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Miocene rhyolites (19.2 ± 0.9 Ma) at the Jabal Shama in western Saudi Arabia represent an example of rift-related silicic volcanism that took place during the formation of the Red Sea. They mostly consist of tuffaceous varieties with distinct flow banding, and pea-sized spherulites, obsidian and perlitized rhyolite tuffs. Although they have the geochemical signature of A 2 -type rhyolites, these silicic rocks are not typically alkaline but alkali-calcic to calc-alkaline. They developed in a within-plate regime and possibly derived from a recycled mafic subducted slab in depleted sub-continental mantle beneath the western Arabian plate. The Jabal Shama rhyolites are younger in age than their Miocene counterparts in Yemen and Ethiopia. The Jabal Shama spherulites consist of hydrous alkali feldspar-silica radial intergrowths with an occasional brown glass nucleus. Carbonate- and glass-free spherulites give up to 4.45 wt% L.O.I. The hydrous nature of these silicates and the absence of magnetite in the spherulites is a strong indication of oxidizing conditions. The spherulites contain hydrous feldspars with up to ∼6 wt% H 2 O, and they develop by diffusion and devitrification of glass in the rhyolite tuff at ∼800 °C. Owing to higher undercooling due to supersaturation, the radial hydrous phases within spherulites might grow faster and led to coagulation. The polygonal contacts between spherulites and the ∼120° dihedral angle suggest solid-state modification and recrystallization as the process of devitrification proceeds as low as ∼300 °C. The sum of FeO + MgO is positively correlated with total alkalies along with magnetite oxidation in the matrix to Fe-oxyhydroxides, and to the incorporation of OH − into silicates within the spehrulites themselves. Structural H 2 O in glass of the Jabal Shama perlite (obsidian) is considerable (∼9–12 wt%) with 3.72–5.6 wt% L.O.I. of the whole-rock. The presence of deleterious silica impurities would lower the ore grade due to poor expansion. Zeolitization of the rhyolite tuff was limited or incomplete in comparison with that of Pliocene-Pleistocene rift-related mafic volcanics in the western Arabian plate.

Felsic intrusions present ubiquitous structures. They result from the differential interactions between the magma components (crystal, melt, gas phase) while it flows or when the flow is perturbed by a new magma injection. The most obvious structure consists in fabrics caused by the interactions of rotating grains in a flowing viscous melt. New magma inputs through dikes affect the buk massif flow, considered as global within each mineral facies. A review of the deformation and flow types developing in a magma chamber identifis the patterns that could be expected. It determines their controlling parameters and summarizes the tools for their quantification. Similarly, a brief review of the rheology of a complex multi-phase magma identifies and suggests interactions between the different components. The specific responses each component presents lead to instability development. In particular, the change in vorticity orientation, associated with the switch between monoclinic to triclinic flow is a cause of many instabilities. Those are preferentially local. Illustrations include fabric development, shear zones and flow banding. They depend of the underlying rheology of interacting magmas. Dikes, enclaves, schlieren and ladder dikes result from the interactions between the magma components and changing boundary conditions. Orbicules, pegmatites, unidirectional solidification textures and miarolitic cavities result from the interaction of the melt with a gaseous phase. The illustrations examine what is relevant to the bulk flow, local structures or boundary conditions. In each case a field observation illustrates the instability. The discussion reformulates instability observations, suggesting new trails for ther description and interpretation in terms of local departure to a bulk flow. A brief look at larger structures and at their evolution tries to relate these instabilities on a broader scale. The helical structures of the Řicany pluton, Czech Republic and by the multiple granitic intrusions of Dolbel, Niger illustrate such events.

Detailed field observations of structures within the flow front of a Holocene trachyandesite lava from Snaefellsnes, Iceland, are presented. The lava provides exceptional three-dimensional exposure of complex brittle and ductile deformation textures that record processes of lava fracture and quenching driven by external water. The flow front interior is characterised by structures consisting of a large (metre-scale) curviplanar master fracture with many smaller (centimetre-scale) subsidiary fractures perpendicular to the master fracture. Such structures have previously been recognised in a range of lava compositions from basalt to dacite and called pseudopillows or pseudopillow fractures. We propose the term pseudopillow fracture systems to emphasise the consistent package of different fracture types occurring together. All documented occurrences of pseudopillow fracture systems are in lavas that have been inferred to interact with an aqueous coolant (i.e. liquid water, ice or snow). We use fracture surface textures and their orientation in relation to flow banding to identify three distinct types of master fracture and two types of subsidiary fractures. Master fracture surface textures used to identify fracture mechanisms include chisel marks (striae), cavitation dimples, river lines and rough/smooth fracture surface textures. These indicate both brittle and ductile fracture happening on different types of master fracture. Chisel marks on subsidiary fractures indicate comparative cooling rates, cooling directions and isotherm orientations at the time of fracture. We propose a model for pseudopillow fracture system formation taking into account all the various fracture types, textures and fracture propagation mechanisms and discuss their implications for interaction mechanisms between lava flows and external coolants.

This study focuses on the origin of flow-banded rhyolites that consist of compositionally similar darker and lighter flow bands of contrasting texture and color. Infrared radiation was used to obtain Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra from which water concentrations were calculated, and to map variations in water concentrations across zones of spherulites and glass from the ~ 23 million year old Sycamore Canyon lava flow of southern Arizona. Lighter-colored, thicker flow bands consist of gray glass, fine-grained quartz, and large (1.0 to 1.5 mm) spherulites. Darker-colored, thinner flow bands consist of orange glass and smaller (0.1 to 0.2 mm) spherulites. The centers of both large and small spherulites are occupied by either (1) a quartz or sanidine crystal, (2) a granophyric intergrowth, or (3) a vesicle. Mapping of water concentration (dominantly OH− in glass and OH− and H2O in sanidine crystals) illustrates fluctuating water availability during quenching of the host melt. Textures of large spherulites in the lighter (gray) bands in some cases indicate complex quenching histories that suggest that local water concentration controlled the generation of glass versus crystals. Small spherulites in darker (orange) bands have only one generation of radiating crystal growth. Both the glass surrounding spherulites, and the crystals in the spherulites contain more water in the gray flow bands than in the orange flow bands. Flow banding in the Sycamore Canyon lava flow may have originated by the stretching of a magma that contained pre-existing zones (vesicles or proto-vesicles) of contrasting water concentration, as the magma flowed in the conduit and on the surface. Variation in the original water concentration in the alternating layers is interpreted to have resulted in differences in undercooling textures in spherulites in the lighter compared to the darker flow bands.

Transitions between effusive and explosive styles of lava dome eruptions are likely accompanied by changes in lava rheology. The common presence of crystals in dome lavas produces a complex non-Newtonian rheology. Thus models of such complex rheology are essential for volcanic eruption models. Here, we have measured the rheology of natural Unzen lavas with a compressive uniaxial press operating at stresses between 1 and 70 MPa and temperatures between 940 and 1010 °C. Crystal-rich Unzen lavas are characterised by two essential rheological features which produce non-Newtonian effects. The first is an instantaneous response of the apparent viscosity to applied stress which requires that the magma be described as a visco-elastic fluid that exhibits shear-thinning. The second effect takes the form of a time-dependence of the viscosity at moderate to high stress (≥ 10 MPa). In this regime, the apparent viscosity slowly decreases as increasing fracturing of the phenocrysts and the groundmass occurs. Fragmentation of crystals and alignment of crystal fragments are observed to produce flow banding-effects which in turn lower the apparent viscosity of natural dome lavas. Ultimately, deformation may lead to complete rupture of the lava if the stress is sufficient. Cracking thus stands as an important process in natural dome lava rheology. The ubiquitous non-Newtonian rheology of dome lavas, observed experimentally here, needs to be adequately treated in order to generate appropriate eruption models.

We perform a quantitative textural analysis of banding in obsidian from Big Glass Mountain (BGM), Medicine Lake Volcano, California and from Mayor Island (MI), New Zealand. The samples are compositionally homogeneous, with banding defined by variable microlite content (BGM) or vesicularity (MI). The spatial distribution of alternating light and dark bands has a 1/wavenumber power-spectral density, as well as multifractal characteristics. Through the use of simple mathematical models, we demonstrate that formation of the observed banding structure is consistent with a continuous deformational reworking of magma. Our results indicate that changes in crystallinity (vesicularity) were concurrent with magma deformation and are random multiples of the total amount of crystallinity (vesicularity) that was already present at any given time. Banded obsidian from BGM and MI can be found in close spatial proximity to brittle deformational textures. We therefore propose that a key element of banding formation in our samples may be magma brecciation or fragmentation. Fragmentation can result in variable rates of degassing of fragments, which in turn can lead to nonuniform crystal (vesicle) nucleation and growth rates. Repeated fragmentation, welding and subsequent viscous deformation can thus lead to banding formation.

The Upper Pliocene Kalogeros cryptodome is exposed on the northeastern part of Milos, Greece. The dacite cryptodome is 800-1300 m across and at least 120 m high. It is inferred to have intruded wet, unconsolidated pumiceous sediments in a shallow marine environment. The Kalogeros cryptodome includes five facies. The coherent dacite facies (80 vol%) consists of massive, non-vesicular dacite and is characterised by radial columnar joints 20-250 cm across. The banded dacite facies (15 vol%) encircles the coherent core and is up to 40 m thick. It comprises alternating bands (0.5-4 m thick) of pale grey and black dacite. The fractured dacite facies (less than 1 vol%) forms an irregular zone (1-3 m thick) at the outer margin of the cryptodome. The outermost massive dacite breccia facies ( less than 2 vol%) consists of blocky to polyhedral dacite clasts (1-40 cm in diameter) and is characterised by domains of jigsawfit and clast-rotated breccia. The stratified dacite breccia (2vol%) is clast-to-matrix supported, monomictic, poorly sorted and composed of dacite clasts up to several metres in diameter. The facies association collectively records endogenous growth of a cryptodome that involved a continuous magma supply during a single intrusive phase and simple expansion (inflation). During emplacement, the margins of the Kalogeros cryptodome were quench fragmented, forming an outer domain of intrusive hyaloclastite and intensely fractured dacite. The near-solid outer carapace insulated the hotter, less viscous interior. Laminar shear accompanied inflation, generating large-scale flow banding around the outer part of the core. Once stagnant, concentric isotherms were established within the cryptodome and controlled the orientation of columnar joints. Cryptodomes are characterised by a well-developed internal concentric distribution of distinctive textural domains, modest autoclastic breccia, and the absence of redeposited autoclastic facies.

Mesoscopic structures in four large cavities on the Big Obsidian Flow, OR, USA, provide evidence of links between large-scale surface folding, cavity formation, and hazardous explosive activity originating from within the flow. Stereographic analysis of flow banding, stretched bubble lineation, striations, and mesoscopic fold axes indicates that three of the cavities are near-cylindrical folds. Cavity fold axes are oriented parallel to large-scale compressional flow ridge axes, suggesting that cavities form in response to shortening during flow advance. Large surface folds develop as the upper 10 m of the cooler flow surface buckles when the flow front cools, slows, and stalls against topographic barriers. Void space is created in fold hinges as obsidian layers shear past each other and pull apart. The resultant cavities may serve as reservoirs for exsolved volatiles or surface water which may later vent explosively to form explosion craters on the flow surface.

The flow of obsidian lava leads to crystal alignments that reflect both the accumulated strain and the type of flow across the surface. Microlite preferred orientations are used to investigate the emplacement dynamics, strain history, and structural evolution of Obsidian Dome, eastern California. Measurements of three-dimensional microlite trend and plunge in samples from the near-vent region, distal flow, and flow front show: (1) the flow directions along the dome margins, (2) the deformation style (e.g., pure versus simple shear) at the dome margins, and (3) the variation in strain as a function of position within the flow. Microlites form well-developed lineations in the plane of flow banding in all samples. Stereographic projections indicate that lineations trend normal to the western flow front and plunge shallowly away from the margin. The radial flow pattern indicated by measurements made along the western margin suggests that extrusion was from a roughly elliptical vent. These results highlight a strong correlation between microlite trend and the bulk flow direction inferred from the geometry of the flow. Along most of the eastern periphery, lineations trend parallel to the margin and likely reflect the local flow direction as influenced by compression against the thickening flow crust, marginal talus piles, and topography. Orientation distributions imply that radial spreading accompanied by flattening was the dominant mechanism for flow emplacement. Comparisons of measured orientation distributions with theoretical predictions suggest that microlite fabrics in flow front and nearvent samples developed in a pure shear flow. Microstructures in a sample from near the distal flow base records a component of simple shear. Variance in microlite trend provides a measure of the amount of strain acquired during flow. Standard deviation in trend decreases from the near-vent region to the flow margins, reflecting progressive alignment of microlites during transport. Pure shear strain inferred from orientation distributions increases from approximately 0.3 near the vent to about 1.1 at the flow front. The difference between these strains (0.8) is an estimate of the strain associated with flow emplacement. Such strain is similar in size to that estimated from mesoscopic structures (V1) and for horizontal spreading of a fluid whose volume is equal to that of Obsidian Dome (V1.6). This suggests that flow on the surface was sufficient to produce observed microlite preferred orientations in the flow front. These techniques can be applied to interpret older dissected lavas where erosion has erased much of the original flow front or where larger-scale structures indicative of flow directions are poorly preserved. fl 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Momo-iwa, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan, is a dacite cryptodome 200-300 m across and 190 m high. The dome is inferred to have intruded wet, poorly consolidated sediment in a shallow marine environment. The internal structure of the dome is concentric, with a massive core, banded rim, and narrow brecciated border, all of which are composed of compositionally uniform feldspar-phyric dacite. Boundaries between each of the zones are distinct but gradational. The massive core consists of homogeneous coherent (unfractured) dacite and is characterized by radial columnar joints 60-200 cm across. The banded rim encircles the massive core and is 40 m wide. It is characterized by large-scale flow banding parallel to the dome surface. The flow banding comprises alternating partly crystalline and more glassy bands 80-150 cm thick. The outermost brecciated border is up to 80 cm thick, and consists of in situ breccia and blocky peperite. The in situ breccia comprises polyhedral dacite clasts 5-20 cm across and a cogenetic granular matrix. The blocky peperite consists of polyhedral dacite clasts 0.5-2 cm across separated by the host sediment (mudstone). The internal structures of the dome suggest endogenous growth involving a continuous magma supply during a single intrusive phase and simple expansion from the interior. Although much larger, the internal structures of Momo-iwa closely resemble those of lobes in subaqueous felsic lobe-hyaloclastite lavas.

The microstructural flow behavior of titanium and copper under uniaxial compression has been qualitatively related to the surface morphology and subsurface flow during plane strain abrasion. Uniaxial compression tests were carried out on titanium in the temperature range 298-673 K and copper at 298 K at strain rates in the range 0.1-100 $s^{-1}$. Titanium undergoes adiabatic shear banding at strain rates $>1s^{-1}$, the intensity of which decrease with decreasing strain rate and increasing temperature. This adiabatic shear banding is associated with a peak in the flow stress. Flow bands were observed in copper at low strain rates $( \leq 1 s^{-1})$. There is no peak flow stress associated with the flow banding in copper. The adiabatic shear bands in titanium and flow bands in copper are sites of crack formation. It is found that the strain rate response of both these materials plays an important role in plane strain abrasion of these metals by tungsten carbide wedges. The intense adiabatic shear banding in titanium at 298 K results in intense cracking of the abraded track and the bow wave and inhibits subsurface flow. The subsurface flow was found to be high at 673 K where no intense adiabatic shear banding is observed. In copper subsurface cracking was observed. This is associated with the flow bands observed at low strain rates.

Sheath-fold-like structures in pseudotachylyte samples from a gold mine in the Witwatersrand Basin (South Africa) are explained by injections of frictionally produced silicate melt within the shear zone due to the formation of high and low pressure zones. If the shear zone geometry is known, the orientation of the fold closures can be used to determine the direction and the movement sense. However, if it is not possible to establish the shear zone geometry, only the azimuth of movement can be estimated from the orientation of the sheath-fold-like folds. The flow banding in these fault rocks is indicative of laminar flow, which suggests a low Reynold's number.

A method is presented for using the change in angle between a plane and an initially perpendicular line together with the orientation of the finite-strain ellipsoid to calculate the axial ratio of the ellipsoid. Cleavage and stretching direction are used to give the orientation of the finite-strain ellipsoid. The method is applied to trails of amygdules which are presumed to have been initially perpendicular to the flow banding in the Pitts Head Ignimbrite of Snowdonia, North Wales. Results are in good agreement with those calculated using other strain markers.

The basalt of Jebel Et Toriya near Khartoum/Sudan has been studied in order to discover the mode of emplacement. For this purpose the chemical composition of an altered horizon in the bassalthas been analysed. Losses of Na, Mg, Ca,and the related gains of Al, Fe, Ti, V and Zr show element depletion and enrichment, which are common for rock weathering. This evidence permits a re-interpretation of the basalt mass comprising of two surface flows, separated from each other, by a period of chemical weathering. Some geological models of emplacement have been suggested and discussed to explain the occurrence of centripetally dipping flow banding and surface weathering.