Geochemometrics: Petrology of Quaternary Volcanism in the Central Mexican Volcanic Belt

Abstract

AbstractGeochemometrics is a geochemistry systematized branch resulting from the combination of geochemical principles with statistical, mathematical, and computational tools to explain the nature and processes of Earth systems. In this work, several geochemometric techniques, as well as traditional mineralogical and geochemical tools, have been used contributing to petrological model for the Quaternary volcanism in the central Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). A wide database of 571 records of major and trace elements and isotopic Sr–Nd ratios has been prepared. Compiled information covers bibliographic sources published during the 1965–2020 period, as well as new petrographic and chemical data. Mineralogical and geochemical criteria have been used to divide the central MVB database in five petrologic groups: (a) G1: basic rocks, (b) G2: high-Mg intermediate rocks, (c) G3: low-Mg intermediate rocks, (d) G4: acid rocks, and (e) G5: disequilibrium rocks. Each group has been evaluated in terms of rock classification, spatial distribution, approximation of intensive properties (pressure and temperature), magmatic process inference, and tectonic setting. Petrogenesis of extensional-related G1 and G2 rocks has been linked to upper mantle processes at the Moho level. In contrast, the geochemometric evaluation has confirmed that the subduction-related Mexican continental crust has been involved in the origin and evolution of G3–G5 rocks.KeywordsGeochemometricsIgneous petrologyMexican Volcanic BeltQuaternary volcanism