Scribd
Upload
4 views7 pages

Effects of Viscosity on Magma Mixing

Magma mixing involves the combination of different magma types, influenced by viscosity ratios, with similar viscosities promoting mixing and contrasting viscosities favoring mingling. The presence of water can lead to explosive hydrovolcanic activity, particularly when significant water:magma ratios are present. Temperature differences between magmas also affect their interaction, with significant contrasts leading to quenching and reduced chemical exchange, while similar temperatures allow for mixing.

Uploaded by

Ramin
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4 views7 pages

Effects of Viscosity on Magma Mixing

Magma mixing involves the combination of different magma types, influenced by viscosity ratios, with similar viscosities promoting mixing and contrasting viscosities favoring mingling. The presence of water can lead to explosive hydrovolcanic activity, particularly when significant water:magma ratios are present. Temperature differences between magmas also affect their interaction, with significant contrasts leading to quenching and reduced chemical exchange, while similar temperatures allow for mixing.

Uploaded by

Ramin
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Discussion:

• Magma mixing—

Magma mixing is the mixing of two or more magmas or magma batches to form a hybrid
• How viscosity might affect mixing:

The viscosity ratio, and to a smaller extent individual viscosity values, control whether the
magmas will mix or mingle.
If the viscosities are similar, mixing is more likely to occur. When viscosity contrasts are great,
plume development and mingling processes are favored.
(viscosity increases with increasing SiO2 concentration in the magma).
(viscosity decreases with increasing temperature of the magma).

Overall, the numerical and experimental models support that fluids of contrasting viscosity
would mingle, whereas fluids of similar viscosities would more readily mix.

Magma mixing plays an important role in explosive activity too. If a basic or intermediate
magma is arrived into a chamber containing acid magma (felsic), an eruption is likely to occur.
Especially true if the injected magma may contain a high volatile content.
The impact of water on magma mixing:
• The impact of H2O on magma mixing:
Contact between magma and water, either ground or surface water, leads to explosive
hydrovolcanic activity.
If the water:magma ratio is significant, the water vapour expands around the magma till the shell
of vapour crashes back down onto the magma, leading to fragmentation of the magma and
quenching to glass.

Eruption of a magma into water or over


ground water often leads to hyaloclastite
formation consisting principly of glassy
shards.
•  Temperature contrasts:
Vigorous convection currents may disrupt the interface between the two
 

magmas. In additional to driving thermal plumes, temperature provides


constraints on the interaction of the two magmas.

When two magmas come in contact they will equilibrate in temperature.


Once the magmas equilibrate in temperature the felsic magma will have a
reduced viscosity due to heating and crystal dissolution. Cooling and thus
crystallization of the mafic magma will increase its viscosity. If the initial
temperatures are very different, the mafic magma is likely to quench against
the felsic magma. Quenching restricts the amount of chemical exchange and
will preserve original features of the quenched magma. If the temperature
between the two magmas is similar, the mafic magma will remain liquid and
able to mix with the felsic magma.

You might also like