Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Zoning of magmas by viscosity in volcanic conduits

Abstract

ONE clue to the relations between different magmas may be found in the spatial relationships of the products of igneous activity. Much attention has focused on chemical zonation in the products of large ignimbrite-forming eruptions. Such deposits typically exhibit a mafic-over-silicic zonation which is interpreted as an inversion of a silicic-over-mafic layering in the source magma chamber (see, for example, ref. 1). In contrast, lava flows exhibit a silicic-over-mafic zonation, opposite to that expected. Such flows are apparently fed from conduits having a core–annular zonation, in which thin mafic margins enclose a silicic core. We argue here that this zonation develops by viscosity segregation during the simultaneous flow of two distinct magmas in the conduit. This process, rather than the pre-eruption configuration of magmas, may control the zonation pattern of eruption products when two magmas are transported simultaneously.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hildreth, W. J. geophys. Res. 86, 10133–10192 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Walker, G. P. L. & Skelhorn, R. R. Earth Sci. Rev. 2, 93–109 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Jones, D. M., thesis Univ. Arizona (Tucson) (1988).

  4. Hildreth, W. J. Volcan. geotherm. Res. 18, 1–56 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hildreth, W. Bull. Volcan. 49, 680–693 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Eichelberger, J. C. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 86, 1381–1391 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sampson, D. E. & Cameron, K. L. J. geophys. Res. 92, 10403–10421 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Joseph, D. D., Renardy, M. & Renardy, Y. J. Fluid Mech. 141, 309–317 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hickox, C. E. Phys. Fluids 14, 251–262 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Blake, S. & Campbell, I. H. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 94, 72–81 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Preziosi, L., Chen, K. & Joseph, D. D. J. Fluid Mech. 201, 323–356 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Carrigan, C. & Schubert, G. Eos 69, 1405 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Westrich, H. R., Stockman, H. W. & Eichelberger, J. C. J. geophys. Res. 93, 6503–6511 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Milliken, W. J., Gottlieb, M., Graham, A. L., Mondy, L. A. & Powell, R. L. J. Fluid Mech. 202, 217–232 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shaw. H. R. Am J. Sci. 272, 870–893 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Vogel, T. A. et al. J. geophys. Res. (in the press).

  17. Roscoe, R. Brit. J. appl. Physics 3, 267–269 (1952).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hu, H. H. & Joseph, D. D. J. Fluid Mech. 205, 359–396 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Eichelberger, J. C., Carrigan, C. R., Westrich, H. R. & Price, R. H. Nature 323, 598–602 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Eichelberger, J. C. Nature 275, 21–27 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Eichelberger, J. C. Nature 288, 446–450 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carrigan, C., Eichelberger, J. Zoning of magmas by viscosity in volcanic conduits. Nature 343, 248–251 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/343248a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/343248a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing