INFOREX-3.0 - A DATABASE ON EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF PHASE-EQUILIBRIA IN IGNEOUS ROCKS AND SYNTHETIC SYSTEMS .1. DATAFILE AND MANAGEMENT-SYSTEM STRUCTURE

INFOREX-3.0 is a sophisticated database manager for igneous petrologis ts and geochemists. It is designed as an aid in searching the publishe d experimental database, and extracting specific subsets of that data. In addition, the program allows the user to derive numerical mineral- melt expressions based on any dataset. Its major function is as a comp uterized melting-experiment reference manual that presents data in a f ixed format, with key word search functions and Bags as an integral pa rt of the program. At present, the system accesses information on 162 experimental studies carried out from 1962 to 1994. The database inclu des 6174 individual runs with more than 8300 coexisting phase composit ions for 30 minerals plus melt. Most of the data are ''dry'', but abou t 2200 include volatile components, such as H2O and CO2. INFOREX is ho t-key driven, allowing users to sort easily and quickly through the da ta using any set of experimental conditions or rock type parameters. T he main options include: (1) configuration of INFOREX; (2) extraction of general information on the current state of the system; (3) updatin g and editing the database files; (4) selection of run conditions of i nterest (setting rock types plus a range of pressures, temperatures, o xygen fugacities, run duration as well as types of containers and resu ltant phase assemblages); (5) setting phase assemblages (e.g., olivine -melt or garnet-spinel) for the selected set of experiments; (6) expor t/import operations; and (7) calculation of mineral-melt geothermomete rs. The INFOREX database is a powerful tool for the use in the develop ment of petrogenetic models by providing the ability to manipulate eas ily accessed mineral-melt equilibria data. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd