Experimental determination of magnesite solubility in water and silicate saturated saline solutions under high temperature and pressure

Aqueous fluid derived from the dehydration of subducting slab can dissolve and transfer carbon to mantle wedge, and thus plays an important role in the globe deep carbon cycle. Carbonates are major phases of carbon in the subducting slab, however their solubilities in the subduction zone fluid are poorly constrained. This heavily hinder our understanding of the  deep carbon cycle. Magnesite is one of the carbonates in the subducting slab, and can be stabilized to sub-arc depth. We determined the solubility of magnesite in pure water and saline fluids buffered by silicate by in situ observation of quantitative magnesite totally dissolved in quantitative fluid under high temperature and pressure in Hydrothermal Diamond Anvil Cell (HDAC). The results demonstrated that the solubility of magnesite in pure water is 0.010-0.026 mol/kg H₂O at 1.0-3.3 GPa and 600-900 ℃, and that it increases as increasing temperature, but has no obvious pressure effect. This data is close to the experimental measurement of calcite solubility in literature, but slightly higher than the theoretical results calculated using DEW model. The solubility of magnesite in 5 wt % NaCl solution equilibrium with quartz is 0.22 mol/ kg, at 700 ℃ and 1.5 GPa，an order of magnitudes higher than that in the pure water. Since the formation of new silicate minerals, such as olivine or talc, depends on silicon activity in the fluid, the dissolution of silicate would boost the solubility of magnesite. This mechanism has been previously reported in the Alps metasedimentary rocks. Therefore, the aqueous fluid, rich in saline and silicon in fore-arc and sub-arc depths, has the ability to dissolve and transfer almost all the carbonates in the subducting slab to the overlying mantle wedge.