Magmatic water

Magmatic water

Magmatic water, also known as juvenile water, is an aqueous phase in equilibrium with minerals that have been dissolved by magma deep within the Earth's crust and is released to the atmosphere during a volcanic eruption. It plays a key role in assessing the crystallization of igneous rocks, particularly silicates, as well as the rheology and evolution of magma chambers. Magma is composed of minerals, crystals and volatiles in varying relative natural abundance.[1] Magmatic differentiation varies significantly based on various factors, most notably the presence of water.[2] An abundance of volatiles within magma chambers decreases viscosity and leads to the formation of minerals bearing halogens, including chloride and hydroxide groups. In addition, the relative abundance of volatiles varies within basaltic, andesitic, and rhyolitic magma chambers, leading to some volcanoes being exceedingly more explosive than others. Magmatic water is practically insoluble in silicate melts but has demonstrated the highest solubility within rhyolitic melts. An abundance of magmatic water has been shown to lead to high-grade deformation, altering the amount of δ18O and δ2H within host rocks.

  1. ^ Nelson, Stephen (September 2015). "Volcanoes, Magma, and Volcanic Eruptions". Tulane University EENS 3050. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Petrelli, M.; El Omari, K.; Spina, L.; Le Guer, Y.; La Spina, G.; Perugini, D. (2018-02-22). "Timescales of water accumulation in magmas and implications for short warning times of explosive eruptions". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 770. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9..770P. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-02987-6. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5823946. PMID 29472525.