A team of researchers led by Dr. Geeth Manthilake at Laboratory Magmas et Volcans propose a novel scenario that could explain anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in shallow mantle wedges.

The team proposed that the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive magnetite mineral phase during the dehydration of natural chlorite is likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab, which could also responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front.

Article in PDF format :
Manthilake, N. Bolfan-Casanova, D. Novella, M. Mookherjee, D. Andrault, Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges. Sci. Adv. 2, e1501631 (2016).