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Partial melting is the phenomenon that occurs when a rock is subjected to temperatures high enough to cause certain minerals to melt, but not all of them. Partial melting is an important part of the formation of all igneous rocks and some metamorphic rocks (e.g., migmatites), as evidenced by a multitude of geochemical, geophysical and petrological studies.
Igneous rock (igneous from Latin igneus 'fiery'), ... Decompression melting occurs because of a decrease in pressure. [40] The solidus temperatures of most rocks ...
Anatexis (via Latin from Greek roots meaning "to melt down") is the partial melting of rocks. [1] Traditionally, anatexis is used specifically to discuss the partial melting of crustal rocks, while the generic term "partial melting" refers to the partial melting of all rocks, in both the crust and mantle.
Melt droplets can coalesce into larger volumes and be intruded upwards. This process of melting from the upward movement of solid mantle is critical in the evolution of the Earth. [63] Decompression melting creates the ocean crust at mid-ocean ridges, making it by far the most important source of magma on Earth. [67]
Cumulate rock – Igneous rocks formed by the accumulation of crystals from a magma either by settling or floating. Flow banding – Bands or layers that can sometimes be seen in rock that formed from magma; Fractional crystallization (chemistry) – Method for refining substances based on differences in their solubility
Tholeiitic rocks are the most common igneous rocks in Earth's crust, produced by submarine volcanism at mid-ocean ridges and make up much of the ocean crust. Tholeiitic basaltic magmas are initially generated as partial melts of peridotite (olivine and pyroxene) produced by decompression melting of the Earth's mantle.
Chemical weathering of igneous minerals leads to the formation of secondary minerals, which constitute the weathering products of the parent minerals. Secondary weathering minerals of igneous rocks can be classified mainly as iron oxides, salts, and phyllosilicates. The chemistry of the secondary minerals is controlled in part by the chemistry ...
Rocks in the lower crust and the upper mantle are subject to partial melting. The rate of partial melting and the resultant silicate melt composition depend on temperature, pressure, flux addition (water, volatiles) and the source rock composition. [4] In oceanic crust, decompression melting of mantle materials forms basaltic magma.