Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Categories
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Regional Specifics
    • Natural Environments
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Geology & Landform
Geoscience.blogYour Compass for Earth's Wonders & Outdoor Adventures
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Categories
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Regional Specifics
    • Natural Environments
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Geology & Landform
Posted on February 8, 2024 (Updated on July 16, 2025)

could a rhyolitic magma melt a ferromagnesian mineral like olivine?

Geology & Landform

Rhyolitic Magma vs. Olivine: Can These Two Even Be Friends?

Okay, so picture this: deep down in the Earth, there’s this crazy mix of molten rock, right? It’s not all the same stuff. You’ve got magmas that are like oil and water – totally different personalities. And that brings us to a pretty cool question: Could a rhyolitic magma, which is kind of like the “fancy” magma, melt a tough guy mineral like olivine?

Rhyolite, think of it as the granite’s wild volcanic cousin. It’s packed with silica – that’s the stuff in glass – and we call it “felsic” because it’s loaded with feldspar and, well, silica. Imagine a thick, slow-moving syrup; that’s rhyolitic magma. It’s got quartz, sanidine, maybe a bit of hornblende thrown in for good measure. And get this, it erupts at relatively chill temperatures, usually around 650 to 800°C.

Now, let’s talk about olivine. This mineral is a total opposite. It’s all about iron and magnesium – a real “mafic” mineral. You find it hanging out in basalts and peridotites, rocks that come straight from the Earth’s mantle. Olivine’s a tough cookie, one of the first minerals to form when basaltic magma starts cooling down. And its melting point? A scorching 1200 to 1900°C! Talk about a temperature difference.

So, you’d think there’s no way these two could even interact, right? Rhyolite’s like, “Hey, let’s chill,” and olivine’s all, “I’m burning up here!” But here’s where it gets interesting. It’s not a simple “melt” situation.

What really happens when olivine meets rhyolite?

  • A Little Nibble: The rhyolite can actually dissolve a tiny bit of magnesium from the olivine, like maybe just a percent or two. It’s not really melting, more like the rhyolite is picking off a few atoms. Think of it as the rhyolite trying to get a little more “buff” by absorbing some magnesium.

  • More Like a Reaction: Now, if you dump a whole bunch of olivine into rhyolitic magma, things get interesting. The system tries to find a balance. Since olivine doesn’t like hanging out in silica-rich environments, it reacts. The magnesium in olivine hooks up with the silica in the rhyolite and morphs into orthopyroxene, another mineral. It’s like a chemical makeover!

  • Building a Wall: I’ve seen pictures from experiments where they put olivine in rhyolite, and the olivine grows a “reaction rim” of amphibole or pyroxene. Basically, the olivine dissolves a bit, stuff moves around, and new minerals form right on the olivine’s surface. It’s like the olivine is building a shield to protect itself.

  • Magma Mixer: This whole interaction is super important when you’re talking about magma mixing. Imagine a volcano where a shot of hot, olivine-rich magma gets injected into a chamber full of cooler, rhyolitic magma. Those olivine crystals start reacting with the rhyolite, and the rims they develop tell geologists a story about how long the mixing took and what the conditions were like. Pretty neat, huh?

  • What controls this whole interaction? A bunch of stuff:

    • Olivine’s Makeup: Is the olivine full of iron or magnesium? That changes how stable it is in the rhyolite.
    • Rhyolite’s Recipe: How much magnesium and silica is already in the rhyolite? That matters too.
    • Temperature: Crank up the heat, and things react faster.
    • Pressure: Yep, pressure plays a role in which minerals are stable.
    • Water: Water in the magma can really stir things up, changing how minerals behave.
    • Time: The longer the olivine sits in the rhyolite, the more it’s going to react.

    Bowen’s Reaction Series: The Big Picture

    This whole olivine-rhyolite thing is a great example of Bowen’s Reaction Series. It’s basically a guide to how minerals form as magma cools. Olivine is a high-temperature mineral, so it’s totally out of its element in the low-temperature, silica-rich world of rhyolite. That’s why it reacts and tries to find a more comfortable state.

    The Bottom Line

    So, can rhyolitic magma melt olivine? Not really. It’s more like a chemical handshake, a bit of dissolving, and a whole lot of reacting. The olivine changes, the rhyolite might change a little, and you end up with a geological story etched in the rocks. And that, my friends, is why geology is so darn cool.

    New Posts

    • Headlamp Battery Life: Pro Guide to Extending Your Rechargeable Lumens
    • Post-Trip Protocol: Your Guide to Drying Camping Gear & Preventing Mold
    • Backcountry Repair Kit: Your Essential Guide to On-Trail Gear Fixes
    • Dehydrated Food Storage: Pro Guide for Long-Term Adventure Meals
    • Hiking Water Filter Care: Pro Guide to Cleaning & Maintenance
    • Protecting Your Treasures: Safely Transporting Delicate Geological Samples
    • How to Clean Binoculars Professionally: A Scratch-Free Guide
    • Adventure Gear Organization: Tame Your Closet for Fast Access
    • No More Rust: Pro Guide to Protecting Your Outdoor Metal Tools
    • How to Fix a Leaky Tent: Your Guide to Re-Waterproofing & Tent Repair
    • Long-Term Map & Document Storage: The Ideal Way to Preserve Physical Treasures
    • How to Deep Clean Water Bottles & Prevent Mold in Hydration Bladders
    • Night Hiking Safety: Your Headlamp Checklist Before You Go
    • How Deep Are Mountain Roots? Unveiling Earth’s Hidden Foundations

    Categories

    • Climate & Climate Zones
    • Data & Analysis
    • Earth Science
    • Energy & Resources
    • General Knowledge & Education
    • Geology & Landform
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Historical Aspects
    • Human Impact
    • Modeling & Prediction
    • Natural Environments
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Polar & Ice Regions
    • Regional Specifics
    • Safety & Hazards
    • Software & Programming
    • Space & Navigation
    • Storage
    • Water Bodies
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Wildlife & Biology

    Categories

    • Climate & Climate Zones
    • Data & Analysis
    • Earth Science
    • Energy & Resources
    • General Knowledge & Education
    • Geology & Landform
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Historical Aspects
    • Human Impact
    • Modeling & Prediction
    • Natural Environments
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Polar & Ice Regions
    • Regional Specifics
    • Safety & Hazards
    • Software & Programming
    • Space & Navigation
    • Storage
    • Water Bodies
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Wildlife & Biology
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • Français
    • Home
    • About
    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright (с) geoscience.blog 2025

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT