Hidden water stored deep within newly identified iron oxyhydroxides near Earth’s core-mantle boundary may explain how the planet obtained and retained its interior moisture over geological time, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience.
Deep-Mantle Iron Oxyhydroxides Lock Away Water
Researchers using laser-heated diamond anvil cells have identified two previously unknown iron oxyhydroxides, designated as Fe5O12Hx and Fe7O12Hx, that are capable of locking away enormous amounts of water under the extreme temperatures and pressures of the lower mantle. According to the study, these dense phases formed even when starting materials contained less than 0.1 percent water, proving that trace hydrogen concentrations are enough to stabilize the compounds.
The lower mantle extends from about 660 to 2,900 kilometers beneath the surface. While abundant minerals like bridgmanite and ferropericlase are thought to be largely dry, these newly identified iron oxyhydroxides are substantially denser than surrounding mantle rock. That density means they could have formed early in Earth’s history when a primordial molten basal magma ocean cooled, sinking downward to settle near the boundary with the liquid outer core.
Tracing Earth’s Deep Water Cycle and Mantle Plumes
This deep reservoir of water does not necessarily stay locked away forever. According to geoscientist Alfred Wilson from the University of Leeds, water-bearing material dragged upward by mantle circulation experiences decreasing pressure that can destabilize these minerals. That process releases water into other mantle phases, allowing it to make its way back toward the surface eventually through mantle plumes and volcanism.
The discovery also sheds light on a previous mineral mystery known as the “H-phase,” which was observed in earlier high-pressure experiments. Mineral physicist and crystallographer Leonid Dubrovinsky from the University of Bayreuth notes that hydrogen contamination from trace moisture helped produce that puzzling phase, rather than pointing to an entirely new dry mineral.
Did you know? Water acts as a key lubricant for the super-slow movement of Earth’s mantle layer, hydrating rock layers enough to ooze and slide past each other, which drives the tectonic cycle and regulates long-term climate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the newly discovered water located inside Earth?
The research suggests the water is likely locked within dense iron oxyhydroxides located near the boundary between the lower mantle and the liquid outer core.
How much water was present when these minerals formed?
Experiments showed that these stable phases formed even when starting materials contained less than 0.1 percent water.
How does the water return to Earth’s surface?
As water-bearing material is dragged upward by mantle circulation, decreasing pressure can destabilize the minerals, releasing water that may return to the surface via mantle plumes and volcanism.
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