The rate of spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) growth at the interface between MgO and Al 2 O 3 was investigated systematically at temperatures of 1200 o to ~2000 o C and pressures between 1.0 and 4.0 GPa with a solid-media, piston-cylinder apparatus. As reported in previous 1-atm studies, the thickness (ΔX) of the spinel layer increases linearly with the square root of time for experiments differing only in duration, irrespective of pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions. The reaction rate constant (k = ΔX 2 /2t) is log-linear in 1/T and also in pressure. The apparent activation energy of 410 kJ/mol is independent of pressure; the apparent activation volume increases systematically with increasing temperature. Electron microprobe traverses across the spinel layer reveal a significant Al excess and charge-compensating Mg deficit near the spinel/corundum interface. This nonstoichiometry is promoted by high temperatures (>1500 o C), suppressed by high pressures and varies linearly across the spinel to a near-stoichiometric composition at the interface with periclase. The Al and Mg composition gradients can be used to extract interdiffusion coefficients for Al Mg exchange through the spinel, which are described by D=2.5x10 - 6 exp(-28200/T) m 2 sThese diffusivities differ substantially from the reaction rate constant k, reflecting the fact that k is a combination of the diffusivity and the reaction potential as indicated by the difference in spinel composition across the spinel layer (i.e., coexisting with corundum vs. coexisting with periclase). A simple model can be used to separate the two effects and show that the reaction potential (i.e., the MgO-Al 2 O 3 phase diagram) is sensitive to changes in both temperature and pressure, whereas the governing diffusivity depends only on temperature.