ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Equilibrium alumina contents of orthopyroxene coexisting with spinel and forsterite in the system MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 have been reversed at 15 different P-T conditions, in the range 1,030–1,600° C and 10–28 kbar. The present data and three reversals of Danckwerth and Newton (1978) have been modeled assuming an ideal pyroxene solid solution with components Mg2Si2O6 (En) and MgAl2SiO6 (MgTs), to yield the following equilibrium condition (J, bar, K): $$\begin{gathered} RT{\text{ln(}}X_{{\text{MgTs}}} {\text{/}}X_{{\text{En}}} {\text{) + 29,190}} - {\text{13}}{\text{.42 }}T + 0.18{\text{ }}T + 0.18{\text{ }}T^{1.5} \hfill \\ + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP = 0,} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where $$\begin{gathered} + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP} \hfill \\ = [0.013 + 3.34 \times 10^{ - 5} (T - 298) - 6.6 \times 10^{ - 7} P]P. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The data of Perkins et al. (1981) for the equilibrium of orthopyroxene with pyrope have been similarly fitted with the result: $$\begin{gathered} - RT{\text{ln(}}X_{{\text{MgTs}}} \cdot X_{{\text{En}}} {\text{) + 5,510}} - 88.91{\text{ }}T + 19{\text{ }}T^{1.2} \hfill \\ + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP = 0,} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where $$\begin{gathered} + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP} \hfill \\ = [ - 0.832 - 8.78{\text{ }} \times {\text{ 10}}^{ - {\text{5}}} (T - 298) + 16.6{\text{ }} \times {\text{ 10}}^{ - 7} P]{\text{ }}P. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The new parameters are in excellent agreement with measured thermochemical data and give the following properties of the Mg-Tschermak endmember: $$H_{f,970}^0 = - 4.77{\text{ kJ/mol, }}S_{298}^0 = 129.44{\text{ J/mol}} \cdot {\text{K,}}$$ and $$V_{298,1}^0 = 58.88{\text{ cm}}^{\text{3}} .$$ The assemblage orthopyroxene+spinel+olivine can be used as a geothermometer for spinel lherzolites, subject to a choice of thermodynamic mixing models for multicomponent orthopyroxene and spinel. An ideal two-site mixing model for pyroxene and Sack's (1982) expressions for spinel activities provide, with the present experimental calibration, a geothermometer which yields temperatures of 800° C to 1,350° C for various alpine peridotites and 850° C to 1,130° C for various volcanic inclusions of upper mantle origin.