Understanding the tectonic processes that shape the surface of our planet requires knowledge of the inner workings of its deep interior. Most critical is an accurate model for mantle mineralogy, especially one that allows for variation in bulk composition. Chust et al. [2017] present a newly developed open-access software package called “MMA-EoS” that self-consistently evaluates mineral equilibria and thermodynamic properties of multicomponent systems by Gibbs energy minimization. The software allows for the computation of properties of single phases, solution phases, and multiphase aggregates. Application of this new code to a homogeneous ‘pyrolitic’ mantle and a mechanical mixture of subducted lithosphere lithologies suggest no significant differences between the two compositional models, indicating that a heterogeneous mantle structure may not be required.

Citation: Chust T. C., G. Steinle-Neumann, D. Dolejs, B. S. Schuberth, and H. P. Bunge [2017], MMA-EoS: A Computational Framework for Mineralogical Thermodynamics, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 122. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014501

—Michael Walter, Editor, JGR: Solid Earth