Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Rocks in the alkaline magma series are distinguished from rocks in the subalkaline tholeiitic and calc-alkaline magma series by their high content of alkali metal oxides (K 2 O plus Na 2 O) relative to silica (SiO 2). They are distinct from the rare peralkaline magmas, which have excess alkali oxides relative to alumina (Na 2 O + K 2 O > Al 2 O ...
A low degree of partial melting of the upper mantle (2% to 4%) can produce highly alkaline magmas such as melilitites, while a greater degree of partial melting (8% to 11%) can produce alkali olivine basalt. [80] Oceanic magmas likely result from partial melting of 3% to 15% of the source rock. [81]
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.
In essence, fractional crystallization is the removal of early formed crystals from an originally homogeneous magma (for example, by gravity settling) so that these crystals are prevented from further reaction with the residual melt. [3] The composition of the remaining melt becomes relatively depleted in some components and enriched in others ...
The calc-alkaline magma series is one of two main subdivisions of the subalkaline magma series, the other subalkaline magma series being the tholeiitic series. A magma series is a series of compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma, which is high in magnesium and iron and produces basalt or gabbro, as it fractionally crystallizes to become a felsic magma, which is low in ...
Igneous rock (igneous from Latin igneus 'fiery'), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial melts of existing rocks in either a planet 's mantle or crust.
Underplating is the result of partial melts being produced in the mantle wedge above a subducting plate. The partial melting is induced by a lowering of the melting temperature, the solidus, by the input of water and other volatiles supplied by phase transitions in the subducting slab.
The formation of pull-apart basins along strike-slip faults causes decompression melting. Advection of melts and heat flux into the lower crust results in partial melting of crustal rock. [16] The buoyant magma rises due to its lower density and is able to exploit weaknesses such as fault planes, using strike-slips as conduits for motion. [4]