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types of magma (1)

The document describes three types of magma: mafic (basaltic), intermediate (andesitic), and felsic (rhyolitic), each with distinct chemical compositions and properties. It outlines the behavior of different magma types during volcanic eruptions, including lava flows, pyroclastic materials, and various volcanic landforms such as shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones. Additionally, it explains the characteristics of volcanic products like tephra, craters, and calderas.

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3 views

types of magma (1)

The document describes three types of magma: mafic (basaltic), intermediate (andesitic), and felsic (rhyolitic), each with distinct chemical compositions and properties. It outlines the behavior of different magma types during volcanic eruptions, including lava flows, pyroclastic materials, and various volcanic landforms such as shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones. Additionally, it explains the characteristics of volcanic products like tephra, craters, and calderas.

Uploaded by

aniket01mal
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Three basic types of magma:

1.Mafic or Basaltic-- SiO2 45-55 wt%, high in Fe, Mg, Ca, low in K,
Na

2.Intermediate or Andesitic-- SiO2 55-65 wt%, intermediate. in Fe,


Mg, Ca, Na, K

3.Felsic or Rhyolitic-- SiO2 65-75%, low in Fe, Mg, Ca, high in K, Na.
Fe Mg K

Na
Gases
• Mostly H2O with some CO2
• Minor amounts of Sulfur, Cl , and F
• Felsic magmas usually have higher gas contents than mafic magmas.

Temperature of Magmas
• Mafic/Basaltic – (1000-1200) C
• Intermediate/Andesitic - (800-1000) C
• Felsic/Rhyolitic - (650-800)C.
Viscosity of Magmas
• Depends on composition, temperature, & gas content.
• Felsic Magma is more viscous then Mafic magma
• Viscosity is an important property in determining the eruptive behavior
of magmas.
The Products of Volcanic Eruptions
• Lava Flows-Different magma types behave differently as lava flows,
depending on their temperature, viscosity, and gas content.

• Pahoehoe Flow
Basaltic lava flows with low viscosity start to cool when
exposed to the low temperature of the atmosphere. This
causes a surface skin to form, although it is still very hot and
behaves in a plastic fashion, capable of deformation. Such
lava flows that initially have a smooth surface are called
pahoehoe flows.
• A'A' Flows

Higher viscosity basaltic and andesitic lavas also initially


develop a smooth surface skin, but this is quickly broken up by
flow of the molten lava within and by gases that continue to
escape from the lava. This creates a rough, clinkery surface
that is characteristic of an A'A' flow
Lava Tubes
• Once the surface skin becomes solid, the lava can continue to flow beneath the
surface in lava tubes. The surface skin insulates the hot liquid lava form further
cooling.
Pillow Lavas
• When lava erupts on the sea floor or other body of water, the surface skin forms
rapidly, and, like with pahoehoe toes inflates with molten lava. Eventually these
inflated balloons of magma drop off and stack up like a pile of pillows and are
called pillow lavas.
Columnar Joints
• When thick basaltic or andesitic lavas cool, they contract. The contraction results
in fractures and often times results in a type of jointing called columnar jointing.
The columns are usually hexagonal in shape. This often happens when lavas pool
in depressions or deep canyons
Siliceous Lava Flows
• High viscosity andesitic and rhyolitic lava flows, because they can’t
flow very easily, form thick stubby flows that don’t move far from the
vent.
Lava Domes or Volcanic Domes
• Result from the extrusion of highly viscous, gas poor andesitic and rhyolitic lava. Since
the viscosity is so high, the lava does not flow away from the vent, but instead piles up
over the vent. Blocks of nearly solid lava break off the outer surface of the dome and roll
down its flanks to form a breccia around the margins of domes.
Pyroclastic Material
If the magma has high gas content and high viscosity, the gas will expand in an explosive
fashion and break the liquid into clots that fly through the air and cool along their path through
the atmosphere. Alternatively it blast out solid pieces of rock that once formed the volcanic
edifice. All of these fragments are referred to as Pyroclasts = hot, broken fragments.

Tephra and Pyroclastic Rocks

Average Particle Unconsolidated Material


Pyroclastic Rock
Size (mm) (Tephra)

>64 Bombs or Blocks Agglomerate

2 - 64 Lapilli Lapilli Tuff


<2 Ash Ash Tuff
• Agglomerate

• Lapilli Tuff
• Ash Tuff

• Pumice
Volcanic Landforms
Shield Volcanoes:
• A shield volcano is characterized by gentle upper slopes (about 5degree) and somewhat
steeper lower slopes (about 10degree ).
• Shield volcanoes are composed almost entirely of relatively thin lava flows built up
over a central vent.
• Most shields were formed by low viscosity basaltic magma that flows easily down
slope away from the summit vent.
• The low viscosity of the magma allows the lava to travel down slope on a gentle slope,
but as it cools and its viscosity increases, its thickness builds up on the lower slopes
giving a somewhat steeper lower slope.
Shield Volcanoes
Stratovolcanoes (Composite Volcanoes)
• Have steeper slopes than shield volcanoes, with slopes of 6 to 10o low on the flanks to 30o near the top.
• The steep slope near the summit is due partly to thick, short viscous lava flows that do not travel far down
slope from the vent.
• The gentler slopes near the base are due to accumulations of material eroded from the volcano and to the
accumulation of pyroclastic material.
• stratovolcanoes show inter-layering of lava flows and pyroclastic material, which is why they are sometimes
called composite volcanoes. Pyroclastic material can make up over 50% of the volume of a stratovolcano.
• Lavas and pyroclastics are usually andesitic to rhyolitic in composition.
• Due to the higher viscosity of magmas erupted from these volcanoes, they are usually more explosive than
shield volcanoes.
• Stratovolcanoes sometimes have a crater at the summit that is formed by explosive ejection of material from a
central vent. Sometimes the craters have been filled in by lava flows or lava domes, sometimes they are filled
with glacial ice, and less commonly they are filled with water.
Stratovolcanoes
Cinder Cones
• Cinder cones are small volume cones consisting predominantly of ash and scoria
that result from mildly explosive eruptions. They usually consist of basaltic to
andesitic material.
• They are actually fall deposits that are built surrounding the eruptive vent.
• Slopes of the cones usually between about 25 and 35 degree
• They show an internal layered structure due to varying intensities of the explosions
that deposit different sizes of pyroclastics.
Craters and Calderas
• Craters are circular depressions, usually less than 1 km in diameter,
that form as a result of explosions that emit gases and ash.
• Calderas are much larger depressions, circular to elliptical in shape,
with diameters ranging from 1 km to 50 km. Calderas form as a result
of collapse of a volcanic structure. The collapse results from
evacuation of the underlying magma chamber.

Calderas

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