Abstract
We propose that komatiite lavas were emplaced as turbulent flows, accompanied by vigorous forced convection with cooling rates often in excess of hundreds of °C h−1. They melted and assimilated up to 10% of the ground over which they flowed, forming deep channels. Nickel sulphide mineralization may have resulted from incorporation of sulphur-rich sediment. After emplacement, high cooling rates persisted, resulting in spinifex textures due to compositional convection.
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Huppert, H., Sparks, R., Turner, J. et al. Emplacement and cooling of komatiite lavas. Nature 309, 19–22 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/309019a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/309019a0
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