The reversed alumina contents of orthopyroxene in equilibrium with spinel and forsterite in the system MgO-Al2O3-SiO2

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.