During transport, a percolating melt or magma may contact rock or a magmatic mush, resulting in inevitable interactions that may be described as magma/melt-rock or magma/melt-mush interactions. Examples of these types of interactions include mantle metasomatism, mineral-melt reaction in the mantle, mineral dissolution in magma, crustal wallrock partial melting, and thermal remobilization of preexisting mushy magma (rejuvenation of mush) by intruding high specific enthalpy magma. This spectrum of processes plays a major role in the composition, thickness, and age of the mantle lithosphere and its associated crust. These interactions also impact the asthenosphere because melts that form in the deepest parts of the mantle may ascend and interact with shallower mantle during transport.
Different physical and chemical conditions (e.g., pressure, fO2, composition of magma, rock, or mush) provide fundamental controls on the nature of magma-rock-mush interaction. For example, the final rock composition may be influenced, in part, by the degree of equilibrium reached between magma/melt and rock-forming minerals, and evidence of equilibrium-disequilibrium relationships will likely be preserved in the textures and compositions of minerals. Energy and mass transfer are also critical controls; for example, rock partial melting and associated contamination of magma are directly related to enthalpy produced during fractional crystallization of a magmatic system and the ability of anatectic melt to be transported into resident magma.
This Research Topic is devoted to documenting the kinetics and thermodynamics as well as the petrologic and geochemical consequences of magma-rock, melt-rock and melt-mush interactions. Theoretical, numerical, and laboratory experimental approaches that address how magma, melt, mush and rock interact are welcome as are studies based on natural samples. Studies that combine these approaches are particularly welcome.
During transport, a percolating melt or magma may contact rock or a magmatic mush, resulting in inevitable interactions that may be described as magma/melt-rock or magma/melt-mush interactions. Examples of these types of interactions include mantle metasomatism, mineral-melt reaction in the mantle, mineral dissolution in magma, crustal wallrock partial melting, and thermal remobilization of preexisting mushy magma (rejuvenation of mush) by intruding high specific enthalpy magma. This spectrum of processes plays a major role in the composition, thickness, and age of the mantle lithosphere and its associated crust. These interactions also impact the asthenosphere because melts that form in the deepest parts of the mantle may ascend and interact with shallower mantle during transport.
Different physical and chemical conditions (e.g., pressure, fO2, composition of magma, rock, or mush) provide fundamental controls on the nature of magma-rock-mush interaction. For example, the final rock composition may be influenced, in part, by the degree of equilibrium reached between magma/melt and rock-forming minerals, and evidence of equilibrium-disequilibrium relationships will likely be preserved in the textures and compositions of minerals. Energy and mass transfer are also critical controls; for example, rock partial melting and associated contamination of magma are directly related to enthalpy produced during fractional crystallization of a magmatic system and the ability of anatectic melt to be transported into resident magma.
This Research Topic is devoted to documenting the kinetics and thermodynamics as well as the petrologic and geochemical consequences of magma-rock, melt-rock and melt-mush interactions. Theoretical, numerical, and laboratory experimental approaches that address how magma, melt, mush and rock interact are welcome as are studies based on natural samples. Studies that combine these approaches are particularly welcome.
