Magma formation,

differentiation and
Igneous Processes
Lect 7
 Questions
What are Igneous rocks
How does magma form?
How does mixing crust lead to different
rock types to form?
What are other processes of
differentiation?
Rock Cycle

Igneous Rocks
Temperature
And Pressure
 Igneous Rocks
From Fire
Crystallization of Magma/Lava
2 subcategories (with further subdivision)
Extrusive (Volcanic)
Lava at or very near the earths surface
Intrusive (Plutonic)
Magma at depth in earths crust
Silicate minerals dominate; some oxides
Extrusive (Volcanic)

Intrusive (Plutonic)
 The Nature of Igneous Rocks
Form from Magma
Hot, partially molten mixture of solid
liquid and gas
Mineral crystals form in the magma
making a crystal slush
Gases - H2O, CO2, etc. - are
dissolved in the magma
Magma is less dense than solid rock
 The Nature of Igneous Rocks
Magma vs. Lava
Magma is molten rock beneath the
surface
Magma solidifies to form intrusive
(plutonic) igneous rocks
Lava is molten rock that has reached
the surface
Lava solidifies to form extrusive
(volcanic) igneous rocks
 The Nature of Magma
Composition varies widely
Oxygen plus major elements
Generally a silica (SiO2) melt
Silica and water content control
viscosity
Viscosity (the ease of fluid flow)
High viscosity = thicker fluids (Honey)
Low viscosity = thinner fluids (Water)
 Magma Viscosity and silica

As magma cools, silica

tetrahedron form links
Increasing linkages
Higher silica & lower
temp
Linkages increase
viscosity
Name change between Mineral composition
and Magma/Rock composition

Magma that is high in Ferromag minerals

is called MAFIC
Magma that is high in Sialic minerals is
called FELSIC
Magma that is intermediate in composition
is called INTERMEDIATE
Fortunately, the compositional terms
between Magma and Rocks stays the
same
1250 C
Bowens
Reaction
Series

650 C Magma Viscosity increasing

 Origin of Magmas
Solid rock is at equilibrium with its
surroundings
Changes in the surroundings may
cause solid rock magma
Raising T
Lowering P
Changing composition
Magma Origins and Differentiation
How and why do magmas form?
How can magma change composition?
 Origin of Magmas
Lowering Pressure
Mantle convection moves deep mantle
rocks upwards. Less confining pressure
near the surface
Raising Temperature
Hot mafic magma intrudes into the crust
Changing composition
Adding small amounts of water (lowers
melting point)
Fractional Crystallization of magma
Partial melt of surrounding rocks
Crustal rocks can be melted to form magma
in a variety of ways
1 2 3 4
 The variety of Igneous Rocks?
If earths mantle is relatively uniform, how
do we get such a variety of igneous rock
types?

DIFFERENTIATION!
 Magma Differentiation (1)
Fractional crystallization high T mafic
minerals crystallize first and settle out of
magma. Magma becomes more Felsic over
time
 Magma Differentiation (2)
Partial Melt Low T minerals in surrounding
country rock melt into magma, making it more
Felsic over time

1200+ degrees C
 Xenoliths
fragments of country rock
(sometimes ultra mafic mantle)
Xenoliths
 Magma Differentiation (3)
Magma Mixing
Partial melt

Processes of magma differentiation

 Igneous Rocks Texture
Texture size, shape and arrangement of
minerals
Igneous rocks > Interlocking crystals
Size of the crystals help us make the first
division of Igneous Rocks
Crystal size determined by cooling rates of
magma
 Rapid cooling
and
crystallization

Slow cooling
and
crystallization
 Slow cooling Intrusive (plutonic)
Large, visible interlocking crystals
Phaneros = to see
PHANERITIC texture
 Rapid cooling Extrusive (volcanic)

Small, interlocking crystals

Crystals generally too small to see without
a handlens
APHANITIC texture
 Igneous Rocks Composition
Composition = the mineralogy of the
magma and hence, rocks
While texture allows us to separate
Plutonic from Volcanic rocks, composition
allows us to identify and name the rocks in
each category
Composition based on Silica content and
the relative abundance of Ferromag and
Sialic minerals
Name change between Mineral composition
and Magma/Rock composition

Magma that is high in Ferromag minerals

is called MAFIC
Magma that is high in Sialic minerals is
called FELSIC
Magma that is intermediate in composition
is called INTERMEDIATE
Fortunately, the compositional terms
between Magma and Rocks stays the
same
Composition Volcanic Plutonic
(color)

Ultramafic Komatite Peridotite

(Greens)
Mafic Basalt Gabbro
(Darks)

Intermediate Andesite Diorite

(B & W,
Grays)

Felsic Rhyolite Granite

(Pinks,
Whites
Lights)
 Rapid cooling
and
crystallization

Slow cooling
and
crystallization
How does the mixing of crust potentially
control the magma composition?
Composition Volcanic Plutonic
(color)

Ultramafic Komatite Peridotite

(Greens)
Mafic Basalt Gabbro
(Darks)

Intermediate Andesite Diorite

(B & W,
Grays)

Felsic Rhyolite Granite

(Pinks,
Whites
Lights)
 Magma is generated by the melting of rock.
The type rock that is melted controls the
composition of magma
Mantle materials are Ultramafic in composition
Continental crust is more Felsic (higher in silica,
lower melting point)
Called Granitic in composition
Less dense than oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is more Mafic (Lower in silica and
higher melting point)
Called Basaltic in composition
More dense than continental crust
 If basaltic oceanic crust melts by subducting
under granitic continental crust, what would you
expect to be the resulting magma composition?

INTERMEDIATE, but, various magmatic Differentiation

processes could produce felsic products
If basaltic oceanic crust melts by subducting under
basaltic oceanic crust, what would you expect to
be the resulting magma composition?
Perhaps Mafic, BUT, Magmatic differentiation can result
in Intermediate material being produced.