When basalt magmas are emplaced into continental crust, melting and generation of silicic magma can be expected. The fluid dynamical and heat transfer processes at the roof of a basaltic sill in which the wall rock melts are investigated theoretically and also experimentally using waxes and aqueous solutions. At the roof, the low density melt forms a stable melt layer with negligible mixing with the underlying hot liquid. A quantitative theory for the roof melting case has been developed. When applied to basalt sills in hot crust, the theory predicts that basalt sills of thicknesses from 10 to 1500 m require only 1 to 270 y to solidify and would form voluminous overlying layers of convecting silicic magma. For example, for a 500 m sill with a crustal melting temperature of 850 °C, the thickness of the silicic magma layer generated ranges from 300 to 1000 m for country rock temperatures from 500 to 850 °C. The temperatures of the crustal melt layers at the time that the basalt solidifies are high (900-950 °C) so that the process can produce magmas representing large degrees of partial fusion of the crust. Melting occurs in the solid roof and the adjacent thermal boundary layer, while at the same time there is crystallization in the convecting interior. Thus the magmas formed can be highly porphyritic. Our calculations also indicate that such magmas can contain significant proportions of restite crystals. Much of the refractory components of the crust are dissolved and then re-precipitated to form genuine igneous phenocrysts. Normally zoned plagioclase feldspar phenocrysts with discrete calcic cores are commonly observed in many granitoids and silicic volcanic rocks. Such patterns would be expected in crustal melting, where simultaneous crystallization is an inevitable consequence of the fluid dynamics. The time-scales for melting and crystallization in basalt-induced crustal melting (10—10 y) are very short compared to the lifetimes of large silicic magma systems (>10 y) or to the timescale for thermal relaxation of the continental crust (> 10 y). Several of the features of silicic igneous systems can be explained without requiring large, high-level, long-lived magma chambers. Cycles of mafic to increasingly large volumes of silicic magma with time are commonly observed in many systems. These can be interpreted as progressive heating of the crust until the source region is partially molten and basalt can no longer penetrate. Every input of basalt triggers rapid formation of silicic magma in the source region. This magma will freeze again in time-scales of order 10—10 y unless it ascends to higher levels. Crystallization can occur in the source region during melting, and eruption of porphyritic magmas does not require a shallow magma chamber, although such chambers may develop as magma is intruded into high levels in the crust. For typical compositions of upper crustal rocks, the model predicts that dacitic volcanic rocks and granodiorite/tonalite plutons would be the dominant rock types and that these would ascend-from the source region and form magmas ranging from those with high temperature and low crystal content to those with high crystal content and a significant proportion of restite. I N T R O D U C T I O N One of the central questions in igneous petrology concerns the generation of silicic magmas. There is now convincing evidence that most of the large plutonic complexes of granite in the continental crust are the result of crustal anatexis (Pitcher, 1987). There is also [Journal of Petrologf, Vol. 29, Ptn 3, pp 599-«24, 1988] © Oxford Umvcroty Prcu 19S8 600 HERBERT E. HUPPERT AND R. STEPHEN J. SPARKS widespread evidence that basaltic magma from the mantle is often intimately associated with the generation of silicic magmas (Hildreth, 1981). This association of mafic and silicic magmas can occur in orogenic belts above subduction zones, in continental hot-spots, and in regions of crustal extension. In plutonic complexes, mafic and intermediate igneous activity are recorded in contemporaneous dyke swarms, small satellite intrusions, and in mafic enclaves within the granites (Vernon, 1983; Pitcher, 1986, 1987). In silicic volcanic centres, evidence of basaltic magmatism is found in satellite lava fields and cinder cones, early lava shields and stratovolcano complexes prior to the main silicic volcanism (Lipman, 1984), and as mafic inclusions and bands within the silicic volcanic rocks (Smith, 1979; Bacon, 1986). Petrological and geochemical features of many silicic igneous rocks are also convincingly explained by admixture of a mantle-derived (mafic) component with a crustal melt. Regions of high temperature and low pressure metamorphism are commonly associated with granite plutonism and a plausible explanation of this association is that basalt is intruded into the crust, causing melting and high heat flow. Indeed basalt underplating of the crust is a currently popular idea to explain both large scale crustal melting and the strongly layered character of the lower crust. While there may be some silicic magmas that are generated by processes without the aid of basaltic input, such as tectonic thickening of radioactive crust (England & Thompson, 1984; Pitcher, 1987), this paper takes the position that in many cases the additional thermal energy of basalt is essential. The continental crust is strongly layered in terms of its composition, density, and mechanical behaviour. The upper crust is cold and brittle whereas the lower crust is hotter, has a higher density, deforms in a ductile manner, and is commonly characterized by prominent horizontal layering. Basalt magma can be emplaced into the continental crust as dykes and sills and, in some cases where the rate of magma input is high, these intrusions can coalesce to form larger magma chambers. Dyke emplacement does not seem an efficient way of generating large volumes of silicic magma, because dykes are usually small in width and much of the potential heat for melting will not be utilized if the mafic magma erupts. Sills provide a more promising situation in which extensive crustal melting can occur. Horizontal intrusions concentrate their heat at a particular level in the crust and do not dissipate their heat over a large depth range. Sills are intrinsically more efficient than dykes in this respect. Dykes may play an important role in heating up the crust to initiate melting. However, once a region of the crust has become hot, ductile, and partially molten, conditions for dyke propagation become less favourable. A layer or region of partially molten crust provides an effective density barrier and we suggest that basalt magma reaching such a level will spread out as horizontal intrusions. An additional factor which promotes sill formation in the lower parts of the crust is its strongly layered character providing a structural environment in which horizontal intrusions are favoured. For these reasons this paper is concerned principally with the heat transfer and fluid dynamics of sills intruded into hot continental crust. We consider the cooling and crystallization of basaltic sills emplaced into the continental crust. In particular, we emphasize the situation where the roof of the sill is composed of rock which has a fusion temperature that is lower than the magma temperature and the roof rock consequently melts. This is likely to be the normal situation where basalt intrudes into the typical rock types of mature and ancient middle and upper crust which are already at high temperature. However, the concepts developed in this paper are also likely to be applicable to conditions in immature continental crust such as in island arcs, to more refractory lower crust and to lower crust formed by slightly older or even contemporaneous episodes of basalt underplating. In each of these latter cases, lithologies which have relatively low fusion temperatures can form by differentiation processes and can be remelted by further intrusion THE GENERATION OF GRANITIC MAGMAS 601 of basalt. Thus the model is not confined to the origin of granites, but should be relevant to the origins of intermediate rocks such as tonalites and evolved alkaline rocks such as syenite. We present experimental studies on the melting of the roof of a sill. We develop a quantitative model of the melting process at the roof, which describes the rates at which a new layer of roof melt forms and the rates at which the underlying liquid layer solidifies. We discuss possible mechanisms by which the melts can be mixed together and also their implications for magma genesis within the continental crust. A companion paper (Huppert & Sparks, 1988a) describes the melting of the roof of a chamber from a detailed fluid mechanical point of view. Throughout this paper the magma will be considered to be Newtonian. Although magma in reality can be non-Newtonian, especially when it is rich in crystals (McBirney & Murase, 1984) its nonlinear Theological properties and the consequences of its non-Newtonian rheology are poorly understood. Two effects may be evident: there may exist a yield strength, so that for a sufficiently low applied stress the magma will not move; and the nonlinear viscosity may alter the heat flux transferred by a convecting magma. Because of the relatively large values of the Rayleigh number that result in most of our calculations, we anticipate that the yield strength will be exceeded by quite a margin. The alterations in the heat flux are at the moment difficult to anticipate and we suggest that the reader views our quantitative results as an indication of the calculated quantity rather than as a precise value. It may be possible to examine non-Newtonian effects with greater insight in the future, but a Newtonian description illuminates many of the fundamental effects and is a necessary first step in order to form the basis for any comparison. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES The geological problem i

The Generation of Granitic Magmas by Intrusion of Basalt into Continental Crust

Geophysical evidence precludes the existence of a large, mainly molten magma chamber beneath portions of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). A reasonable model, consistent with these data, involves a thin (tens to hundreds of meters high), narrow (<1–2 km wide) melt lens overlying a zone of crystal mush that is in turn surrounded by a transition zone of mostly solidified crust with isolated pockets of magma. Evidence from the superfast spreading portion of the EPR suggests that the composition of the melt lens is mainly moderately fractionated ferrobasalt. These results have important implications for magmatic processes occurring beneath mid-ocean ridges and are consistent with a model that effectively separates the processes of magma mixing and fractionation into different parts of a composite magma chamber. Magma mixing, as evidenced by disequilibrium relations between host liquids and included phenocrysts, is especially apparent in samples from low magma supply ridges and probably mainly arises from interactions between crystals of the mush zone and new injections of primitive magma rising out of the mantle. Magmatic differentiation beneath mid-ocean ridges occurs in two parts. Migration of melts through the transition and mush zones can produce chemical trends consistent with in situ fractionation processes. Segregation of melt into molten horizons near the top of a composite magma chamber promotes the more extensive differentiation characteristic of fast spreading ridges. The optimum conditions for the formation of highly differentiated abyssal lavas is where small, discontinuous melt lenses occur, such as at intermediate spreading rates, in the vicinity of propagating rifts, and near ridge offsets at fast spreading ridges. Along-axis homogenization of subaxial magma is inhibited by the thin, high aspect ratio of the melt lens and by the high viscosities expected in the mush and transition zones. Low magma supply ridges are unlikely to be underlain by eruptable magma in a steady state sense, and eruptions at slow spreading ridges are likely to be closely coupled in time to injection events of new magma from the mantle. Extensional events at high magma supply ridges, which are more likely to be underlain by significant volumes of low-viscosity melt, can produce eruptions without requiring associated injection events. The critical magma supply necessary for the development of a melt lens near the top of a composite magma chamber is similar to that of normal ridges spreading at rates of about 50–70 mm/yr, a rate approximately corresponding to that marking an abrupt change in the morphology and gravity signal at the ridge axis. A composite magma chamber model can explain several previous enigmas concerning mid-ocean ridge basalts, including why slow spreading ridges dominantly erupt a narrow range of relatively undifferentiated lavas, why magma mixing is most evident in lavas erupted from slow spreading ridges, why fast spreading ridges erupt a wide range of generally more differentiated compositions, why bimodal lava populations occur in the vicinity of some propagating rifts, and how along-axis geochemical segmentation can occur at a scale shorter than the major tectonic segmentation of ridge axes.

Mid-ocean ridge magma chambers

Geophysical evidence precludes the existence of a large, mainly molten magma chamber beneath portions of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). A reasonable model, consistent with these data, involves a thin (tens to hundreds of meters high), narrow (<1-2 km wide) melt lens overlying a zone of ctystal mush that is in turn surrounded by a transition zone of mostly solidified crust with isolated pockets of magma. Evidence from the superfast spreading portion of the EPR suggests that the composition of the melt lens is mainly moderately fractionated ferrobasalt

Mid-ocean ridge magna chambers

This textbook provides a basic understanding of the formative processes of igneous and metamorphic rock through quantitative applications of simple physical and chemical principles. The book encourages a deeper comprehension of the subject by explaining the petrologic principles rather than simply presenting the student with petrologic facts and terminology. Assuming knowledge of only introductory college-level courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus, it lucidly outlines mathematical derivations fully and at an elementary level, and is ideal for intermediate and advanced courses in igneous and metamorphic petrology. The end-of-chapter quantitative problem sets facilitate student learning by working through simple applications. They also introduce several widely-used thermodynamic software programs for calculating igneous and metamorphic phase equilibria and image analysis software. With over 350 illustrations, this revised edition contains valuable new material on the structure of the Earth's mantle and core, the properties and behaviour of magmas, recent results from satellite imaging, and more.

Principles of igneous and metamorphic petrology

Building upon the award-winning second edition, this comprehensive textbook provides a fundamental understanding of the formative processes of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Encouraging a deeper comprehension of the subject by explaining the petrologic principles, and assuming knowledge of only introductory college-level courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus, it lucidly outlines mathematical derivations fully and at an elementary level, making this the ideal resource for intermediate and advanced courses in igneous and metamorphic petrology. With over 500 illustrations, many in color, this revised edition contains valuable new material and strengthened pedagogy, including boxed mathematical derivations allowing for a more accessible explanation of concepts, and more qualitative end-of-chapter questions to encourage discussion. With a new introductory chapter outlining the “bigger picture,” this fully updated resource will guide students to an even greater mastery of petrology.

Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

[1] The thermal evolution of magma oceans produced by collision with giant impactors late in accretion is expected to depend on the composition and structure of the atmosphere through the greenhouse effect of CO2 and H2O released from the magma during its crystallization. In order to constrain the various cooling timescales of the system, we developed a 1-D parameterized convection model of a magma ocean coupled with a 1-D radiative-convective model of the atmosphere. We conducted a parametric study and described the influences of the initial volatile inventories, the initial depth of the magma ocean, and the Sun-planet distance. Our results suggest that a steam atmosphere delays the end of the magma ocean phase by typically 1 Myr. Water vapor condenses to an ocean after 0.1, 1.5, and 10 Myr for, respectively, Mars, Earth, and Venus. This time would be virtually infinite for an Earth-sized planet located at less than 0.66 AU from the Sun. Using a more accurate calculation of opacities, we show that Venus is much closer to this threshold distance than in previous models. So there are conditions such as no water ocean is formed on Venus. Moreover, for Mars and Earth, water ocean formation timescales are shorter than typical time gaps between major impacts. This implies that successive water oceans may have developed during accretion, making easier the loss of their atmospheres by impact erosion. On the other hand, Venus could have remained in the magma ocean stage for most of its accretion.

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Thermal evolution of an early magma ocean in interaction with the atmosphere

On the interaction between convection and crystallization in Cooling magma chambers

Crystallization at the margin of a quiet cooling magma has been studied numerically, taking into account the kinetics of crystallization. The variables are the latent heat value, the growth and nucleation functions, the initial magma temperature, and the thermal contrast between magma and country rock. We have investigated a wide range of values for these parameters corresponding to natural conditions. We show that after a highly transient stage, crystallization tends toward an equilibrium between heat production (latent heat release) and heat loss. Given the small diffusivity of country rocks, latent heat release is the main factor controlling the temperature evolution. In order to minimize the latent heat release, crystallization occurs at a temperature where nucleation is small. This can be close to either the liquidus or the solidus, depending on the initial conditions. The main process controlling crystallization is nucleation and not crystal growth. Nucleation occurs as a series of sharp pulses followed by longer periods of crystal growth. The nucleation pulses give birth to thermal oscillations. These oscillations can be sustained if the interior magma temperature is above the liquidus independently of the heat loss mechanism. We show that the phenomenon occurs on the scale of a few centimeters which corresponds to the inch-scale layering of many ultrabasic complexes. The model allows us to calculate crystal sizes which are in good agreement with geological observations. The crucial parameters which determine crystal size variations near the margins of igneous bodies are the initial thermal conditions as well as the nucleation and growth functions. In the main cooling regime close to the liquidus, significant size variations can be created by small thermal disturbances.

G. Brandeis

Papers

Thermal evolution of an early magma ocean in interaction with the atmosphere

On the interaction between convection and crystallization in Cooling magma chambers

Nucleation, crystal growth and the thermal regime of cooling magmas

The 1975–1977 crisis of la Soufriere de Guadeloupe (F.W.I): A still-born magmatic eruption

Thermal evolution of an early magma ocean in interaction with the atmosphere