MAGMATISM

MAGMATISM plays a key role in mountain formation, as new ascending magmas produce additional
mass and volume to the Earth’s surface and subsurface.

Magmas form by partial melting of silicate rocks either in Earth’s mantle, the continental or the
oceanic crust.

VOLCANOES- the most visible and spectacular products of mountain formation as result of
magmatism are without any doubt volcanoes. The resulting type of volcano and explosion is hereby
depending of the input of greater depths such as the mass, composition and physical properties of the
rising magma and also of its interaction with the surface and near surface.

MAGMA GENERATION

MAGMAS are formed by partial melting of silicate rocks either in Earth’s mantle or the continental
crust, which in turn forms part of the continental crust and the entire oceanic crust.

TYPES OF MAGMA GENERATION

SUBDUCTION of oceanic crust eventually leads to rising magma bodies. This results in the formation
of linear chain of volcanoes known as VOLCANIC CORDILLERAS above the subduction zone in
continental or oceanic arcs. (eg The volcanic Andes, Japanese islands, Lesser Antilles)

HOT SPOT VOLCANISM produces submarine or subaerial volcanic chains such as the GALAPAGOS
ARCHIPEL (with the associated Carnegie and Cocos Ridge)Hawaii (with the emperor seamounts) or
Yellowstone (with the Snake River Plain)

 Besides these two principal types of magma generation, MAGMATISM along rift zones shall be
also taken into consideration.

SUBDUCTION
 The geodynamic process of one plate sliding beneath another occurs along deep-sea trenches
 At oceanic spreading centers, new lithosphere is continually being generated. However, since the
total surface area of Earth remains constant, lithosphere must also be destroyed elsewhere.
 This takes place at zones of plate convergence.
 There, usually the older, colder, and therefore denser plate sinks below another plate.
 Continental plates mostly consists of lighter material and can at most be partially subducted.
 The enormous forces acting during subduction are periodically expressed by great earthquakes.
 Volcanic and sedimentary materials scraped off the descending oceanic plate accumulates along the
leading edge of the overriding plate as an accretionary prism and is eventually incorporated into
adjacent plate margin as microplate or accreted terrane.
 Furthermore, when the subduction oceanic plate reaches a depth of abut 100 kilometers, partial
melting of the water-rich oceanic crust and some of the overlying mantle created in this manner is
less dense than the surrounding mantle rocks and will consequently slowly rise when sufficient
quantities of molten rock have gathered.
 Most the rising magma will be emplaced in the overlying continental crust where it will cool and
crystallize at a depth of several kilometers.
 The remaining magma will eventually migrate to the surface where it can give rise to numerous and
occasionally explosive volcanic eruptions along a volcanic arch.

PROCESS: