Conditions for the origin of oxidized carbonate-silicate melts: Implications for mantle metasomatism and diamond formation

An experimental study on the origin of ferric and ferrous carbonate-silicate melts, which can be considered as the potential metasomatic oxidizing agents and diamond forming media, was performed in the (Ca,Mg)CO3-SiO2-Al2O3-(Mg,Fe)(Cr,Fe,Ti)O-3 system, at 6.3 GPa and 1350-1650 degrees C. At 1350-1450 degrees C and fO(2) of FMQ + 2 log units, carbonate-silicate melt, coexisting with Fe3+-bearing ilmenite, pyrope-almandine and rutile, contained up to 13 wt.% of Fe2O3. An increase in the degree of partial melting was accompanied by decarbonation and melt enrichment with CO2, up to 21 wt.%. At 1550-1650 degrees C excess CO2 segregated as a separate fluid phase. The restricted solubility of CO2 in the melt indicated that investigated system did not achieve the second critical point at 6.3 GPa. At 1350-1450 degrees C and fO(2) close to CCO buffer, Fe2+-bearing carbonate-silicate melt was formed in association with pyrope-almandine and Fe3+-bearing rutile. It was experimentally shown that CO2-rich ferrous carbonate-silicate melt can be an effective waterless medium for the diamond crystallization. It provides relatively high diamond growth rates (3-5 mu m/h) at P.T-conditions, corresponding to the formation of most natural diamonds. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.