Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Superheating, melting and vitrification through decompression of high-pressure minerals

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

A noteworthy feature of some high-pressure silicate minerals is their ready vitrification, either through moderate heating at 1 bar1–5, as for jadeite (NaAlSi2O6) or stishovite (SiO2), or through room-temperature decompression6, as for calcium silicate perovskite (CaSiO3). Little attention seems to have been paid to the actual significance of such transitions, and here I argue that these simply represent crystal fusion. The unusual aspect is that the temperature of fusion at low pressures is below the temperature range of the glass–liquid transition. Through a different, thermochemical line of evidence, this extends an overlooked argument outlined by Jeanloz7 following the report of the glass/ice I transition by Mishima et al.8. The similarities and differences with this transition will be pointed out, as will some theoretical and geophysical implications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Greig, J. W. & Barth, T. F. W. Am. J. Sci. 35A, 93–112 (1938).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Yoder, H. S. Jr Am. J. Sci. 248, 225–248; 312–334 (1950).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schairer, J. F. & Bowen, N. L. Am. J. Sci. 254, 129–195 (1956).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Skinner, B. J. & Fahey, J. J. J. geophys. Res. 68, 5595–5604 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dachille, F., Zeto, R. J. & Roy, R. Science 140, 991–993 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu, L. G. & Ringwood, A. E. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 28, 209–211 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Jeanloz, R. EOS 65, 1245–1246 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mishima, O., Calvert, L. D. & Whalley, E. Nature 310, 393–395 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Richet, P., Bottinga, Y., Deniélou, L., Petitet, J.-P. & Téqui, C. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 46, 2639–2658 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mackenzie, J. D. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 43, 615–620 (1960).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Holm, J. L., Kleppa, O. J. & Westrum, E. F. Jr Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 31, 2289–2307 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Watanabe, H. in High-pressure Research in Geophysics (eds Akimoto, S. & Manghnani, M. H.) 441–464 (Center for Academic Publications, Tokyo, 1982).

  13. Akaogi, M. & Navrotsky, A. Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 36, 124–134 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Richet, P. & Bottinga, Y. Rev. Geophys. 24, 1–25 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bell, P. M. & Roseboom, E. H. Jr Mineralog. Soe. Am. spec. Pap. 2, 151–161 (1969).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Williams, D. W. & Kennedy, G. C. Am. J. Sci. 269, 481–488 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Skinner, B. J. Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 97, 75–96 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bottinga, Y., Weill, D. F. & Richet, P. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 46, 909–919 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Robie, R. A. Hemingway, B. S. & Fisher, J. R. Bull. U.S. geol. Surv. No. 1452 (1978).

  20. Richet, P. & Bottinga, Y. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 44, 453–470 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Navrotsky, A., Hon, R., Weill, D. F. & Henry, D.J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 44, 1409–1423 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bottinga, Y. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 74, 350–360 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ainslie, N. G., Mackenzie, J. D. & Turnbull, D. J. phys. Chem. 65, 1718–1724 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Dietz, E. D., Baak, T. & Blau, H. H. Z. Kristallogr. Kristallgeom. 132, 340–360 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Boettcher, A. L., Burnham, C. W., Windom, K. E. & Bohlen, S. R. J. Geol. 90, 127–138 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kauzmann, W. Chem. Rev. 43, 219–256 (1948).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mishima, O., Calvert, L. D. & Whalley, E. Nature 314, 76–78 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Heinz, D. L. & Jeanloz, R. Abstr. U.S.-Japan Seminar on High-Pressure Research Applications in Geophysics and Geochemistry, 16 (University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Knittle, E. & Jeanloz, R. Nature 319, 214–216 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Richet, P. & Bottinga, Y. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 67, 415–432 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Boyd, F. R. & England, J. L. Yb. Carnegie Instn. Wash. 61, 107–112 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ohtani, E., Irifune, T. & Fujino, K. Nature 294, 62–64 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physique du Globe, 4, place Jussieu, 75232, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Pascal Richet

Authors
  1. Pascal Richet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Richet, P. Superheating, melting and vitrification through decompression of high-pressure minerals. Nature 331, 56–58 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/331056a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/331056a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation