压下矿物岩石电导率的实验研究进展

高温高压下矿物、岩石电性性质的实验研究是了解地球内部物质成分、演化过程及进行地球物理探测资料解释的有力工具.本文主要介绍了高温高压下电导率实验在如何保持良好绝缘性能,如何消除或减小极化效应及如何减小外界电信号对测量信号的干扰等方面的技术、方法,阐述了温度、压力、氧逸度、水含量以及熔体等因素对矿物、岩石电导率的影响以及一些主要的研究结果和进展情况,讨论了电性研究的地球物理和地质意义,并指出了尚需研究的不足之处.     

MTS studies on the upper mantle conductivity in China

Based on the data from more than 200 MTS sites distributed within different areas of the Chinese continent, general characteristics of upper mantle conductivity have been described. At least two conductive layers have been found in the upper mantle of some areas. The first is thin with a resistivity of a modicum to few tens m; the second one is thicker with a resistivity of one to m. Nearly 300 heat-flow values indicate that there exists an exponential correspondent relationship between a depth of the upper mantle conductive layer with a thickness and an average value of heat flow. Based on the above results, the top depth map of this upper mantle conductive layer has been outlined for parts of the Chinese continent. This conductive layer is basically consistent with the low velocity zone in the upper mantle, and Cenozoic tectonism and current seismicity are significantly related to the variation of depth of the conductive layer in the upper mantle. The possible origins of the conductive layers in the upper mantle have been discussed here.     

Earth mantle conductivity beneath the Ukrainian territory

Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica - Magnetovariation methods, which are applicable to study the mantle conductivity, require long lasting registration of natural magnetic field variations. Such data...     

Low-degree partial melting trends recorded in upper mantle minerals

The study of glass inclusions inside mantle minerals provides direct information about the chemistry of naturally occurring mantle-derived melts and the fine-scale complexity of the melting process responsible for their genesis. Minerals in a spinel lherzolite nodule from Grande Comore island contain glass inclusions which, after homogenization by heating, exhibit a continuous suite of chemical compositions clearly distinct from that of the host basanitic lava. The compositions range from silicic, with nepheline–olivine normative, 64 wt% SiO₂ and 11 wt% alkali oxides, to almost basaltic, with quartz normative, 50 wt% SiO₂ and 1–2 wt% alkali oxides. Within a single mineral phase, olivine, the inferred primary melt composition varies from 54 to 64 wt% SiO₂ for MgO content ranging from 8 to 0.8 wt%. An experimental study of the glass and fluid inclusions indicates that trapped melts represent liquids that are in equilibrium with their host phases at moderate temperature and pressure (T≈1230°C and P≈1.0 Gpa for melts trapped in olivine). Quantitative modelling of the compositional trends defined in the suite shows that all of the glasses are part of a cogenetic set of melts formed by fractional melting of spinel lherzolite, with F varying between 0.2 and 5%. The initial highly silicic, alkali-rich melts preserved in Mg-rich olivine become richer in FeO, MgO, CaO and Cr₂O₃ and poorer in SiO₂, K₂O, Na₂O, Al₂O₃ and Cl with increasing melt fractions, evolving toward the basaltic melts found in clinopyroxene. These results confirm the connection between glass inclusions inside mantle minerals and partial mantle melts, and indicate that primary melts with SiO₂ >60 wt%, alkali oxides >11%, FeO <1 wt% and MgO <1 wt% are generated during incipient melting of spinel peridotite. The composition of the primary melts is inferred to be dependent on pressure, and to reflect both the speciation of dissolved CO₂ and the effect of alkali oxides on the silica activity coefficient in the melt. At pressures around 1 GPa, low-degree melts are characterized by alkali and silica-rich compositions, with a limited effect of dissolved CO₂ and a decreased silica activity coefficient caused by the presence of alkali oxides, whereas at higher pressures alkali oxides form complexes with carbonates and, consequently, alkali-rich silica-poor melts will be generated.     

Modelling the stress-strain behaviour of saturated rocks undergoing triaxial deformation using complex electrical conductivity measurements

Measurement of complex electrical conductivity as a function of frequency is an extremely sensitive probe for changes in pore and crack volume, crack connectivity, and crack surface topography. Such measurements have been made as a function of pore fluid chemistry, hydrostatic confining pressure, as well as uniaxial and triaxial deformation. This paper will; (1) describe the effects of triaxial deformation on the complex electrical conductivity of saturated porous rocks, (2) use the electrical data to model the mechanical stress-strain behaviour, and (3) compare the modelled behaviour with the stress-strain behaviour measured during the deformation. Experimental conductivity data tracks how the rock undergoes compaction with progressive loss of crack volume, followed by dilatation due to new crack formation, growth of existing cracks, crack interlinkage, and finally failure, as axial strain is increased. We have used the complex electrical data to produce a direction-sensitive (anisotropic) crack damage parameter, and used it to calculate the effective Young's modulus by employing the models of Walsh and Bruner. Comparison of the synthetic stress-strain curves so produced, with the experimentally derived stress-strain curves shows good agreement, particularly for undrained tests. This modelling is an improvement on similar curves produced using isotropic crack damage parameters derived from acoustic emission data. The improvement is likely to be due to the directional sensitivity of the electrical conductivity measurement, and its ability to discriminate between the formation of isolated cracks, and those cracks that contribute to the inter-connected crack space i.e. those cracks upon which transport properties of the rock such as electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties depend most critically during triaxial deformation.     

Models of electric conductivity in the upper mantle

Summary The accessible data of the apparent resistivity _T(T) were collected and supplemented by the spectral analysis of daily means of geomagnetic components observed at world geomagnetic observatories. The data were least-squares fitted; four models of the resistivity in the upper mantle which agree with the experimental data were obtained by solving the inverse problem using Marquardt's gradient-expansion algorithm.     

The electrical conductivity of clouds

Summary A modified Gerdien cell was designed, evaluated, and built for measurement of the polar conductivities in clouds. This conductivity dropsonde was attached to a U.S. Weather Bureau, 1680 mHz, radiosonde for telemetry and to measure pressure, temperature, and relative humidity profiles. The combined instruments were ejected from aircraft, and others were released from balloons into the region of interest.Eight flights were made during the 1967 thunderstorm season. Three of these drops were successful in measuring conductivity inside of electrically active clouds. Two fair-weather profiles were measured for comparison purposes, and three of the drops were faulty.These very preliminary results tend to indicate considerable electrical conductivity in thunderclouds. The data are too few to support a strong statement in favor of increased conductivity, but the instruments were sufficiently reliable to prove that the conductivity was not reduced, as is normally assumed, in the clouds investigated.This research was supported by the Atmospheric Sciences Section, National Science Foundation under Grant GA-701.     

碳酸盐化橄榄岩的电性研究

为进一步探讨上地幔的高导层成因,了解碳酸盐在上地幔电性方面的作用并估算上地幔高导层的碳酸盐含量,本文对不同碳酸盐含量的橄榄岩及玄武岩样品在2~3 GPa、300~1300℃的条件下进行了电性实验研究.研究初步发现:碳酸盐熔体显著增强橄榄岩、玄武岩样品的导电能力;单纯用含硅酸盐熔体的橄榄岩或单纯用含水橄榄岩可能难以解释上地幔某些区域的异常高导现象;同样,单纯用碳酸盐化的橄榄岩可能也难以解释上地幔某些区域的高导现象;上地幔的高导区很可能是碳酸盐熔体、硅酸盐熔体及水的共存区域.     

碳酸盐化橄榄岩的电性研究

为进一步探讨上地幔的高导层成因,了解碳酸盐在上地幔电性方面的作用并估算上地幔高导层的碳酸盐含量,本文对不同碳酸盐含量的橄榄岩及玄武岩样品在2~3 GPa、300~1300℃的条件下进行了电性实验研究.研究初步发现:碳酸盐熔体显著增强橄榄岩、玄武岩样品的导电能力;单纯用含硅酸盐熔体的橄榄岩或单纯用含水橄榄岩可能难以解释上地幔某些区域的异常高导现象;同样,单纯用碳酸盐化的橄榄岩可能也难以解释上地幔某些区域的高导现象;上地幔的高导区很可能是碳酸盐熔体、硅酸盐熔体及水的共存区域.     

Effect of hydration on the elasticity of mantle minerals and its geophysical implications

Recent studies have shown that major nominally anhydrous minerals in the Earth’s mantle, such as olivine, pyroxene and garnet, can incorporate considerable amounts of water as structurally bound hydroxyl. Even a small amount of water is present in mantle minerals, it can strongly affect a number of physical properties, including density, sound velocity, melting temperature, and electrical conductivities. The presence of water can also influence the dynamic behavior, lead to lateral velocity heterogeneities, and affect the material circulation of the Earth’s deep interior. In particular, seismic studies have reported the existence of low-velocity zones in various locations of the Earth’s upper mantle and transition zone, which has been expected to be associated with the presence of water in the region. In the past two decades, the effect of water on the elasticity and sound velocities of minerals at relevant pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions of the Earth’s mantle attracted extensive interests. Combining the high P-T experimental and theoretical mineralogical results with seismic observations provides crucial constraints on the distribution of water in the Earth’s mantle. In this study, we summarize recent experimental and theoretical mineral physics results on how water affects the elasticity and sound velocity of nominally anhydrous minerals in the Earth’s mantle, which aims to provide new insights into the effect of hydration on the density and velocity profile of the Earth’s mantle, which are of particular importance in understanding of water distribution in the region.