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Application of a textural geospeedometer to the late‐stage magmatic history of MIL 03346
Author(s) -
HAMMER Julia E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00724.x
Subject(s) - phenocryst , pyroxene , lava , geology , magma chamber , magma , igneous rock , mineralogy , basalt , olivine , geochemistry , volcanic rock , volcano
— Dynamic crystallization experiments performed on Fe‐rich, Al‐poor basalt are employed as a textural calibration set to quantify the late‐stage igneous history of nakhlite Miller Range (MIL) 03346. The ratio of crystal‐melt surface area to volume typifying morphologically distinct populations of Ca‐pyroxene has been shown to vary as a strong function of cooling rate (Hammer 2006). Furthermore, a texture of phenocrysts surrounded by finer‐grained groundmass crystals arises by sequential nucleation events during constant‐rate cooling, but multiple populations nucleate only if the cooling rate is 72 °C h −1 . Textural analysis of meteorite MIL 03346 reveals at least two distinct populations. The Ca‐pyroxene phenocryst and microphenocryst three dimensional (3D) aspect ratios are 112 ± 8.3 and 1530 ± 160 mm −1 , respectively. By comparison with the calibration set, the range of cooling rates consistent with 3D aspect ratios of both populations in MIL 03346 is ˜20 °C h −1 An additional experiment was performed approximating a conductive heat transfer profile in order to interpret and apply results of constant‐rate cooling experiments to the natural cooling of magma. Results suggest that the textures of constant‐rate experiments parallel the initial period of rapid cooling in natural magma. Initial cooling rates of ˜20 °C h −1 in the lava hosting MIL 03346 occur in conductively solidifying lava at depths of˜0.4 m, constraining the minimum total thickness to 0.8 m. Crystal accumulation beginning in a subsurface reservoir and continuing after lava emplacement as an inflated pahoehoe sheet satisfies all textural constraints on the late‐stage igneous history of MIL 03346.