Introduction to “Magma Genesis, plate tectonics, and chemical differentiation of the Earth” by Peter J. Wyllie

Abstract

One of the fundamental problems in geophysics is the chemical differentiation of the Earth, which is accomplished through magmatic processes, which in turn are a direct manifestation of convection within the mantle. The framework of plate tectonics is as yet the best model for explaining the different types and styles of magmatic activity.Experimental petrology calibrates the conditions for partial melting of various rock types and defines the conditions of magma crystallization under varied conditions. Laboratory data provide phase boundaries constraining the sites of partial melting in the Earth's interior.