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Thermoelastic properties of zircon: Implications for geothermobarometry

Journal Article · · American Mineralogist
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7731· OSTI ID:1981039
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, U.S.A.
  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via A. Ferrata, 1 27100 Pavia, Italy
  3. IGG CNR, Via Giovanni Gradenigo, 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
  4. Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universität Bayreuth Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
  5. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, U.K.

Abstract A thermal-pressure equation of state has been determined for zircon (ZrSiO4) that characterizes its thermoelastic behavior at metamorphic conditions. New pressure-volume (P-V) data from a “Mud Tank” zircon have been collected from 1 bar to 8.47(1) GPa using X-ray diffraction, and elastic moduli were measured from room temperature up to 1172 K by resonance ultrasound spectroscopy. These data were fitted simultaneously with temperature-volume (T-V) data from the literature in EosFit7c using a new scaling technique. The parameters of a third-order Birch-Murnaghan EoS with a Mie-Grüneisen-Debye model for thermal pressure have compressional EoS parameters K0T = 224.5(1.2) GPa, K0T' = 4.90(31) with a fixed initial molar volume V0 = 39.26 cm3/mol and thermal parameters γ0 = 0.868(15), q = 2.37(80), and ΘD = 848(38) K. EoS parameters that describe the variation of unit-cell parameters with pressure and temperature were determined using an isothermal-type EoS. This new EoS confirms that zircons are stiffer than garnets and exhibit a much lower thermal expansion. This results in steep isomekes between zircon and garnets, which makes zircon trapped as inclusions in garnets at metamorphic conditions a good piezothermometer.

Research Organization:
Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0016448
OSTI ID:
1981039
Journal Information:
American Mineralogist, Vol. 107, Issue 1; ISSN 0003-004X
Publisher:
Mineralogical Society of America
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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