Magmatic processes have been mainly investigated studying deformations due to magma emplacement in volcanoes (volcano-tectonic processes) and in plutons (intrusive processes).

Volcano-tectonic processes have been modelled using various materials (sand, silicone, flour, gelatine,) and apparati. These include the following experimental sets.

1) Development of collapse calderas, resulting from the subsidence of Newtonian silicone (magma analogue) at the base of a dry sand layer (upper crust analogue) (Figure 1; Acocella et al., 2000; Acocella et al., 2001).
2) Role of the extensional regional structures on caldera collapse, using pre- fractured brittle layers of sand, deforming as a result of silicone subsidence at their base (Figure 2; Acocella et al., 2004).
3) Overview of experimental models of caldera collapse, taking into account an extensive comparison to nature and a revised classification of calderas (Acocella, 2006; Acocella, 2007).
4) Relationships between caldera structure, as revealed by analogue models, and explosive activity at calderas (Scandone and Acocella, 2007).
5) Post-caldera resurgence, intruding silicone within dry sand: these experiments, as well as their comparison to nature, permit to distinguish between resurgent domes and resurgent blocks (Figure 3; Acocella et al., 2001).
6) Sector collapse of volcanic edifices, using a mixture of sand and flour (volcanic edifice analogue) and silicone (magma analogue), under various configurations and deformative modalities (Figure 4; Acocella, 2005).
7) Dike emplacement within volcanic edifices characterized by sector collapses, injecting water (magma analogue) within gelatine (volcano analogue) (Figure 5; Acocella and Tibaldi, 2005).

Intrusive processes have been simulated studying the shape of intruding plutons, as well as the induced deformations within the host rock. These include the following experimental sets.

8) Intrusion of Newtonian silicone into sand within a centrifuge, to simulate pluton emplacement in the crust (Figure 6; Acocella and Mulugeta, 2001; Acocella and Mulugeta, 2002).
9) Intrusion of molten paraffine (magma analogue) within heated paraffine (ductile crust), to simulate magma emplacement in a lower crust with a thermal gradient, an absolute novelty in analogue modeling.