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Spherulites and lithophysae—200 years of investigation on high-temperature crystallization domains in silica-rich volcanic rocks

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Abstract

High-temperature crystallization domains (HTCDs) including spherulites and lithophysae form during cooling of silica-rich lava and welded ignimbrites. Spherulites grow in silicate melts or hot glass and they display a radiating or microcrystalline texture, typically consisting of cristobalite, tridymite, and sanidine. Lithophysae are HTCDs comprising one or more cavities. This contribution reviews the research and discussions on HTCDs carried out over the last 200 years. The emphasis, here, is on lithophysae and summarizes current knowledge of their formation. A number of parameters influence the initiation and growth of lithophysae, as well as, their shapes and internal textures. The most likely cause of cavity formation is transient tensional stress that produces a mechanical opening and widening at the interface between the crystallization front and the host melt (e.g., where T > T g ). Cavity growth and expansion forced by rising vapor pressure is considered less important. In some cases, further growth of HTCD cavities results from vapor phase corrosion and brecciation.

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Notes

  1. Above the glass transition temperature (T g ), under low deformation rates, a silicate melt deforms in a ductile manner; below T g , it is considered a glass and incapable of viscous flow (Sakka and MacKenzie 1971). T g is controlled by the composition, in particular by the volatile content of the melt/glass.

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Acknowledgments

My thanks go to Jonathan Fink for guiding a great 10-day field trip in 1997 to almost every obsidian flow in California and western Oregon! In the same year, Glen Embree was a generous host and guide to Snake River plain volcanics in eastern Idaho. Jose Viramonte from Salta is acknowledged for leading a field trip in 2007 to exceptionally large lithophysae in the Argentine Puna. Many thanks go to Shan de Silva for facilitating a month stay (lodging and office) in 2010 in the “Thunderegg” State Oregon. I appreciate continuous discussions with Jens Götze from Freiberg. Jens also helped with access to the collections of the Mineralogical Institute in Freiberg and to his private collection. Also, Steve Langer (Prineville, Oregon) kindly enough provided access to his great collection of lithophysae. Michael Magnus (TU Bergakademie Freiberg) contributed with excellent photos. I would also like to thank Heiko Hessenkemper and Sascha Matthes (Institute of Glass, Ceramics and Building Material at TU Bergakademie Freiberg) for inspiring discussions and for providing calculations on melt relaxation. Constructive and comprehensive reviews by Kelsie Dadd, Richard Hanson, and Kelly Russell, as well as careful and encouraging editing by Steven Self are highly acknowledged.

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    Christoph Breitkreuz

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Breitkreuz, C. Spherulites and lithophysae—200 years of investigation on high-temperature crystallization domains in silica-rich volcanic rocks. Bull Volcanol 75, 705 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-013-0705-6

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