We present here a first principle computational study of the effect of cation disorder on the elasticity of spinel. Our calculated elastic moduli and structural parameters are comparable with reported experimental and theoretical results. We find that bulk modulus for MgAl2O4 spinel does not soften at pressure as high as 27 GPa, while shear modulus cS [½(c11 − c12)] decreases with pressure. Disorder increases both the bulk modulus and shear modulus in aluminate spinel, but decreases both for the silicate spinel. The elastic properties of ringwoodite are significantly affected by Si-Mg disorder; a 10% disorder decreases the seismic velocities by 3–5%. Thus, a small amount of disorder will significantly affect seismic observations.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.