Amorphization of Serpentine at High Pressure and High Temperature

T Irifune; K Kuroda; N Funamori; T Uchida; T Yagi; T Inoue; N Miyajima

doi:10.1126/science.272.5267.1468

Amorphization of Serpentine at High Pressure and High Temperature

Science. 1996 Jun 7;272(5267):1468-70. doi: 10.1126/science.272.5267.1468.

Authors

T Irifune¹, K Kuroda, N Funamori, T Uchida, T Yagi, T Inoue, N Miyajima

Affiliation

¹ T. Irifune and K. Kuroda, Department of Earth Sciences, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790, Japan. N. Funamori, T. Uchida, T. Yagi, Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Roppongi, Minato-ku 106, Japan. T. Inoue, Center for High Pressure Research, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. N. Miyajima, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060, Japan.

PMID: 8662470
DOI: 10.1126/science.272.5267.1468

Abstract

Pressure-induced amorphization of serpentine was observed at temperatures of 200° to 300°C and pressures of 14 to 27 gigapascals with a combination of a multianvil apparatus and synchrotron radiation. High-pressure phases then crystallized rapidly when the temperature was increased to 400°C. These results suggest that amorphization of serpentine is an unlikely mechanism for generating deep-focus earthquakes, as the temperatures of subducting slabs are significantly higher than those of the rapid crystallization regime.