Structures, properties and reactions of carbonates at high temperatures and pressures

Coco3 homepagepicture

Welcome to CarboPaT

The research unit FOR 2125 is a collaboration of scientists from the Universities of Frankfurt am Main, Potsdam, Bayreuth, Cologne and Freiberg, the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) in Potsdam as well as the large scale facilities European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) in Schenefeld, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in 2015, we investigate Carbonates at high Pressures and Temperatures (CarboPaT).

The composition and physical properties of the Earth's interior have been investigated extensively. However, there is a large gap in our knowledge concerning the role of carbonates in the Earth's mantle. More than 90 % of the Earth's carbon may be contained in the deep Earth. This is estimated from evidence provided by primary carbonates in magmas coming from depths > 150 km and from diamonds formed at great depths (> 660 km).

Technical as well as scientific challenges face those who study material at conditions (high temperatures and high pressures) of the Earth's mantle. The CarboPaT research unit is tackling both through development of state-of-the-art experimental setups to study phase relations, crystal chemistry, physical properties and reactions of carbonates at conditions relevant to the transition zone and the lower mantle. Synergies between individual projects provide added value, especially for students and early career researchers, through networking and training, access to large scale facilities (synchrotrons) as well as central equipment (portable SEM), and sample and data exchange.

› To the projects of CarboPaT

› Project summary (.pdf)
 
 
The above photo shows magenta crystals of the cobalt carbonate, spherocobaltite (CoCO3, 10-80 µm in size). The crystals were synthesized at high pressure and high temperature using a multi-anvil press in Bayreuth at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut by Stella Chariton (project 6) (Image credit: Stella Chariton).