A lava lamp illustrates the basic principle of diapirism

A diapir (IPA: /ˈdaɪəpɪər/ [1]) (French, from Greek diapeirein, to pierce through) is an intrusion caused by buoyancy and pressure differentials. A lava lamp is a novelty item typically used for decoration and ambiance rather than illumination the slow albeit chaotic rise and fall of the randomly-shaped blobs French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly In Geology, an intrusion is a body of Igneous rock that has Crystallized from molten Magma below the surface of the Earth. In Physics, buoyancy ( BrE IPA: /ˈbɔɪənsi/ is the upward Force on an object produced by the surrounding liquid or gas in which it is Pressure (symbol 'p' is the force per unit Area applied to an object in a direction perpendicular to the surface The term was introduced by the Romanian geologist Ludovic Mrazek, who was the first to understand the principle of salt intrusion and plasticity. The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni A geologist is a contributor to the Science of Geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system The term "diapir" may be applied to igneous structures, but it is more commonly applied to non-igneous, relatively cold materials, such as salt domes and mud diapirs. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into In computer gaming, a MUD ( Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) is a multi-player computer game that combines elements of Diapirism is thought to occur on Enceladus. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> This article is about the moon of A diapir is any relatively mobile mass that intrudes into preexisting strata. In Geology and related fields a stratum (plural strata) is a layer of rock or Soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes A lava lamp is an example of a diapir. A lava lamp is a novelty item typically used for decoration and ambiance rather than illumination the slow albeit chaotic rise and fall of the randomly-shaped blobs

Diapirs commonly intrude vertically upward along fractures or zones of structural weakness through more dense overlying rocks because of density contrast between a less dense, lower rock mass and overlying denser rocks. In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different The density contrast manifests as a force of buoyancy. The process is known as diapirism. The resulting structures are also referred to as piercement structures.

In the process, segments of the existing strata can be disconnected and pushed upwards. While moving higher, they retain much of their original properties such as pressure, which can be significantly different from that of the shallower strata they get pushed into. Such overpressured Floaters pose a significant risk when trying to drill through them. Well drilling is the Process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as Ground water, Natural gas, or Petroleum

Rock types such as evaporitic salt deposits, and gas charged muds are potential sources of diapirs. Evaporites (iˈvæpəraɪt are water-soluble Mineral sediments that result from the Evaporation of bodies of surficial Water. Diapirs also form in the earth's mantle when a sufficient mass of hot, less dense magma assembles. The mantle is a part of an Astronomical object. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other Terrestrial planets, is Chemically divided Magma (Plurals magmas and magmata) is molten rock that sometimes forms beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other Terrestrial planet Diapirism in the mantle is thought to be associated with the development of large igneous provinces and some mantle plumes. The mantle is a part of an Astronomical object. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other Terrestrial planets, is Chemically divided Large Igneous provinces (LIPS were originally defined by Coffin and Eldholm (1992 as areas of Earth's surface that contain very large volumes of magmatic rocks (typically A mantle plume is an upwelling of abnormally hot rock within the Earth's mantle.

Explosive, hot volatile rich magma or volcanic eruptions are referred to generally as diatremes. In Planetary science, volatiles, are that group of elements and compounds with low boiling points (see volatile) that are associated with a planet's or moon's A diatreme is a breccia filled Volcanic pipe that was formed by a gaseous explosion Diatremes are not usually associated with diapirs, as they are small-volume magmas which ascend by volatile plumes, not by density contrast with the surrounding mantle.

Economic importance of diapirs

Diapirs or piercement structures are structures resulting from the penetration of overlaying material. By pushing upward and piercing overlying rock layers, diapirs can form anticlines, salt domes and other structures capable of trapping petroleum and natural gas. In Structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Igneous intrusions themselves are typically too hot to allow the preservation of preexisting hydrocarbons. In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon.

See also

• Geyser
• Hydrothermal vent
• Mud volcano
• Granite
• Salt tectonics