Abstract
THIS is the first announcement of success in the experimental confirmation of the postspinel phase of forsterite at high pressure and high temperature. Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) decomposes to periclase (MgO) and stishovite (SiO2) at 330 kbar and 1,000° C. Forsterite is a major constituent of the Earth's mantle and the phase of forsterite composition at high pressure places a strong constraint on the nature of the transition layer and also on the composition and evolution of the Earth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Niazi, M., and Anderson, D. L., J. geophys. Res., 70, 4633 (1965).
Press, F., in The Nature of the Solid Earth (edit. by Robertson, E. C), chapter 7 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1970).
Birch, F., J. geophys. Res., 57, 227 (1952).
Ringwood, A. E., and Major, A., Phys. Earth planet. Interiors, 3, 89 (1970).
Kawai, N., Endo, S., and Itoh, K., Phys. Earth planet. Interiors, 3, 182 (1970).
Akimoto, S., and Ida, Y., Earth planet Sci. Lett., 1, 358 (1966).
Suito, K., Phys. Earth, 20, 225 (1972).
Akimoto, S., Tectonophysics, 13, 101 (1972).
Bernal, J. D., Observatory, 59, 268 (1936).
Shimazu, Y., and Kumazawa, M., J. seism. Soc., Japan, 9, 57 (1956).
Stishov, M., Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Geochem., 148, 153 (1962).
Stishov, M., and Popova, S. V., Geokhimiya, 10 (1961).
Ringwood, A. E., Phys. Earth planet Interior, 3, 109 (1970).
Akimoto, S., and Shyno, Y., J. chem. Phys., 47, 1813 (1967).
Masaki, K., Kumazawa, M., and Takamatsu, G., J. Jap. High Press. Inst., 9, 63 (1971).
Kumazawa, M., High Temp. high Press, 3, 243 (1971).
Hall, H. T., NBS Sp. Pub. No. 326, 314 (1971).
Anderson, D. L., Science, N.Y., 157, 1165 (1967).
Ahrens, T. J., and Shyno, Y., J. geophys. Res., 72, 4181 (1967).
Verhoogen, J., Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A 258, 276 (1965).
Shimazu, Y., J. Earth Sci., 6, 31 (1958).
McKenzie, D. P., J. geophys. Res., 71, 3995 (1966).
Turcotte, D. L., and Schubert, G., J. geophys. Res., 76, 7980 (1971).
Birch, F., J. geophys. Res., 66, 2199 (1961).
Engdahl, E. R., and Flinn, E. A., Science, N.Y., 163, 177 (1969).
Kanamori, H., Bull. Earthquake Inst. Tokyo Univ., 45, 657 (1967).
Johnson, L. R., Bull. seis. Soc. Am., 59, 973 (1969).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
KUMAZAWA, M., SAWAMOTO, H., OHTANI, E. et al. Postspinel Phase of Forsterite and Evolution of the Earth's Mantle. Nature 247, 356–358 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247356a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247356a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
The elastic properties of (Mg x Fe1?x )O solid solutions
Physics and Chemistry of Minerals (1978)
-
The post-spinel phase of forsterite
Nature (1976)
-
Post-oxide phases of olivine and pyroxene and mineralogy of the mantle
Nature (1975)
-
The formation of the Earth
Nature (1974)
-
New dense phases of geophysical significance
Nature (1974)