Introduction to Magmatic Histories

Magmatic histories describe the processes and conditions that led to the formation of a set of volcanic products at the surface of a planet. These processes and conditions occur below the planet's surface and must, perforce, be inferences derived from a combination of obervation and theory.

Theories derive from the basic laws that describe the operation of the Universe: Conservation of matter, including conservation of chemical species, Conservation of energy, and Conservation of momentum. Details of the techniques and methods used to make the inferences are described in parts one to four of the e-text. The e-text can be reached by clicking the Theory and Analysis button to the left.