One goal of earth scientists is to determine the temperature and pressure of formation of rocks that, by one way or another, are brought to the surface of the earth for study. Minerals in rocks from outcrops, mines, and drill cores may have crystallized at temperatures and pressures considerably above those prevailing when they are studied. Certain physical and chemical characteristics of these minerals may be examined to determine what conditions prevailed during crystallization or during recrystallization. The resulting estimates of preexisting temperatures and pressures are known as geologic thermometry and as geologic barometry, respectively (also geothermometry and geobarometry ; see Thermometry, Geologic ).
If, from experimental studies of phase equilibria (see vol. IV A), a certain mineral or mineral assemblage is determined to be in equilibrium only within a defined pressure range, the presence of that mineral or assemblage in a rock indicates that it was once subjected to...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Boettcher, A., ed., 1976. Geothermometry-Geobarometry, a collection of papers presented at the International Conference on Geothermometry and Geobarometry convened at the Pennsylvania State University, October 5–10, 1975, Am. Mineralogist, 61, 549–816.
Lusk, J., and Ford, C. E., 1978. Experimental extension of the sphalerite geobarometer to 10 kbar, Am. Mineralogist, 63, 516–519.
Roedder, E., 1965. Liquid CO2 inclusions in olivine-bearing nodules and phenocrysts from basalts, Am. Mineralogist, 50, 1746–1782.
Cross-references
Garnet Group; Mantle Mineralogy; Pyroxene Group ; Thermometry, Geologic; Vol. IVA: Fluid Inclusions; Phase Equilibria.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company
About this entry
Cite this entry
Frye, K. (1981). Barometry, geologic . In: Mineralogy. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-87933-184-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30720-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive