Magma storage conditions over the past 4 Ma on Martinique Island, Lesser Antilles

Abstract

We constrain, for the first time, the storage conditions beneath recent (<5 Ma) volcanic edifices in Martinique Island, combining petrography, geochemistry, and thermobarometry. Specifically, we investigate Morne Jacob volcano (5.2–1.5 Ma), Pitons du Carbet complex (998 ka – 322 ka), Trois Îlets Volcanic field (2.35 Ma – 346 ka), and Mt. Conil – Mt. Pelée system (<550 ka). Lava samples range in composition from basalt to dacite, and in age from 4.1 Ma (Morne Jacob) to 1929 CE (Mount Pelée). For the last ∼5 Ma, the volcanoes in Martinique were fed by andesitic to dacitic magma stored in the upper 6 km of the crust, at temperatures between 900 and 1100 °C. These shallow reservoirs were frequently replenished and remobilized by basaltic and basaltic-andesite magmas originating from the lower crust with temperatures as high as 1200 °C. Erupted products contain simple to more complex mineral assemblages, and plagioclase phenocrysts exhibit textures and compositional profiles typical of antecrysts, identified as (1) normal, (2) oscillatory, (3) sieved, (4) resorbed core, and (5) resorbed rim. All complexes also show a crystallization gap in the middle crust (10–18 km). Trois Îlets, a distributed volcanic field, is the only complex that shows continuous crystallization through the entire crust, distinct magma batches and storage regions for each individual volcano. More importantly, we see drastic changes in terms of rock composition, storage conditions, and crystal populations in pre - and post – collapse lavas. Large flank collapse (> 5 km3) can induce decompression as large as 5 MPa in the upper crust and as low as 0.1 MPa down to 10–12 km. Such decompression magnitudes might be sufficient to enhance ascent of basaltic magma from depth, initiate dike intrusions in the mid to upper crust, and remobilize shallow silicic reservoirs. Such events are likely to initiate magma mixing in shallow reservoirs. This noteworthy eruption-triggering mechanism may lead to the incorporation of distinct crystal populations and subsequently contribute to heightened rates of eruption. In summary, the magma storage conditions and plumbing system architecture for the recent volcanoes in Martinique closely resemble those observed in other volcanoes within the Lesser Antilles Island Arc, such as Soufriere Hills Volcano or La Soufriere de Guadeloupe. These newly established correlations offer valuable insights that can aid in the assessment of potential future volcanic eruptions.