Detection of carbon from deep mantle

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26400527
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: HANYU Takeshi 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 地球内部物質循環研究分野, 主任研究員 (50359197)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OHKOUCHI Naohiko 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 生物地球化学研究分野, 分野長 (00281832)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 炭素 / マントル / 物質循環 / 揮発性元素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Carbon has been exchanged between Earth's surface and mantle, but the mechanism for carbon cycle and the amount of carbon in the mantle are not understood. In order to assess the existence of carbon derived from Earth's surface in the mantle, we studied carbon dioxide in the ocean island basalts that are sourced from the deep mantle. Because carbon dioxide is easily degassed from erupting magmas, we developed the method to measure carbon dioxide in the quenched submarine glasses and melt inclusions in olivine phenocrysts in volcanic rocks. Applying this method for some ocean island basalts, it is inferred that mantle contains some carbon from Earth's surface.

Free Research Field

マントル地球科学