Melts and magmas play an important role in many processes of the Earth and have had major influence on the evolution of this planet, both near the Earth surface and in its deeper interior. Still our understanding of the physical, chemical and structural properties and the interaction between magmas and melts, referred to as magma mixing, is rather finite. There is a complex interplay between atomic scale structures and dynamics of the melt network, which controls the macro-scale behaviour of the bulk magma but also the chemical evolution during ascent and crystallization. Such interplay dictates the petrologic evolution of magmas and is responsible for the observed geochemical patterns of volatile release and trace element abundances. From a petrological point of view, investigation of the interaction between mafic and felsic magmas is often essential for deciphering the chemical composition of the end-member primary melts, the latter often essential for constraining tectonic settings. From a volcanological point of view, the replenishment of a sub-volcanic magma reservoir with less evolved magmas is considered to be one of the processes triggering explosive eruptions.

This session brings together a broad range of topics on research deciphering the chemical, physical, structural and mixing processes in melts and magmas by lab experiments or observations on natural rocks.