Apr 23 2014
Magmatic segregation is an ore-forming process, in which the valuable minerals are concentrated by settling them out from cooling magma. Through the magmatic segregation process, one or more minerals are concentrated locally during the cooling of magma. The rocks that are formed as a result of magmatic segregation are called magmatic cumulates. Magma, which is in the form of a homogenous liquid, will form a cluster of magmatic cumulates upon crystallization.
When the mineral content present in magma crystallizes, it sinks down and settles at the bottom of the magma chamber - as it is denser than the magma. Some of the commonly formed mineral deposits formed due to magmatic segregation are iron, granite, aluminum, diamond, chromite, and platinum. The different temperatures and basicity zones that prevail in magma cause the concentration of the ore, thereby resulting in the segregation of various minerals.
During the magma cooling process, the mineral constituents follow different crystallization orders, as their crystallization is governed by their solubility in magma and their mass-action. The end product of magmatic segregation is a silica-dominated solution that is made up of magnetic water, silica, and active minerals.
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