Elasticity of grossular and spessartite garnets by Brillouin spectroscopy

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Abstract

The single-crystal elastic moduli of natural samples of grossular (99.0 mol % Ca3Al2Si3O12) and spessartite (94.8 mol % Mn3Al2Si3O12) have been measured by Brillouin spectroscopy under ambient conditions. From these results the adiabatic bulk moduli Ks and shear moduli μ are calculated to be Ks = 168.4 ± 0.7, μ = 108.9 ± 0.4 for grossular, and Ks = 178.8 ± 0.8, μ 96.3 ±0.5 for spessartite (all in units of gigapascals). Of the major rock-forming silicate garnets, spessartite has the largest bulk modulus, and grossular has the largest shear modulus, with the possible exception of majorite (a high-pressure form of pyroxene). Approximate values for the bulk and shear moduli of common aluminosilicate garnet solid solutions can be obtained with an estimated uncertainty of less than 3% from a linear molar average of the end-member properties. The elastic properties of pure almandite garnet (Fe3Al2Si3O12), which have thus far not been measured, are estimated as Ks = 177 ± 3 and μ = 97 ± 1 GPa by a linear regression analysis of extant measurements on garnet solid solutions and end-members. -from Author

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7621-7628
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research
Volume94
Issue numberB6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1989

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics
  • Forestry
  • Oceanography
  • Aquatic Science
  • Ecology
  • Water Science and Technology
  • Soil Science
  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Earth-Surface Processes
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Palaeontology

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