Abstract
The amount of carbon in the outermost 200 km of the Earth may be sufficient to form a layer 1 km deep. Partly because graphite is a lubricant and partly because chemical reactions involving carbon at high temperature tend to evolve gases, the carbon could play a significant role in promoting plate tectonics.
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Butler, E.J., Hoyle, F. Carbon in the Earth's upper mantle. Astrophys Space Sci 70, 247–249 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00641678
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00641678