Igneous experiments on melts and fluids

Abstract

Volatiles play a central role in many magmas, changing melt structure, liquidus phase relationships, and the physical properties of melts. Separation of volatiles from magmas by formation of a fluid phase is the critical process in many volcanic eruptions and may play that role in formation of some ore-forming fluids. We have separated the discussion of experiments involving melt-fluid interaction into a separate chapter because many of the techniques are quite different from those used in crystal-liquid experiments. The objectives in the experiments described here are to provide data for thermodynamic models of volatiles in melts and to determine element partitioning between melts and fluids.