Nature and

Generation of
Magma
Magma
• Magma is a term first introduced into geologic literature in
1825 by Scope, who referred to it as a “compound
liquid” consisting of solid particles suspended in a liquid
•  temperature of magmas range from about 1200°C to
700°C
• the higher values for mafic compositions, the lower to silicic.
Very rare alkali carbonatitic lavas that contain almost no silica
have eruptive temperatures of about 600°C
• Densities of magmas range from about 2.2 to 3.0 g/cm3
• Magma in general consists of a mobile mixture of solid,
liquid, and gaseous phases. The number and nature
of the phases constituting a magma depend, under stable
equilibrium conditions, on the three intensive variables P, T,
and X (concentrations of chemical components in the
magma
Different types of Magmas on the basis of chemical composition
Processes that Forms Magma

• Rising Temperature
• Increasing Pressure
• Addition of Water
1-Rising Temperature

• Increase in temperature will melt a hot rock

• Least important factor in magma formation
2- Decreasing Pressure
• Mineral ordered array of atoms bonded together

• melts atoms become disordered

move freely taking up more space
• Magma occupies 10% more volume, than the rock
melted to from it
• Similarly, if the rock melted at earth’s surface, melts
readily, because little pressure to keep it from expanding
 • Temperature at asthenosphere

more than enough to melt a rock but under high

pressure which prevents it from melting
• However if pressure decrease large volume of
asthenosphere would melt
• Magma formed by decreasing pressure is called pressure
release melting
3- Addition of Water
• A wet rock generally melts at lower temperature
than the identical dry rock
• Thus addition of water that is near its melting temperature
can melt the rock
Environments of Magma
Formation
• 1- In spreading center
• 2- At a hot spot
• 3- In subduction zones
1- In spreading Center

• As spreading plates moves away from each other, hot plastic

asthenosphere oozes upward to fill the gap, as it rises up,
pressure drops and pressure release melting forms basaltic
magma
• As magma is of lower density than the surrounding rock, it
rises upward
• Most of the world’s spreading centers ocean,

mid oceanic ridges

• Some spreading centers like East African Rift

continents, (basaltic magma erupts on to the earth’s surface

At hot spots
• Mantle plume rising column of hot, plastic mantle rock
that generates deep with in the earth
• Plume rises upward because it is hotter and less denser
than the surrounding mantle and is buoyant
• As mantle plume rises pressure release melting forms magma
that erupts on to the earth's surface
• A hot spot is volcanically active place at the
earth’s surface directly above the mantle plume
• As mantle plumes form below the earth’s surface, hot spots can
occur within the interior of the tectonic plates
• Example Yellowstone volcanic activity and hot spring at
Yellowstone National Park
In a Subduction zone
• Lithospheric plates sinks 100s of kilometer deep within the mantle. As
subducting plate is oceanic its is saturated with water, when
the wet rocks dive in to the mantle, rising temperatures drives off the
water, which ascends in to the hot asthenosphere directly above the
sinking plate.
• Subducting plate drags liquid asthenosphere with it, rocks deeper
within the asthenosphere moves upward to fill the place. Pressure
decreases as the rock rises.
• Friction also produces heat as one plate scraps past the opposite plate
• Thus pressure release melting along with addition of water
and frictional heat, melt the portion of asthenosphere at a depth of
100 km
• Addition of water is the most important factor in melting the
mantle rock and frictional heat the least one
• Examples Andes Mountains, Ring of fire, zone of concentrated
volcanic activity the traces the subducting zones encircling the
Pacific Ocean basin. About 75% of the earth’s active
volcanoes lies in the ring of fire
Viscosity of Magma
• Viscosity is the resistance to flow
• Depends on temperature. Composition and gases
• Higher viscosity = thick, difficult to flow
• Low viscosity = thin, easy to flow
• Silicic magma higher viscosity than magmas having
lesser silica content
• Lower temperature magmas have higher viscosity
than higher temperature magmas
Chemical Variability of
Magmas
• The chemical composition of magma can vary depending on
the rock that initially melts (the source rock), and
process that occur during partial melting and
transport
Initial Composition of
Magma
• The initial composition of the magma is dictated by the
composition of the source rock and the degree of partial melting.
• mantle source (garnet peridotite)

melting
mafic/basaltic magmas.
crustal sources

melting

siliceous magmas.
• siliceous magmas form by low degrees of partial
melting.
• As the degree of partial melting increases, less siliceous
compositions can be generated.

mafic source Felsic or intrmediate magma

ultramafic source Basaltic magma.

Magmatic Differentiation
• But, processes that operate during transportation toward the
surface or during storage in the crust can alter the chemical
composition of the magma. These processes are referred to
as magmatic differentiation and include
• Assimilation
• Mixing
• fractional crystallization
Assimilation -
• As magma passes through cooler rock on its way to the
surface it may partially melt the surrounding rock and
incorporate this melt into the magma. Because small
amounts of partial melting result in siliceous liquid
compositions, addition of this melt to the magma will make
it more siliceous.
Mixing -
• If two magmas with different compositions happen to
come in contact with one another, they could mix
together. The mixed magma will have a composition
somewhere between that of the original two magma
compositions. Evidence for mixing is often preserved in the
resulting rocks.
Fractional Crystallization -
• When magma crystallizes it does so over a range of temperature. Each
mineral begins to crystallize at a different temperature, and if these
minerals are somehow removed from the liquid, the liquid composition
will change. The processes is called magmatic differentiation by Fractional
Crystallization. Because mafic minerals like olivine and pyroxene crystallize
first, the process results in removing Mg, Fe, and Ca, and enriching
the liquid in silica. Thus crystal fractionation can change a mafic magma
into a felsic magma. Crystals can be removed by a variety of
processes. If the crystals are more dense than the liquid, they may sink.
If they are less dense than the liquid they will float. If liquid is squeezed
out by pressure, then crystals will be left behind. Removal of
crystals can thus change the composition of the liquid portion
of the magma.
Types of Magma
Bowen's Reaction Series
• Bowen found by experiment that the order in which minerals
crystallize from a basaltic magma depends on temperature. As
a basaltic magma is cooled Olivine and Ca-rich plagioclase
crystallize first. Upon further cooling, Olivine reacts with the
liquid to produce pyroxene and Ca-rich plagioclase react with
the liquid to produce less Ca-rich plagioclase. But, if the olivine
and Ca-rich plagioclase are removed from the liquid by crystal
fractionation, then the remaining liquid will be more SiO2 rich.
If the process continues, an original basaltic magma can
change to first an andesite magma then a rhyolite magma with
falling temperature
Characteristics of Magma
• Temperature:
• 600 - 1400˚C ( Depending on chemical composition and depth at
which it forms)
• Basaltic magma forms at higher temperatures
• Granitic magma at shallower depths and tend to lie near the near
the cooler end o the scale
• Chemical Composition
• Silica and oxygen two most abundant elements in the earth crust,
nearly all magmas are silicate magmas
• In addition to these, they also contain other six elements which
are aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium
• The main variation in different magmas is difference in relative
proportion of these six elements
• For example Basaltic magma contains more magnesium and iron
and granitic magma is richer in silicon potassium and sodium
• Carbonatites : rare, magma having carbonate composition having
calcite dolomite minerals