The tetragonal-cubic transition of davemaoite: Implications for lower mantle seismic anomalies

Abstract

Davemaoite (CaSiO3 perovskite) is the third most abundant mineral in Earth's lower mantle and a dominant phase in subducted oceanic crust. Its crystal structure is distorted (tetragonal or orthorhombic) at ambient conditions but is considered to transform to cubic at high temperatures. Previous experiments reported low, nearly pressure-independent transition temperatures (approximately 600 K), demonstrating a long-standing discrepancy with theoretical predictions that mostly exceed 1000 K. Here, we determine the phase stability and thermal equation of state of CaSiO3 davemaoite and its titanium-bearing solid solution [Ca(Si0.75,Ti0.25)O3] under simultaneous high-pressure and high-temperature conditions using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell combined with synchrotron X-ray diffraction. We find that the tetragonal-to-cubic transition occurs at substantially higher temperatures than previously reported, with the titanium substitution further stabilizing the tetragonal phase and shifting the transition boundary to even higher temperatures. These findings indicate that CaSiO3 davemaoite in subducted oceanic crust likely undergoes its ferroelastic transition in the mid-lower mantle, whereas Ti-rich davemaoite may remain tetragonal throughout most of the lower mantle, transforming to cubic near the core-mantle boundary. Our results demonstrate that the compositionally dependent phase behaviour of davemaoite can account for the seismic anomalies observed in both the mid-lower mantle and the lowermost mantle.