Viscosity of bubble- and crystal- bearing magmas: Analogue results

Natural magmas often include both phenocrysts and bubbles. Such magmas can be regarded as suspensions including particles and bubbles and should have a viscosity different from the particle- and bubble- free melt. Viscosity is one of the key physical properties that affects eruption dynamics and magma flow. To understand the relation between the viscosity and the volume fraction of bubbles and particles, we directly measure the viscosity of suspensions with both particles and bubbles. Measurements are performed with the 4 degree cone-and-plate type rheometer (Thermo HAAKE Rheoscope 1), which allows us to observe the samples in situ during the measurement. The suspending fluid is corn syrup whose viscosity is 1.7 Pa·s at 23 °C. Particles are Techpolymer (polymethylmethacrylate) 40 μm diameter spheres. Bubbles are made by dissolving baking soda and citric acid; reaction between them generates carbon dioxide. No surfactant is added. The Peclet number is sufficiently large that Brownian motion does not influence our results. The measured viscosity for the suspensions with particles, and with both particles and bubbles, show strong shear thinning. The measured viscosities during increasing and decreasing shear rate differ from each other, indicating that the microstructure is modified by flow. When the deformation of bubbles is not significant, the measured viscosity with bubbles is higher than that without bubbles, and vice versa.