Pyrolite

Pyrolite is a term used to characterize a model composition of the Earth's mantle. This model is based on that a pyrolite source can produce mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) by partial melting.[1][2] It was first proposed by Ted Ringwood (1962)[3] as being 1 part basalt and 4 parts harzburgite, but later was revised to being 1 part tholeiitic basalt and 3 parts dunite.[1][4] The term is derived from the mineral names PYR-oxene and OL-ivine.[5] However, whether pyrolite is entirely representative of the Earth's mantle remains debated.[6]

  1. ^ a b Anderson, Don L. (1989-01-01). Theory of the Earth. Boston, MA: Blackwell Scientific Publications. ISBN 978-0-86542-335-0.
  2. ^ Xu, Wenbo; Lithgow-Bertelloni, Carolina; Stixrude, Lars; Ritsema, Jeroen (October 2008). "The effect of bulk composition and temperature on mantle seismic structure". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 275 (1–2): 70–79. Bibcode:2008E&PSL.275...70X. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.08.012. ISSN 0012-821X.
  3. ^ Ringwood, A. E. (Feb 1962). "A model for the upper mantle". Journal of Geophysical Research. 67 (2): 857–867. Bibcode:1962JGR....67..857R. doi:10.1029/jz067i002p00857. ISSN 0148-0227.
  4. ^ Ringwood, A.E.; Major, Alan (Sep 1966). "High-pressure transformations in pyroxenes". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 1 (5): 351–357. Bibcode:1966E&PSL...1..351R. doi:10.1016/0012-821x(66)90023-9. ISSN 0012-821X.
  5. ^ D.H. Green. Pyrolite. In: Petrology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, 1989
  6. ^ Katsura, Tomoo; Shatskiy, Anton; Manthilake, M. A. Geeth M.; Zhai, Shuangmeng; Yamazaki, Daisuke; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Yoshino, Takashi; Yoneda, Akira; Ito, Eiji; Sugita, Mitsuhiro; Tomioka, Natotaka (2009-06-12). "P-V-Trelations of wadsleyite determined by in situ X-ray diffraction in a large-volume high-pressure apparatus". Geophysical Research Letters. 36 (11). Bibcode:2009GeoRL..3611307K. doi:10.1029/2009gl038107. ISSN 0094-8276.