Abstract. The Griineisen ratio, 7, is defined as = o:K T V/C v .The volume dependence of 7(V) is solved for a wide range in temperature. The volume dependence of C~KT is solved from the identityis the thermal expansivity; KT is the bulk modulus; C v is specific heat; and 6r and K' are dimensionless thermoelastic constants. The approach is to find values of 6T and K', each as functions of T and V. We also solve for q = (0 In 7/0 In V) whereCalculations are taken down to a compression of 0.6, thus covering all possible values pertaining to the earth's mantle, q = ~ In 7/0 in V; 6T = 0 In a/O In V; and K' = (OKT/OP)T. New experimental information related to the volume dependence of 6T, q, K' and C v was used. For MgO, as the compression, t/= V/Vo, drops from 1.0 to 0.7 at 2000 K, the results show that q drops from 1.2 to about 0.8; 6T drops from 5.0 to 3.2; 6T becomes slightly less than K'; 0 In Cv/O in V~0; and ? drops from 1.5 to about 1. These observations are all in accord with recent laboratory data, seismic observations, and theoretical results.