Magma Composition Research Articles

Investigation of geomechanical properties of tephra relevant to roof loading for application in vulnerability analyses

Tephra fall can lead to significant additional loading on roofs. Understanding the relevant geomechanical properties of tephra is critical when assessing the vulnerability of buildings to tephra fall and designing buildings to withstand tephra loads. Through analysis of published data and new experimental results on dry tephra (both natural samples from Ascension Island, South Atlantic and synthetic tephra made from crushed aggregates), we discuss the geomechanical properties of tephra relevant to roof loading, which include bulk density, grain size distribution and internal angle of friction. Compiled published data for deposits from 64 global eruptions reveal no clear trend in deposit densities based on magma composition or eruption size. The global data show a wide range of values within single eruptions and between eruptions of similar compositions. Published grain size distributions near to source (≤ 10 km) vary widely but again there are no clear trends relating to magma composition. We used laboratory tests to investigate the internal angle of friction, which influences deposit sliding behaviour. For dry tephra, at the low normal stresses likely to be experienced in roof loads (≤ 35 kPa), we found similar values across all our tests (35.8° - 36.5°) suggesting that any internal sliding will be consistent across a variety of deposits. By considering different magma compositions, densities and grain size distributions, we have provided an envelope of values for deposit parameters relevant to roof loading, in which future eruptions are likely to sit. Finally, we created synthetic tephra (fine- and coarse-grained pumice and scoria) by crushing volcanic aggregates and compared it to samples from Ascension and published data. Our results reveal that synthetic tephra successfully replicated the properties relevant to loading, potentially reducing the need to collect and transport natural samples.

An interpretative view of open-vent volcanoes

Open-vent volcanoes are special systems where the dynamics of sustained magmatic processes can be thoroughly investigated and where new monitoring tools can be tested and applied. However, various aspects remain puzzling at open-vent volcanoes for which forecasting their behaviour can be an important challenge. Recent papers highlight the very rapid improvements in spaceborne instruments, data acquisition techniques, data treatment and modelling over the last decade and illustrate the fundamental contribution of long time-series data, either discontinuous or continuous, and the development of multiparameter studies. Here we provide an interpretative overview of the main characteristics of open-vent volcanoes on the basis of selected examples chosen to be representative of the diversity of their magma composition, their eruptive activity and their geodynamic context. We choose typical open-vent volcanoes (Stromboli, Yasur and Erebus), some of them hosting a lava lake (Erta ‘Ale, Nyiragongo, Villarrica, Ambrym and Masaya), to those with vigourous activity, which are associated to a long-lasting eruption (Arenal, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Santiaguito). We briefly review their surface activity and report the values of SO2 flux and the derived magma supply rate with emphasis on the key results found on their behaviour. We show the key role of the magma viscosity and its implication on the degassing. We present the current models used to explain how an open-vent volcano could be maintained, such as by the simultaneous rise and fall of a degassing and degassed magma (bi-directional flow models) and the few thermal models at lava lakes and in the conduit. Finally, we discuss the sulphur evolution for three nearby volcanoes at the triple junction in Central America (Pacaya, Fuego, Santiaguito).

Building of arc crust during Silurian subduction in the southern Paleo Asian Ocean: Constraint from mineralogy of the pyroxenitic-gabbroic suite in the Chinese East Tianshan

Arc lower crustal cumulates are significant in investigation of arc differentiation in the lower level of an island arc. The Silurian pyroxenitic-gabbroic suite in the Chinese East Tianshan represents a lithological assemblage of the basal to lower arc crust. This suite comprises, in the order of evolution, olivine websterite (ol-websterite), olivine and plagioclase clinopyroxenite (ol- and pl-clinopyroxenite), and amphibole gabbro (amph-gabbro). Pyroxenite are dominated by cumulus clinopyroxene with interstitial olivine. Amphibole is present in all these rocks, occurring either as coronas of pyroxene and olivine or as oikocrysts, implying a H 2 O-rich parental melt. Plagioclase occurs as veinlets cutting cumulus clinopyroxene in the pl-clinopyroxenite, revealing that it crystallizes totally later than clinopyroxene. Spinel ranges from chromite in the ol-websterite and ol-clinopyroxenite to pleonaste in other evolved rocks, revealing an aluminous differentiation trend. Olivine in the pyroxenite ranges in Fo from 64 to 86 mol%, averagely 7–15 Mg # units lower than coexisting clinopyroxene (79–93). Clinopyroxene shows a chemical trend from low Al 2 O 3 (<2 wt%) in the ol-websterite to high Al 2 O 3 (up to 6.5 wt%) in the pl-clinopyroxenite. All clinopyroxene has incompatible trace elements similar to those of clinopyroxene from typical arc lower crustal cumulates. All plagioclase is extremely calcic (An >83 mol%, up to 99 mol%), generally coupled with iron-rich olivine (Fo <76 mol%) in the studied rocks. Such distinct mineral compositions are typical of arc lower crustal cumulates and ascribed to the crystallization sequence of hydrous arc magmas at high pressure. The pressure for the formation of the pyroxenitic rocks is estimated to be 6–8 kbar using the two-pyroxene geobarometer, a preferred pressure for clinopyroxene crystallization coupled with high H 2 O content. In the stability field of clinopyroxene crystallization, olivine crystallizes from the interstitial melt but later than clinopyroxene, having unexpectedly lower Fo than Mg # of clinopyroxene. Meanwhile, plagioclase crystallization is totally suppressed with the residual magmas evolving towards highly aluminous, crystallizing spinel with a pure pleonaste composition. Upon saturation in plagioclase with decreasing pressures, plagioclase will acquire extremely calcic compositions due to the aluminous and hydrous nature of the residual arc magmas. The incompatible trace element compositions of the Silurian primitive magmas, estimated from the most primitive clinopyroxene (Mg # = 92–93), show selective enrichment in large ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements with an exception of depletion in Ba and low Nb/Ta ratios, implying a magmatic deviation from metasomatized mantle modified by aqueous fluids dehydrated from rutile-bearing slab. The Silurian arc lower crust was built by crystal fractionation and accumulation from hydrous arc basaltic magmas at 6–8 kbar of the lower crustal pressure. • The Silurian magmatic suite has mineral compositions similar to arc lower crust. • This magmatic suite formed from arc magmas under arc lower crustal pressures. • Mineral compositions suggest formation of arc lower crust by crystal fractionation.

Thermodynamic constraints on the petrogenesis of massif-type anorthosites and their parental magmas

Development of computational modeling tools has revolutionized studies of magmatic processes over the last four decades. Their refinement from binary mixing equations to thermodynamically controlled geochemical assimilation models has provided more comprehensive and detailed modeling constraints of an array of magmatic systems. One of the questions that has not yet been vigorously studied using thermodynamic constraints is the origin of massif-type anorthosites. The parental melts to these intrusions are hypothesized to be either mantle-derived high-Al basaltic melts that undergo crustal contamination or monzodioritic melts derived directly from lower crust. On the other hand, many studies suggest that the monzodioritic rocks do not represent parental melts but instead represent crystal remnants of residual liquids left after crystal fractionation of parental melts. Regardless of the source or composition, magmas that produce massif-type anorthosites have been suggested to have undergone polybaric (~1000–100 MPa) fractional crystallization while ascending through the lithosphere. We conducted lower crustal melting, assimilation-fractional crystallization, and isobaric and polybaric fractional crystallization major element modeling using two thermodynamically constrained modeling tools, the Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) and rhyolite-MELTS, to test the suitability of these tools and to study the petrogenesis of massif-type anorthosites. Comparison of our models with a large suite of whole-rock data suggests that the massif-type anorthosite parental melts were high-Al basalts that were produced when hot mantle-derived partial melts assimilated lower crustal material at Moho levels. These contaminated basaltic parental magmas then experienced polybaric fractional crystallization at different crustal levels (~40 to 5 km) producing residual melts that crystallized as monzodioritic rocks. Model outcomes also support the suggestion that the cumulates produced during polybaric fractional crystallization likely underwent density separation, thus producing the plagioclase-rich anorthositic rocks. The modeled processes are linked to a four-stage model that describes the key petrogenetic processes that generate massif-type anorthosites. The presented framework enables further detailed thermodynamic and geochemical modeling of individual anorthosite intrusions using MCS and involving trace element and isotope constrains. • Thermodynamic constraints on the origin of massif-type anorthosites using MCS. • Models provide indications for the composition and source of parental magmas. • The parental magmas were generated by AFC processes of mantle-derived melts. • The models are linked to general magmatic processes during anorthosite formation. • The general models set the foundation for detailed modeling of individual intrusions.

Curie Temperatures and Emplacement Conditions of Pyroclastic Deposits From Popocatépetl Volcano, Mexico

AbstractMost pyroclastic deposits of Popocatépetl volcano were emplaced at high temperatures and have similar mafic to more evolved compositions, suggesting a long‐lived, interconnected magma environment. We performed a magnetic and microscopic study on different eruptive sequences &lt;14 ky in age and found that temperature and field dependence of magnetic susceptibility are suited to separate eruption phases. We observed homogeneous titanomagnetite with Curie temperatures (TC) of 50–200°C and 200–400°C, together with different amounts of oxy‐exsolved titanomagnetite with TC ∼ 570°C. Some block‐and‐ash flow deposits show remarkably irreversible TC in heating and cooling branches with a positive ΔTC (TC heating–TC cooling) of up to 130°C in the center. The central part of this sequence is characterized by decreasing magnetic susceptibility and low field dependence of magnetic susceptibility (&lt;10%), which is atypical for ulvöspinel‐rich titanomagnetite. The nonreversibility of heating and cooling runs measured with rates of around 10 K/min is probably related to vacancy‐enhanced nanoscale chemical clustering, which seems to occur preferentially during rapid quenching, possibly combined with subtle maghemitization. In contrast, pumice layers have the highest field dependence (∼20%) and contain Ti‐rich and intermediate titanomagnetite with TC &lt; 100 and ∼300°C, which are in line with mafic and more evolved magma composition. In intermediate phases, irreversibility of TC is more common but with a relatively low ΔTC of ±20°C. We suggest that magneto‐mineralogy in pyroclastic density currents is complex but offers a complementary tool to the paleomagnetic directional analysis for emplacement temperature and contribute information on the volcanic material history and their emplacement conditions.

Experimental Investigation of Trachydacite Magma Storage Prior to the 1257 Eruption of Mt Samalas

Abstract The caldera-forming Samalas eruption of the Samalas–Rinjani volcanic complex on Lombok, Indonesia, in 1257 CE ranks as one of the most explosive and sulphur-rich eruptions of the past thousand years. Along with other significant events (e.g. Tambora 1815, El Chichón 1982), Samalas 1257 forms a class of powerful eruptions of magmas of intermediate alkaline composition, which remain relatively understudied. This study aims to better understand the pre-eruptive magma reservoir conditions and volatile storage capacities of intermediate alkaline systems, using the 1257 Samalas eruption as a case study. Systematic partial-equilibrium experiments were run to constrain potential magma reservoir conditions (25–200 MPa and 850–1000°C) by examining changes in the chemistry and textures of experimental glass and mineral products. Natural trachydacite pumice from the 1257 Samalas eruption was used as the experimental charge for a series of water-saturated experiments run in cold-seal pressure vessels, buffered at an oxygen fugacity ƒO2 of NNO/NNO + 1 log units. Assessing the match between natural and experimental glass compositions and mineral phases and textures reveals that pre-eruptive magma reservoir conditions were between 875°C and 930°C and ca. 100–150 MPa (4.5 ± 1km depth). Breakdown of experimental amphibole at pressures below 75 MPa, and plagioclase instability at 950°C/100 MPa, provide the strongest constraints on phase stabilities that are consistent with the magma storage region. In the observed temperature and pressure range, the natural compositions of plagioclase, amphibole and orthopyroxene are replicated in experimentally precipitated rims. Clinopyroxene and high anorthite plagioclase (An&amp;gt;64) in the natural mineral assemblage could not be replicated in the experiments, implying that these compositions most likely did not grow in the shallow pre-eruptive reservoir of Mt Samalas. The pre-eruptive storage depths of trachydacite magma are significantly shallower than the postulated magma storage at the currently active basaltic-andesite magmatic system at Rinjani, and thus monitoring magma storage depth may be a useful indicator of changing magma composition in the future. Our findings show that highly explosive VEI 7 eruptions of intermediate alkaline magma can be fed from a relatively limited range of storage pressures (100–150 MPa), suggesting accumulation of magma in one place, rather than the rapid extraction of magma from a vertically extensive, transcrustal magma system.

Late cretaceous magmatism in the Northern Lhasa subterrane, central Tibet: geodynamic implications

ABSTRACT Compositional changes of successively emplaced magmatites can be used to infer changes in their petrogenetic evolution and geodynamic setting. The central-northern Lhasa terrane hosts extensive Late Cretaceous magmatism, however, the mechanism that triggered the magmatism and its relationship to the directly preceding Late Cretaceous tectonic transition in the central Tibetan Plateau is still unresolved. Therefore, we conducted a detailed petrological, geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic study on recently identified Late Cretaceous doleritic and granodioritic rocks in the Xiongmei area, northern Lhasa subterrane. The potassic (K2O/Na2O ratios >1) dolerites (ca. 80 Ma) display a post-collisional basaltic shoshonitic signature with uniform moderately enriched whole-rock Sr–Nd and zircon–Hf isotopic compositions ((87Sr/86Sr)t = 0.7070 to 0.7095, whole-rock εNd(t) = – 2.4 to – 1.3, and zircon εHf(t) = – 5.9 to +1.9), suggesting that they evolved from a similar parental magma and were likely derived by partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle metasomatized by hydrous fluids. The granodiorites are geochemically divided into medium-K and high-K calc-alkaline rocks. The medium-K samples (ca. 80 Ma) are generally characterized by low K2O/Na2O ratios <1, whereas the high-K samples (78–76 Ma) display high K2O/Na2O ratios >1. The medium-K samples have positive zircon εHf(t) values from +4.8 to +6.5 and uniform whole-rock ɛNd(t) values from – 2.4 to – 1.3, which significantly differ from those of the high-K samples that have negative to positive zircon εHf(t) values from – 1.9 to +2.8 and negative whole-rock ɛNd(t) values from – 8.4 to – 5.1. The medium-K samples are characterized by high Sr contents and Sr/Y ratios, coupled with low Y and HREE contents, similar to adakitic compositions, and were interpreted to have been derived from deep partial melting of the foundering juvenile garnet-bearing mafic lower crust at relatively low temperatures. Compared to the medium-K samples, the high-K samples have lower Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N ratios, coupled with flat HREE patterns and distinct negative Eu, Sr and Ti anomalies and are most likely derived from shallower partial melting of the K-rich juvenile lower crust at relatively high temperatures. Considering the occurrence of variable magmatism in the central-northern Lhasa subterrane during the Late Cretaceous, the change in magma composition and lower crustal melting conditions (cold-deep vs. hot-shallow) suggest that the lithospheric mantle keel was partially detached by small-scale mantle convection in response to the low-angle Neo-Tethys-associated subduction between 85 and 70 Ma.

Contrasting oxidation states of low-Ti and high-Ti magmas control Ni-Cu sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide mineralization in Emeishan Large Igneous Province

Magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide deposits in plume-related large igneous provinces (LIPs) are commonly related to low-Ti and high-Ti series magmas, respectively, but the major factors that control such a relationship of metallogenic types and magma compositions are unclear. Magma fO2 controls sulfur status and relative timing of Fe-Ti oxide saturation in mafic magmas, which may help clarify this issue. Taking the Emeishan LIP as a case, we calculated the magma fO2 of the high-Ti and low-Ti picrites based on the olivine-spinel oxygen barometer, and the partitioning of V in olivine. The obtained fO2 of the high-Ti series magma (FMQ + 1.1 to FMQ + 2.6) is higher than that of the low-Ti series magma (FMQ − 0.5 to FMQ + 0.5). The magma fO2 of the high-Ti and low-Ti picrites containing Fo > 90 olivine reveals that the mantle source of the high-Ti series is likely more oxidized than that of the low-Ti series. The results using the ‘lambda REE’ approach show that the high-Ti series may have been derived from relatively oxidized mantle with garnet pyroxenite component. The S contents at sulfide saturation (SCSS) of the two series magmas were calculated based on liquid compositions obtained from the alphaMelts modeling, and the results show that the low-Ti series magma could easily attain the sulfide saturation as it has low fO2 with S being dominantly as S2−. In contrast, the oxidized high-Ti series magma is difficult to attain the sulfide saturation, but could crystallize Fe-Ti oxides at magma MgO content of ∼7.0 wt.%. Thus, contrasting magma fO2 of low-Ti and high-Ti series in plume-related LIPs may play an important role in producing two different styles of metallogeny.

Igneous breccia system of the Shand porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, Northern Mongolia

The Shand Cu-Mo deposit is located in the Orkhon-Selenge depression, Northern Mongolia. It lies near the Erdenetiin Ovoo porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, which together define one of Northern Mongolian’s most economically significant metallogenic belts. In the Shand Cu-Mo (Au?) deposit, several ore related breccia types are associated with the porphyritic granodiorite intrusions, and they contain pre-, synand post-mineralized porphyry stocks, magmatic-hydrothermal and intrusive breccia. There are genetically at least two type of hydrothermal breccias have recognized in Shand deposit, i.e. magmatic-hydrothermal breccia and intrusive breccia. Magmatichydrothermal breccia is presented spatially associated with intrusions but extending sub vertical which characterized by angular fragments/clasts supported or infilled by minerals commonly indicative of high temperature and salinity (e.g. tourmaline, feldspar), silicas, carbonates and sulphides (Cu, Mo, (Au)) matrix derived from hydrothermal fluids precipitation. May grade downwards into cupolas of intrusive with or without intrusive breccia and pegmatite where occur at approximately deep from 250-1300 m depth. Intrusive breccia is mostly occurred in contact between margin intrusions at shallow depth which is mainly composed by granodiorite porphyry, granodiorite and dacite. Our drillhole relogging and petrographical observations are granodiorite hosted breccia and granodiorite porphyry hosted breccia. Here, we present an integrated study involving detailed drillhole logging, and petrographical observations to elucidate the genetic relationship and evolution of the Shand deposit for magmatic-hydrothermal breccia and intrusive breccia. Also, we propose that the magmatic breccia types indicate emplacement of igneous rocks from initially dacitic magma composition.

C-O-H-S fluids released by oceanic serpentinite in subduction zones: Implications for arc-magma oxidation

Subducted oceanic serpentinite carries H2O, ferric iron, carbon and sulfur into the subduction zone, where they are stepwise released during dehydration. These C-O-H-S fluids are intimately linked to magma oxidation and ore formation within magmatic arcs. However, the mechanism of transfer of carbon, sulfur and ferric iron into fluids is poorly known. It is also controversial whether the C-O-H-S fluids can oxidize arc magmas. We present new thermodynamic models for serpentinite to predict the species produced in C-O-H-S fluids during subduction. Closed system modeling provides molar concentrations of species at different P-T conditions, and shows that reducing species generally have high solubilities at low P-T conditions. Oxidizing species mainly partition into the fluid at higher P-T conditions. The concentration of iron in fluids is much lower than that of other major elements. Open-system fluid fractionation shows that only 5-14% of the carbon is lost to the mantle wedge, while the loss of sulfur is as high as 55-100% at sub-arc depths. Almost all carbon and sulfur lost are released as oxidizing species. The redox properties of the fluids are controlled by sulfur, resulting in an oxygen fugacity of the fluids that is 0.6-0.95 log units higher than the HM buffer. Sulfur loss is a function of the whole-rock composition (e.g., Mg/Si, Al, Ca, and especially Fe3+/Fetot ratio) and the geothermal gradient of the subduction zone, with elevated sulfur fluxes predicted for serpentinite in cold subduction zones. The maximum amount of sulfur released in a cold subduction regime is 5.5 times higher than in a warm subduction regime. Our modeling results are consistent with petrological observations and global-arc-basalt oxygen fugacity calculations and highlight that the C-O-H-S fluids released from the subducted slab may contribute considerably to the composition of arc magmas.

Compositional Variations in Primitive Kimberlite Melts and Entrained Mantle Cargo from a Global Survey of Trace Element Compositions in Kimberlite Olivine

Abstract Olivines are the dominant phase of kimberlites and the majority of grains display distinct compositional zoning with xenocrystic cores surrounded by magmatic rims. Previous work has documented large variations in both core and rim major and minor element compositions in kimberlites globally, which has been related to variable entrainment and assimilation of sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) material. However, there is limited knowledge of trace element variations in olivine from kimberlites and it is unclear whether mantle assimilation has any effect on the trace element composition of kimberlite melts. To fill this gap, we present a global survey of olivine trace element compositions, along with previously reported major and minor element compositions, for samples representing the full spectrum of olivine compositional variations in kimberlites, including samples from the following: Lac de Gras, Canada (Grizzly, Koala); Kimberley, South Africa (Bultfontein, De Beers, Kimberley Big Hole, Wesselton); Kaalvallei, South Africa (New Robinson, Samada); and Alto Paranaiba, Brazil (Limpeza-18, Tres Ranchos-04). Trace element concentrations of olivine cores can discriminate between those derived from the disaggregation of peridotitic material and those related to the megacryst suite. The megacrystic olivine cores exhibit a negative correlation between Al and Mn, which is absent in peridotite-derived cores, and are characterised by high concentrations of temperature-dependent elements (e.g. Al, Na, V) as well as Zn, Ti, and Mn. Following pre-screening of cores for megacrystic and spinel peridotite-derived grains, we applied the Al-in-olivine thermometer to assess the P–T equilibration conditions of cores in equilibrium with garnet and estimate the sampling depth of kimberlite magmas in the lithospheric mantle. Our results are consistent with predominant entrainment of deep lithosphere xenocrysts in highly diamondiferous compared with diamond-poor kimberlites. Temperature-dependent elements display a gradational increase with depth due to higher T with Ca, Cu and, to a lesser extent, Zn and Ti being higher and Mg# being lower towards the base of the SCLM, which is consistent with melt modification of the lower lithosphere. The Zn, Ti, Co, Mn, Li, Al, Cr, Na, and V concentrations of magmatic olivine rims display systematic variations that have a negative correlation with Mg# (whereas Cr is positively correlated). Lac de Gras olivine feature Mg-rich rims (Mg# &amp;gt;90) and low concentrations of these trace elements, whereas the Fe-rich olivine rims (Mg# ~85) of the Kaalvallei kimberlites have higher concentrations of these elements, with the Kimberley and Alto Paranaiba kimberlites being intermediate. Direct correlations between average Ti, Zn, Co and Li compositions of olivine cores and rims suggests that the olivine rim (i.e. proxy for primitive melt) variations are related to variable assimilation of metasomatised SCLM and can be effectively used to track the composition of the lithospheric column that is traversed by kimberlite magmas. These observations further imply an intimate link between early proto-kimberlite melt, leading to formation of megacrystic olivine at the base of the SCLM, and the composition of kimberlite melts which entrain and assimilate these products. We conclude that lithospheric mantle assimilation has a major and previously overlooked influence on the trace element composition of kimberlite magmas.

High temperature spectral emissivity of glass and crystal-bearing basalts

Temperature is a key parameter controlling the rheology of lava flows. However, the unpredictable hazard of eruptions prevents direct measurements of hot volcanic bodies. Thus, the temperature of lava products is mostly retrieved by remote sensing techniques (ground- or satellite-based detectors) build on measuring infrared (IR) radiance. These well-established techniques are however subjected to important errors related to the poor knowledge of one of the most critical parameters, namely spectral emissivity. The aim of our study is to fill this gap by exploring the emissivity–temperature relationship of three different basalts. We performed in situ emissivity measurements at high temperatures (up to 1800 K) over a wide spectral range (350–8000 cm−1; 1.25–28.6 μm), using a non-contact IR apparatus. To unravel the complex radiative behavior of the samples with temperature, structural, chemical and textural analyses using Raman spectroscopy, XRD, DSC, SEM, EMPA and TEM were systematically performed. Our results show that spectral emissivity varies with temperature, wavenumber, and the sample degree of polymerization combined with total FeO content. Spectral emissivity is greatly affected by the crystallization of Fe-Mg-rich crystals at the micro-scale. Consequently, this study proves that spectral emissivity cannot be assumed constant for a single magmatic composition. Finally, our laboratory-measured values of spectral emissivity allowed refining the remote sensing temperature of the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption (Bárðarbunga, volcano) by 50 K in average. These new insights will ultimately reduce uncertainties in temperature estimates based on IR technology, information that are crucial to improve hazard assessment in volcanic crisis.

The eruptive history and magma composition of Pleistocene Cerro Negro volcano (Northern Chile): Implications for the complex evolution of large monogenetic volcanoes

Monogenetic volcanoes are small-volume landforms (< 1 km3) which can develop complex eruption histories. Their genesis may include variations in their primary magma sources and petrogenetic evolution, eruption styles transitions, changes in their emplacement conditions. The Central Andes (Northern Chile) contains >900 small-volume volcanoes, most of which lack a detailed knowledge of their eruption histories due to the limited volcanological studies available. In this paper, we present a detailed volcanostratigraphic, morphometric and petrologic study are used to reconstruct the geology and eruptive history of Cerro Negro volcano. It is a Pleistocene pyroclastic cone which stands out from all monogenetic volcanoes of this region due to its larger size (~1 km3) and location along the axis of the orogen. The activity of Cerro Negro began with a phreatomagmatic phase that produced breccias and a lithic-rich tuff, followed by magmatic activity with lava fountaining and Strombolian styles. This latter magmatic phase produced short lava flows, but mostly spatter agglutination and tephra fallout layers. The composition of erupted materials spans from calk-alkaline basaltic andesite to dacite. The least evolved magmas of Cerro Negro are derived from mantle wedge's partial melts without significant crustal assimilation. However, changes in the composition through the eruption suggest crystal fractionation and shallow magma storage, followed by mixing and crustal contamination during the late stage of the eruption. The absence of significant repose period between the deposition of the distinct products and their total volume together with the observed compositional variations imply that Cerro Negro represents a large volume polycyclic monogenetic volcano. These results are important to understand the mafic magma evolution in thickened crusts and the eruptive styles of long-lasting monogenetic eruptions.

Sulfur Isotope and Trace Element Systematics in Arc Magmas: Seeing through the Degassing via a Melt Inclusion Study of Kyushu Island Volcanoes, Japan

Abstract Sulfur is a minor element in magmas but one of the major volatile elements released in volcanic systems, from the magma to the fluid phase upon ascent. Not only are sulfur gasses potentially toxic for humans and plants, they are also involved in causing drastic climate changes after major volcanic eruptions. Therefore, studies are carried out by the geoscience community to assess the magmatic sulfur flux by looking at the sulfur content and isotopes in erupted products, with the ultimate aim of improving understanding of the sulfur cycle in subduction zones. Kyushu Island in Japan hosts 25 volcanoes, among which 11 are active and represent a natural hazard for the local population. It is perhaps the most suitable site for the study of the sulfur cycle for its availability of recent volcanic deposits and its many highly monitored volcanoes. We investigated sulfur and sulfur isotope compositions of the magma source of Kyushu Island arc using olivine-hosted melt inclusions in mafic tephras and lavas, from eight volcanoes (nine Holocene samples) going from Northern Kyushu with Oninomi, Yufu, Kuju, and Aso, to Southern Kyushu volcanoes such as Kirishima-Ohachidake, Kirishima-Shinmoedake, Sumiyoshi-ike, and Kaimondake, and one back arc volcano, Fukue-Onidake. We measured major, trace and volatile elements and S isotopes (δ34S) in melt inclusions. Magma composition recorded in the inclusions ranges from basalt to andesite (SiO2 ranging from 40.3 to 60.7 wt%). For each edifice, we identified the least degassed and least differentiated compositions based on volatile and trace element systematics and selected the melt inclusions closest to their primitive melts. Comparing these primitive magmas, Sr/Y underlines a compositional dichotomy between volcanoes from northern (Sr/Y &amp;gt; 20) and southern Kyushu (Sr/Y &amp;lt; 20), separated by a non-volcanic area corresponding to the subduction of the Kyushu-Palau ridge. The δ34S in melt inclusions range from −0.32 ± 0.79‰ to +9.43 ± 0.47‰ (2σ) and trace the source of the magma from the different volcanoes, rather than degassing or crustal fractionation processes. δ34S is not fractionated by the nature of the fluid (aqueous or melt) metasomatizing the mantle wedge, therefore it is not the first-order factor controlling the sulfur isotope variations. Instead, this study illustrates the need for a heavy δ34S component, likely sulfate from seawater, contained in the agent that metasomatized the mantle beneath the arc. If such an observation is confirmed in other subduction zones, sulfur isotopes in melt inclusions may be an effective way to trace seawater input into the mantle beneath

The effect of crystal fractionation on the geochemical composition of syn-exhumation magmas: Implication for the formation of high δ56Fe granites in collisional orogens

Syn-exhumation magmatism in collisional orogens is an important process for crustal differentiation and crust-mantle interaction at convergent plate boundaries. It is intriguing to elucidate which factors control the geochemical composition of such magmatic products. To answer this question, a combined study of whole-rock major-trace elements and Nd-Fe isotopes, mineral O isotopes, and zircon U–Pb ages and trace elements was carried out for syn-exhumation granites from the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt in east-central China. Several granitic plutons of Triassic age were newly found in this typical collisional orogen, with a total exposure area of ∼10 km2, suggesting large-scale partial melting of the deeply subducted continental crust in the terminal stage of continental collision. Field observations indicate that the massive granites show little deformation. The granites are high-K calc-alkaline and exhibit enrichment in LILE and LREE but depletion in HFSE relative to HREE in trace element distribution patterns. Zircons in these granites contain relict magmatic cores characterized by steep HREE patterns with strong negative Eu anomalies. These cores show middle Neoproterozoic U-Pb ages of 724–779 Ma, consistent with the protolith age of UHP metaigneous rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. Zircon rims exhibit oscillatory zoning, and are characterized by Triassic U-Pb ages of 210–216 Ma, low LREE contents and steep HREE patterns with significant negative Eu anomalies, suggesting their growth from granitic magmas during exhumation of the deeply subducted continental crust. The granites have low δ18O values of 2.0–6.1‰ for quartz, 1.1–5.2‰ for whole-rock, and 0.9–3.2‰ for zircon cores. The low δ18O values and Neoproterozoic U-Pb ages of zircon cores in the granites are characteristic feature of the deeply subducted continental crust in the northern margin of the South China Block. One coesite inclusion was found in the anatectic zircon rim, pointing to the deep origin of anatectic melts at a subarc depth of >80 km. Whole-rock SiO2 contents are correlated with major and trace elements, which are ascribed to crystal fractionation of mainly biotite and plagioclase during magma evolution. In particular, these granites exhibit highly variable δ56Fe values from 0.05 to 0.30‰, which are correlated with Fe3+/ΣFe, SiO2, Al2O3, Nb/Ta and Eu/Eu*. This suggests that the crystal fractionation of biotite would have controlled the Fe isotope variation in the granites. Therefore, the syn-exhumation granites experienced significant geochemical differentiation mainly through the fractional crystallization during the magma evolution. A compilation of syn-exhumation granites in the typical collisional orogens of the world shows that such granites were mainly formed through dehydration melting of hydrous minerals during decompressional exhumation. They fall into the magnesian group with relatively low REE and HFSE (like Ti, Nb and Zr) contents, distinct from the geochemical compositions of A-type granites. Therefore, syn-exhumation granites record crustal differentiation in the terminal stage of continental collision.

The sulfate capacities of silicate melts

The solubility of sulfur as sulfate (SO42− or S6+) in silicate melts has been measured experimentally under oxidizing conditions at 1200 to 1500 °C, using SO2-O2 and SO2-CO2 as the input gas mixtures, with S and major elements determined on the quenched glasses by electron microprobe. The silicate melts investigated range from simple systems to natural magmatic compositions. Eighteen compositions in CMAS (CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2) were studied at 1400 °C and varying sulfur trioxide fugacity, fSO3, to demonstrate that [S6+]/fSO3 remains constant within the limits of fSO3 accessed, where [S6+] is the concentration of S6+. This observation validates the concept of the “Sulfate Capacity” defined as CS6+ = [S6+]/(fSO3). Fitting CS6+ to a model derived from reciprocal solution theory as a function of temperature and melt composition from 232 experiments gives:lnCS6+=-8.02+(21100+44000XNa+18700XMg+4300XAl+44200XK+35600XCa+12600XMn+16500XFe2+)/THere XM are the mole fractions of the cation oxide components on the single-cation basis, [S6+] is in parts per million by weight, and fSO3 is in bars referenced to the conventional standard state. As this equation shows, CS6+ is so sensitive to melt composition that the analytical uncertainties in the major-element compositions of the glasses dominate fitting the data to the model.Combining CS6+ with the analogous Sulfide Capacity, CS2-, from previously published work allows the ratio of S oxidation states, S6+/S2−, to be calculated in silicate melts as a function of oxygen fugacity (fO2), temperature and melt composition. These calculations are in reasonable agreement with spectroscopic measurements on experimental glasses at known fO2, and on natural volcanic glasses where measured Fe3+/∑Fe can be used to calculate fO2, despite the presence of H2O in both kinds of glasses. This implies that other S possible melt species like S4+, HS−, etcetera are insignificant. The fugacity of SO2, the main S species degassing from magma on eruption, in equilibrium with a melt of a given total S content varies markedly with fO2, with a maximum at S6+/S2− = 3 (S6+/∑S = 0.75), which corresponds approximately to Fe3+/∑Fe ≈ 0.2 for typical basaltic compositions. Sulfur degassing from magma as SO2 causes oxidation or reduction depending on whether S6+/∑S is greater or less than 0.75, with strong negative feedback on the magnitude of fSO2 in both cases.

Crust and Uppermost Mantle Magma Plumbing System Beneath Changbaishan Intraplate Volcano, China/North Korea, Revealed by Ambient Noise Adjoint Tomography

AbstractChangbaishan volcano (CBV), straddling the border between China and North Korea, is one of the most intriguing and explosive volcanoes on Earth owing to its voluminous Holocene eruptions and unusual magma composition within a continental intraplate setting. Despite the enormous size and destructive past, its underlying magma plumbing system remains debated and poorly understood. We present a refined high‐resolution 3D crust and uppermost mantle S‐wave velocity (Vs) model of CBV by applying advanced 3D full‐waveform adjoint tomography on seismic ambient noise data recorded in both China and North Korea. The newly obtained seismic images detail a 3D architecture of magma plumbing systems beneath CBV, characterized by the presence of a prominent lower‐crustal mush zone with an estimated melt fraction of ∼1.5%–3.6%, which is sourced from upwelling asthenosphere through a vertical narrow conduit in the uppermost mantle region that contains an estimated melt fraction of ∼6%.

Chemical Differentiation by Mineralogical Buffering in Crustal Hot Zones

Abstract Chemical diversity in convergent margin magmas is a product of igneous differentiation in crustal hot zones, vertically extensive regions characterised by a low-volume (&amp;lt;20%) mobile melt phase dispersed in a crystal-rich mush. Chemical reaction between buoyant, percolating melts and the surrounding mush leads to chemical buffering by the local mineral assemblage. Where this assemblage has low thermodynamic variance (e.g. six mineral phases plus melt and H2O-CO2 fluid) the resultant multiply saturated melts will show limited chemical variability. Plutonic xenoliths from many volcanic arcs, as well as exhumed arc crustal sections, testify to the ubiquity of low-variance, broadly gabbroic, mineral assemblages. Here I use the concept of multiple saturation to explore the chemical consequences of percolative reactive melt flow in crustal hot zones using data from published experimental studies on a wide variety of different starting materials. I show that the common, low-variance hornblende gabbronorite assemblage clinopyroxene-hornblende-orthopyroxene-magnetite-plagioclase-ilmenite (CHOMPI) coexists with fluid-saturated melt over a wide range of pressure (1–10 kb) temperature (800–1050 °C) and fluid composition (molar fraction H2O, XH2O, of 1.0 to 0.3). The CHOMPI stability field is bounded by the following: the appearance of garnet at high pressure, the hydrous haplogranite granite liquidus at low temperature, and amphibole breakdown at high temperature and low pressure. CHOMPI melts cover a wide compositional range (54–74 wt% SiO2; 4.4–0.1 wt% MgO) that can be parameterised in terms of five independent variables: pressure, temperature, fO2, molar CO2/H2O in the fluid and melt K2O content. The compositional diversity and broad stability field of CHOMPI-saturated melts make them extremely common in the rock record. Melt composition parameterisations can be inverted to recover pressure (±1.3 kb), temperature (±16 °C) and fluid molar CO2/H2O (±0.43) of CHOMPI-saturated melts. If a natural magma composition can be shown to lie on or close to the CHOMPI saturation surface then the conditions under which that melt was last in equilibrium with this mineral assemblage can be established. I apply this method of magma source thermobarometry and hygrometry to the most recent eruptions from 15 Cascades arc volcanic centres. Calculated pressures range from 1.3 to 5.8 kb (5–21 km depth) with significant along-arc variation. Temperatures correlate with pressure and match independent estimates of eruption temperatures from mineral thermometry with the exception of two eruptions where significant (≤10°C) cooling occurred during pre-eruptive magma storage. Fluid XH2O is in the range 0.47–0.92 and inversely correlates with pressure. Mineralogical buffering of melt chemistry in hot zones is proposed as an important mechanism of chemical differentiation in volcanic arcs. Mineralogical buffering can operate at the low-melt fractions observed in geophysical surveys of arc crust, providing an alternative to traditional concepts of assimilation-fractional crystallisation and liquid lines of descent that operate most effectively in melt-rich systems.

Off-rift Axis Channelized Melt and Lithospheric Metasomatism along Mid-ocean Ridges—A Case Study from Iceland on the Limits of Melt Channelling

AbstractMagmatism in Iceland is classically explained by the interaction of the mid-Atlantic ridge with the Iceland plume. The growth of Iceland through time is the result of volcanic activity at the rift axis. However, Holocene volcanism (0–11.5 ka) is not restricted to the rift zone (RZ) but also occurs off-axis, specifically in the western Snæfellsnes Volcanic Belt (SVB) and in the Southern Flank Zone (SFZ). The rift and off-axis postglacial volcanic zones are separated by a gap of ~60–80 km. While the volcanic activity of the SFZ seems correlated with the actual location of the Iceland plume, the plume relation to the SVB is uncertain. To address the origin and relationships between rift and off-rift magmas, we present new data from two transects perpendicular to the Reykjanes rift. The lavas in the SVB are characterized by transitional to alkaline compositions, with elevated incompatible trace element content. In contrast, the RZ volcanic rocks have tholeiitic compositions with trace element signatures slightly more enriched than Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB). Rift and off-rift Iceland lavas are all characterized by positive Ba and Nb anomalies, particularly in alkaline rocks. Tholeiitic and alkaline lavas show distinct differentiation sequences, with the main difference being the delayed crystallization of plagioclase in the fractionating assemblage of alkaline magmas. We apply these sequences to calculate primary magma compositions, which are then used to constrain melting conditions. Geochemical modelling indicates that Iceland rift and off-rift magmas can be produced from a peridotitic mantle source if lithospheric processes are involved. We demonstrate that recycled crust in the form of pyroxenite is not required to generate Snæfellsnes alkaline lavas. The low solidus temperature and high productivity of pyroxenite favour early and more extensive melting producing primary magmas that are not sufficiently enriched in incompatible trace elements to explain the compositional variation of Snæfellsnes magmas. An alternative mechanism to involve pyroxenite in the source of Snæfellsnes lavas relates to the hybridization of recycled oceanic crust with peridotite, but such reacted pyroxenite requires specific compositions to reproduce the Ba and Nb anomalies. As an alternative, we suggest that Snæfellsnes alkaline lavas are the result of channelized low-degree melts produced on the periphery of the melting column at distances exceeding 65 km from the ridge axis. These melts accumulate and percolate into the lithosphere producing amphibole ± phlogopite-bearing hydrous cumulates. Incongruent melting of these cumulates via renewed magmatic activity and melt-peridotite reaction can reproduce the alkaline compositions observed in the SVB, including the Ba and Nb anomalies. Numerical simulations of melt extraction below mid-ocean ridges suggest that low-degree melts produced as far as ~65 km from the central ridge axis rise vertically to the base of the lithosphere and are then focussed towards the ridge axis in decompaction channels. We propose that these melts interact with hydrous cumulates previously formed during the development of decompaction channels at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary and acquire specific Ba and Nb anomalies. The mixing of these distal enriched melts with more depleted melts extracted from the central part of the melting regime explains the composition of RZ lavas. Alkaline lavas observed in the SFZ show numerous analogies with the Snæfellsnes magmas, suggesting that similar lithospheric processes control their chemistry. The high thermal regime in Iceland and thick lithosphere explains the difference between Icelandic tholeiite and typical MORB. Our results highlight the importance of mantle dynamics below mid-ocean ridges and lithospheric interaction to produce off-axis magmatism with enriched alkaline signatures.

Molybdenum isotopic constraint from Java on slab inputs to subduction zone magmatism

Molybdenum isotope is a diagnostic tracer for crustal and mantle components in arc magmatism. However, the mechanism of Mo isotopic variation in arc magmas is still debated, e.g., input of different subduction components into the mantle wedge versus isotopic fractionation during dehydration of subducted slab. Here we present whole-rock Mo-Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic data for the Continental Arc Basalt (CAB) and Back Arc Basalt (BAB) from Java, Indonesia, to investigate the role of slab inputs in Mo isotopic variation of the Sunda arc magmatism. The CAB samples have variable K2O contents (0.44–2.49 wt%) and are mainly classified as calc-alkaline series, while the BAB samples are shoshonitic with markedly high K2O contents (2.12–6.90 wt%) relative to the CABs. The Java CABs and BABs have similar Mo isotopic compositions (δ98/95Mo = −0.65 to −0.07‰ and −0.66 to −0.07‰, respectively, relative to NIST SRM3134), suggesting that such a significant Mo isotopic variation should not be caused solely by the isotopic fractionation during the subduction. Instead, δ98/95Mo values of the Java basalts positively correlate with Pb isotopic ratios. This implies that the Mo isotopic variations in the Java arc rocks should result from the metasomatism in the mantle wedge by hybrid agents, including varying proportions of melts from subducted sediments (with heavy Mo isotope) and melts from the subducted altered upper oceanic crust (SAOC) (with light Mo isotope). The light Mo isotope of the Java arc rocks, compared with the Mariana arc basalts, suggests that melts from the SAOC have much lighter Mo isotopic compositions than the components from the lower oceanic crust. Thus, Mo isotope has great potential to distinguish the components from the subducted upper and lower oceanic crust. The Java CABs show along-arc variations in Mo-Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopes, which is related closely with the thermal status of the subducted slab. Upwelling of the asthenosphere due to the slab tearing beneath the Java arc might have enhanced the partial melting of subducted sediments nearby the slab window. The complicated subduction system in the Sunda arc has strongly controlled the geochemical composition of arc magmas, which changes with input of different subduction components into the mantle wedge along arc.