Fig. 2: Liquid immiscibility separation stages.
From: Origin of carbonatites—liquid immiscibility caught in the act
BSE images of melt inclusions showing different separation stages of liquid immiscibility. 1 nuclei formation of immiscible carbonatite liquids (Lc) in silicate (Ls) after the critical solution temperature of the silicate–carbonate system was crossed and the melt became metastable. 2 coalescence of primary droplets forming Lc blobs while physical separation is still poor and Ls is dispersed in Lc and vice versa. 3 further coarsening of Lc. Note that Lc droplets decrease in size and abundance in the close proximity of larger the carbonate blob. 4 formation of a homogenous carbonate melt blob. As the separation is presumably quenched by the volcanic eruption the silicate conjugate still contains finely dispersed nm-sized Lc nuggets except in the very proximity of the large carbonate blob (see also Supplementary Notes).
