LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET:

FORMATION OF MAGMA

ACTIVITY 1:Formation of Magma

Decompression Melting

The process of decompression melting involves the upward movement of the earth's mantle to an area
of lower pressure. The reduction in overlying pressure enables the rock to melt, leading to magma
formation. Magma is formed by the melting of the earth's mantle.

Heat and transfer melting

Magma can also be created when hot, liquid rock intrudes into Earth's cold crust. As the liquid rock
solidifies, it loses its heat to the surrounding crust. Transfer of heat often happens at convergent
boundaries, where tectonic plates are crashing together. As the denser tectonic plate subducts, or sinks
below, or the less-dense tectonic plate, hot rock from below can intrude into the cooler plate above This
process transfers heat and creates magma.

Flux melting

flux melting occurs when water and other volatile components are introduced to hot solid rock,
depressing the solidus enough. In engineering and metallurgy, flux is a substance, such as salt, that
produces a low melting point mixture with a metal oxide

ACTIVITY 2. Formation of magma and the Philippines

1. Flux Melting and heat transfer melting since the Philippine plate is composed of subduction
zones.

2. Much like heat transfer, flux melting also occurs around subduction zones. In this case, water
overlying the subducting seafloor would lower the melting temperature of the mantle,
generating magma that rises to the surface. Over millions of years, the magma in this
subduction zone can create a series of active volcanoes known as a volcanic arc.

ACTITIVITY 3. Formation of Magma in Action

1. Water lowers the melting point of rocks in the subducting plate in the upper mantle, causing
partial melting. Just like in the experiment, the addition of water made the flour rock thinner
and smoother.
2. Flux melting and Heat transfer melting since water was added at the same time the heat from
the saucepan transferred heat to the flour rock causing it to melt.