HOLME'S CONVECTIVE OVERTURN, GRANITES, RHIEDS; DICKSON'S REACTION CELLS, SOLUTIONS, LIQUID TO SOLID RATIONS (L/X)

Arthur Holmes work on migration of mass and energy in earth, included convection cells and origin of granite. He asked why if he did not understand, and admitted mistakes. He sought most applicable knowledge. Energy to drive convective overturn in seismically solid mantle was attributed to radioactive heat, and mobility to rheitic behaviour. Not using principles of solution chemistry was one of Holmes’ few mistakes. Bowen’s melt concepts that convinced many did not make sense to Holmes. Minerals of heated rocks coat with liquids of soluble fractions. Bulk properties controlled by liquid to solid ratios, L/X, include density, viscosity, reaction rate, and mobility. Liquids cycle excess energies in local and regional replacement in gradients of temperature and pressure in gravitational and electromagnetic fields. Tectonics in two 200-300 km zones with strong gradients, at chemical and physical discontinuities. They are at Earth’s interface with vacuum of outer space, and Mullen’s D”-zone, mantle contact with higher temperature metallic Fe-Ni liquids. Heat from core generates intergranular liquids. Coalesced plutons move upward as diapirs and Dickson reaction cells that replace cover rocks. Plumes nucleated at nodes of core convection currents feed hot spots with paths independent of plate motions. Thixotropy at constant L/X liquifies and solidifies. Structures collapse during earthquakes liquefying from more efficiently packed soil grains. Drop in atmospheric pressure on sediments on rising plates lowers L/X, grains approach, those in contact harden in packets. Enclaves of sediments in Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canadian Rocky Mountains preserve fossil assemblages living on seafloor at higher elevations. Undisturbed sediments and blocks of Pre-Cambrian Pikes Peak granite in Cretaceous sedimentary rocks are in rapidly uplifted sedimentary basins of Colorado Rocky Mountain front.