Experimental petrology it is possible to examine the behavior of a magma body as it slowly cools and crystallizes over time Experimental petrology Experimental petrology is the field of research concerned with experimentally determining the physical and chemical behaviour of rocks and their constituents. Because there is no way to directly observe or measure deep earth processes, geochemists rely on experimental petrology to establish quantitative values and relationships in order to construct models of the deep earth. Experimental petrology can range from creating artificial magmas to measure crystallization behavior to observing recrystallization of minerals at varying P/T (Pressure/Temperature) conditions. Although methodology varies
Experimental petrology are analyzed - qualities of interest include mineral assemblage (which minerals crystallized and how much), mineral chemistry, and liquid (the remainder of the synthetic magma base) composition. Equilibrium crystallization studies are those in which a starting liquid is cooled until fully crystalline. This is taken to be the "equilibrium state" of the composition under those particular P/T conditions. Criticisms of equilibrium crystallization include the observation that real-world systems are believed to rarely sit still during crystallization and thus would not be able to properly equilibrate. Fractional crystallization studies represent a fairly recent trend in experimental petrology, gaining popularity as a