Elastic moduli of wadsleyite (β-Mg₂SiO₄) to 7 gigapascals and 837 kelvin

Simultaneous sound velocity measurements and x-ray diffraction studies were made on wadsleyite (β-Mg₂SiO₄) to 7 gigapascals and 873 kelvin. The calculated adiabatic bulk (K) and shear (G) moduli yield K (at room conditions) = 172(2) gigapascals, dK/dP = 4.2(1), and dK/dT = -0.012(1) gigapascals per kelvin, and G (at room conditions) = 113(1) gigapascals, dG/dP = 1.5(1), and dG/dT = -0.017(1) gigapascals per kelvin, respectively. The data imply that the P and S wave velocity contrasts between olivine and wadsleyite require an olivine amount of 38 to 39 percent in the upper mantle to satisfy the observed 410-kilometer discontinuity, but 55 to 60 percent to account for the velocity increased through the transition zone.