• journal_title：Geology
• Contributor：Gidon Baer ; Ze'ev Reches
• Publisher：Geological Society of America
• Date：1987-
• Format：text/html
• Language：en
• Identifier：10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<569:FPOMID>2.0.CO;2
• journal_abbrev：Geology
• issn：0091-7613
• volume：15
• issue：6
• firstpage：569

Directions of magma flow were measured in a system of radial dikes in Makhtesh Ramon, Israel. The flow directions were determined from field observations of segments, fingers, grooves, and groove molds of the dikes. The study indicates that the mean axis of magma flow is subhorizontal toward the north, in agreement with the direction of divergence of the radial dike system. Two modes of flow were observed: (1) regular, bedding-parallel flow in the well-stratified rock units and (2) irregular, meandering flow in the massive rock units. It is suggested that corrugated dike walls in well-stratified host rocks cause magma channelization, and random or self-generated restrictions in massive host rocks cause the apparent meanders. Furthermore, the major lithologic boundaries in the host units strongly affect segmentation of the dikes.