Phase transitions
Knowledge of phase transitions of mantle minerals is the most essential to understanding the mantle structure. Because of the high reliability of multi-anvil experiments in combination with in situ X-ray observation, phase relations of the upper mantle minerals are relatively well-known. In contrast, those of the lower mantle minerals are poorly known because of the limited pressure range of the multi-anvil apparatus.
Past studies
- Depressed 660-km discontinuity caused by akimotoite-bridgmanite transition [Chanyshev et al., 2022]
- Sharp 660-km discontinuity controlled by extremely narrow binary post-spinel transition [Ishii et al., 2019]
- Complete agreement of the post-spinel transition with the 660-km seismic discontinuity [Ishii et al., 2018]
- Binary olivine-wadsleyite transition in (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 [Katsura et al., 2004]
- Post-spinel transition in Mg2SiO4 [Katsura et al., 2003]