Sound Velocities of Stishovite at Simultaneous High Pressure and High Temperature Suggest an Eclogite‐Rich Layer Beneath the Hawaii Hotspot

Abstract

Compressional and shear wave velocities of polycrystalline stishovite (SiO2) have been measured at simultaneous high pressures and temperatures up to 14.5 GPa and 800°C. By fitting velocities to the finite strain equations, the elastic moduli and density were determined to be KS0 = 306.6(46) GPa, KS′ = 4.92(10), ∂KS/∂T = −0.024(1) GPa/K, G0 = 229.0(34) GPa, G′ = 1.07(10), ∂G/∂T = −0.017(1) GPa/K, ρ0 = 4.287(2) g/cm3. Our modeling suggested that, in the eclogite, coesite‐stishovite transition can increase P and S wave velocities by 2.4% and 3.5%, respectively. A comparison between geophysical observations and our model shows that the coesite‐stishovite phase transition in the eclogite can potentially be responsible for the occurrence of the X discontinuity beneath Hawaii. In addition, our current results suggest an eclogite‐rich layer between 340 and 450 km depth beneath Hawaii. The eclogite concentration at the top and bottom of the layer is 41–55 vol% and >77 vol%, respectively.