Ternary Phase Diagrams

• Single Eutectic
• Two Eutectic Points
• Peritectic and Eutectic Points
• Solid solution
• More accurately represent real igneous
rocks
 C C
C

Ternary
Eutectic

Cotectic

X
A
B

1100EC

A B
 Ternary Eutectic Phase Diagram SiO2 (Q) Fractional crystallization of Z
Equilibrium crystallization of Y 45%Q +
Ab Or
Or Q
Ab Ab Ab Q Q
Melt path 20%Ab + Ab 29%
Or
10 90 35%Or Ab Or Ab
Solid path
Q+melt Or Ab Or
Temperature 1
Ab Or Ab
Melt% = 2.8/4.62 x 100 = 61% 80
20 Or Ab Or
Solid% = 1.875/4.62 x 100 = 39% 59%Or +
Solid Composition = Ab Ab
51%
41%Ab Ab Or
Melt Composition = 17%SiO2+ 33%NaAlSi3O8 +
50% KAlSi3O8 Or Ab Or
30 70 Or
Temperature 2 (arrival at eutectic) Ab Ab
X Or Or Or
Melt% = 0.875/3.81 x 100 = 23%
Or Or Or 20%
Solid% = 2.94/3.81 x 100 = 77%
Solid Composition = 72%Ab + 28%Or 40 Or Or Or
60
Melt Composition = 45%SiO2+ 20%NaAlSi3O8
+ 35%KAlSi3O8
Temperature 3 (below eutectic) Measurements:
50 50
100% Solid Temperature 1
Q: 10% 0.6875/3.5 x 100 = 20% Solid
Ab: 60% Temperature 2
Or: 30% 1.938/3.5 x 100 = 64% Solid
(original composition read from 60 40
Total system (Ab+Or) = 0.64 x 80% = 51%
ternary grid lines) Total system melt = 0.36 x 80% = 29%
Textural Breakdown (% chamber)
64
Phenocrysts (77%)
70
Ab + melt Or+melt 30
Ab pheno. = (77%) x 0.72=55%
Or pheno. = (77%) x 0.28=22%
Ground Mass (23%)
Ab G.M. = (23%) x .2=5% 20
Or G.M. = (23%) x .35=8% 80 20
Q G.M. = (23%) x .45=10%
Z
Y
90 39 36 80 10

61
23

40 60 70 80 90
NaAlSi3O8(Ab)10 20 30 50
KAlSi3O8 (Or)
Equilibrium crystallization of composition X
Ternary: 2 Eutectic Phase Diagram P=20Kbars
T1 Composition X
Solid = 1.2/5.5x100 = 22%
CaMgSi2O6(Di)
Di All solid = Di
Di
Fractional crystallization of composition Z
10 90
Di Melt = 4.3/5.5x100=78%

%
Di En

18
Mg2SiO4=19%
Di SiO2=58%
Eutectic Composition En
Di CaMgSi2O6=23%

%
En=38% En
20 80 Fo

82
Di = (.82)62%=51%
Fo = (.18)62%=11% Di En Di
48%
T2 Composition X En

%
70 Fo Di

34
30
Di Fo
Solid =2.1/5.05x100 = 42%

%
En Di

66
Di = 5.3/7x100 = 76% Fo Di Fo Di Fo
Di En = 1.7/7x100 = 24% Di = 66% Di Fo Di Fo
En Di 40 60 Fo = 34% Di Fo Di Fo
31%
Melt = 2.95/5.05x100 = 58%
Di En Mg2SiO4=13%
Di Fo Di Fo
Di Fo Di Fo
Di SiO2=73%
Fo
Di CaMgSi2O6=14% Fo Fo Fo Fo Fo
50 50 Fo Fo Fo Fo
Z Fo = 100% 21%
Di + melt Fo Fo Fo
T3Composition X Fo Fo
En Q Di
X
Overall Solid comp. 40
En Q Di Di = 40% 60
Q
Q Di En = 20%
En Q = 40%
En Di Di
Di En
Q Matrix
Q
En 18%En+68%Cr 70 30
Q +14%Di
Di
Q
Di Q Phenocrysts
Di En Q
76%Di+24%En
% of Entire Chamber 80 T1 20
Phenocrysts=42%
76%Di(.42)=32%
24%En(.42)=10% Liquid path
Matrix=58% T2
En + melt 10 Solid path
18%En(.58)=11%En90
68%Cr(.58)=39%Cr
14%Di(.58)=8%Di Fo + melt
Cr + melt

10 20 40 50 60 70 80 90
Mg2SiO4(Fo) MgSiO3(En) SiO2(Cr)
T1 Composition A
Solid = 1.7/4.1x100 = 41%
Ternary Peritectic Phase Diagram P=2Kbars
Fo
Fo All solid = Fo CaMgSi2O6(Di)
Fo Melt = 59%
Fo
Mg2SiO4=40% 10 90
SiO2=25% Di+melt
Fo
Fo CaMgSi2O6=35%
Equilibrium crystallization of composition A
TOTAL MINERALOGY
20 80 Di: 1.5/7.2x100 = 21%
T2 Composition A En: 1.4/2.1x79% = (0.666)79%=53%
Solid = 4.5/6.1x100 = 74% Fo: 0.7/2.1x79% = (0.333)79%=26%
En Fo
Fo = 0.9/2.1x100 = 43% 30 70
En En = 1.2/2.1x100 = 57%
X Phenocryst Assemblage (% of Chamber)
Fo Fo Fo: 0.74 x 43% = 32%
En En
Melt = 1.6/6.1x100 = 26% En: 0.74 x 57% = 42%
Mg2SiO4=9% 60
Fo 40
Fo SiO2=13% Groundmass (% of Chamber)
CaMgSi2O6=78% Di: 21%
En: 53% - 42% = 11%
T3 Composition A 50 50 *Fo: 26% - 32% = -6%
En Di
100% Solid
En Fo
Di Di Di = 21% Textural Divisions
Di En En = 53% Di (groundmass) = 21%
En Fo = 26% 60 40
Fo EnFo En (groundmass) = 11%
Di
En
En
En
En (phenocrysts) = 42%
Fo
Di Di Fo (phenocrysts) = 26%
Fo Di Fo + melt
Di 70 Cr+melt 30
En En Di

A
80 20 Solid path
Z Liquid path
Y En+melt
90 10

10 20 80 90
Mg2SiO4(Fo) 67% 33%
MgSiO3(En)40 50 60 70 SiO2(Cr)
 CaMgSi2O6(Di)

Fractional Crystallization of Composition A 10 90 Ternary Solid Solution Phase

Di An0 Di An0
20
Diagram
80

51%
30 70

Di An85 Di 40 60

An85 An85 An85

50 Di+melt 50
49%
60 40

X
70 30
An93 An93 An93
A Equilibrium Crystallization of
80 20
Composition A
Liquid path
90 Pl+melt 10
Solid path

NaAlSi3O8(Ab) CaAl2Si2O8(An)

melt
M% S% An%
1600
100 0 93
78 22 91
62 38 88
50 50 85
1500
Iterations
(1) 78/1.9 = 100/x
1400 (where x = total ternary tie line length)
T
E
C
x = 2.4
1300 Pl+melt (2) 62/1.75 = 100/x
x = 2.8
(3) 50/1.6 = 100/x
1200
x = 3.2 (this extended past the cotectic)

1100

Pl

NaAlSi3O8(Ab) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
CaAl2Si2O8(An)
100
 Phase Rule “Re-visited”
• On ternary systems we add a composition axis
but take away the T axis so the phase rule
remains unchanged from binary system:
– dF = C – P + 1
• Example: ternary eutectic
– dF = 3 – 4(melt & 3 solids) + 1 = 0 (invariant point)
• Example: ternary cotectic
– dF = 3 – 3(melt & 2 solids) + 1 = 1 (univariant curve)
 Phase Diagram Summary
• Be familiar with all of the phase diagram
assignments
• Know the “modified” phase rule for
igneous phase diagrams
• Be able to explain why an invariant point
on a phase diagram is a peritectic or
eutectic.
• Be able to explain the difference between
a regular cotectic and reaction cotectic