Magnesiowüstite as a major nitrogen reservoir in Earth’s lowermost mantle

Abstract

Ferropericlase (Mg,Fe)O is after bridgmanite the most abundant phase in the lower mantle. The ultralow velocity zones above the core-mantle boundary may contain very Fe-rich magnesiowüstite (Fe,Mg)O, possibly as result of the fractional crystallisation of a basal magma ocean. We have experimentally studied the solubility of nitrogen in the ferropericlase-magnesiowüstite solid solution series as function of iron content. Multi-anvil experiments were performed at 20–33 GPa and 1600–1800 °C in equilibrium with Fe metal. Nitrogen solubility increases from a few tens ppm (μg/g) for Mg-rich ferropericlase to more than 10 wt. % for nearly pure wüstite. Such high solubilities appear to be due to solid solution with NiAs-type FeN. Our data suggest that during fractional crystallisation of a magma ocean, the core-mantle boundary would have become extremely enriched with nitrogen, such that the deep mantle today could be the largest nitrogen reservoir on Earth. The often discussed “subchondritic N/C” ratio of the bulk silicate Earth may be an artefact of insufficient sampling of this deep reservoir.