Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-13-2022

Abstract

Clinopyroxene is not only an important mineral phase in the pyrolitic upper mantle, but also one of the dominated mineral phases in the subducted or delaminated eclogitic materials in the deep Earth. Identifying and locating these eclogitic materials requires the knowledge of the thermoelastic properties of clinopyroxene under high pressure-temperature conditions. In this dissertation, we have measured the single-crystal elastic properties of jadeite and omphacite, which are major clinopyroxene phases in the eclogitic materials, up to 18 GPa 700 K by Brillouin spectroscopy and utilized these data to identify the eclogitic heterogeneities in the mantle.

We also measured the viscosity of kimberlite magma, which carries eclogite xenoliths, diamonds, and other deep mantle phases to the Earth’s surface through an ultra-fast eruption trajectory. We found the viscosity of volatile-rich kimberlite magma is extremely low under high pressure-temperature conditions and utilized these data to model the kimberlite magma ascent and eruption process.

Degree Name

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Jin Zhang

Second Committee Member

Brandon Schmandt

Third Committee Member

Adrian Brearley

Fourth Committee Member

Joshua P. Townsend

Fifth Committee Member

Przemek Dera

Project Sponsors

NSF

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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