Catalysis of the olivine to spinel transformation by high clinoenstatite

Although enstatite is a major constituent of the Earth's upper mantle and subducting lithosphere, most kinetic studies of olivine phase transformations have typically involved single-phase polycrystalline aggregates. Transmission electron microscopy investigations of olivine to spinel and modified spinel (β phase) reactions in the (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄-(Mg,Fe) SiO₃ system show that transformation of olivine in the stability field of spinel plus β phase begins with coherent nucleation of spinel on high-clinoenstatite grains. These observations demonstrate that high clinoenstatite can catalyze the transformation by enhancing nucleation kinetics and therefore imply that secondary phases can influence reaction kinetics during high-pressure mineral transformations.