Subject Geology
Paper No and Title Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
Module No and Title Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting and Crystallization
Module Tag II
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator
Prof. Talat Ahmad Prof. Devesh K Sinha Prof. P. P. Chakraborty
Vice-Chancellor Department of Geology Department of Geology
Jamia Millia Islamia University of Delhi University of Delhi
Delhi Delhi Delhi
Paper Coordinator Content Writer Reviewer
Prof. Pulak Sengupta Prof. Santosh Kumar Prof. Pulak Sengupta
Department of Geological Department of Geology Department of Geological
Sciences, Sciences,
Kumaun University
Jadavpur University Jadavpur University
Kolkata Nainital Kolkata
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
, Table of Content
1. Learning outcomes
2. Earth as a Heat Engine
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Temperature profile of the Earth
2.3 Mode of Heat and Material Transport in the Earth
2.3.1 Conduction and Convection
2.4 Plate Tectonics and Movement of the Plates
3. Melting and Crystallization
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Melting and Magma Generation in the Mantle
3.3 Magma and Magmatic Differentiation
3.3.1 Liquid to liquid fractionation
3.3.2 Liquid-Crystal Fractionation
3.3.3 Quantifying the Fractional Crystallization
6. Summary
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
, 1. Learning outcomes
After studying this module, you shall be able to know:
The major external and internal heat sources of the Earth, which drive the
exogenic and endogenic processes of the Earth respectively.
Conceptual basis of heat and material transport through convection current in
the mantle, and movement of the tectonic plates.
Generation of magmas in the mantle, and the processes responsible for
magmatic differentiation.
Qualitative and quantitative assessment of fractional crystallization.
2. Earth as a Heat Engine
2.1 Introduction
The Earth is a dynamic planet that provides a stable platform to leave on it.
The Earth differentiated very early in its history into several layers or shells
having different compositions. The internal structure of the Earth was
determined based on reflection and refraction of compressed (P) and shear
(S) seismic waves. Earth has two chief sources of heat energies: the Sun is
the external heat engine and the core of the Earth is its internal heat engine,
which are responsible for driving the exogenic and endogenic processes as
heat engines of the Earth respectively.
During the process of the evolution of the Earth extra-terrestrial materials such
as meteorites impacted on the earth where much of the energy of such
collisions converted into heat and retained in the Earth. At present the Earth's
internal temperature is comparable to that of the Sun's outer regions, and a
central core that developed 4.6 billion years later is still about 20 percent hotter
than the Sun's surface. The energy that drives this movement is heat within the
Earth, which comes from two main sources. One is the residual heat left over
from the formation of our planet 4.6 billion years ago. The second source of
energy is naturally occurring radio nuclides in the earth, most notably uranium
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
Paper No and Title Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
Module No and Title Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting and Crystallization
Module Tag II
Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator
Prof. Talat Ahmad Prof. Devesh K Sinha Prof. P. P. Chakraborty
Vice-Chancellor Department of Geology Department of Geology
Jamia Millia Islamia University of Delhi University of Delhi
Delhi Delhi Delhi
Paper Coordinator Content Writer Reviewer
Prof. Pulak Sengupta Prof. Santosh Kumar Prof. Pulak Sengupta
Department of Geological Department of Geology Department of Geological
Sciences, Sciences,
Kumaun University
Jadavpur University Jadavpur University
Kolkata Nainital Kolkata
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
, Table of Content
1. Learning outcomes
2. Earth as a Heat Engine
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Temperature profile of the Earth
2.3 Mode of Heat and Material Transport in the Earth
2.3.1 Conduction and Convection
2.4 Plate Tectonics and Movement of the Plates
3. Melting and Crystallization
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Melting and Magma Generation in the Mantle
3.3 Magma and Magmatic Differentiation
3.3.1 Liquid to liquid fractionation
3.3.2 Liquid-Crystal Fractionation
3.3.3 Quantifying the Fractional Crystallization
6. Summary
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
, 1. Learning outcomes
After studying this module, you shall be able to know:
The major external and internal heat sources of the Earth, which drive the
exogenic and endogenic processes of the Earth respectively.
Conceptual basis of heat and material transport through convection current in
the mantle, and movement of the tectonic plates.
Generation of magmas in the mantle, and the processes responsible for
magmatic differentiation.
Qualitative and quantitative assessment of fractional crystallization.
2. Earth as a Heat Engine
2.1 Introduction
The Earth is a dynamic planet that provides a stable platform to leave on it.
The Earth differentiated very early in its history into several layers or shells
having different compositions. The internal structure of the Earth was
determined based on reflection and refraction of compressed (P) and shear
(S) seismic waves. Earth has two chief sources of heat energies: the Sun is
the external heat engine and the core of the Earth is its internal heat engine,
which are responsible for driving the exogenic and endogenic processes as
heat engines of the Earth respectively.
During the process of the evolution of the Earth extra-terrestrial materials such
as meteorites impacted on the earth where much of the energy of such
collisions converted into heat and retained in the Earth. At present the Earth's
internal temperature is comparable to that of the Sun's outer regions, and a
central core that developed 4.6 billion years later is still about 20 percent hotter
than the Sun's surface. The energy that drives this movement is heat within the
Earth, which comes from two main sources. One is the residual heat left over
from the formation of our planet 4.6 billion years ago. The second source of
energy is naturally occurring radio nuclides in the earth, most notably uranium
Paper: Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
GEOLOGY Module: Earth as a Heat Engine; Partial Melting
and Crystallization
