Bj. Wanamaker et Ag. Duba, ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYCRYSTALLINE OLIVINE CONTAINING A SILICATE GLASS, Geophysical research letters, 20(19), 1993, pp. 2107-2110
The complex impedance of a polycrystalline sample of San Carlos olivin
e including 5 vol% of a synthetic silicate glass containing sodium, ma
gnesium, and iron has been measured as a function of temperature under
controlled oxygen fugacity at a.c. frequencies of 10(2), 10(3), and 1
0(4) Hz. Below approximately 800-degrees-C, the conductivity of the sa
mple is at least 5 to 10 times higher than that of single crystal and
polycrystalline San Carlos olivine, respectively, and has an activatio
n energy half that of the single crystal. The sample conductivity incr
eases dramatically as a function of the measurement frequency. Hystere
sis and time-dependent changes in sample conductivity are observed abo
ve the liquidus of the glass (approximately 900-degrees-C). The data s
uggest that the electrical conductivity of partially molten samples is
characterized by parallel conduction of the solid and melt phases and
is a sensitive indicator of melt distribution as well as the kinetics
of melt re-equilibration.