TY - JOUR
T1 - Solid molecular nitrogen (δ-N2) inclusions in Juina diamonds
T2 - Exsolution at the base of the transition zone
AU - Navon, Oded
AU - Wirth, Richard
AU - Schmidt, Christian
AU - Jablon, Brooke Matat
AU - Schreiber, Anja
AU - Emmanuel, Simon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2017/4/15
Y1 - 2017/4/15
N2 - Diamonds originating from the transition zone or lower mantle were previously identified based on the chemistry of their silicate or oxide mineral inclusions. Here we present data for such a super-deep origin based on the internal pressure of nitrogen in sub-micrometer inclusions in diamonds from Juina, Brazil. Infrared spectroscopy of four diamonds, rich in such inclusions revealed high concentrations of fully aggregated nitrogen (average of 900 ppm, all in B centers) and almost no platelets. Raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of solid, cubic δ-N2 at 10.9±0.2 GPa (corresponding to a density of 1900 kg/m3). Transmission electron microscopy of two diamonds found two generations of octahedral inclusions: microinclusions (average size: 150 nm, average concentration: 100 ppm) and nanoinclusions (20–30 nm, 350 ppm). EELS detected nitrogen and a diffraction pattern of one nanoinclusion yielded a tetragonal phase, which resembles γ-N2 with a density of 1400 kg/m3 (internal pressure = 2.7 GPa). We also observed up-warping of small areas (∼150 nm in size) on the polished surface of one diamond. The ∼2 nm rise can be explained by a shallow subsurface microinclusion, pressurized internally to more than 10 GPa. Using available equations of state for nitrogen and diamond, we calculated the pressures and temperatures of mechanical equilibrium of the inclusions and their diamond host at the mantle geotherm. The inclusions originated at the deepest part of the transition zone at pressures of ∼22 GPa (630 km) and temperatures of ∼1640 °C. We suggest that both generations are the result of exsolution of nitrogen from B centers and that growth took a few million years in a subducting mantle current. The microinclusions nucleated first, followed by the nanoinclusions. Shortly after the exsolution events, the diamonds were trapped in a plume or an ascending melt and were transported to the base of the lithosphere and later to the surface.
AB - Diamonds originating from the transition zone or lower mantle were previously identified based on the chemistry of their silicate or oxide mineral inclusions. Here we present data for such a super-deep origin based on the internal pressure of nitrogen in sub-micrometer inclusions in diamonds from Juina, Brazil. Infrared spectroscopy of four diamonds, rich in such inclusions revealed high concentrations of fully aggregated nitrogen (average of 900 ppm, all in B centers) and almost no platelets. Raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of solid, cubic δ-N2 at 10.9±0.2 GPa (corresponding to a density of 1900 kg/m3). Transmission electron microscopy of two diamonds found two generations of octahedral inclusions: microinclusions (average size: 150 nm, average concentration: 100 ppm) and nanoinclusions (20–30 nm, 350 ppm). EELS detected nitrogen and a diffraction pattern of one nanoinclusion yielded a tetragonal phase, which resembles γ-N2 with a density of 1400 kg/m3 (internal pressure = 2.7 GPa). We also observed up-warping of small areas (∼150 nm in size) on the polished surface of one diamond. The ∼2 nm rise can be explained by a shallow subsurface microinclusion, pressurized internally to more than 10 GPa. Using available equations of state for nitrogen and diamond, we calculated the pressures and temperatures of mechanical equilibrium of the inclusions and their diamond host at the mantle geotherm. The inclusions originated at the deepest part of the transition zone at pressures of ∼22 GPa (630 km) and temperatures of ∼1640 °C. We suggest that both generations are the result of exsolution of nitrogen from B centers and that growth took a few million years in a subducting mantle current. The microinclusions nucleated first, followed by the nanoinclusions. Shortly after the exsolution events, the diamonds were trapped in a plume or an ascending melt and were transported to the base of the lithosphere and later to the surface.
KW - exsolution
KW - nitrogen in diamonds
KW - super-deep diamonds
KW - transition zone
KW - voidites
KW - δ-N
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85014011807&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.01.035
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.01.035
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AN - SCOPUS:85014011807
SN - 0012-821X
VL - 464
SP - 237
EP - 247
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
ER -
