Magma

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/magma

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary constituents?Molten silicate rock, suspended crystals, and dissolved volatile gases (H2O, CO2, SO2)
2. What is the generation mechanisms?Decompression melting, flux melting, and increased heat input in specific tectonic settings
3. How does magma form in different places on Earth?Magma can form when tectonic plates pull apart at mid‑ocean ridges or continental rifts, when one plate dives under another in a subduction zone, or when a hot spot pushes up heat from deep inside the Earth. In each case the rock melts because of lower pressure, added water, or more heat.
4. What happens to magma before it erupts?While it rises, magma can collect in underground chambers. There it can cool slowly, letting crystals settle out, mix with other magmas, or swallow pieces of surrounding rock. Gases also escape, which changes how thick the magma is.

Rheology: The study of the flow of matter, particularly the deformation and flow of magma.
Fractional Crystallization: The process where minerals crystallize from a melt at different temperatures, altering the melt's composition.
Assimilation: The process by which magma incorporates and melts surrounding host rock.