Ore-forming Magma Chamber Processes
Investigate how magma accumulates, evolves, and drives mineralization and volcanic activity
Research Overview
Understanding their origin, the physical and chemical processes within magma chambers, and their tectonic context not only advances fundamental igneous petrology but also informs the exploration of critical mineral resources essential for modern technology and the global energy transition.
Key Findings
The Bushveld UUMZ grew through repeated replenishment and emplacement of plagioclase- and crystal-laden magmas from deeper chambers, producing cyclic reversals in mineral compositions and linked anorthosite or leucogabbro layers. Subsequent hybrid melt formation, immiscibility of Fe- and Si-rich melts, and slow cooling in a shallow chamber controlled the evolution of magnetite layers and systematic compositional trends within each cycle.
Research Images
Representative thin section of a plagioclase-rich sample from the Bushveld layered intrusion
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