Experimental investigation of the seismic properties of powdered and foliated natural serpentine up 8 GPa and 873 K

Hydrated tectonic plates sink into the Earth’s mantle at subduction zones, leading to the deep transportation of "water" in minerals like serpentine to depths exceeding 250 km [~8 GPa]. Seismic studies revealed the presence of numerous low seismic velocity anomalies and large shear wave splitting times potentially related to serpentinites along and above subducting slabs. However, we currently lack any direct information on the influence of temperature as well as variable foliation on the elastic properties of natural serpentine. Our proposal aims to conduct in-situ acoustic measurements of compressional (Vp) and shear wave (Vs) velocities that precisely locate seismic anomalies in P and T space of powdered and variably foliated serpentinite by using state-of-the-art in situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with simultaneous ultrasonic interferometry and imaging at ID06-LVP, ESRF.