This book presents a summary of high-pressure phase transitions of minerals and related inorganic compounds. The first part reviews the methods to investigate phase transitions by direct high-pressure and high-temperature experiments together with thermodynamic approaches that consist of calorimetric measurements and thermodynamic calculation. In the second part, phase relations and thermodynamic properties of olivine, pyroxene, garnet, spinel, perovskite, rutile, and related inorganic compounds with A2BO4, ABO3, AB2O4, and AO2 stoichiometries are described. Particular emphasis is placed on spinel- and perovskite-structured phases and their high-pressure polymorphs called post-spinel and post-perovskite phases. The last part of the book focuses on phase relations of mantle rocks and on natural high-pressure minerals from the Earth’s deep mantle and in shocked meteorites.

During the last thirty years profound developments in expe- rimental techniques to measure high temperature and pressu- res and thermodynamic properties of minerals have occurred. This technical development has been matched by an increased sophistication in applying theoretical methods to obtain new data or improve the quality of existing data. Using these newtechniques, Assessed Thermodynamic Data on Oxides and Silicates represents the successful attempt of the authors to develop an internally systematized data base which satis- fies the constraints of calorimetric measurements, phase equilibrium data, measured thermophysical properties of a phase, and heat capacities and entropies estimated from lat- tice vibrational models.

High-Pressure Research: Applications in Geophysics contains the papers presented during a U.S.-Japan joint seminar held in Honolulu, Hawaii, 6-9 July 1976. The seminar brought together scientists engaged in high pressure-high temperature research to exchange ideas on the latest state-of-the-art developments, their experimental results, and their latest interpretations with regard to the significance of these results to the geophysical sciences in general. Four formal sessions were held. Of the forty-two papers presented at the seminar, thirty-nine appear as contributed papers and three as abstracts in this volume. The papers in Session I examine the geophysics and geochemistry of the crust and upper mantle. The contributions in Session II focus on phase transitions related to Earth's deep interior. Session III is devoted equations of state and shock wave experiments while Session IV covers instrumentation, pressure calibration, and standardization.

The ever-increasing importance of chemical reactions at high and superhigh temperatures in crystalline, amorphous, and semicrystalline SOlids, as well as the reactions of these solids with gases, prompted the authors of this book to examine critically the literature available in this field and to present a general review of the subject. In this monograph we discuss those chemical and physicochemical points which we consider to be most important for solving a series of problems in the preparation and use of new inorganic materials. We hope that this book will be of interest to the many specialists working on inorganic materials. N. A. Toropov PREFACE Modem technology demands ever more materials with high mechanical strength, heat and chemical re sistance, fire resistance, special electrical properties, particular behavior toward active radiations, etc. The search for such materials requires the study of various chemical compounds, metallic alloys, and other fused in organic systems, especially oxide systems. Materials based on oxides begin to assume increasing importance in many fields of the new technology. In this connection the investigation of oxides and systems consisting of two and more oxides is expanding greatly.

In many respects, the science of materials has only fully utilized two of its three fundamental tools - the variables of temperature and chemical composition. Pressure, the third fundamental variable altering materials, is in many ways the most remarkable, as it spans some 60 orders of magnitude in the universe. High-pressure science has experienced tremendous growth, particularly in the last few years. With recent developments in static and dynamic compression techniques, extreme pressure and temperature conditions can now be produced and carefully controlled over a wide range. Moreover, a new generation of analytical probes, many based on third-generation synchrotron radiation sources, have been developed and can now be applied for accurate determination of the structural, dynamical, and electronic properties of matter under extreme conditions. Finally, developments in computational techniques and advances in fundamental theory tested against bountiful new experimental results are both deepening our understanding of materials as a whole and guiding subsequent experimental work with new predictions. It was for this reason that this course on high-pressure science was held at the International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi" School in July 2001. Though presented in a physics forum, the title “High-Pressure Phenomena” was chosen to reflect the broad scope of the field and the diversity of recent findings. Indeed, the field spans fundamental physics and chemistry, materials science and technology, the geosciences, planetary science and astrophysics, as well as biology. The highly interdisciplinary character of the field was central to the organization of the school, though the sheer breadth of the field meant that many topics could be treated in only a cursory fashion while others were examined more in depth. The aim of the school was to present the state-of-the-art in techniques used in modern high-pressure research, highlighting those topics where applications of these techniques are currently having a major impact.

High-pressure mineral physics is a field that is strongly driven by the development of new technology. Fifty years ago, when experimentally achievable pressures were limited to just 25 GPa, little was know about the mineralogy of the Earth's lower mantle. Silicate perovskite, the likely dominant mineral of the deep Earth, was identified only when the high-pressure techniques broke the pressure barrier of 25 GPa in 1970s. However, as the maximum achievable pressure reached beyond one Megabar (100 GPa) and even to the pressure of Earth's core on minute samples, new discoveries increasingly were fostered by the development of new analytical techniques and improvements in sensitivity and precision of existing techniques. The book consists of six sections which group the papers according to their main topics: a) Elastic and Anelastic Properties; b) Rheology; c) Melt and Glass Properties; d) Structural and Magnetic Properties; e) Diffraction and Spectroscopy; f) Pressure Calibration and Generation. As many papers cover multiple topics, readers may find papers of interest in different sections. All papers are prepared with emphasis on technical details suitable for a technical reference. Many on-line software resources are also listed in as detailed a manner as possible. However, the URL of the software sites may be subject to change without notice.* State of the art in a very important branch of geophysics, namely the experimental determination of material behavior at the extreme conditions of planetary interiors* Emphasis on technical details suitable for a technical reference* Includes many on-line software resources

A valuable resource for geologists, engineers, and students across multiple disciplines, this is the most comprehensive and in-depth study of the development of the Baltic Shield, its features as a representative of other similar areas around the world, and the implications for practical applications, such as oil and ore production. Like Sorokhtin's most recent book, The Origins of Natural Diamonds, also available from Wiley-Scrivener at www.wiley.com, this is not just the story of the origin and evolution of the Baltic Shield, but a story about the evolution of the Earth's geology in general. Important to geologists, geophysicists, and engineers across multiple disciplines, written by experts on the Earth's geological evolution, this volume represents the state-of-the-art in major Earth geological processes. Of particular importance to mining engineers and petroleum engineers, it is also a practical guide for those who work in the mining or petroleum industry. Before presenting the most in-depth discussion of the Baltic Shield available and its implications for study by geologists and various industries such as the petroleum industry, the authors present a theory for how the Earth, as we know it, came into existence and developed. They base this theory on scientific evidence and mathematical models, using this as a basis for further explanation of the Earth's geological evolution. Valuable as either a learning tool for the student or as a reference or refresher for the veteran scientist or engineer, the authors explain important geological processes, such as the Earth's origin, composition, and structure, the Earth's energy balance, continental drift, tectonic activity, the evolution of the Earth's crust, and others. It is within this geological framework that the authors offer practical guidance for engineers and scientists who work in industry or academia. It is a must-have for any geologist, geophysicist, or engineer working in mining or petroleum engineering.