In this thesis, I present a simple time-dependent model of heat transfer between a turbulently convecting and crystallizing magma body and the overlying hydrothermal circulation. Most of the known seafloor hydrothermal sites on faster-spreading ridges are dominated by basalt. The hydrothermal fields within parts of the Lau Basin in the Southwest Pacific are driven by andesitic magma. To determinate the different characteristics of magma-driven hydrothermal system, two types of magma material, basaltic and andesitic magma are considered. Two different crystallization scenarios are considered¡ªcrystals in suspension and crystals settling. In either case, I assume that large-scale convection within the magma chamber is homogenous. Also, the effect of crystallinity and water content-dependent magmatic viscosity is considered. Based on the proposed models, the total heat output from the upper surface of the magma chamber and the temperature in hydrothermal system are derived numerically. The simulation results show that without magma replenishment, the heat output and hydrothermal temperature decay rapidly within about ten years. For two different crystallization distribution cases, such rapid decay is not consistent with observations. The conflict between the simulation results and the field observations shows the need to develop more accurate magma convection models. Different from the existing modeling methods, I propose to model the magma convection with replenishment. The replenishment model can be classified into two categories in terms of status of magma chamber size. To replenish the magma system without changing the magma chamber size, the heat flux decaying rate is slowed down and hydrothermal system lifetime is extended for a little longer. Although this model is more accurate than existing ones in terms of slow decaying rate of heat flux, it does not achieve a steady state as is observed. This leads us to model replenishment with variant magma chamber size. I model the replenishment rate as a constant and exponential decay, respectively. Thus, I assume the magma chamber size is time-varying. Simulation results show that magma heat flux approaches a steady state over a time scale of decades. This result is consistent with the observations, which indicates the effectiveness of proposed modeling methods.

Magma chambers are a fundamental component of crustal magma transport modulating erupted volumes, compositions, and timing of eruptions. However, we understand little about how eruption episodicity relates to magma chamber evolution. A sizable amount of research has been done on the thermo-mechanical and chemical evolution of a chamber, but little has been done in combining the two. The many influences on composition make inference of crustal processes from erupted compositions dicult, but there are patterns of eruptive evolution in well- characterized systems that suggest something systematic is occurring. We have developed a coupled thermo-mechanical-chemical model in order to characterize melt evolution through cycles of chamber filling, rupture, and drainage in a thermally evolving, viscoelastic crust. We consider a deeply seated oblate spheroidal chamber, calculating pressure, temperature, volume, elemental concentration, partitioning between crystals and melt, and crustal temperature through time. We characterize the time dependence of chamber failure, thermal longevity, and melt elemental concentrations on mechanical parameters and influx rates, exploring the dependence on depth, primary and crustal compositions. These results should be important for constraining physical controls on eruption episodicity and predictions of instability at magmatic centers.

No description available.

No description available.

Hydrothermal systems at oceanic spreading centers play an important role in the composition of seawater, the formation of ore deposits, the support of microbial and macrofaunal ecosystems, and even for the development of life on early earth. These circulation systems are driven by heat transport from the underlying magma chamber, where latent heat of crystallization and sensible heat from cooling are transferred by vigorous, high Rayleigh number convection through a thin conductive boundary layer. The traditional study of magmatic-hydrothermal systems is primarily based on the time-series observation, which takes the form of repeat visits, continuous offline monitoring by autonomous instruments, or continuous online monitoring by instruments with satellite or cable links to shore. Although a number of studies have deployed autonomous monitoring instruments at vents and around mid-ocean ridges to investigate geophysical and hydrothermal processes, the data are still rather limited and a comprehensive understanding of magma-hydrothermal processes at oceanic spreading centers is lacking. Numerical modeling needs to be employed to elucidate the dynamic behavior of magmatic hydrothermal systems and for testing completing hypotheses in these complex, data-poor environments. In this dissertation, I develop a mathematical framework for investigating heat transport from a vigorously convecting, crystallizing, cooling, and replenished magma chamber to an overlying hydrothermal system at an oceanic spreading center. The resulting equations are solved numerically using MATLAB. The simulations proceed step-by-step to investigate several different aspects of the system. First, I consider a hydrothermal system driven by convection, cooling and crystallization in a ~ 100 m thick basaltic magma sill representing an axial magma chamber (AMC) at an oceanic spreading center. I investigate two different crystallization scenarios, crystal-suspended and crystal-settling, and consider both un-replenished and replenished AMCs. In cases without magma replenishment, the simulation results for crystals-suspended models show that heat output and the hydrothermal temperature decrease rapidly and crystallinity reaches 60% in less than ten years. In crystals-settling models, magma convection may last for decades, but decreasing heat output and hydrothermal temperatures still occur on decadal timescales. When magma replenishment is included, the magmatic heat flux approaches steady state on decadal timescales, while the magma body grows to double its original size. The rate of magma replenishment needed ranges between 5 x 10⁵ and 5 x 10⁶ m³/yr, which is somewhat faster than required for seafloor spreading, but less than fluxes to some terrestrial and subseafloor volcanoes on similar timescales. The heat output from a convecting, crystallizing, replenished magma body that is needed to drive observed high-temperature hydrothermal systems is consistent, with gabbro glacier models of crustal production at mid-ocean ridges. Secondly, I study the heat transfer model from a parametric perspective and examine the effects of both initial magma chamber thickness and magma replenishment rate on the hydrothermal heat output. The initial rate of convective heat transfer is independent of the initial sill thickness; but without magma replenishment, the rate of decay of the heat output varies linearly with thickness, resulting in short convective lifetimes and decaying hydrothermal temperatures for sills up to ~ 100m thick. When magma replenishment is included in crystals settling scenarios at constant or exponentially decreasing rates of ~ 10⁻⁸ m/s to the base of the sill, growth of the sill results in stabilized heat output and hydrothermal temperature on decadal timescales and a relatively constant to increasing thickness of the liquid layer. Sills initially ~ 10 m thick can grow, in principal, to ~ 10 times their initial size with stable heat output and a final melt thickness less than 100m. Seismic data provides evidence of AMC thickness, but it can not discriminate whether it denotes initial magma thickness or is a result of replenishment. These results suggest that magma replenishment might not be seismically detectable on decadal time scales. Periodic replenishment may also result in quasi-stable heat output, but the magnitude of the heat output may vary considerably in crystals suspended models at low frequencies; compared to crystals settling models. In these models the direct coupling between magmatic and hydrothermal heat output suggests that heat output fluctuations might be recorded in hydrothermal vents; but if damping effects of the basal conductive boundary layer and the upflow zone are taken into account, it seems unlikely that heat output fluctuations on a time scale of years would be recorded in hydrothermal vent temperatures or heat output. Thirdly, I extend the work to the binary system motivated by the fact that the real magmas are multi-component fluids. I focus on the extensively studied binary system, diopside-anorthite (Di-An), and investigate the effects of convection of a two-component magma system on the hydrothermal circulation system through the dynamic modeling of both temperature and heat output. I model the melt temperature and viscosity as a function of Di concentration, and incorporate these relations in the modeling of the heat flux. Simulations comparing the effects of different initial Di concentrations indicate that magmas with higher initial Di concentrations convect more vigorously, which results in faster heat transfer, more rapid removal of Di from the melt and growth of crystals on the floor. With magma replenishment, I assume that the magma chamber grows either horizontally or vertically. In either case magma replenishment at a constant rate of ~ 10⁻⁸ m³/a can maintain relatively stable heat output of 10⁷-10⁹ Watts and reasonable hydrothermal vent temperatures for decades. The final stabilized heat flux increases with increasing Di content of the added magma. Periodic replenishment with a 10 year period results in temperature perturbations within the magma that also increase as a function of increasing Di. With the simple magma model used here, one can not discern conclusively whether the decrease in magma temperature between the 1991/1992 and the 2005/2006 eruptions at EPR 9°50'N involved replenishment with more or less evolved magmas. Fourthly, I investigate a high-silica magma chamber as the hydrothermal circulation driver. I construct viscosity models for andesite and dacite melts as a function of temperature and water content and incorporate these expressions into a numerical model of thermal convective heat transport from a high Rayleigh number, well-mixed, crystallizing and replenished magma sill beneath a hydrothermal circulation system. Simulations comparing the time dependent heat flux from basalt, 0.1wt.% andesite, 3wt.% andesite, and 4wt.% dacite, indicate that higher viscosity magmas convect less vigorously, which results not only in lower heat transport and hydrothermal vent temperatures, but also in a lower decay rate of the vent temperature. Though somewhat colder, hydrothermal systems driven by unreplenished high-silica melts tend to have a longer lifetime than those driven by basalts, assuming a heat output cutoff of 10⁷ Watts. As in the basaltic case, magma replenishment at a rate of ~ 3 x 10⁵ - 3 x 10⁶ m³/a can maintain relatively stable heat output of 10⁷-10⁹ Watts and hydrothermal vent temperatures for decades. Idealized models of porous flow through the lower crust suggest such replenishment rates are not likely to occur, especially for high-viscosity magmas such as andesite and dacite. Long term stability of hydrothermal systems driven by these magmas requires an alternate means of magma replenishment. Finally, the dissertation concludes by discussing some avenues for future work. Most important of these are to: (1) couple magma convection with more realistic hydrothermal models and (2) link magma chamber processes to better physical models of replenishment and eruption.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geology, 2005. / Title from second page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [3], viii, 216 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-159).

The Wah Wah Springs Tuff and the Wah Wah Springs Intrusive Granodiorite Porphyry(Wah Wah Springs Intrusion) both originated from the Indian Peak caldera complex, which wasa major focus of explosive silicic activity in the middle Cenozoic Great Basin ignimbrite flareup. This caldera formed 30.0 Ma when an estimated 5,900 km3 of crystal-rich dacitic magma erupted to create the Wah Wah Springs Tuff. The Wah Wah Springs Intrusion later intruded the tuff, causing resurgence of the caldera. Field, modal, and geochemical evidence suggest the tuff and intrusion are cogenetic. The mineral assemblages of the two rocks are similar: both include similar proportions of plagioclase, quartz, hornblende, biotite, clinopyroxene, and Fe-Ti oxides, with trace amounts of titanite, apatite, and zircon. Whole rock geochemistry also matches, and both rocks have distinctively high Cr concentrations. Plagioclase, hornblende, and clinopyroxene have similar compositions but biotite and Fe-Ti oxides have been hydrothermally altered in the intrusion. Both hornblende and quartz provide clues to the magmatic evolution of the Wah Wah Springs Intrusion. Hornblende grains are either euhedral, have reaction rims, or are completely replaced by anhydrous minerals. Deterioration of hornblende was caused by decompression as the magma ascended and then stalled and solidified at shallow depths. Two stages of quartz growth are shown in cathodoluminescence (CL) imagery. Quartz first grew then was resorbed during eruption, then grew again at lower pressures indicated by CL-bright quartz rims and groundmass grains. The geochemical and mineralogical similarities, together with the distinctive hornblende and quartz characteristics suggest that after the Wah Wah Springs Tuff erupted, the unerupted mush rose to a shallow level where it crystallized at low pressure to form the Wah Wah Springs Intrusion. This indicates that the both rocks formed in the same chamber, and that tuffs and associated intrusions can be intimately related.

No description available.

Elizabeth Castle forms part of the South-East Granite Complex of Jersey, Channel Islands and is one of several multi-magma complexes in the region. The rocks have calc-alkaline signatures indicative of a subduction zone setting. In the western half of the Elizabeth Castle complex, the outcrops are wholly granophyre, while to the east, granophyre and minor monzogranite are intimately associated with diorite. The dioritic rocks form part of a layered series which is preserved at several localities. The layered diorites were initially intruded by multiple sub-horizontal granitic sheets. All contacts between the diorite and the granitic sheets are crenulate, indicating that the two were present as coexisting magmas. Fine-grained, dark margins in the diorites contain quench textures such as spherulitic plagioclase and acicular apatite, and are interpreted as chilled margins. At many contacts a narrow tonalitic marginal zone, with acicular amphiboles, is present. Field relationships suggest that this is a hybrid produced by interaction between coexisting dioritic and granitic magmas and this is confirmed by modelling based on geochemical data. It is proposed that within the marginal zones the presence of volatile-rich fluids, increased temperatures and a decrease in viscosity promoted chemical diffusion across the dioritegranite interface. The transfer of elements, together with the presence of volatiles, promoted the growth of hydrous mafic phases and suppressed crystallization of alkali feldspar. At the same time, fluid infiltration modified the composition of the dioritic magma. Field evidence indicates that these processes took place in a narrow time frame prior to further granitic intrusion. Parts of the sheeted complex were extensively disrupted by the later granitic intrusions, producing large areas rich in dioritic enclaves. Within these disrupted areas a grey inhomogeneous rock is encountered. Field and petrographic evidence suggest that this is a hybrid rock produced by the physical mixing of dioritic and granitic magmas. Linear chemical trends confirm this interpretation. Minor intrusions comprising red granite dykes, basic dykes, composite dykes and aplite sheets cut the complex.

The Mourne Mountains situated in County Down, Northern Ireland, mainly consists of solidified granite magma chambers that intruded ~ 56 million years ago into the surrounding greywacke. How granite magma chambers are emplaced in the crust has for years been a debate amongst scientist of volcanology, and is referred to as the ‘space problem’ debate. There are two principle theories in how the granite magma chambers in the Mourne Mountains were formed; either the magma chambers were forcefully emplaced by doming the greywacke host-rock or the magma chambers were emplaced by passively by magma filling the space over a subsiding block of host-rock. In this study rock samples from Luke’s Mt. dyke has been investigated with anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS). AMS measures the orientation of magnetic minerals in a rock sample and thereby shows the magma movement. These measurements indicated that the magma in the studied Luke’s Mt dyke flowed into the connected magma chamber and thus are a feeding ring-dyke. This implies that the granite bodies of the Mourne Mountains were emplaced by a passive process like cauldron subsidence. / Mätningar av magnetiska mineral har visat att den stelnade magman i en granitgång tillhörande Mournebergen i Nordirland en gång flödat in mot granitmagmakammarna. Med den här vetskapen kan tolkningar göras över hur de stora Mournebergen en gång formades. Sedan länge har den så kallade ’space problem’ debatten pågått bland forskare inom vulkanologi. Debatten diskuterar huruvida magma intruderar och placeras i jordskorpan. Mournebergen består huvudsakligen av granitmagmakammare som intruderat in i omkringliggande bergarten gråvacka för cirka 56 miljoner år sedan. Är magmakammarna ett resultat av deformation i omkringliggande gråvacka eller tvärtom? AMS (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility) är en metod där magnetiska mineral och dess magnetiska susceptibilitet mäts för att ta reda på dess orientering i en stelnad magma. Vid ett pålagt magnetiskt fält kommer de magnetiska mineralen visa på en viss magnetisk susceptibilitet i olika orienteringar. Det här kan representeras som tre axlar på en ellipsoid. Axlarna på ellipsoiden ger information om hur mineralen flödat med magman. AMS-mätningar av stenprover från den studerade granitgången Luke’s Mt Dyke i Mournebergen visar på att graniterna som utgör största delen av bergen troligen är resultat av ett så kallat passivt bildande av magmakammare och därmed har omkringliggande bergarten gråvacka inte deformerats av granitmagmakammarna.