Structure and elasticity of CaC2O5 suggests carbonate contribution to the seismic anomalies of Earth's mantle.

Knowledge of carbonate compounds under high pressure inside Earth is key to understanding the internal structure of the Earth, the deep carbon cycle and major geological events. Here we use first-principles simulations to calculate the structure and elasticity of CaC2O5-minerals with different symmetries under high pressure. Our calculations show that CaC2O5-minerals represent a group of low-density low-seismic-wave velocity mantle minerals. Changes in seismic wave velocity caused by the phase transformation of CaC2O5-Cc to CaC2O5-I[Formula: see text]2d (CaC2O5-C2-l) agree with wave velocity discontinuity at a depth of 660 km in the mantle transition zone. Moreover, when CaC2O5-Fdd2 transforms into CaC2O5-C2 under 70 GPa, its shear wave velocity decreases by 7.4%, and its density increases by 5.8%, which is consistent with the characteristics of large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs). Furthermore, the shear wave velocity of CaC2O5-I[Formula: see text]2d is very similar to that of cubic Ca-perovskite, which is one of the main constituents of the previously detected LLSVPs. Therefore, we propose that CaC2O5 and its high-pressure polymorphs may be a main component of LLSVPs.

Raman spectroscopic quantitative study of NaCl-CaCl2-H2O system at high temperatures and pressures.

Raman spectra features of the ternary system NaCl-CaCl2-H2O under high temperatures and high pressures were systematically studied in the present work by using hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) and Raman shifts of quartz to determine pressures, and it has been obtained for the quantitative relationship between Raman shifts of the O-H stretching band of water, mass fractions of solutes and pressures was obtained. The mass fractions of salts, where salinity of NaCl equal to that of CaCl2, are 4.0 mass %, 8.0 mass %, and 12.0 mass %, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the standardized Raman frequency shift differences of the O-H stretching vibration (deltav(O0H)) rise with the increasing temperatures when the mass fractions of salts and pressures of the NaCl-CaCl2-H2O system remain constant. deltav(O-H) increases with the increase in mass fractions of salts in the system when the temperatures and pressures are constant. Linear relationship between deltav(O-H) and pressure with similar slopes can be found for the NaCl-CaCl2-H2O system with different salinities. The quantitative relationship between deltav(O-H), temperature (T), pressure (P), and mass fraction of solute (M) is P = -31.892 deltav(O-H) + 10.131T + 222.816M - 3 183.567, where the valid PTM range of the equation is 200 MPa < or = P < or = 1 700 MPa, 273 K < or = T < or = 539 K and M < or = 12 mass %. The equation can be used as a geobarometer in the studies of fluid inclusions of NaCl-CaCl2-H2O system with equal salinities. The method, as a direct geological detecting technique, has a potential application value.