This project will study calibration of thermodynamic models for prediction of the composition and volume of basaltic melts formed during adiabatic upwelling of the mantle, with applications to the petrogenesis of Mid-ocean Ridge Basalts (MORB) and oceanic island basalts and to the origin of oceanic crust. This study will provide a robust predictive tool for exploring the effects of mantle composition, temperature, and pressure on the composition and volume of melt produced. It will generate a link between mantle phase equilibria and the energy balances that drive the dynamics of the upper mantle undergoing melting.
