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Temperature (T)
• T s recorded for magma in nature
Physical & Chemical – optical pyrometer
Properties of Magmas – thermocouple probe (lava lakes)
• Magmas crystallize - range of Ts.
Including Some Processes that • The temperature range for most magmas
Occur in Magmas – 650 to 1200˚C range (generally)
– Mafic magmas hotter than felsic (generally)

Pressure: Viscosity:
• Lithostatic pressure • X-ray studies of silicate glasses (frozen magmas)
– pressure created by the overlying rocks. – silicon-oxygen networks are present
– Remember P = rgh – Granitic magmas (felsic magmas)
• quartz and feldspars-framework silicates
• Continental crust r=2.7 gm/cm3 – lots of linkages, therefore high viscosity

– 265 bars/km, or 1 kbar ≈ 3.5 km • Basaltic magmas (mafic magmas)

– less silica (more olivine and pyroxene)
• Oceanic crust r=3.0 gm/cm3 – More unlinked tetrahedra
– 295 bars/km, or 1 kbar ≈ 3.3 km – less viscous

Viscosity
Viscosity:
• In general: Si, Al, and O = network formers
– other cations are network modifiers
• network modifiers are:
H2O, Fe, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Li, Na, K, Rb
more<---------------------------------------> less
effective effective
• Loss of water = sudden increase in viscosity.
Calculated viscosities of anhydrous silicate liquids at one atmosphere pressure.
b. Variation in the viscosity of basalt as it crystallizes c. Variation in the viscosity
of rhyolite at 1000oC with increasing H2O content.

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Controls on viscosity
Viscosities • Composition
– have discussed?
Melt Visc (Poise) • T increases Viscosity) Decreases
Olivine Basalt 1200C 1 to 5 x 103 – Viscosity a 1/log T
Andesite 1200C 0.25 to 5 x 104 – e.g. the viscosity of a basalt magma is 100 times as
Ryolite/Granite 1200C 106 - 108 great at 950 C as at 1200 C
Water 0.01
Glycerin 15 • P increases viscosity decreases
Machine Oil 6.6 – Al becomes network modifier at higher P
Glacial Ice 1012 • Crystallization
– Visc. increases as amount of susp xtals increase
• Also increases w/ time at const T & P.

Density: VISCOSITY AND DENSITY EFFECT

• Ranges from ~2.2 - 3.1 gm/cm3
• How fast crystals will sink through a magma.
• Controls
• The velocity a magma will rise through the
– composition (most important)
• more mafic - more dense
crust.
• Temperature • The rates are governed by Stoke's Law
– Increase in T, density decreases – approximate

• Pressure
– Density increases w/ pressure

Stoke s Law
Crystal Settling
• V = (2/9) * gr2(r1 - r2) / n
• Settling velocity is fast compared to the
• V = velocity crystallization rate
– settling grains or rising diapirs
– Crystals settle
• r - radius
– Or get left behind by a moving magma
• r1-r2 - density difference
– if crystals don t sink that fast
• n - viscosity
• get carried along with a moving magma
• g - acceleration due to gravity • conditions favorable for porphyritic texture.
• 2/9 for a spherical crystal (or magma body)
– can be changed for other shapes

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Ascent of Magma Magma Ascent

• From the consideration of Stokes law we can see: • How fast does magma rise?
• V of the ascent should increase with size – Diapir of granite
– magma body – 10 km across
– rising through a crust of granitic composition at 500C
– Density of magma vs. the density of the country rock,
– 20 km in 100,000 to 10 million years
– Viscosity of magma (inverse) • depending on the viscosity.
• low viscosity increase rate of ascent.
• A more direct measurement
• Other factors (not considered by stokes law) – Hawaii
– Width and roughness of the conduit. • behavior of earthquake focii associated with eruptions
– Rate of heat loss to the cooler country rocks. • 60 km in about 2 months.

Magma Ascent Volatiles or Fluids

• While we are on this topic… • Volatile species include:
• lithosphere may act as a density filter – H2O, CO2
– If so our sampling of magmas not – s-species H2S or SO2
representative – Cl, & F (HCl, HF)
– Volcanic arcs • H2O
• large amounts of intermediate and felsic magmas in – Most abundant and most important
volcanic arcs • Why important (more later)?
• because more dense mafics are trapped at the base
of the crust (or lithosphere)?

Solubility or max H2O Content:

Determined experimentally Importance of Volatiles
• P-T Relations of Melting or Crystallization
1000 bars 5000 bars
– Includes range of conditions
Basalt 3.1 wt % 8.5 wt %
• Order of Mineral Crystallization or Melting
Pyx Andesite 4.5 wt % 9.8 wt %
Granite 4 wt % 11.5 wt %
• Solubility increases with H2O pressure
– decreases with increasing lithostatic P but constant H2O P
• Solubility increases as magma becomes more felsic.

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The Effect of Water on Melting

Dry melting: solid ® liquid
Add water- water enters the melt
Reaction becomes:

solid + water = liq(aq)

The effect of H2O

saturation on the
melting of albite.
Experimentally determined melting intervals of gabbro
under H2O-free ( dry ), and H2O-saturated conditions.

Dry and water-saturated solidi for some common rock types

The more mafic the rock
H2O and Order of Crystallization
the higher the melting
point •Change H2O Content
•Change T
All solidi are greatly • Crystallization
lowered by water • Melting
• Change Order
• Hydrous
H2O-saturated (solid) and
H2O-free (dashed) solidi • Anhydrous
(beginning of melting) for
granodiorite, gabbro and
peridotite.

Importance of Volatiles Time - Crystallization & Cooling

• Grantoid Batholith
• can trigger explosive eruptions
– 8 km diameter about 1 million years
• reduces melt viscosity • Depends on (in addition to volume &
–network modifier shape):
– Heat Conduction
– Heat of Crystallization
– Nature of Country Rock
• e.g., H2O content

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Convection
Time - Crystallization & Cooling
• Density Differences in Magma
• Smaller Intrusions - less time – T differences
– Mafic Sill 700 m thick, 350 m deep – Compositional differences
• 9,000 years • Can cause convection
– Mafic Sill 200 m thick, 350m depth – Favored
• 700 years • Low viscosity
• Higher T
• Mafic Intrusions

Convection Double-diffusive convection

A series of convecting layers

Image from Elardo and Shearer (2014) Am. Min.