All magmas of mantle origin are contaminated by the planetary lithosphere

Scientific result

7 September 2026

As part of the ERC ADG PLANETAFELSIC project (2025–2030), scientists from CNRS Terre & Univers (the GET and IRAP laboratories) have shed light on the rate at which magmas of mantle origin become contaminated.

Why is it important to study the reactions that occur between magma and the surrounding rock? As they rise toward the surface of planetary bodies, planetary and geological magmas encounter rocks under a variety of conditions. The authors have clarified the issue of the rate at which magmas of mantle origin become contaminated.

They examined high-temperature experiments and kinetic models of the dissolution of the main minerals that make up rocks in magmas. A new kinetic equation, proposed in this study, has been established to predict the rates of mineral dissolution in planetary and geological magmas. This equation shows that magmas of mantle origin are significantly more contaminated by lithospheric materials than magmas of crustal origin.

Read more on the CNRS Terre & Univers website.

Contacts GET: Anastassia Borisova et Jacques Schott

Sources :

Borisova, A., Schott, J., & Toplis, M. J. (2026). Melt viscosity as a principal factor controlling the dissolution rates of the lithosphere minerals in planetary and geological melts. A review and perspectives. Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, 2(1), 964.

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