CRYSTALS AND BUBBLES IN SILICATE MELTS: HOW THESE PHASES INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS?

Silicates, in volcanological or industrial contexts, may be composed of a silicate matrix, bubbles, and crystals. The presence of these latter phases may alter the system fluid-dynamics, which in turn is one of the main controlling parameters determining the quality of the final product or whether a volcano will erupt explosively or effusively. The Big Question of this research is: ‘Does the chemistry of the crystals and their surface energy influence the rheology and the bubble dynamics?’ In this seminar, a wide-range of results on silicates containing bubbles and/or crystals in volcanological and industrial contexts are presented. These general results suggest that crystal chemistry and their surface energy must be playing an important role in the dynamic of silicate melts and consequently on the eruptive style.