Physical processes of magma chambers

We use geochemistry and modeling to investigate magma chamber processes.  Much of this is ongoing work and represents one of our major research initiatives.  Topics that we are working on include:

• mechanisms and efficiency of mafic-felsic mixing to generate intermediate magmas

Farner, M. J., Lee, C.-T. A., Putirka, K. D., 2014, Mafic-felsic magma mixing limited by reactive processes: a case study of biotite-rich rinds on mafic enclaves, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 393:49-59; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.02.040

• mechanisms of melt segregation from crystal-rich mushes

Lee, C-T A, Morton, D. M., 2015, High silica granites: terminal porosity and crystal settling, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 409:23-31.

• dynamics of compaction and crystal settling

Höink, T., Lee, C.-T. A., Hawthorne, J., Lenardic, A., 2008, Paleo-viscometry of magma bodies, Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 267:100-106.

• the effects of mafic recharge on the compositions of magma chambers

Lee, C.-T. A., Lee, T.-C., Wu, C.-T., 2013, Modeling the compositional evolution of recharging, evacuating, and fractionating (REFC) magma chambers: implications for differentiation of arc magmas, Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.08.009.

• using phenocrysts to constrain magma chamber processes - this is ongoing work, so we have no papers on this yet. However, we are currently working on using peritectic garnets in migmatites and anatectic dacites to determine critical melt fractions for segregation.