CLINOPYROXENE GROWTH RATE IN MAFIC MELTS

The objective of this research is to provide a new test on the clinopyroxene growth rate in a basic melt and compare it with previously published growth rate (10^-10 cm/sec). Our methodology involves using the CSD measurements on plagioclase and clinopyroxene in the same thin section of basalt from the Kilauea volcano. Melt calculations show that plagioclase and clinopyroxene crystallized within 20° of one another. We can then assume that magma residence time for these minerals is the same. Based on that assumption we plotted ln(n) versus diameter for plagioclase and using the crystal growth rate for the plagioclase (10^-10 cm/sec) we calculated the magma residence time. This was, in turn, used to calculate the clinopyroxene growth rate. Our results show that clinopyroxene growth rate is similar but slightly higher (10 ^–9.3 cm/sec) than of the previously published number.