Mineral composition of the mantle

The mineral composition can be calculated based on the chemical (elementary) composition of the mantle.

• Upper mantle
  • Olivine ($\ce{\alpha-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4}$)
  • Garnet
  • Pyroxene ($\ce{MSiO3}$ system)
    • Orthopyroxene
    • Clinopyroxene
• Transition zone
  • Spinel ($\ce{M2SiO4}$ system)
    • Wadsleyite ($\ce{\beta-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4}$)
    • Ringwoodite ($\ce{\alpha-Mg2SiO4}$)
• Lower mantle
  • Periclase
    • Wüstite ($\ce{(Mg,Fe)O}$)
  • Perovskite
    • Bridgmanite (magnesium end-member ($\ce{(Mg,Fe)SiO3}$)
    • CaPv ($\ce{CaSiO3}$)
  • Post-perovskite ($\ce{MgSiO3}$)

References

• Wentzcovitch, R. M., Yu, Y. G., & Wu, Z. (2010). Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Relations in Mantle Minerals Investigated by First Principles Quasiharmonic Theory. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 71(1), 59–98. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2010.71.4