Chaotic Mixing in the System Earth: Mixing Granitic and Basaltic Liquids.

A widely debated question in Geosciences is if and how viscous magmas with extreme viscosity contrast mix under natural conditions. Chaotic mixing in magma chambers is thought to play a central role not only in determining the timing and dynamics of volcanic eruptions but may be of equal relevance for the evolutionary history of our planet. To date the dynamics of chaotic mixing have been investigated mostly both in analogue systems and numerical simulations. Here we report the first experimental simulation of chaotic mixing dynamics in molten silicates of geologic relevance and at geologically relevant temperatures (up to 1,700°C). A newly developed device for the in-situ experimental simulation of chaotic dynamics has been successfully developed and employed for this purpose. This device was designed in full awareness of the importance of chaotic dynamics for mixing processes; and earlier studies evidencing that chaotic dynamics equally control magma mixing processes in nature.