Module 6 and 7 ELS
Module 6 and 7 ELS
Quarter 1 – Module 6
https://www.scientificamerican.com
/article/why-is-the-earths-core-so/
1
Science– Grade 11
Quarter 1 – Earth’s Internal Heat
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work
of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency
or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for
profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment
of royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from
their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.
2
Describe where the Earth’s internal heat
comes from.
(S11/12ES-Ib-14)
3
Dear learners, I hope you are now ready to start a new lesson.
Since ancient times, human beings have sought to understand the formation and
composition of the Earth. Several theories emerged about the origin of the Earth and its
proper makeup. As scientist say, there is more to the Earth than what we can see on the
surface. In fact, if we were able to hold the Earth in our hand and slice it in half, we would
see that it has multiple layers.
Aside from the heat of sun on a hot summer's day, we can also feel considerable
amount of heat coming from below emanating from deep within the Earth. This heat is
equivalent to more than three times the total power consumption of the entire world. This
heat also drives important geological processes, such as the movement of tectonic plates
and the flow of magma near the surface of the Earth. This heat is associated with two
things; one is that the very high temperatures of the inner parts of the Earth are very high,
and the other is the result of heat generated due to radioactive decay of material in the
deep Earth.
In this module, you will learn where the Earth’s internal heat comes from.
After studying this module, you are expected to describe where the Earth’s internal
heat comes from. (S11/12ES-Ib-14)
4
Before you start the lesson, familiarize yourself with the
following terms:
Continental Crust- - the thick parts of the Earth’s crust, not located under the ocean
Oceanic Crust- - the thin parts of the Earth’s crust located under the oceans.
Lower Mantle (semi-rigid) – the deepest parts of the mantle, just above the core
Upper Mantle (rigid) – the uppermost part of the mantle, part of the Lithosphere
Upper Mantle (flowing) Asthenosphere – the lower part of the upper mantle that
exhibits plastic (flowing) properties. Located below the lithosphere (the crust and
upper mantle)
Multiple Choice. Choose the correct answer. Write the letter of your choice in your
notebook.
1. Starting with the outermost layer, what is the order of the Earth’s layers?
a. Core, mantle, crust
b. Crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, inner core
c. Mantle, inner crust, core
d. Crust, inner core, mantle
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2. Which of the earth’s layers is liquid?
a. Lower crust
b. Outer core
c. Inner core
3. Which of the following is NOT a major process that has contributed to Earth’s internal
heat?
a. heat released by colliding particles during the formation of the Earth
b. heat from radioactivity of radioactive isotopes of U, Th and K
c. heat from the sun since the beginning of Earth history
d. heat released as iron crystallized to form the inner core
d. mantle
To check whether you have understood the previous lesson, answer the activity
below.
Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write your answer on your answer sheet.
2. The process by which small pieces of rocks and soil are moved by natural forces
is called _________
a. deposition c. weathering
b. erosion d. faults
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3. How does freezing water cause the weathering of rocks? The freezing water—
a. keeps the rocks in place c. expands cracks and breaks
b. makes the rocks last longer rocks
d. causes rocks to fall in landslides
Activity 1
Composition and Temperature of Earth’s Layers
Directions:
1. Fill in the temperature or temperature range for each layers of the earth.
2. Write in the most abundant elements that exist in that layer.
7
3. Complete the bar graph below with the temperatures of each of Earth’s layers.
Why does the temperature of the layers of the earth change as it goes deeper?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Activity 2
Convection in the Mantle
The figure below shows a convection cell in Earth’s mantle. A convection cell is
one complete loop of convection current. Use the figure to answer the questions that
follow.
Lithosphere
1. Define convection.
2. Define density.
3. What happens to the density of a fluid as it temperature increases/decreases?
4. Where does the heat come from that drives the convection current in the mantle?
5. Where is the temperature of the mantle material greater, at point A or point B?
Explain why?
6. Where is the density of the material greater, at point B or point C? Explain why?
7. What happens to the temperature and density of the material between points B and
C?
8. What happens to the temperature and density of the material between points D and
A?
9. What specific layer of the Earth do convection currents take place?
9
Activity 3
Importance of Earth’s Internal Heat
Make a short essay on the importance and benefits of Earth’s internal heat.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Your essay will______________________________________________________________
be graded based on this rubric. Consequently, use this rubric as
______________________________________________________________
a guide when writing your essay and check it again before you submit your essay.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
5 /
EXCELLENT
______________________________________________________________
4 / VERY
GOOD
3 /
AVERAGE
2 / NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT UNACCEPTABLE
1 /
and quotes
______________________________________________________________
Relevant details still basic or
general.
the reader must make
inferences based on
______________________________________________________________ sketchy or missing
enrich the central
theme. ______________________________________________________________ details.
enhances and
______________________________________________________________
Organization The organization Essay (and
paragraphs) are
The
organizational
Sentences within
paragraphs make
The writing lacks a
clear sense of
showcases ______________________________________________________________
the mostly structure is sense, but the order direction. Ideas, details,
central idea______________________________________________________________
or organized, in strong enough to of paragraphs does or events seem strung
theme. The order, and move the reader not. together in a loose or
______________________________________________________________
order, structure makes sense to through the text random fashion; there
______________________________________________________________
of information is the reader. without too much is no identifiable
moves the
______________________________________________________________
compelling and confusion. internal structure.
______________________________________________________________
reader through
the text. ______________________________________________________________
Sentence The writing has The writing The text hums The text seems The reader has to
Fluency an easy flow,______________________________________________________________
mostly flows, along with a choppy and is not practice quite a bit in
rhythm, and______________________________________________________________
and usually steady beat, but easy to read orally. order to give this paper
cadence. ______________________________________________________________
invites oral tends to be more a fair interpretive
Sentences are reading. mechanical than reading.
______________________________________________________________
well built, with fluid.
strong and ______________________________________________________________
varied structure
that invites ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
expressive oral
reading. ________________________________
Conventions The writer The writer The writer shows The writer seems to Errors in spelling,
demonstrates a understands reasonable have made little effort punctuation,
good grasp of good writing control over a to use conventions: capitalization, usage,
standard writing conventions and limited range of spelling, punctuation, and grammar and/or
conventions usually uses standard writing capitalization, usage, paragraphing
(e.g., spelling, them correctly. conventions. grammar and/or repeatedly distract the
punctuation, Paper is easily Conventions are paragraphing have reader and make the
capitalization, read and errors sometimes multiple errors. text difficult to read.
grammar, usage, are rare; minor handled well and
paragraphing) touch-ups would enhance
and uses get this piece readability; at
conventions ready to publish. other times,
effectively to errors are
enhance distracting and
readability. impair
readability.
10
Now, read and understand the lesson on Earth’s internal heat.
Earth can be divided into three main layers: the core, the mantle and the crust.
Each of these layers can be further divided into two parts: the inner and outer core, the
upper and lower mantle and the continental and oceanic crust. Table 1 shows the
characteristics and chemical composition of each layer.
Earth’s temperature increases with depth, but not at a uniform rate (Figure 1).
Earth’s geothermal gradient is 15° to 30°C/km within the crust. It then drops off
dramatically through the mantle, increases more quickly at the base of the mantle, and
then increases slowly through the core. The temperature is approximately 1000°C at the
base of the crust, around 3500°C at the base of the mantle, and approximately 6,000°C
at Earth’s center.
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Figure 1 Geothermal gradient (change in temperature with depth). Left- Geothermal gradient in the crust
and upper mantle. The geothermal gradient remains below the melting temperature of rock, except in the
asthenosphere. There, temperatures are high enough to melt some of the minerals. Right- Geothermal
gradient throughout Earth. Rapid changes occur in the uppermost mantle, and at the core-mantle
boundary. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY 4.0, modified after Steven Earle (2016) CC BY 4.0
The temperature gradient within the lithosphere varies depending on the tectonic
setting. Gradients are lowest in the central parts of continents, higher where plates collide,
and higher still at boundaries where plates are moving away from each other.
In spite of high temperatures within Earth, mantle rocks are almost entirely solid.
High pressures keep them from melting. The red dashed line in Figure 1 (right) shows the
minimum temperature at which dry mantle rocks will melt. Rocks at temperatures to the
left of the line will remain solid. In rocks at temperatures to the right of the
line, some minerals will begin to melt. Notice that the red dashed line goes further to the
right for greater depths, and therefore greater pressures. Now compare the geothermal
gradient with the red dashed line. The geothermal gradient is to the left of the red line,
except in the asthenosphere, where small amounts of melt are present.
The fact that the temperature gradient is much lower in the main part of the mantle
than in the lithosphere has been interpreted as evidence of convection in the mantle.
When the mantle convects, heat is transferred through the mantle by physically moving
hot rocks. Mantle convection is the result of heat transfer from the core to the base of the
lower mantle. As with a pot of soup on a hot stove (Figure 2), the material near the heat
source (the soup at the bottom of the pot) becomes hot and expands, making it less dense
than the material above. Buoyancy causes it to rise, and cooler material flows in from the
sides. Of course, convection in the soup pot is much faster than convection in the mantle.
Mantle convection occurs at rates of centimetres per year.
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Figure 2 Convection in a pot of soup on a hot stove (left). As long as heat is being transferred from below, the
liquid will convect. If the heat is turned off (right), the liquid remains hot for a while, but convection will
cease. Source: Steven Earle (2015) CC-BY 4.0
Convection carries heat to the surface of the mantle much faster than heating
by conduction. Conduction is heat transfer by collisions between molecules, and is how
heat is transferred from the stove to the soup pot. A convecting mantle is an essential
feature of plate tectonics, because the higher rate of heat transfer is necessary to keep
the asthenosphere weak. Earth’s mantle will stop convecting once the core has cooled to
the point where there is not enough heat transfer to overcome the strength of the rock.
This has already happened on smaller planets like Mercury and Mars, as well as on
Earth’s moon. When mantle convection stops, the end of plate tectonics will follow.
In the soup pot example, convection moves hot soup from the bottom of the pot to
the top. Some geologists think that Earth’s convection works the same way— hot rock
from the base of the mantle moves all the way to the top of the mantle before cooling and
sinking back down again. This view is referred to as whole-mantle convection (Figure 2,
left). Other geologists think that the upper and lower mantle are too different to convect
as one. They point to slabs of lithosphere that are sinking back into the mantle, some of
which seem to perch on the boundary between the upper and lower mantle, rather than
sinking straight through. They also note chemical differences in magma originating in
different parts of the mantle— differences that are not consistent with the entire mantle
being well stirred. They argue that double-layered convection is a better fit with the
observations (Figure 3, right). Still others argue that there may be some locations where
convection goes from the bottom of the mantle to the top, and some where it doesn’t
(Figure 3, middle).
13
Figure 3 Models of mantle convection. Left- whole mantle convection. Rocks rise from the core-mantle
boundary to the top of the mantle, then sink to the bottom again. Right- Two-layer convection, in which
upper and lower mantle convect at different rates. Middle- Convection paths vary depending on the
circumstances. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY 4.0
The heat of Earth’s interior comes from a variety of sources. These include the
heat contained in the objects that accreted to form Earth, and the heat produced when
they collided. As Earth grew larger, the increased pressure on Earth’s interior caused it
to compress and heat up. Heat also came from friction when melted material was
redistributed within Earth, forming the core and mantle.
There are two major sources of heat flow from Earth’s interior. Heat produced
through the radioactive decay of long-half-life radioisotopes in Earth’s interior (radiogenic
heat) accounts for about 58 percent of the present total heat flow. Primordial heat—that
is, heat lost as Earth continues to cool from the heat generated by the accretion processes
that formed it—accounts for the remaining internal heat flow.
A major source of Earth’s heat is radioactivity, the energy released when the
unstable atoms decay. The radioactive isotopes uranium-235 (235U), uranium-238 (238U),
potassium-40 (40K), and thorium-232 (232Th) in Earth’s mantle are the primary source.
Radioactive decay produced more heat early in Earth’s history than it does today,
because fewer atoms of those isotopes are left today (Figure 4). Heat contributed by
radioactivity is now roughly a quarter what it was when Earth formed.
14
Figure 4 Production of heat within the Earth over time by radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, and
potassium. Heat production has decreased over time as the abundance of radioactive atoms has
decreased. Source: Steven Earle (2015) CC BY 4.0 modified after Arevalo et al. (2009)
Earth has a remarkably high level of primordial heat because of its unique
formation process. Like all rocky planets, it formed through the accretion of dust and gas.
The gravitational collapse that occurred through this accretion generated a lot of internal
heat. However, Earth’s accretion history did not end there.
The present temperature of the mantle just under Earth’s oceanic crust is 1,410°C.
The current high temperature of the upper mantle means that the upper mantle material
has a low viscosity (flows more easily). A familiar analogy would be the difference
between a cold stick of butter and a stick of butter that has been melted in a saucepan.
The mantle’s low viscosity that tectonic plates in Earth’s crust are able to move
relative to another—a feature of Earth for the past 3.8 billion years transformed Earth
from a water world, where only water existed on its surface, to a planet possessing both
surface oceans and surface continents. The combination of surface oceans and
continents and enduring, strong tectonic activity established the biogeochemical cycles
that allowed Earth’s surface temperature to be sustained at an optimal level for life in spite
of the ongoing brightening of the Sun. The same combination has been recycling many
of Earth’s life-essential nutrients. Without Earth’s enduring, strong interior heat flow, at
best, only microbial life could have existed on Earth and for only several million years. In
that event, microbial life never would have been able to physically and chemically
transform Earth’s surface environment so that plants, animals, and humans could exist.
The current cooling rate of Earth’s mantle is 70–130°C per billion years. This
cooling is slow enough to pose no short-term threat to any current life-forms. The cooling
does imply, however, that Earth’s mantle will become more viscous. Eventually, it will be
15
so viscous that plate tectonic activity will shut down. When that happens, advanced life
and, eventually, all life will go extinct.
The Earth’s unique strong, enduring interior heat flow enables it to have both a
solid inner core and a liquid outer core. Earth’s liquid core is almost entirely comprised of
the ferrous elements iron, cobalt, and nickel. These easily magnetized elements driven
by convection currents in the outer core explain why Earth has sustained a powerful
magnetic field throughout at least the past 3.7 billion years.
This powerful, enduring magnetic field has shielded Earth’s surface life from deadly
high-energy particles flowing in from the Sun and equally deadly high-energy cosmic rays.
Without the shield, solar radiation would have sputtered both Earth’s atmosphere and
Earth’s surface water into interplanetary space.
Fill in the blanks with the correct terms to complete the paragraph. Choose your
answer from the words inside the box.
There are two major sources of heat flow from Earth’s interior. A major source of
Earth’s heat is _______________, the energy released when the unstable atoms decay.
The heat that came from radioactivity sources is also known as _______________.
________________that is, heat lost as Earth continues to cool from the heat generated
by the accretion processes that formed it—accounts for the remaining internal heat flow.
16
Think about this!
Read each statement below. If it is true, write a “T” in the blank; if it is false, write an
“F”.
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____7. Geothermal gradient is the change in temperature with depth
____8. The Earth’s mantle is flexible and shifts under heavy loads.
____9. A major source of Earth’s heat is radioactivity, the energy released when the
unstable atoms decay.
___10. The crust is broken down into two parts: the upper and lower crust.
Earth is divided into three general layers. The core is the superheated center, the
mantle is the thick, middle layer, and the crust is the top layer on which we live. Magma
originates in the lower part of the Earth’s crust and in the upper portion of the mantle.
Most of the mantle and crust are solid, so the presence of magma is crucial to
understanding the geology and morphology of the mantle.
The heat of Earth’s interior comes from a variety of sources. There are two major
sources of heat flow from Earth’s interior. Heat produced through the radioactive decay
of long-half-life radioisotopes in Earth’s interior (radiogenic heat) accounts for about 58
percent of the present total heat flow. Primordial heat—that is, heat lost as Earth
continues to cool from the heat generated by the accretion processes that formed it—
accounts for the remaining internal heat flow. A major source of Earth’s heat is
radioactivity, the energy released when the unstable atoms decay.
The Earth's internal heating causes plate tectonics and the earth’s magnetic field.
The former gives volcanoes and new mountain ranges which bring to the surface many
chemical elements necessary for life to continue on land. The latter protects us from
cosmic rays - random atomic nuclei coming from deep space at almost the speed of light
- and also from the solar wind which otherwise would have stripped Earth of most of its
atmosphere.
18
Since you already understand what the lesson is all about,
answer the tests that follows.
Multiple Choice. Write the letter of the correct answer in your notebook.
2. Heat from which of these layers causes convection currents inside Earth?
a. crust c. crust and core
b. crust and mantle d. mantle and core
3. Which of these combines with changes in a fluid’s density and the force of gravity to
set convection currents in motion?
a. evaporation of a fluid c. freezing and melting of a solid
b. condensation of a fluid d. heating and cooling of a fluid
6. What keeps the mantle rocks are almost entirely solid despite of high temperature
within earth?
a. low pressure c. high density
b. high pressure d. low density
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8. In what types of matter does convection occur?
a. liquid c. liquid and gases
b. gases d. solid, liquid, gases
https://www.learner.org/wp-content/interactive/dynamicearth/structure/index.html
https://1.cdn.edl.io/vLrr35EYdDINmWFF3CGmP4TU9lWxjWBdq55EFwKnbviea25v.pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/magma/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Row
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/magma-role-rock-cycle/
20
Try this
1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. C
Do this
1. C 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. A
Explore
Activity 1
1. Composition
Crust: oxygen, silicon, aluminum, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium
(any 3)
Mantle: silicon, oxygen, iron, magnesium (any 3)
Outer Core: iron, nickel
Inner Core: iron, nickel
2. Temperature
Crust: Varies
Mantle: 870-2200 ˚C
Outer Core: 2200-5000 ˚C
Inner Core: 5000 ˚C
a. Earth’s internal temperature increases with depth. The layer gets hotter as it
moves towards the center of the earth.
Activity 2
1. Convection describes the movement of the mantle as it transfers heat from the
white-hot core to the brittle lithosphere.
2. Density is a measure of mass per unit volume.
3. As the temperature increases, the density decreases. As the temperature
decreases, the density increases.
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4. From the core
5. Point A because it is closer to the core
6. Point C because it is getting heavy and starting to sink
7. The temperature decreases and the density increases
8. The temperature increases and the density decreases
9. Mantle
Activity 3 -(Answers may vary)
22
Science
Quarter 1 – Module 7
Magmatism
https://www.chemistryworld.com/
0
Science– Grade 11
Quarter 1 – Earth’s Internal Heat and Magmatism
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any
work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government
agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such
work for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition
the payment of royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials
from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent
nor claim ownership over them.
1
Describe how magma is formed.
(magmatism)
(S11/12ES-Ib-15)
2
Volcanic activity is one of most powerful forces in nature. Although it is often a
destructive force, volcanoes are amazing facets of creation. They come in a variety of
shapes, sizes, and eruption types. Volcanoes erupt when magma, red-hot liquid
material, seeps up through a vent in the earth. More violent eruptions occur when
pyroclastic material, a mixture of magma, rocks, ash, and hot gases, is exploded
upward by pressure caused by underground gases and magma. When magma flows
above the surface of the earth, it is called lava. Usually, lava changes from bright red
to duller red, gray, or black as air causes it to cool and solidify and eventually became
rock.
Magma is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous
rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of
magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural
satellites.
In this module, you will learn more about magma, its composition, different
types of magma and how magma is formed (magmatism).
3
Before you start the lesson, familiarize yourself with the following terms:
Magma- is extremely hot liquid and semi-liquid rock located under Earth’s surface.
Magmatism – is the formation and motion of hot melted rock under the crust of the
Earth
Basaltic magma- also known as mafic magma. Mafic magma is molten rock that is
enriched in iron and magnesium and low in silica.
Rhyolitic magma - also known as felsic magma. It is high in potassium and sodium
but low in iron, magnesium, and calcium. It occurs in the temperature range of about
650oC to 800oC
Let’s see what you know about the lesson that we are going to study today.
I. Multiple Choice. Choose the correct answer. Write the letter of your choice in your
notebook.
4
3. Where does flux melting often occurs?
A. Convergent Boundary
B. Divergent Boundary
C. Both Convergent and divergent Boundaries
D. Subduction Zone
To check whether you have understood the previous lesson, answer the
activity below.
I. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write your answer on your answer
sheet.
a. Radiogenic Heat
b. Primordial Heat
c. Convection current
d. mantle convection
5
2. The temperature inside Earth increases as depth ______________ .
a. increases
b. decreases
c. stays the same
d. varies
4. Which of the following major processes did not contribute to the Earth's internal heat?
a. heat released by colliding particles during the formation of the Earth
b. heat from radioactivity of radioactive isotopes of U, Th and K
c. heat from the sun since the beginning of Earth history
d. heat released as iron crystallized to form the inner core
5. Starting with the outermost layer, what is the order of the Earth’s layers?
a. Core, mantle, crust
b. Crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, inner core
c. Mantle, inner crust, core
d. Crust, inner core, mantle
Activity 1
Viscosity of Magma
Background:
Magma is molten (melted) rock below the surface. Magmas can differ in their mineral
content. For example, basaltic (mafic) magma forms at the mid‐ocean ridges or at hot spots
under the ocean crust, and is high in iron and magnesium, but is low in silica. Silica is found
in the form of little pyramid‐shaped building blocks called silica tetrahedrons. Rhyolitic
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(granitic) magma forms from the partial melting of continental crust and is low in iron and
magnesium, but high in silica. The silica content of a magma determines whether it is
viscous or fluid. Basaltic (mafic) magma has a low silica content, andesitic (intermediate)
magma has a medium silica content, while rhyolitic magma has a high silica content. As
the silica content of a magma increases, the silica tetrahedrons tend to bond together into
chains.
In addition to the silica, magmas will contain metals such as Fe, Mg, and
Ca. Basaltic (mafic) magma is associated with volcanoes such as Mauna Loa of Hawaii,
which erupt frequently but are not very explosive. Andesitic (intermediate) magma is
associated with composite volcanoes such as Mount Saint Helens or Mount
Vesuvius, which are explosive, but do not erupt very often. Rhyolitic (granitic) magma rarely
comes to the surface. When it does, it forms a super volcano, such as Yellowstone or the
Long Valley Caldera. Such volcanoes are so explosive that they do not usually produce a
volcanic cone, just a caldera where the ground collapses after a magma chamber empties
itself.
Source: https://www.windows2universe.org
Questions
1. Based upon the figures above, which kind of magma is likely to be the most viscous?
3. Based on these explanations, which kind of magma will flow more easily through
fissures to the surface, causing frequent volcanic eruptions?
Basaltic
Andesitic
Rhyolitic
Activity 3
All About Magmatism
Complete the flowchart.
Magmatism
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
8
Now, read and understand the lesson on magma and
magmatism.
Magma is a molten and semi-molten rock mixture found under the surface of the
Earth. This mixture is usually made up of four parts: a hot liquid base, called the melt;
minerals crystallized by the melt; solid rocks incorporated into the melt from the
surrounding confines; and dissolved gases. When magma is ejected by a volcano or
other vent, the material is called lava. Magma that has cooled into a solid is called igneous
rock. Magma is extremely hot—between 700° and 1,300° Celsius (1,292° and 2,372°
Fahrenheit). This heat makes magma a very fluid and dynamic substance, able to create
new landforms and engage physical and chemical transformations in a variety of different
environments.
Magmas can vary widely in composition, but in general they are made up of only
eight elements; in order of importance: oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium,
magnesium, and potassium (Figure 1). Oxygen, the most abundant element in magma,
comprises a little less than half the total, followed by silicon at just over one-quarter. The
remaining elements make up the other one-quarter. Magmas derived from crustal
material are dominated by oxygen, silicon, aluminum, sodium, and potassium.
The composition of magma depends on the rock it was formed from (by melting),
and the conditions of that melting. Magmas derived from the mantle have higher levels of
iron, magnesium, and calcium, but they are still likely to be dominated by oxygen and
silicon. All magmas have varying proportions of elements such as hydrogen, carbon, and
sulphur, which are converted into gases like water vapour, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen
sulphide as the magma cools.
9
Figure 1 Average elemental proportions in Earth’s crust, which is close to the average composition of magmas within the crust. Source:
https://opentextbc.ca/geology
Types of Magma
There are three basic types of magma: basaltic, andesitic, and rhyolitic, each of which
has a different mineral composition, gas content, temperature and viscosity.
Composition
Basaltic magma -- SiO2 45-55 wt%, high in Fe, Mg, Ca, low in K, Na
Andesitic magma -- SiO2 55-65 wt%, intermediate. in Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K
Rhyolitic magma -- SiO2 65-75%, low in Fe, Mg, Ca, high in K, Na
Gas Content
At depth in the Earth nearly all magmas contain gas dissolved in the liquid, but the gas
forms a separate vapor phase when pressure is decreased as magma rises toward the
surface. This is similar to carbonated beverages which are bottled at high pressure. The
high pressure keeps the gas in solution in the liquid, but when pressure is decreased, like
when you open the can or bottle, the gas comes out of solution and forms a separate gas
phase that you see as bubbles. Gas gives magmas their explosive character, because
volume of gas expands as pressure is reduced.
The composition of the gases in magma are:
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Temperature of Magmas
Viscosity of Magmas
• Higher SiO2 (silica) content magmas have higher viscosity than lower SiO2 content
magmas (viscosity increases with increasing SiO2 concentration in the magma).
• Lower temperature magmas have higher viscosity than higher temperature
magmas (viscosity decreases with increasing temperature of the magma).
Thus, basaltic magmas tend to be fairly fluid (low viscosity), but their viscosity is still
10,000 to 100,0000 times more viscous than water. Rhyolitic magmas tend to have even
higher viscosity, ranging between 1 million and 100 million times more viscous than
water. (Note that solids, even though they appear solid have a viscosity, but it is very
high, measured as trillions time the viscosity of water). Viscosity is an important property
in determining the eruptive behavior of magmas.
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Magmatism: How Magma Forms
Earth is divided into three general layers. The core is the superheated center, the
mantle is the thick, middle layer, and the crust is the top layer on which we live. Magma
originates in the lower part of the Earth’s crust and in the upper portion of the mantle.
Most of the mantle and crust are solid, so the presence of magma is crucial to
understanding the geology and morphology of the mantle. Differences in temperature,
pressure, and structural formations in the mantle and crust cause magma to form in
different ways. Figure 2 shows the common sites of magma formation in the upper mantle.
Figure 2. Common sites of magma formation in the upper mantle. The black circles are regions
of partial melting. The blue arrows represent water being transferred from the subducting plates into
the overlying mantle. [SE, after USGS (http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/Vigil.html)]
A. Decompression Melting
Decompression melting also occurs at mantle plumes, columns of hot rock that
rise from Earth’s high-pressure core to its lower-pressure crust. When located beneath
the ocean, these plumes, also known as hot spots, push magma onto the seafloor. These
volcanic mounds can grow into volcanic islands over millions of years of activity.
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Source: Prof. Stephen A. Nelson, Tulane University
Under normal conditions the temperature in the Earth, shown by the geothermal
gradient, is lower than the beginning of melting of the mantle. Thus in order for the mantle
to melt there has to be a mechanism to raise the geothermal gradient. Once such
mechanism is convection, wherein hot mantle material rises to lower pressure or depth,
carrying its heat with it.
If the raised geothermal gradient becomes higher than the initial melting
temperature at any pressure, then a partial melt will form. Liquid from this partial melt
can be separated from the remaining crystals because, in general, liquids have a lower
density than solids. Basaltic magmas appear to originate in this way.
Upwelling mantle appears to occur beneath oceanic ridges, at hot spots, and
beneath continental rift valleys. Thus, generation of magma in these three environments
is likely caused by decompression melting.
B. Transfer of Heat
Magma can also be created when hot, liquid rock intrudes into Earth’s cold crust.
As the liquid rock solidifies, it loses its heat to the surrounding crust. Much like hot fudge
being poured over cold ice cream, this transfer of heat is able to melt the surrounding rock
(the “ice cream”) into magma.
13
Source: Prof. Stephen A. Nelson, Tulane University
When magmas that were generated by some other mechanism intrude into cold
crust, they bring with them heat. Upon solidification they lose this heat and transfer it to
the surrounding crust. Repeated intrusions can transfer enough heat to increase the
local geothermal gradient and cause melting of the surrounding rock to generate new
magmas. Rhyolitic magma can also be produced by changing the chemical composition
of basaltic magma as discussed later.
C. Flux Melting
Flux melting occurs when water or carbon dioxide are added to rock. These
compounds cause the rock to melt at lower temperatures. This creates magma in places
where it originally maintained a solid structure.
Much like heat transfer, flux melting also occurs around subduction zones. In this
case, water overlying the subducting seafloor would lower the melting temperature of the
mantle, generating magma that rises to the surface.
14
If water or carbon dioxide is added to rock, the melting temperature is lowered. If
the addition of water or carbon dioxide takes place deep in the earth where the
temperature is already high, the lowering of melting temperature could cause the rock to
partially melt to generate magma. One place where water could be introduced is at
subduction zones. Here, water present in the pore spaces of the subducting sea floor or
water present in minerals like hornblende, biotite, or clay minerals would be released by
the rising temperature and then move in to the overlying mantle. Introduction of this
water in the mantle would then lower the melting temperature of the mantle to generate
partial melts, which could then separate from the solid mantle and rise toward the surface.
In 2009, the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project created a well that uses magma to
generate geothermal energy. Normally, geothermal energy is created by pumping water
into hot volcanic bedrock, creating steam that is then harnessed to generate electricity.
While normal geothermal sources average around 60° to 80° Celsius (140° to 176°
Fahrenheit), the magma well’s steam reached a record-breaking temperature of 450°
Celsius (842° Fahrenheit)! This huge increase in temperature allowed just one magma
well to generate roughly 36 megawatts of electricity, powering 36,000 homes. In
comparison, one single wind turbine generates between 1 to 3 megawatts.
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15
Let’s practice once more! Do the next activity.
Read each statement below. If it is true, write a “T” in the blank; if it is false, write an “F”.
____1. Some deep, underground rocks are so hot that a drop in pressure can cause
them to form magma
____2. Deep in Earth's interior, most of Earth's mantle is molten, liquid magma
____3. Magma is forced quickly toward Earth's surface because it is more dense than
the rock around it
____4. Most volcanic eruptions occur near plate boundaries or at locations called hot
spots
____5. Water vapor in magma usually produces volcanoes that erupt quietly with lava
that flows smoothly
____6. Magma that is deep underground can contain water vapor and other gases
____7. Some volcanoes can form without lava flows
____8. Most of the magma that forms underground never reaches Earth's surface to
form volcanoes
____9. When a volcano stops erupting, the magma inside the vent sinks deep into
Earth, forming a bottomless pit
___10. When magma flows onto Earth's surface, it always forms volcanic mountains
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Now, let’s summarize the lesson.
Magma is a molten and semi-molten rock mixture found under the surface
of the Earth. This mixture is usually made up of four parts: a hot liquid base, called
the melt; minerals crystallized by the melt; solid rocks incorporated into the melt
from the surrounding confines; and dissolved gases.
There are three basic types of magma: basaltic, andesitic, and rhyolitic,
each of which has a different mineral composition. All types of magma have a
significant percentage of silicon dioxide. Basaltic magma is high in iron,
magnesium, and calcium but low in potassium and sodium. It ranges in
temperature from about 1000oC to 1200oC (1832oF to 2192oF). Andesitic magma
has moderate amounts of these minerals, with a temperature range from about
800oC to 1000oC (1472oF to 1832oF). Rhyolitic magma is high in potassium and
sodium but low in iron, magnesium, and calcium. It occurs in the temperature range
of about 650oC to 800oC (1202oF to 1472oF). Both the temperature and mineral
content of magma affect how easily it flows.
The viscosity (thickness) of the magma that erupts from a volcano affects
the shape of the volcano. Volcanoes with steep slopes tend to form from very
viscous magma, while flatter volcanoes form from magma that flows
easily.Differences in temperature, pressure, and structural formations in the mantle
and crust cause magma to form in different ways. Decompression melting
involves the upward movement of Earth's mostly-solid mantle. This hot material
rises to an area of lower pressure through the process of convection. Areas of
lower pressure always have a lower melting point than areas of high pressure. This
reduction in overlying pressure, or decompression, enables the mantle rock to melt
and form magma
Magma can also be created when hot, liquid rock intrudes into Earth’s cold
crust. As the liquid rock solidifies, it loses its heat to the surrounding crust. Much
like hot fudge being poured over cold ice cream, this transfer of heat is able to
melt the surrounding rock (the “ice cream”) into magma. Flux melting occurs when
water or carbon dioxide are added to rock. These compounds cause the rock to
melt at lower temperatures. This creates magma in places where it originally
maintained a solid structure.
17
Write the letter of the correct answer in your notebook.
1. The formation and motion of hot melted rock under the crust of the Earth is known as
A. magmatism C. volcanism
B. lavatism D. crustalism
3. Which type of magma forms from the partial melting of continental crust and is low in
iron and magnesium, but high in silica?
A. Andesitic Magma C. basaltic magma
B. Rhyolitic Magma D. Mafic Magma
7. Which type of magma forms at the mid‐ocean ridges or at hot spots under the ocean
crust, and is high in iron and magnesium, but is low in silica?
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A. Andesitic Magma C. Basaltic magma
B. Ryolitic Magma D. Intermediate Magma
How do volcanic eruptions affect the climate? What is its connection to magmatism?
References
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/08/magma-characteristics-types-sources-and.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/magma/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Row
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/magma-role-rock-cycle/
https://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/VolcanoesWS3.pdf
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/volcan&magma.html
http://sci.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Controls.html
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3655.html
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Answer Key
Try this
a. A 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. D
Do this
1. A 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. B
Explore
Activity 1
Activity 2
Kind of Silica Viscosity Frequency of Thickness of Explosiveness of
magma content (high, eruptions lava flows eruptions (high,
(high, med, med, or (high, med, or (high, med, med, or low)
or low) low) low) or
low)
Activity 3
All about Magmatism
Magmatism- the process of magma formation plays an important role in rock cycle.
0
2. Transfer of heat process of magma formation that occurs when hot, liquid rock
intrudes into Earth’s cold crust. As the liquid rock solidifies, it loses its heat to the
surrounding crust.
3. Flux melting occurs when water or carbon dioxide are added to rock. These
compounds cause the rock to melt at lower temperatures. This creates magma in
places where it originally maintained a solid structure.
Magmatism, the process of magma formation plays an important role in rock cycle. New
rocks are formed after the molten rock (magma) was ejected out of a volcano that became
lava and eventually an igneous rock.
.Also, advancement in technology reveals that magma generates geothermal energy.
Normally, geothermal energy is created by pumping water into hot volcanic bedrock,
creating steam that is then harnessed to generate electricity.
Reflect
Answers may vary
Reinforcement
1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. F
6. T 7. T 8. T 9. F 10. F
Learn More
When volcanoes erupt, they emit a mixture of gases and particles into the air. Some of
them, such as ash and sulphur dioxide, have a cooling effect, because they (or the
substances they cause) reflect sunlight away from the earth. Others, such as CO 2, cause
warming by adding to the greenhouse effect. Its connection to magmatism is simple.
Since magmatism explains the formation of magma, it determines the composition of the
magma produced. The kind of magma produced will correspond to the frequency of
eruption of the volcano, the thickness of lava flows and the explosiveness of volcanic
eruption.