El Ventorrillo, a paleostructure of Popocatépetl volcano: insights from geochronology and geochemistry

Abstract

Volcan Popocatepetl (Mexico) was constructed over the remains of a volcanic paleostructure. Based on fieldwork, 40Ar/39Ar dating, U-Pb dating, and geochemistry, we have determined the age, chemistry, and location of this paleostructure and named it El Ventorrillo. Most remnants of El Ventorrillo are covered by deposits from subsequent activity of Popocatepetl, except for the El Abanico scarp and the Barranca de Nexpayantla, where the stratigraphy of El Ventorrillo eruptive products can be investigated. Inception of volcanism at El Ventorrillo occurred at 331 ± 10 ka with emission of the Nexpayantla andesitic lavas, and continued with extrusion of the Yoloxochitl (267 ± 31 ka) and microwave (227 ± 6 ka) domes. Intrusion of dikes occurred at 298 ± 94 and 230 ± 3 ka. Activity at El Ventorrillo continued with the emission of lavas that built the El Abanico scarp (193 ± 29 to 96 ± 8 ka) and continued until the Tutti Frutti eruption destroyed the cone 14.1 kyr ago. El Ventorrillo magmas produced rocks divided into two mineralogical groups. The first group contains biotite-amphibole-rich rocks and the second group consists of biotite-amphibole-free lavas. The rocks that contain biotite and amphibole are older than 198 ± 13 ka, whereas the rocks with no hydrous phases are younger than 227 ± 6 ka and contain skarn and granodiorite xenoliths. We interpret the change to an anhydrous mineral assemblage and the occurrence of skarn and granodiorite xenoliths as evidence for the formation of a new, shallower reservoir. A granodiorite xenolith was chosen for 40Ar/39Ar dating and U-Pb zircon analyses. The U-Pb method yielded an age of 540 ± 110 ka and the 40Ar/39Ar an age of 109 ± 24 ka. These ages are interpreted to indicate granodiorite crystallization (540 ± 110 ka), which metamorphosed the calcareous basement beneath Popocatepetl into skarn and an influx of magma (109 ± 24 ka) that reheated the granodiorite. Major and trace elements, Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions, and textural analyses of plagioclase show that El Ventorrillo magmas were moderately modified by mixing with more-mafic magmas and that assimilation of the calcareous basement was negligible.