Causes and Consequences of Flow Organization During Melt Transport

OCE-9530307 Geochemical and field evidence suggest that melt transport in the mantle is localized into some form of meso-scale channels; however, the mechanism for the formation of such channels from a grain-scale distribution of melt is poorly understood. Two possible mechanisms will be investigated: (1) reactive inflitration instability, which is an interaciton between the fluid-mechanics of melt motion and chemical dissolution, and (2) purely mechanical flow segregations due to local pressure graneints. A series of numerical model problems will be used to quantify the behavior and effects of both of these processes.