Magma degassing and basaltic eruption styles: a case study of ∼2000 year BP Xitle volcano in central Mexico

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between volatile abundances and eruption style, we have analyzed major element and volatile (H 2O, CO 2, S) concentrations in olivine-hosted melt inclusions in tephra from the ∼2000 yr BP eruption of Xitle volcano in the central Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The Xitle eruption was dominantly effusive, with fluid lava flows accounting for ∼95% of the total dense rock erupted material (1.1 km 3). However, in addition to the initial, Strombolian, cinder cone-building phase, there was a later explosive phase that interrupted effusive activity and deposited three widespread ash fall layers. Major element compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from these ash layers range from 52 to 58 wt.% SiO 2, and olivine host compositions are Fo 84–86. Water concentrations in the melt inclusions are variable (0.2–1.3 wt.% H 2O), with an average of 0.45±0.3 (1σ) wt.% H 2O. Sulfur concentrations vary from below detection (∼50 ppm) to 1000 ppm but are mostly ≤200 ppm and show little correlation with H 2O. Only the two inclusions with the highest H 2O have detectable CO 2 (310–340 ppm), indicating inclusion entrapment at higher pressures (700–900 bars) than for the other inclusions (≤80 bars). The low and variable H 2O and S contents of melt inclusions combined with the absence of less soluble CO 2 indicates shallow-level degassing before olivine crystallization and melt inclusion formation. Olivine morphologies are consistent with the interpretation that most crystallization occurred rapidly during near-surface H 2O loss. During cinder cone eruptions, the switch from initial explosive activity to effusive eruption probably occurs when the ascent velocity of magma becomes slow enough to allow near-complete degassing of magma at shallow depths within the cone as a result of buoyantly rising gas bubbles. This allows degassed lavas to flow laterally and exit near the base of the cone while gas escapes through bubbly magma in the uppermost part of the conduit just below the crater. The major element compositions of melt inclusions at Xitle show that the short-lived phase of renewed explosive activity was triggered by a magma recharge event, which could have increased overpressure in the storage reservoir beneath Xitle, leading to increased ascent velocities and decreased time available for degassing during ascent.