Magma Mixing

UW/ESS 462, Spring 05

C Newhall

Zoned ash-flow tuff, Mazama

Base of W tephra, Atitlan

Zoned magma reservoirs? Or Magma mixing?

Two terms: mixing and mingling

Mingling: physical juxtaposition and
intermingling of contrasting compositions,
with little or no chemical homogenization
Mixing: homogenization of contrasting
compositions, resulting in intermediate
compositions
Analog: Marble fudge ice cream first,
mingled, later homogenized

Evidence for magma mixing

Visible transition from mingling to mixing
Whole-rock mixing trends
Disequilibrium mineral pairs, e.g., qz+ol,
some w/ reaction rims
Different (disequilibrium) melt inclusion
glass compositions
Basaltic blebs, quenched in silicic magma
and often seen in various states of
disintegration

Augustine; rhyodacite+andesite

Aniakchak, andesite scoria

coated by rhyodacite pumice

Examples of mingled pumices

Aniakchak, frothy rhyodacite in

andesitic(?) pumice

Crater Lake, Hb-rich scoria

expanded within xl-poor
rhyodacite pumice

RL Smith, 1979

Co-eruptive basalt and silicic magmas, Veidivotn, Iceland

Which way is up-fissure?

Characteristic signature of magma mixing on Harker diagrams

= straight line between end members (unlike fractional xlliz)

Disequilibrium induced
by magma mixing:
E.g., Opx reaction rims on
olivine, Arenal Volcano.
A, 1968, near start of eruption
B, 1979, 11 years later
Coombs and Gardner, 2004

Thickness of reaction rims

indicates max. time since
mixing
Widths of opx reaction rims on
olivine (Fo91), mixed into rhyolite
(Novarupta, RH) and rhyodacite
(Aniakchak, RD)
Rims grew faster in rhyodacite than in
rhyolite, owing to faster chemical
diffusivity in rhyodacite.
Rims begin developing immediately,
reaching 1-5 microns within 200 h.
Maximum time since mixing
(including ascent) can be calculated.
Coombs and Gardner, 2004

Time since mixing: 2-4 wks

Time since mixing: ~5 y

Estimating time since magma mixing. Olivine (Fo76-78) of mafic

magma mixed into rhyodacite melt, Trident volcano. Coombs et al., 2000

Basaltic bleb in hybrid andesite, Pinatubo 1991 (hand specimen)

(sample, CN; photo, J Pallister)

Basaltic bleb (lower) in hybrid andesite (upper) Pinatubo, 1991

J. Pallister, USGS
(plain polarized light)

Diktytaxitic texture (cavities between plagioclase and hornblende

laths), characteristic of basaltic blebs that have been intruded
into cooler silicic magma, rapidly cooled, w/ gas exsolution and
microlite formation. (Crossed nicols)
J Pallister, USGS

Two mechanisms, geometries of mixing

Underplating of mafic magma beneath silicic
magma, with transfer of heat and gas into the silicic
reservoir.
Thermally-driven convection in one or both magmas, and
mixing at the sub-horizontal interface

Intrusion of mafic magma INTO silicic, with

xllization and volatile exsolution in mafic magma leads to
density inversion and buoyant rise of mafic through silicic
mixing is along sub-vertical interface

Two geometries of
magma mixing

Convective overturn of
a stratified reservoir
Mixing in a conduit

Koyaguchi and Blake, 1991

Kouchi and Sunagawa, 1985

basalt

Illustration of how a
wet basalt, initially
denser than a
rhyolite, can exsolve
water, vesiculate,
and become less
dense than the
rhyolite.
The newly buoyant
Basalt can tunnel
up through silicic
magma.

basalt

e (appr
t
i
l
o
y
h
Dry r

ox)

Eichelberger, 1980

2(silicic-mafic)
g(z) = ------------------2(silicic+mafic)
Z= normalized ascent distance

Mixing of arc basalt and dacite, with two

different water contents.
Viscosity contrast between basalt and
dacite was less than order of magnitude
during instability
Bergantz and Breidenthal 2001

Factors that determine degree of

mixing
Relative proportions and compositions of end
member magmas
Relative DENSITIES AND VISCOSITIES of the
end member magmas (density, in turn, depends
heavily on exsolution of gas phase, affected by
P, T, fO2, and gas abundance)
Flow rate of intruding magma
Time available for mixing before mafic end
member freezes

Three viscosity-determined fields in mixtures of mafic (M) and silicic (S)

magmas. Field I: S > M; Field II: M > S; Field III: M solidifies (>60%
xls). Mixing is possible within fields I and II; optimal conditions are near
the crossover of the two viscosity lines.
Sparks and Marshall, 1986

Results of mixing
Volumetrically significant hybrids (e.g.,
andesites)
Changes in fO2, solubility of other gases
in magma
Addition of gas to shallow magma
Increased convection (from gas and heat)
Vanguard intrusion of vesiculated mafic or
hybrid magma through silicic bodies
Triggering of eruptions

Probable
sequence
and
geometry of
mixing,
Pinatubo
Volcano,
June 1991

Zoned reservoir w/ FX?

vs.
Magma mixing?

Zoned ash-flow tuff, Mazama

BOTH! Frequent
replenishment of
andesitic magma,
followed by FX and
mixing of parent and
derivative

Take-home messages re: mixing

Volcanic systems are typically (always?)
open systems, with frequent recharge and
leaks, buffered through a reservoir in
which magmas mix.
Smaller mixing events dont trigger
eruptions; larger ones can.
Time scales of mixing can be as short as
days, weeks

End of lecture 5