Experimental Petrology at High Pressures and Temperatures

In 1969, when it was first suggested that a Subcommission on Experimental Petrology at High Pressures and Temperatures be established, the reaction from the IUGS Petrology Commission was favourable. The Subcommission, with six members and Professor Werner Schreyer as Chairman, became a Commission (CEPHT) in 1972. Peter Wyllie, current Chairman of this Commission, describes the evolution of experimental petrology, its application to geophysical, petrological and geological processes, as well as what lies ahead in future exploration of this "research frontier".