Mantle geothermometry: experimental evaluation and recalibration of Fe–Mg geothermometers for garnet-clinopyroxene and garnet-orthopyroxene in peridotite, pyroxenite and eclogite systems

The reliability of eight Fe–Mg exchange geothermobarometers for garnet-bearing peridotites, pyroxenites and eclogites has been examined using a database comprised of more than 300 published peridotite, pyroxenite and eclogite experiments conducted from 10 to 70 kbar and 850 to > 1650 ∘ C . We have tested Fe–Mg exchange geothermometers suitable for a range of mantle lithologies, including websterite, harzburgite, wehrlite and eclogite. All geothermometers maintained an average difference in experimental and calculated temperature (T) Δ T = T exp - T calc of less than ± 50 °C with a standard deviation of Δ T between ± 50 to 150 °C. Most geothermometers performed well across a narrow range in ln Kd Fe - Mg A - B (where Kd Fe - Mg A - B = Fe A × Mg B ( Fe B × Mg A ) ), however, systematic overestimation and underestimation of T were observed outside of the optimal range of lnKd Fe - Mg A - B . Increases in experimental pressure (P) adversely affected several geothermometers, particularly those calibrated empirically using natural samples. All previously published calibrations of the garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometer were unable to reliably reproduce the experimental T for both peridotite and eclogite experimental compositions, which hinders their confident application to natural datasets. To improve the state of mantle geothermobarometry we have used our experimental database to recalibrate the (1) garnet-clinopyroxene Fe–Mg exchange geothermometer, and (2) garnet-orthopyroxene Fe–Mg exchange geothermometer. Each geothermometer has been recalibrated across an extended P, T, and compositional range. The inclusion of eclogitic experiments in the calibration for the garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometer permits application to both eclogitic and peridotitic/pyroxenitic assemblages equilibrated under a wide range of PT conditions in the upper mantle. Using multiple linear regression to solve for lnKd, we found the following expressions best reproduced the experimental T (℃) of our dataset: T Fe - Mg grt - cpx ( ∘ C) = 3356.34 - 0.008 × P kbar + 0.259 × X Ca grt + 0.914 × X Mg grt + - 0.159 × Jd cpx + ln Kd Fe - Mg grt - cpx + 1.265 - 273 T Fe - Mg grt - opx ( ∘ C) = 1851.85 - 0.007 × P kbar + - 1.83 × X Ca grt + ln Kd Fe - Mg grt - cpx + 1.08 - 273 . where, X Ca grt = Ca Ca + Fe + Mg , Kd Fe - Mg grt - opx = Fe grt × Mg opx ( Fe opx × Mg grt ) , X Mg grt = Mg Ca + Fe + Mg , Jd cpx = Na - Cr - 2 × Ti , Kd Fe - Mg grt - cpx = Fe grt × Mg cpx ( Fe cpx × Mg grt ) , wit