Temperature-dependent equilibrium partitioning of elements between different mineral (or melt/glass) phases forms the basis of geothermometry. In natural rock systems it is necessary to determine whether equilibrium partitioning of a given element was obtained between two phases before calculating temperatures using the tool. With the improvement of spatial resolution of analytical tools and our understanding of solidstate kinetics it has become clear that compositional heterogeneities on different scales exist in mantle rocks because of incomplete equilibration, and a kinetic evaluation is necessary before application of geothermometers. This work summarizes the kinetic situations that may arise and provides some guidelines and criteria for testing whether partitioning equilibrium was obtained. A suite of dunites and harzburgites from an ophiolite suite in the Himalaya (Xigaze, Tibet) is used to illustrate the application of some of these concepts. It is shown that when compositions used for geothermometry are chosen bearing these kinetic considerations in mind, a systematic pattern of freezing temperatures is obtained from the geothermometers. These data provide insights into the cooling histories of these rocks with complex, multistage (e.g. melt percolation) histories. Some potential pitfalls for geospeedometry are also illustrated along the way.

Abstract The interaction of magma and wall-rocks is inevitable when magma is moving through Earth's crust. These interactions happen on different timescales and especially the short-term interactions (seconds to days) during the final ascent of the magma can induce changes in eruption dynamics. However, information on this matter is scarce and scattered in different scientific fields. We conducted this review in order to present a full picture of the state of the art for short-timescale magma–wall-rock interactions. According to the three existing studies on short-term magma–carbonate interactions, magma viscosity is the most important controlling factor for carbonate assimilation. Lower viscosity magmas enhance CO 2 -bubble migration away from the reaction site, resulting in a higher carbonate assimilation rate. The released CO 2 plays an important role regarding eruption dynamics since a higher CO 2 release rate would result in accelerated magma ascent and may increase eruption intensity. Despite the importance for hazard assessment, important factors (pressure, magma composition, vapour phase solubilities, carbonate clast properties) for carbonate assimilation in general and CO 2 release rate in particular are not or only poorly constrained. This review presents the present-day knowledge of short-term magma–carbonate interaction that is relevant to establish the basis for future work concerning magma–wall-rock interactions.