Asthenosphere dynamics based on the H2O dependence of element diffusivity in olivine

Tomoo Katsura; Hongzhan Fei

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaa278

Asthenosphere dynamics based on the H₂O dependence of element diffusivity in olivine

Natl Sci Rev. 2020 Nov 12;8(4):nwaa278. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa278. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Authors

Tomoo Katsura¹, Hongzhan Fei¹

Affiliation

¹ Bayerisches Geoinstitut, University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Abstract

The oceanic asthenosphere shows two enigmatic features: low viscosity and high electrical conductivity. Their origins gather wide attention, but remain unsolved. Recent self-diffusivity measurements as a function of H₂O content in olivine demonstrated that the H2O-incorporation in olivine cannot soften the asthenosphere, but it enhances the ionic conductivity, and causes the high-conductivity anomaly.