Hydration at the base of the mantle transition zone by ancient subductions in Asia
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Precision Geodesy, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- 2Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory, University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng 233500, China
- 3National Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- 4Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Abstract
Whether and how the subduction processes result in water enrichment at the base of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) remain elusive. The major orogenic belts of the Asian continent, including the Central Asian, Tethyan, and Alpine–Himalayan belts, which record extensive subduction processes, offer an ideal target to address the hydration of the MTZ and its relationship with subduction. Here, we map water content at the MTZ base by combining mineral physics constraints on hydrous pyrolite and global seismic observations of velocity structure and 660-km discontinuity topography. Our results indicate an average global water content of approximately 0.14 wt%, with pronounced hydration anomalies in parts of Asia. Linking these anomalies with reconstructions of past subduction events since 410 Ma reveals extensive water delivery to the MTZ, particularly beneath parts of the Mongol–Okhotsk suture zone, the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, and the Tethyan orogenic domain, where water content exceeds 0.5 wt%. These results connect ancient subduction history to present-day mantle hydration, offering insights into Earth’s deep water cycle.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026hydration,
title = {{Hydration at the base of the mantle transition zone by ancient subductions in Asia}},
author = {Jiyu Liu and Wenzhong Wang and Wenjiao Xiao and Zhu Mao and Yajie Zhao and Zhongqing Wu},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2622030123},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2622030123},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hydration at the base of the mantle transition zone by ancient subductions in Asia
AU - Jiyu Liu
AU - Wenzhong Wang
AU - Wenjiao Xiao
AU - Zhu Mao
AU - Yajie Zhao
AU - Zhongqing Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2622030123
UR - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2622030123
AB - Whether and how the subduction processes result in water enrichment at the base of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) remain elusive. The major orogenic belts of the Asian continent, including the Central Asian, Tethyan, and Alpine–Himalayan belts, which record extensive subduction processes, offer an ideal target to address the hydration of the MTZ and its relationship with subduction. Here, we map water content at the MTZ base by combining mineral physics constraints on hydrous pyrolite and global seismic observations of velocity structure and 660-km discontinuity topography. Our results indicate an average global water content of approximately 0.14 wt%, with pronounced hydration anomalies in parts of Asia. Linking these anomalies with reconstructions of past subduction events since 410 Ma reveals extensive water delivery to the MTZ, particularly beneath parts of the Mongol–Okhotsk suture zone, the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, and the Tethyan orogenic domain, where water content exceeds 0.5 wt%. These results connect ancient subduction history to present-day mantle hydration, offering insights into Earth’s deep water cycle.
SN - 0027-8424
SN - 1091-6490
ER -