Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions: A Microscopic Perspective on a Complex Magmatic World

Abstract

Inclusions of basaltic melt trapped inside of olivine phenocrysts during igneous crystallization provide a rich, crystal-scale record of magmatic processes ranging from mantle melting to ascent, eruption, and quenching of magma during volcanic eruptions. Melt inclusions are particularly valuable for retaining information on volatiles such as H2O and CO2 that are normally lost by vesiculation and degassing as magma ascends and erupts. However, the record preserved in melt inclusions can be variably obscured by postentrapment processes, and thus melt inclusion research requires careful evaluation of the effects of such processes. Here we review processes by which melt inclusions are trapped and modified after trapping, describe new opportunities for studying the rates of magmatic and volcanic processes over a range of timescales using the kinetics of post-trapping processes, and describe recent developments in the use of volatile contents of melt inclusions to improve our understanding of how volcanoes work. ▪ Inclusions of silicate melt (magma) trapped inside of crystals formed by magma crystallization provide a rich, detailed record of what happens beneath volcanoes. ▪ These inclusions record information ranging from how magma forms deep inside Earth to its final hours as it ascends to the surface and erupts. ▪ The melt inclusion record, however, is complex and hazy because of many processes that modify the inclusions after they become trapped in crystals. ▪ Melt inclusions provide a primary archive of dissolved gases in magma, which are the key ingredients that make volcanoes erupt explosively.