Contact: David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327
Rice University

Magma Forms as Deep as 250 Kilometers

Caption: A schematic cross section of the Earth's interior below oceanic ridges shows the conditions of magma generation. Through experimentation on mantle rocks, Rice University researchers found evidence that magma forms as deep as 250 kilometers inside the Earth's, much deeper than previously thought. Such melting would help explain apparent geophysical and geochemical contradictions that have puzzled geologists for years.

Credit: Dasgupta Group/Rice University

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