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Introduction to “Magma Genesis, plate tectonics, and chemical differentiation of the Earth” by Peter J. Wyllie
Author(s) -
Lal D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/rg026i003p00369
Subject(s) - geology , tectonics , mantle (geology) , partial melting , plate tectonics , geophysics , igneous differentiation , fractional crystallization (geology) , magma , earth (classical element) , mantle convection , petrology , geochemistry , lithosphere , volcano , paleontology , physics , mathematical physics
One of the fundamental problems in geophysics is the chemical differentiation of the Earth, which is accomplished through magmatic processes, which in turn are a direct manifestation of convection within the mantle. The framework of plate tectonics is as yet the best model for explaining the different types and styles of magmatic activity. Experimental petrology calibrates the conditions for partial melting of various rock types and defines the conditions of magma crystallization under varied conditions. Laboratory data provide phase boundaries constraining the sites of partial melting in the Earth's interior.