The fusion curves for enstatite (MgSiO3), diopside (CaMgSi206), pyrope (Mg3A12Si3012) and forsterite (Mg2Si04) will be determined experimentally to 20 GPa (200 kbar). The data on forsterite will be few in number, and designed to test if the straight fusion curve reported by Ohtani and Kumazawa (1981) should be slightly curved. Experiments on enstatite will also be few in number, and will be an extension of the results of Presnall and Gasparik (1989) to higher pressures. Experiments will be done using the uniaxial split sphere apparatus located at SUNY-Stony Brook. This work will be a continuation of experiments already done on peridotite and komatiite compositions to 15 GPa using the facilities at Nagoya University (Japan) and at the State University of New York (Stony Brook). These data will provide an end-member reference frame that is essential for a comprehensive understanding of high pressure melting behavior in more complex multicomponent systems.
