Wiley-Blackwell Timescales of Magmatic Processes: From Core to Atmosphere

Quantifying the timescales of current geological processes is critical for constraining the physical mechanisms operating on the Earth today. Since the Earth’s origin 4.55 billion years ago magmatic processes have continued to shape the Earth, producing the major reservoirs that exist today (core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere) and promoting their continued evolution. But key questions remain. When did the core form and how quickly? How are magmas produced in the mantle, and how rapidly do they travel towards the surface? How long do magmas reside in the crust, differentiating and interacting with the host rocks to yield the diverse set of igneous rocks we see today? How fast are volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere? This book addresses these and other questions by reviewing the latest advances in a wide range of Earth Science disciplines: from the measurement of short-lived radionuclides to the study of element diffusion in crystals and numerical modelling of magma behaviour. It will be invaluable reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students,  as well as igneous petrologists, mineralogists and geochemists involved in the study of igneous rocks and processes. Review “I found this book attractive in scope, easy and useful to assimilate, and certainly highly interesting. It conveys the skills of its authors as well as their immense enthusiasm for their science; I recommend this book most highly.”  (Geological Journal, 12 January 2014)“Certainly this book is worth recommendation, not only as a valuable handbook but also as a book which offers new hints for further research on the problems mentioned within.”  (Pure Appl. Geophys, 1 April 2013)“This is definitely a book to borrow when you next have a sighting of the OUGS library.”  (Open University Geological Society Journal, 1 November 2012)“The volume is well presented and clearly written by authors who are leading authorities in their different fields; it succeeds well in its stated objective of providing an accessible introduction to the subject and it should encourage others to get involved.”  (American Mineralogist, 1 October 2012)“In summary, this is a well-organized and thorough study of a developing field in whole-earth studies.  Many of the papers stress that their studies are in the early stages and need much more data to help refine the models.  While clearly aimed at a specialist audience, there is still much here to interest people in other areas of the geosciences.”  (The Leading Edge, 1 August 2012)“Certainly this book is worth recommendation not only as a valuable handbook but also a book which offers new hints for further research on the problems mentioned within.”  (PAGEOPH's, 2012)"The book is logically organised, from inside the Earth (core and mantle) outward to the atmosphere . . . It will certainly be a useful reference work for academics, even those of us working with, and familiar with, the timescales of magmatic processes. Furthermore it's a handy mid-sized paperback, easy to toss into a carry-on and dip into en route to the next conference or workshop." (Elements, 1 August 2011)"I would recommend this book to any serious student of magmatic processes and expect that it will stand as a useful source book on timescales for some time to come." (Bull Volcanol, 2011)   From the Inside Flap Quantifying the timescales of current geological processes is critical for constraining the physical mechanisms operating on the Earth today. Since the Earth's origin 4.55 billion years ago magmatic processes have continued to shape the Earth, producing the major reservoirs that exist today (core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere) and promoting their continued evolution. But key questions remain. When did the core form and how quickly? How are magmas produced in the mantle, and how rapidly do they travel towards the surface? How long do magmas reside in the crust, differentiat