Chemical heterogeneities in the mantle: The equilibrium thermodynamic approach

• From a thermodynamic point, two assemblages in equilibrium preserve different mineralogy and compositions indefinitely.
• A method to compute the equilibrium composition of two lithologies in contact is presented.
• Melt products of two different peridotites in chemical equilibrium are very similar.

This study attempts to answer a simple and yet fundamental question in relation to our understanding of the chemical evolution of deep Earth and planetary interiors. Given two initially separate assemblages (lithologies) in chemical equilibrium can we predict the chemical and mineralogical compositions of the two assemblages when they are put together to form a new equilibrated system? Perhaps a common perception is that given sufficient time, the two assemblages will homogenize chemically and mineralogically, however from a chemical thermodynamic point of view, this is not the case. Certain petrological differences in terms of bulk composition, mineralogy and mineral abundance remain unless other processes, like melting or mechanical mixing come into play. While there is not a standard procedure to address this problem, in this study it is shown that by applying chemical thermodynamic principles and some reasonable assumptions, it is possible to determine the equilibrium composition of each of the two assemblages. Some examples that consider typical mantle rocks, peridotite, lherzolite, dunite and eclogite described by simplified chemical systems are used to illustrate the general approach.A preliminary application to evaluate the effect of melting a heterogeneous mantle in complete chemical equilibrium using a thermodynamic formulation coupled with a two-phase geodynamic model shows that major element composition of the melt product generated by different peridotites is very similar. This may explain the relative homogeneity of major elements of MORBs which could be the product of melting a relatively uniform mantle, as commonly accepted, or alternatively a peridotitic mantle with different compositions but in chemical equilibrium.