Large Caldera-forming Eruptions Research Articles

Magma flux variations triggering shallow-level emplacement of the Takidani pluton (Japan): Insights into the volcanic-plutonic connection

Defining the physico-chemical evolution of felsic magmatic reservoirs in the middle-upper continental crust is crucial for understanding the connection between granitic plutons and silicic volcanic rocks and for research on the trigger mechanisms of volcanic eruptions. In this study, we investigate the formation and evolution of the Hotaka-Takidani volcano-plutonic complex (Japan) using a comprehensive approach that integrates zircon petrochronology with phase-equilibria and thermal modelling. The Takidani pluton is a Pleistocene tilted zoned intrusion of granodiorite-granite composition associated with at least two large caldera-forming eruptions. We have investigated the three uppermost units of the pluton and the oldest and more voluminous Nyukawa eruption, which deposited more than 400 km3 (DRE, dense rock equivalent) of crystal-rich dacitic ignimbrite. Amphibole thermobarometry, U-Pb zircon dates and geochemical data indicate that the Takidani pluton and the Nyukawa dacite were sequentially sourced from a 10–12 km-thick long-lived magmatic reservoir in the middle crust. Thermal evolution of the reservoir led to the extraction of the Nyukawa magma, followed by brief storage in the upper crust and eruption at ca. 1.706 ± 0.091 Ma. For two of the units of the pluton, we combine high-spatial resolution zircon U-Pb geochronology with zircon chemical data. Applying the Ti-in-zircon thermometer, we observe that magma within the reservoir was stored at a relatively constant temperature of ca. 700 °C for 300 kyr and subsequently, starting from 1.4 Ma, the temperature increased progressively reaching 820–850 °C at 1.1 Ma. This temperature shift is inconsistent with a constant magma flux and suggests an increase of the magma injection rate into the reservoir. Using the distribution of zircon ages and thermal simulations, we determined that the reservoir was built by a fairly low average magma flux of ca. 6 × 10−6 km3*km−2*yr−1, shifting to a magma supply rate which is three to four times higher during the last 300 ka of zircon crystallisation. This increase in magma flux caused the final emplacement of the Takidani magma in the upper crust, where it rapidly crystallized. The integration of geochronological data with phase-equilibria and thermo-chemical modelling demonstrates that multiple melt extraction events occurred during the evolution of the Hotaka-Takidani magmatic system. Only the first one triggered a major eruption, while subsequent events resulted in the emplacement of the Takidani pluton in the shallow crust.

Reconciling complex stratigraphic frameworks reveals temporally and geographically variable depositional patterns of the Campanian Ignimbrite

Abstract The 39.8-ka Campanian Ignimbrite was emplaced during a large caldera-forming eruption of Campi Flegrei near Naples, Italy. The ignimbrite is found up to 80 km from the caldera, and co-ignimbrite ash-fall deposits occur 3200 km away. The proximal and distal stratigraphy of the Campanian Ignimbrite has not been definitively correlated due to the dissimilar appearance of the proximal and distal deposits, a lack of medial exposures, and the inconsistency and heterogeneity of the proximal stratigraphy. Here, we document the major-element glass-shard chemistry, matrix componentry, and lithic componentry of the proximal and distal stratigraphic sequences of the ignimbrite to attempt to correlate the units. The results of these disparate observations taken together suggest that the established stratigraphic units cannot be directly and uniquely correlated between the proximal and distal regions and that neither the proximal nor distal stratigraphy provides a record of the entire eruptive sequence. However, the characteristics studied can be used to demarcate eruptive phases that are connected to some of the defined units in the proximal and distal stratigraphy.

Insights into the explosive eruption history of the Campanian volcanoes prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption

The Campanian Volcanic Zone (CVZ) comprises multiple active volcanoes and includes the highly productive Campi Flegrei and Ischia caldera systems. These caldera volcanoes have produced probably the largest eruptions in Europe in the past 200 ka, such as the Monte Epomeo Green Tuff (MEGT; Ischia) at ca. 56 ka and the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI; Campi Flegrei) at ca. 40 ka, which form widespread isochrons across the Mediterranean region. These closely-spaced volcanic centres erupt phonolitic to trachytic glass compositions that are similar, and thus it can be challenging to correlate tephra deposits to specific volcanic sources. Here we present a detailed tephrostratigraphy for pre-CI eruption activity using the units preserved within a sequence at the coastal Acquamorta outcrop, on the western side of the CI caldera rim. Both the MEGT and CI units are present in the section, and they bracket twelve eruption units that were logged and sampled. New major and trace element glass chemistry data have been acquired for these Acquamorta tephra deposits. Three eruption deposits from Ischia and nine from Campi Flegrei are identified, which helps constrain the tempo of volcanic activity of these centres between the large caldera-forming eruptions. The three Ischia tephra deposits between the MEGT and the CI are indistinguishable based on both major and trace element glass chemistry and cannot be correlated to a specific or known eruption in this interval, such as the Schiappone tephra. The compositional variations between the Campi Flegrei eruptions reveal temporal shifts in the composition of the tephra deposits that reflect changes in the magmatic system prior to the CI eruption. These deposits indicate that there were at least nine eruptions at Campi Flegrei within 16 ka of the enormous CI eruption, and suggest that there was no significant period of repose before the caldera generating eruption.

Establishing Genetic Relationships between the Takidani Pluton and Two Large Silicic Eruptions in the Northern Japan Alps

AbstractThe Takidani pluton (1·1–1·6 Ma) represents a shallow magmatic reservoir at the base of an exhumed caldera floor. The deposits of two large caldera-forming eruptions, the Nyukawa Pyroclastic Flow Deposit (1·76 Ma; crystal-rich dacite) and the Chayano Tuff and Ebisutoge Pyroclastic Deposits (1·75 Ma; a sequence of crystal-poor rhyolite), are distributed concentrically around the pluton. We use major and trace element chemistry of whole-rock, glass and minerals to show that (1) the crystal-rich dacite (>400 km3 DRE; dense rock equivalent) is the erupted portion of a shallow mush zone constituting the Takidani pluton and (2) the crystal-poor rhyolite (>100 km3 DRE) was extracted from a deeper part of this vertically extended magmatic plumbing system. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates that the Nyukawa and Takidani compositions were produced dominantly through crystal fractionation of amphibole, pyroxene and plagioclase in the mid to lower crust and subsequently emplaced in the upper crust prior to eruption and solidification, respectively. The crystal-poor Chayano–Ebisutoge rhyolite (>100 km3 DRE) is compositionally distinct from the Nyukawa and Takidani magmas and its generation is associated with a substantial contribution of crustal melts. However, plagioclase and orthopyroxene textures and chemistry provide strong evidence that the ascending rhyolite percolated through the upper Takidani–Nyukawa mush zone prior to eruption. Overgrowth of ‘rhyolitic plagioclase’ on ‘xenocrystic dacitic plagioclase’ typical of the Takidani–Nyukawa magmas indicates that the extraction and accumulation of the rhyolitic melts could have occurred in less than 10 kyr (i.e. the time between eruptions) prior to eruption, providing maximum timescales for pre-eruption storage. Overall, our findings show a progressive growth and thermal maturation of a vertically extended magmatic plumbing system over hundreds of thousands of years and imply that large volcanic eruptions can occur in relatively short succession without dramatic changes in the plumbing system, thus complicating the identification of signs of an impending large eruption.

The role of H2O on the extraction of melt from crystallising magmas

The segregation and accumulation of felsic melts, from crystallising crustal magma reservoirs, is essential for the chemical evolution of the crust and is a phenomenon preceding some of the largest eruptions on Earth. The physical properties of residual melt and magma and the time over which the conditions remain appropriate for melt extraction are important factors controlling the efficiency of melt extraction and the distribution of melt in magma reservoirs. Here we focus on the initial water content (H2Oi) of magma as it affects both the physical properties of the residual melt and the timescales at which conditions remain appropriate for melt extraction during progressive magma crystallisation. We use rhyolite-MELTS simulations to evaluate the physical evolution of crystallising granodioritic (or dacitic) hydrous magma (i.e. ≥1 wt.% H2Oi) at shallow depth at 200 MPa. To constrain the solidification timescales of reservoirs containing magmas with initially different water content, we perform 2.5D thermal modelling. We combine these results with calculations of melt extraction velocity by compaction and hindered settling to identify the optimal conditions at which melt segregation occurs. These calculations suggest that hydrous felsic magmas that attain water saturation after 40 wt.% crystallisation (rheological locking point) are best suited for melt extraction. Once water-saturation is achieved, the rate of release of latent heat of crystallisation and with it the time magma spends within a given temperature interval increases while the viscosity of the residual liquid and crystal–liquid density contrast remain favourable for melt segregation. We first test our findings on the Takidani pluton (Japan) because it shows evidence of residual melt segregation from crystallising magma, and is associated with caldera-forming eruptions. We finally generalise our results to crustal magma reservoirs containing hydrous felsic magmas. Our results suggest that if segregation starts at rheological locking (i.e. crystallinity of 40–50 wt.%) upper crustal reservoirs of ≥100 km3 granodioritic (i.e. dacitic) magma with >2 wt.% H2Oi can produce large melt-rich caps at the top of partially crystallised magma reservoirs in few hundreds to few thousands of years. The formation of separate melt lenses becomes more likely when segregation of melt starts at crystallinities >0.6. Our results suggest that H2Oi plays an important role in modulating the distribution of eruptible melt in upper crustal reservoirs. Reservoirs of felsic and water-poor magma (<2 wt.% H2Oi) tend to be associated with the formation of isolated pockets of crystal-poor and eruptible magma, which could account for the often-observed geochemical heterogeneity of the products of large caldera-forming eruptions in the Snake River Plane. The limited dimensions of these eruptible magma pockets make their detection by geophysical methods challenging.

Boiling-over dense pyroclastic density currents during the formation of the ~ 100 km3 Huichapan ignimbrite in Central Mexico: Stratigraphic and lithofacies analysis

A lithofacies analysis of the Huichapan ignimbrite has been undertaken to evaluate its depositional history from large pyroclastic density currents. The Huichapan ignimbrite is a massive ignimbrite sheet with a maximum runout of at least 55km and thickness variations between 6 and 80m. The lower portion of the Huichapan ignimbrite consists of a large plateau [~100km3; 69km3 as dense-rock equivalent (DRE)] of massive ignimbrites with welding variations from densely welded to partly welded, devitrification, and high-temperature vapor-phase alteration. The lower part grades laterally to moderately welded and non-devitrified ignimbrites. These variations are interpreted as the sedimentation of density-stratified pyroclastic density currents erupted as boiling-over pulses from the Huichapan-Donguinyó caldera complex at a continuous rate, supporting deposition by quasi-steady progressive aggradation of sustained and hot currents. To the north of the caldera, the lower portion of the ignimbrite consists of a small plateau (<10km3) in which the densely welded and devitrified lithofacies are absent. Our interpretation is that the pyroclastic density currents flowed late to the north of the caldera and formed a smaller ignimbrite plateau with respect to the western one. This northern ignimbrite plateau cooled faster than the western ignimbrite plateau. Deposition-induced topographic modifications suggest that topographic obstacles, such as remnants of older volcanoes, may have promoted the deviation of the density currents to the north. The upper portion of the ignimbrite is composed of extensive, massive, coarse clast-rich, non-devitrified, and non-welded ignimbrites with abundant fines-poor pipes. This upper part was deposited from largely sustained and rapidly aggrading high-concentration currents in a near end-member, fluid escape-dominated flow boundary zone. The absence of welding in the upper portion may record pyroclastic density currents cooling during the formation of a relatively high pyroclastic fountain at the vent. We have established a depositional model for the Huichapan ignimbrite that explains the differences between the western and northern plateaus. The Huichapan ignimbrite was formed during a large caldera-forming eruption with concentrated pyroclastic fountains. High mass-flow rate was maintained for long periods, promoting the mobility of the pyroclastic density currents.

Stress Field Control during Large Caldera-Forming Eruptions

Crustal stress field can have a significant influence on the way magma is channelled through the crust and erupted explosively at the surface. Large Caldera Forming Eruptions (LCFEs) can erupt hundreds to thousands of cubic kilometres of magma in a relatively short time along fissures under the control of a far-field extensional stress. The associated eruption intensities are estimated in the range 109 - 1011 kg/s. We analyse syn-eruptive dynamics of LCFEs, by simulating numerically explosive flow of magma through a shallow dyke conduit connected to a magma chamber that in turn is fed by a deeper magma reservoir, both under the action of an extensional far-field stress. Results indicate that huge amounts of high viscosity silicic magma can be erupted over timescales of a few to several hours. Our study provides answers to outstanding questions relating to the intensity and duration of catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the past. In addition, it presents far-reaching implications for the understanding of dynamics and intensity of large-magnitude volcanic eruptions on Earth and to highlight the necessity of a future research to advance our knowledge of these rare catastrophic events.

Abrupt transition from fractional crystallization to magma mixing at Gorely volcano (Kamchatka) after caldera collapse

A series of large caldera-forming eruptions (361–38 ka) transformed Gorely volcano, southern Kamchatka Peninsula, from a shield-type system dominated by fractional crystallization processes to a composite volcanic center, exhibiting geochemical evidence of magma mixing. Old Gorely, an early shield volcano (700–361 ka), was followed by Young Gorely eruptions. Calc-alkaline high magnesium basalt to rhyolite lavas have been erupted from Gorely volcano since the Pleistocene. Fractional crystallization dominated evolution of the Old Gorely magmas, whereas magma mixing is more prominent in the Young Gorely eruptive products. The role of recharge-evacuation processes in Gorely magma evolution is negligible (a closed magmatic system); however, crustal rock assimilation plays a significant role for the evolved magmas. Most Gorely magmas differentiate in a shallow magmatic system at pressures up to 300 MPa, ∼3 wt% H2O, and oxygen fugacity of ∼QFM + 1.5 log units. Magma temperatures of 1123–1218 °C were measured using aluminum distribution between olivine and spinel in Old and Young Gorely basalts. The crystallization sequence of major minerals for Old Gorely was as follows: olivine and spinel (Ol + Sp) for mafic compositions (more than 5 wt% of MgO); clinopyroxene and plagioclase crystallized at ∼5 wt% of MgO (Ol + Cpx + Plag) and magnetite at ∼3.5 wt% of MgO (Ol + Cpx + Plag + Mt). We show that the shallow magma chamber evolution of Old Gorely occurs under conditions of decompression and degassing. We find that the caldera-forming eruption(s) modified the magma plumbing geometry. This led to a change in the dominant magma evolution process from fractional crystallization to magma mixing. We further suggest that disruption of the magma chamber and accompanying change in differentiation process have the potential to transform a shield volcanic system to that of composite cone on a global scale.

Tephra dispersal during the Campanian Ignimbrite (Italy) eruption: implications for ultra-distal ash transport during the large caldera-forming eruption

The Campanian Ignimbrite eruption dispersed ash over much of the central eastern Mediterranean Sea and eastern Europe. The eruption started with a Plinian phase that was followed by a series of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) associated with the collapse of the Plinian column and the caldera. The glass compositions of the deposits span a wide geochemical range, but the Plinian fallout and PDCs associated with column collapse, the Lower Pumice Flow, only erupted the most evolved compositions. The later PDCs, the Breccia Museo and Upper Pumice Flow, erupted during and after caldera collapse, tap a less evolved component, and intermediate compositions that represent mixing between the end-members. The range of glass compositions in the Campanian Ignimbrite deposits from sites across the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea allow us to trace the dispersal of the different phases of this caldera-forming eruption. We map the fallout from the Plinian column and the plumes of fine material associated with the PDCs (co-PDCs) across the entire dispersal area. This cannot be done using the usual grain-size methods as deposits in these distal regions do not retain characteristics that allow attribution to either the Plinian or co-PDC phases. The glass compositions of the tephra at ultra-distal sites (>1500 km from the vent) match those of the uppermost PDC units, suggesting that most of the ultra-distal dispersal was associated with the late co-PDC plume that was generated during caldera collapse.

Trace element partitioning between clinopyroxene and trachy-phonolitic melts: A case study from the Campanian Ignimbrite (Campi Flegrei, Italy)

The partitioning of trace elements between crystals and melts provides an important petrogenetic tool for understanding magmatic processes. We present trace element partition coefficients measured between clinopyroxene phenocrysts and trachy-phonolitic magmas at the Campi Flegrei (Italy), whose late Quaternary volcanism has been characterized by two major caldera-forming events (Campanian Ignimbrite at ~39ka, and Neapolitan Yellow Tuff at ~15ka). Our data indicate that the increase of trivalent rare earth elements and yttrium into the crystal lattice M2 site is facilitated by the charge-balancing substitution of Si4+ with Al3+ on the tetrahedral site. Higher concentrations of tetravalent and pentavalent high field strength elements on the M1 site are also measured when the average charge on this site is increased by the substitution of divalent cations by Alvi. In contrast, due to these charge balance requirements, divalent transitional elements become less compatible within the crystal lattice. On the basis of the lattice strain theory, we document that the incorporation of rare earth elements and yttrium in clinopyroxene is influenced by both compositional and physical parameters. Data from this study allow to update existing partitioning equations for rare earth elements in order to construct a self-consistent model for trachy-phonolitic magmas based on the lattice strain theory. The application of this model to natural products from the Campanian Ignimbrite, the largest caldera-forming eruption at the Campi Flegrei, reveals that the complex rare earth element pattern recorded by the eruptive products can be successfully described by the stepwise fractional crystallization of clinopyroxene and feldspar where the clinopyroxene–melt partition coefficient changes progressively as a function of the physicochemical conditions of the system.

An ignimbrite caldera from the bottom up: Exhumed floor and fill of the resurgent Bonanza caldera, Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field, Colorado

Among large ignimbrites, the Bonanza Tuff and its source caldera in the Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field display diverse depositional and structural features that provide special insights concerning eruptive processes and caldera development. In contrast to the nested loci for successive ignimbrite eruptions at many large multicyclic calderas elsewhere, Bonanza caldera is an areally isolated structure that formed in response to a single ignimbrite eruption. The adjacent Marshall caldera, the nonresurgent lava-filled source for the 33.9-Ma Thorn Ranch Tuff, is the immediate precursor for Bonanza, but projected structural boundaries of two calderas are largely or entirely separate even though the western topographic rim of Bonanza impinges on the older caldera. Bonanza, source of a compositionally complex regional ignimbrite sheet erupted at 33.12 ± 0.03 Ma, is a much larger caldera system than previously recognized. It is a subequant structure ∼20 km in diameter that subsided at least 3.5 km during explosive eruption of ∼1000 km 3 of magma, then resurgently domed its floor a similar distance vertically. Among its features: (1) varied exposure levels of an intact caldera due to rugged present- day topography—from Paleozoic and Precambrian basement rocks that are intruded by resurgent plutons, upward through precaldera volcanic floor, to a single thickly ponded intracaldera ignimbrite (Bonanza Tuff), interleaved landslide breccia, and overlying postcollapse lavas; (2) large compositional gradients in the Bonanza ignimbrite (silicic andesite to rhyolite ignimbrite; 60%–76% SiO 2 ); (3) multiple alternations of mafic and silicic zones within a single ignimbrite, rather than simple upward gradation to more mafic compositions; (4) compositional contrasts between outflow sectors of the ignimbrite (mainly crystal-poor rhyolite to east, crystal-rich dacite to west); (5) similarly large compositional diversity among postcollapse caldera-fill lavas and resurgent intrusions; (6) brief time span for the entire caldera cycle (33.12 to ca. 33.03 Ma); (7) an exceptionally steep-sided resurgent dome, with dips of 40°–50° on west and 70°–80° on northeast flanks. Some near-original caldera morphology has been erosionally exhumed and remains defined by present-day landforms (western topographic rim, resurgent core, and ring-fault valley), while tilting and deep erosion provide three-dimensional exposures of intracaldera fill, floor, and resurgent structures. The absence of Plinian-fall deposits beneath proximal ignimbrites at Bonanza and other calderas in the region is interpreted as evidence for early initiation of pyroclastic flows, rather than lack of a high eruption column. Although the absence of a Plinian deposit beneath some ignimbrites elsewhere has been interpreted to indicate that abrupt rapid foundering of the magma-body roof initiated the eruption, initial caldera collapse began at Bonanza only after several hundred kilometers of rhyolitic tuff had erupted, as indicated by the minor volume of this composition in the basal intracaldera ignimbrite. Caldera-filling ignimbrite has been largely stripped from the southern and eastern flank of the Bonanza dome, exposing large areas of caldera-floor as a structurally coherent domed plate, bounded by ring faults with locations that are geometrically closely constrained even though largely concealed beneath valley alluvium. The structurally coherent floor at Bonanza contrasts with fault-disrupted floors at some well-exposed multicyclic calderas where successive ignimbrite eruptions caused recurrent subsidence. Floor rocks at Bonanza are intensely brecciated within ∼100 m inboard of ring faults, probably due to compression and crushing of the subsiding floor in proximity to steep inward-dipping faults. Upper levels of the floor are locally penetrated by dike-like crack fills of intracaldera ignimbrite, interpreted as dilatant fracture fills rather than ignimbrite vents. The resurgence geometry at Bonanza has implications for intracaldera-ignimbrite volume; this parameter may have been overestimated at some young calderas elsewhere, with bearing on outflow-intracaldera ratios and times of initial caldera collapse. Such features at Bonanza provide insights for interpreting calderas universally, with respect to processes of caldera collapse and resurgence, inception of subsidence in relation to progression of the ignimbrite eruption, complications with characterizing structural versus topographic margins of calderas, contrasts between intra- versus extracaldera ignimbrite, and limitations in assessing volumes of large caldera-forming eruptions. Bonanza provides a rare site where intact caldera margins and floor are exhumed and exposed, providing valuable perspectives for understanding younger similar calderas in some of the world9s most active and dangerous silicic provinces.

Complex magma mixing, mingling, and withdrawal associated with an intra-Plinian ignimbrite eruption at a large silicic caldera volcano: Los Humeros of central Mexico

Los Humeros is the largest caldera volcano in the Mexican volcanic belt. Its second largest caldera-forming eruption, the ca. 0.1 Ma Zaragoza eruption, is recorded by two Plinian pumice-fall layers and a zoned intra-Plinian ignimbrite. Diverse pumice types within the ignimbrite provide insights about the way that different magmas within a single magmatic system interact, and the way in which this can give rise to a major explosive ignimbrite-forming eruption. Normal-and-reverse compositional zoning in the ignimbrite is defined by vertical variations in the relative abundance of rhyodacitic (69–71 wt%% SiO 2 ) and andesitic (54–63 wt% SiO 2 ) pumice lapilli: Lower parts are dominated by rhyodacite and pass gradationally up into a central part with andesitic and rhyodacite pumice, and this passes up into a rhyodacitic uppermost part, with no andesite. Petrographic and microprobe analyses of coexisting glass and phenocrysts provide mixed evidence of equilibrium and disequilibrium conditions in the magmas at the time of eruption. The Fe-Ti oxides record magma temperatures of ∼850 °C (andesite) and 780 °C (rhyodacite). The andesitic pumice contains euhedral labradorite (∼An 60 ), and orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene, in a dacitic glass groundmass, which yield equilibrium Na-Ca K d pl/liq and Fe-Mg K d pl/liq ratios. It also contains highly calcic plagioclase (to An 82 ) that in some cases is highly resorbed and mantled by the more sodic plagioclase, which may record early mixing between andesitic and plagioclase-bearing basaltic magmas, followed by equilibrium crystallization within the hybrid magma. The rhyodacite contains euhedral crystals of more-evolved plagioclase (∼An 30-40 ) and euhedral pyroxenes in a rhyolitic glass groundmass (74–75 wt% SiO 2 ). The pyroxenes yield disequilibrium Fe-Mg K d pl/liq ratios and indicate formation from a liquid that was more mafic than the liquid that formed the glass groundmass of the dacitic pumice. Subordinate pumices with interbanded rhyodacite and a scarcity of intermediate-composition pumices indicate that the magmas remained separate for most of the time, and mingled only immediately prior to, and during eruptive quenching. Rather than a simple density-stratified magma chamber, the Zaragoza eruption may have occurred in response to intrusion of a hybridized andesitic magma into a rhyodacitic magma reservoir, possibly arranged as semiconnected high-melt lenses or zones within a partially consolidated crystal mush. However, contrary to assumptions of simple replenishment, tapping, and fractionation-type systems, the Zaragoza magmas contain no record of previously erupted highly evolved rhyolites that developed when zircon joined the fractionating assemblage. This absence indicates that the highly evolved rhyolites had either been completely tapped or solidified prior to the Zaragoza eruption eruption, or that interaction was prevented by contrasting magma densities and viscosities.

Processes and timescales of magma evolution prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption (Campi Flegrei, Italy)

The Campi Flegrei caldera collapsed 39 ka in the Neapolitan area (southern Italy) after the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption. This eruption, recognized as the largest and the most cataclysmic volcanic event in the Mediterranean area over the past 200 ka, extruded not less than 300 km 3 of trachytic magma. Controversy exists over the timescales required to assemble such large volume of silicic melt and thus whether large magmatic reservoirs can actually persist below active volcanic systems over prolonged periods of time. Uranium-series analyses have been performed on Campanian Ignimbrite whole-rocks, glass matrixes and separated minerals, and the obtained results have been interpreted in combination with data on Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes from literature. The compositionally most evolved sample which is most radiogenic with respect to Sr isotopes records a reference age of 71 ka. By contrast, U–Th internal isochrones of the three compositionally least evolved samples give identical initial Th isotope ratios and yield consistent ages predating the eruption by up to 6.4 ka. The highest Pb and Nd isotopic ratios and 230Th/ 232Th activity ratios together with the oldest reference age of the most evolved samples suggest the existence of a resident magma body possibly related to a magmatic system that is known to have fed earlier magmatic activity in the Campi Flegrei area. Conversely, the younger age of the least evolved and least radiogenic magma dates the crystallization/differentiation event of a chemically and isotopically new magma batch entering the reservoir of the resident magma some few thousand years before the cataclysmic eruption. Therefore, the time preceding this large caldera-forming eruption during which the large volume of Campanian Ignimbrite magma assembled and mixed is 6.4 ± 2.1 ka.

The Middle Scoria sequence: A Holocene violent strombolian, subplinian and phreatomagmatic eruption of Okmok volcano, Alaska

The Middle Scoria deposit represents an explosive eruption of basaltic andesite magma (54 wt. % SiO2) from Okmok volcano during mid-Holocene time. The pattern of dispersal and characteristics of the ejecta indicate that the eruption opened explosively, with ash textural evidence for a limited degree of phreatomagmatism. The second phase of the eruption produced thick vesicular scoria deposits with grain texture, size and dispersal characteristics that indicate it was violent strombolian to subplinian in style. The third eruptive phase produced deposits with a shift towards grain shapes that are dense, blocky, and poorly vesicular, and intermittent surge layers, indicating later transitions between magmatic (violent strombolian) to phreatomagmatic (vulcanian) eruptive styles. Isopach maps yield bulk volume estimates that range from 0.06 to 0.43 km3, with ~ 0.04 to 0.25 km3 total DRE. The associated column heights and mass discharge values calculated from isopleth maps of individual Middle Scoria layers are 8.5 – 14 km and 0.4 to 45 × 106 kg/s. The Middle Scoria tephras are enriched in plagioclase microlites that have the textural characteristics of rapid magma ascent and relatively high degrees of effective undercooling. Those textures probably reflect the rapid magma ascent accompanying the violent strombolian and subplinian phases of the eruption. In the later stages of the eruption, the plagioclase microlite number densities decrease and textures include more tabular plagioclase, indicating a slowing of the ascent rate. The findings on the Middle Scoria are consistent with other explosive mafic eruptions, and show that outside of the two large caldera-forming eruptions, Okmok is also capable of producing violent mafic eruptions, marked by varying degrees of phreatomagmatism.

Magmatic Differentiation at an Island-arc Caldera: Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Okmok volcano is situated on oceanic crust in the central Aleutian arc and experienced large ( 15 km) caldera-forming eruptions at 12 000 years BP and 2050 years BP. Each caldera-forming eruption began with a small Plinian rhyodacite event followed by the emplacement of a dominantly andesitic ash-flow unit, whereas effusive interandpost-caldera lavashavebeenmorebasaltic.Phenocryst assemblages are composed ofolivineþ pyroxeneþ plagioclase Fe^Ti oxides and indicate crystallization at1000^11008Cat 0 1^0 2GPa in thepresence of 0^4% H2O.The erupted products follow a tholeiitic evolutionary trend and calculated liquid compositions range from 52 to 68 wt % SiO2 with 0 8^3 3 wt%K2O.Major and trace element models suggest that the more evolved magmas were produced by 50^60% in situ fractional crystallization around the margins of the shallow magma chamber. Oxygen and strontium isotope data ( O 4 4^4 9o, Sr/ Sr 0 7032^0 7034) indicate interaction with a hydrothermally altered crustal component, which led to elevated thorium isotope ratios in some caldera-forming magmas. This compromises the use of uranium^thorium disequilibria [(Th/U)1⁄4 0 849^0 964] to constrain the time scales of magma differentiation but instead suggests that the age of the hydrothermal system is 100 ka. Modelling of the diffusion ofstrontiuminplagioclase indicates thatmanyevolved crystal rims formed less than 200 years prior to eruption.This addition of rim material probably reflects the remobilization of crystals from the chamber margins following replenishment. Basaltic recharge led to the expansion of the magma chamber, which was responsible for the most recent caldera-forming event.

Rare sulfur and triple oxygen isotope geochemistry of volcanogenic sulfate aerosols

We present analyses of stable isotopic ratios 17O/ 16O, 18O/ 16O, 34S/ 32S, and 33S/ 32S, 36S/ 32S in sulfate leached from volcanic ash of a series of well known, large and small volcanic eruptions. We consider eruptions of Mt. St. Helens (Washington, 1980, ∼1 km 3), Mt. Spurr (Alaska, 1953, <1 km 3), Gjalp (Iceland, 1996, 1998, <1 km 3), Pinatubo (Phillipines, 1991, 10 km 3), Bishop tuff (Long Valley, California, 0.76 Ma, 750 km 3), Lower Bandelier tuff (Toledo Caldera, New Mexico, 1.61 Ma, 600 km 3), and Lava Creek and Huckleberry Ridge tuffs (Yellowstone, Wyoming, 0.64 Ma, 1000 km 3 and 2.04 Ma 2500 km 3, respectively). This list covers much of the diversity of sizes and the character of silicic volcanic eruptions. Particular emphasis is paid to the Lava Creek tuff for which we present wide geographic sample coverage. This global dataset spans a significant range in δ 34S, δ 18O, and Δ 17O of sulfate (29‰, 30‰, and 3.3‰, respectively) with oxygen isotopes recording mass-independent ( Δ 17O > 0.2‰) and sulfur isotopes exhibiting mass-dependent behavior. Products of large eruptions account for most of‘ these isotopic ranges. Sulfate with Δ 17O > 0.2‰ is present as 1–10 μm gypsum crystals on distal ash particles and records the isotopic signature of stratospheric photochemical reactions. Sediments that embed ash layers do not contain sulfate or contain little sulfate with Δ 17O near 0‰, suggesting that the observed sulfate in ash is of volcanic origin. Mass-dependent fractionation of sulfur isotopic ratios suggests that sulfate-forming reactions did not involve photolysis of SO 2, like that inferred for pre-2.3 Ga sulfates from Archean sediments or Antarctic ice-core sulfate associated with few dated eruptions. Even though the sulfate sulfur isotopic compositions reflect mass-dependent processes, the products of caldera-forming eruptions display a large δ 34S range and exhibit fractionation relationships that do not follow the expected equilibrium slopes of 0.515 and 1.90 for 33S/ 32S vs. 34S/ 32S and 36S/ 32S vs. 34S/ 32S, respectively. The data presented here are consistent with modification of a chemical mass-dependent fractionation of sulfur isotopes in the volcanic plume by either a kinetic gas phase reaction of volcanic SO 2 with OH and/or a Rayleigh processes involving a residual Rayleigh reactant—volcanic SO 2 gas, rather than a Rayleigh product. These results may also imply at least two removal pathways for SO 2 in volcanic plumes. Above-zero Δ 17O values and their positive correlation with δ 18O in sulfate can be explained by oxidation by high- δ 18O and high- Δ 17O compounds such as ozone and radicals such as OH that result from ozone break down. Large caldera-forming eruptions have the highest Δ 17O values, and the largest range of δ 18O, which can be explained by stratospheric reaction with ozone-derived OH radicals. These results suggest that massive eruptions are capable of causing a temporary depletion of the ozone layer. Such depletion may be many times that of the measured 3–8% depletion following 1991 Pinatubo eruption, if the amount of sulfur dioxide released scales with the amount of ozone depletion.

Discrete stoping events in granite plutons: A signature of eruptions from silicic magma chambers?

Research Article| December 01, 2004 Discrete stoping events in granite plutons: A signature of eruptions from silicic magma chambers? David P. Hawkins; David P. Hawkins 1Department of Geology and Geography, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 43023, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert A. Wiebe Robert A. Wiebe 2Department of Earth and Environment, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2004) 32 (12): 1021–1024. https://doi.org/10.1130/G21083.1 Article history received: 12 Aug 2004 rev-recd: 02 Sep 2004 accepted: 03 Sep 2004 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation David P. Hawkins, Robert A. Wiebe; Discrete stoping events in granite plutons: A signature of eruptions from silicic magma chambers?. Geology 2004;; 32 (12): 1021–1024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G21083.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract New insights into the nature and construction of granitic intrusions provide an opportunity to correlate the rock record of an intrusion to the rock record of volcanism related to the intrusion. We attempt such a correlation between the Silurian Vinalhaven (Maine, USA) intrusive complex and associated volcanic rocks. The largely granitic Vinalhaven intrusion includes a stratigraphic sequence of interlayered gabbro, diorite, and minor granite that preserves field evidence for mingling of coexisting mafic and silicic magmas in a series of ephemeral silicic magma chambers. Within this stratigraphy, blocks of country rocks occur at a number of stratabound horizons in association with mafic sheets. The along-strike lithologic variation of the blocks mirrors the lithologic variation of country rocks along the northern margin of the intrusion, which appears to be the only preserved portion of the intrusion's roof. The limited stratigraphic distribution and correlation of lithologies to the roof suggest that the country-rock blocks were stoped during short-lived roof collapse events rather than continuously over the lifetime of the chamber. We suggest that these stratabound roof blocks record collapse of the roof during eruptions from the system, perhaps triggered by the influx of mafic magma, and represent one large caldera-forming eruption followed by a series of smaller eruptions. This interpreted eruptive history of the pluton is consistent with the overall stratigraphy of spatially, temporally, and compositionally related volcanic rocks. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Ground deformation in Askja, Iceland: Its source and possible relation to flow of the mantle plume

The volcano Askja in east-central Iceland erupted several times between 1920 and 1930, following a very large caldera-forming eruption in 1875. The last eruption occurred in 1961. Measurements of the vertical component of ground deformation in Askja were commenced in 1966 and made once each year, 1966 to 1972 and 1983 to 1987. Distance measurements with a geodimeter were first made in 1982. The measurements have shown alternating uplift and subsidence of the central part of the Askja caldera. Two periods of uplift and three periods of subsidence have been identified during the 21 years of observations. Observed vertical displacements agree fairly well with a single point source model at a depth of 1.5–3.5 km below the surface, near the center of the Askja caldera. Deviation from a single point source model can be explained by a secondary source of subsidence beneath the site of the 1961 eruption. This secondary source has been diminishing in intensity and appears to have been exhausted by 1983–1987. Askja has been subsiding at a rate of 6–10 cm per year during the period 1983–1987, but in 1970–1972 rapid inflation was observed possibly as much as 20 cm per year. The period of no levelings, 1972 to 1983, is characterized by deflation, but at a slower average rate than observed in 1983–1987. This suggests continuation of the 1970–1972 inflation into 1973 or 1974.