Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Volcanic and plutonic rocks have a vast range in chemical and textural composition, but the exact mechanism by which this is generated is not yet always clear. I want to determine the respective roles of magma-mixing and crystal fractionation in the generation of volcanic rocks. I will do this by dissecting solidified rocks and looking at their chemical composition and texture. Secondly, I want to see if bubbles can play an important role in the generation of magma-mixing and crystal fractionation. Bubble-crystal interaction is an important industrial process, but has been little examined in a geological context. Volcanic and plutonic rocks are common on Earth and other planets, and many types of mineral deposits are associated with them. Hence, a clearer understanding of the fundamental processes that produce magmatic diversity can have implications in many fields of geology, such as economic geology, volcanology and the general understanding of earth processes.