Texture development and slip systems in bridgmanite and bridgmanite + ferropericlase aggregates

Abstract

Bridgmanite (Mg,Fe)SiO3 and ferropericlase (Mg,Fe)O are the most abundant phases in the lower mantle and localized regions of the D″ layer just above the core mantle boundary. Seismic anisotropy is observed near subduction zones at the top of the lower mantle and in the D″ region. One source of anisotropy is dislocation glide and associated texture (crystallographic preferred orientation) development. Thus, in order to interpret seismic anisotropy, it is important to understand texture development and slip system activities in bridgmanite and bridgmanite + ferropericlase aggregates. Here we report on in situ texture development in bridgmanite and bridgmanite + ferropericlase aggregates deformed in the diamond anvil cell up to 61 GPa. When bridgmanite is synthesized from enstatite, it exhibits a strong (4.2 m.r.d.) 001 transformation texture due to a structural relationship with the precursor enstatite phase. When bridgmanite + ferropericlase are synthesized from olivine or ringwoodite, bridgmanite exhibits a relatively weak 100 transformation texture (1.2 and 1.6 m.r.d., respectively). This is likely due to minimization of elastic strain energy as a result of Young’s modulus anisotropy. In bridgmanite, 001 deformation textures are observed at pressures 55 GPa a change in texture to a 100 maximum is observed, consistent with slip on the (100) plane. Ferropericlase, when deformed with bridgmanite, does not develop a coherent texture. This is likely due to strain heterogeneity within the softer ferropericlase grains. Thus, it is plausible that ferropericlase is not a significant source of anisotropy in the lower mantle.