The physics and chemistry of mantle largely depend on pressure. As mantle minerals are compressed, they are transformed into other minerals at certain depths. Seismic observations of velocity discontinuities and experimental simulations on phase boundaries both verified the structure transformations within the mantle. As such, the mantle can be further divided into three layers with distinct mineral compositions.
Since mantle mineral composition changes, the mineral hosting environment for polyvalent elements also alters. For each layer, the mineral combination governing the redox reactions is unique and will be discussed in detailed below.