Geosphere

Earth materials
Rocks

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
From molten (rock) material
Magma
Fully or partially molten natural substance

Lava
Magma that reaches the surface

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Rocks melt under what conditions?
Rocks have varied
compositions
Minerals melt at
varied temperatures

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Rocks melt under what conditions?
Basalt
No water
Minerals melt
between
solidus
and
liquidus
P or T?
Decompression melting

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Rocks melt under what conditions?
Basalt
No water
Some minerals melt
Others solid
Partial melting
Melt + Solid
Melt has only
chemistry
of minerals
that melted

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Rocks melt under what conditions?
Basalt
with water
Melting
at
lower
P&T

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Solid solution
Partial melts
Bulk composition X0
~58% Fayerlite
~42% Forsterite
Partial melt begins at T1
Initial melt L1
~85% Fe
As T increases
L2 S2
L3 S3

After T3 100% liquid Bulk composition same

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Partial melts
High silica
minerals melt
first
Bulk melt
composition
higher in SiO2
than starting
material

Remainder lower
in SiO2 than
starting material

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Partial melts
Ultramafic
mafic
Mafic
intermediate

Intermediate
felsic

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does rock melt?

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does rock melt?
T&P
increase with
depth
Increase T
rocks melt
Increase P
rocks
more solid

Upwelling
Plume
hot and dry
Geosphere dry
Decompression

Igneous rocks
Where does rock melt?

Subducting
wet rock

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does rock melt?

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does rock melt?

Wet oceanic basalts

and sea floor
sedimentsDewatering

Magmatic
differentiatio
n leads to
andesitic
rhyolitic
magmas

Fluids and decompression

favour melting of
mantle wedge rocks

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does melt crystallise / cool?
If it reaches the surface
Rapidly cools
Some crystals, some glass

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Where does melt crystallise / cool?
Deep crystallisation
Slowly cools
Entirely crystals
Movement may stop due to clogging
Too many crystals to permit fluid behaviour
40-50%
Too viscous

Pressure drops too low total crystallisation

High silica magma very viscous, cooler
Once crystals begin forming, all over!

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Density contrast
Melt is less dense than solid rock
High silica rocks less dense than low silica rocks
Rise buoyantly
If viscosity and surface tension can be overcome

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Density contrast
Melt is less dense than solid rock
High silica rocks less dense than low silica rocks
Rise buoyantly
If viscosity and surface tension can be overcome
Buoyancy movement more likely with large
volumes

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Diapiric migration
Country rocks deform
Pushed out of the way
Magma rises

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Assimilation
Magmatic melting
of country rock
Ceiling rocks eaten
Magma rises

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Stopeing
Fragments of country rock
Ceiling collapse
Block fall to floor
Migration upwards

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Stopeing
XENOliths
Recystallised
Partly assimilated
Country rock origins

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Intrusion into brittle fractures
Dikes aka Dykes
Usually cross-cutting

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Intrusions
Pluton distinctive mass
Batholith multiple plutons

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Intrusion parallel to layers
Sills

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
How does it get from melting place to cooling
place?
Magma moves!
Eruption
High P to low P

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
What happens when it cools?
Melt grows crystals
Texture is entirely crystalline glass

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Crystalline texture
Interlocking
No directional fabric (usually)
Variable crystal sizes

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
What happens when it cools?
Minerals with
highest melting
point
crystallise first
Opposite of
partial
melting
Crystal
fractionation
Magmatic
differentiation

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Bowens Reaction series

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Bowens Reaction series

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Bowens Reaction series

Coupled ionic
substitution Ca2+
& Al 3+ replace by
Na+ & Si4+
composition
continuously
changes but
crystal structure
is unchanged
diffusion rate

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Bowens Reaction series

Very slow process

Rarely in true
equilibrium
Cooling rate >
diffusion rate
Zoned crystals
Cores Ca-rich

Geosphere
Igneous rocks
Bowens Reaction series

Olivine forming
leaves magma
little enriched in
SiO2
Olivine + SiO2
Pyroxene
Cascade of
reactions
OLIVINE &
QUARTZ
cannot co-exist

Questions?