Effects of chaotic advection on the timescales of cooling and crystallization of magma bodies at mid crustal levels

We numerically define the thermochemical evolution of a subduction-related crystal-bearing magmatic mass at mid crustal levels (0.7 GPa, 20-25 km). Two main dynamic mechanisms are considered: (1) a pure buoyancy-driven system where the convective flow is induced by density changes during magma cooling; (2) a buoyancy-driven convective system governed by chaotic advection. The non-Newtonian rheology of natural magmas is taken into account linking the Herschel-Bulkley formulation with the results of fractional crystallization experiments of magmas with the same composition and at the same conditions of temperature and pressure of the studied system. The latent heat of crystallization is also considered in order to address the thermal release in the system induced by the crystallization. Results indicate that the development of chaotic advection generates a complex thermochemical evolution of the system speeding up the crystallization process and the timing required to reach the jamming condition relative to the pure buoyancy-driven convective system (nearly 2 times faster). Our results have important implications for both the rheological history of the magmatic body and the refilling of shallower magmatic systems. In particular, (1) a time-dependent composition ranging from basalt to andesite can be extracted from an initial basaltic magmatic batch; (2) at the attainment of the maximum packing fraction (i.e., just before the jamming condition), homogeneous andesitic melts can be potentially extracted from the system; and (3) the development of chaotic advection within the system allows for the extraction of andesitic melt in shorter times compared to a buoyancy-dominated system.