Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers

Abstract An understanding of magma chamber dynamics relies on answering three important yet highly controversial questions: where, why, and how magma chambers crystallize and differentiate. Here we report on a new natural phenomenon—the undercut-embayed chamber floor in the Bushveld Complex—which al...

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Autores principales:	Willem Kruger, Rais Latypov
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/60e0975dbd9745b698d7b05babea0ddf
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:60e0975dbd9745b698d7b05babea0ddf2021-12-02T18:17:42ZMagmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers10.1038/s41598-021-86724-y2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/60e0975dbd9745b698d7b05babea0ddf2021-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86724-yhttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract An understanding of magma chamber dynamics relies on answering three important yet highly controversial questions: where, why, and how magma chambers crystallize and differentiate. Here we report on a new natural phenomenon—the undercut-embayed chamber floor in the Bushveld Complex—which allows us to address these questions. The undercut-embayed floor is produced by magmatic karstification (i.e. erosion by dissolution) of the underlying cumulates by replenishing magmas that form basal flows on the chamber floor. This results in a few metres thick three-dimensional framework of spatially interconnected erosional remnants that separate the floor cumulates from the overlying resident melt. The basal flow in this environment is effectively cooled through the floor, inducing heterogeneous nucleation and in situ growth against much of its three-dimensional framework. The solidification front thus propagates in multiple directions from the surfaces of erosional remnants. Fractional crystallization may occur within this environment by convective removal of a compositional boundary layer from in situ growing crystals and is remarkably efficient even in very confined spaces. We propose that the way magma crystallizes and differentiates in the undercut-embayed chamber floor is likely common for the evolution of many basaltic magma chambers.Willem KrugerRais LatypovNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Willem Kruger Rais Latypov Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
description	Abstract An understanding of magma chamber dynamics relies on answering three important yet highly controversial questions: where, why, and how magma chambers crystallize and differentiate. Here we report on a new natural phenomenon—the undercut-embayed chamber floor in the Bushveld Complex—which allows us to address these questions. The undercut-embayed floor is produced by magmatic karstification (i.e. erosion by dissolution) of the underlying cumulates by replenishing magmas that form basal flows on the chamber floor. This results in a few metres thick three-dimensional framework of spatially interconnected erosional remnants that separate the floor cumulates from the overlying resident melt. The basal flow in this environment is effectively cooled through the floor, inducing heterogeneous nucleation and in situ growth against much of its three-dimensional framework. The solidification front thus propagates in multiple directions from the surfaces of erosional remnants. Fractional crystallization may occur within this environment by convective removal of a compositional boundary layer from in situ growing crystals and is remarkably efficient even in very confined spaces. We propose that the way magma crystallizes and differentiates in the undercut-embayed chamber floor is likely common for the evolution of many basaltic magma chambers.
format	article
author	Willem Kruger Rais Latypov
author_facet	Willem Kruger Rais Latypov
author_sort	Willem Kruger
title	Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
title_short	Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
title_full	Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
title_fullStr	Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
title_full_unstemmed	Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
title_sort	magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/60e0975dbd9745b698d7b05babea0ddf
work_keys_str_mv	AT willemkruger magmatickarstrevealsdynamicsofcrystallizationanddifferentiationinbasalticmagmachambers AT raislatypov magmatickarstrevealsdynamicsofcrystallizationanddifferentiationinbasalticmagmachambers
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Magmatic karst reveals dynamics of crystallization and differentiation in basaltic magma chambers

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