Rhyolite Domes Research Articles

Petrochemical features of Miocene volcanism around the Çubukludağ graben and Karaburun peninsula, western Turkey: Implications for crustal melting related silicic volcanism

Widespread Neogene volcanism, mainly intermediate and rarely mafic and felsic in composition, was controlled by the extensional tectonic regime in western Turkey. The Karaburun and Cumaovası volcanics are the cases for understanding the magma source(s) and petrological processes, producing the extension-related mafic and felsic volcanism. The Karaburun volcanics (KV) are mainly oriented north to south in the Karaburun peninsula and span a wide spectrum from basalt (20Ma) to rhyolite (16Ma), and younger trachyte and trachydacites (13Ma). The products of the subaerial silicic volcanism (the Cumaovası volcanics, CV; 17Ma) which are represented by cluster of rhyolite domes, related pyroclastics occur within the NE–SW trending Çubukludağ graben, and intermediate and mafic volcanic rocks are lack in this area. The lavas of the Cumaovası volcanics are high silica rhyolites and rare dacites which are calc alkaline, peralumious and enriched significantly in LILE. Extremely low Sr, Ba values, extremely Eu depletions and very low LaN/YbN ratios are typical for the rhyolites of CV, similar to the topaz rhyolites. The Karaburun volcanics, with the exception of the minor alkaline basaltic and trachytic lavas, are mainly calc alkaline and metaluminous intermediate lavas. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the KV and dacitic samples of CV are close to each other and range from 0.708 to 0.709; while Sr isotopic ratios of the rhyolites are significantly high and variable (0.724–0.786). 143Nd/144Nd ratios of the CV and KV, except for the alkaline samples, are similar for both sequences vary from 0.51230 to 0.51242.Geological, geochemical, isotopic and radiochronologic data reveal that the KV and CV were formed in extensional tectonic setting, but evolved by different petrological processes in different magma chambers. During the Neogene, underplated mafic magma was injected into the crust and hybridized by mantle and crustal derived materials. Geochemical features and trace element modeling for the mafic members of the KV indicate that they were derived from enriched lithospheric mantle and modified by fractional crystallization from basalt to rhyolite (Helvacı et al., 2009). Unexpectedly, the felsic lavas from Cumaovası region have a unique chemical composition, and similar to the extension related rhyolites formed from small magma bodies. Our data reveal that extension related mafic inputs caused crustal anatectic melting and formed felsic melts that rapidly ascended into the upper crust. The Cumaovası felsic rocks were differentiated into the highly evolved silica-rich melts within the magma chambers trapped near the surface.

Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene rifting and synextensional magmatism in the southwestern Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico: The beginning of the Gulf of California rift

Although Basin and Range–style extension affected large areas of western Mexico after the Late Eocene, most consider that extension in the Gulf of California region began as subduction waned and ended ca. 14–12.5 Ma. A general consensus also exists in considering Early and Middle Miocene volcanism of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Comondú Group as subduction related, whereas volcanism after ca. 12.5 Ma is extension related. Here we present a new regional geologic study of the eastern Gulf of California margin in the states of Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mexico, backed by 43 new Ar-Ar and U-Pb mineral ages, and geochemical data that document an earlier widespread phase of extension. This extension across the southern and central Gulf Extensional Province began between Late Oligocene and Early Miocene time, but was focused in the region of the future Gulf of California in the Middle Miocene. Late Oligocene to Early Miocene rocks across northern Nayarit and southern Sinaloa were affected by major approximately north-south– to north-northwest–striking normal faults prior to ca. 21 Ma. Between ca. 21 and 11 Ma, a system of north-northwest–south-southeast high-angle extensional faults continued extending the southwestern side of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Rhyolitic domes, shallow intrusive bodies, and lesser basalts were emplaced along this extensional belt at 20–17 Ma. Rhyolitic rocks, in particular the domes and lavas, often show strong antecrystic inheritance but only a few Mesozoic or older xenocrysts, suggesting silicic magma generation in the mid-upper crust triggered by an extension-induced basaltic influx. In northern Sinaloa, large grabens were occupied by huge volcanic dome complexes ca. 21–17 Ma and filled by continental sediments with interlayered basalts dated as 15–14 Ma, a stratigraphy and timing very similar to those found in central Sonora (northeastern Gulf of California margin). Early to Middle Miocene volcanism occurred thus in rift basins, and was likely associated with decompression melting of upper mantle (inducing crustal partial melting) rather than with fluxing by fluids from the young and slow subducting microplates. Along the eastern side of the Gulf of California coast, from Farallón de San Ignacio island offshore Los Mochis, Sinaloa, to San Blas, Nayarit, a strike distance of >700 km, flat-lying basaltic lavas dated as ca. 11.5–10 Ma are exposed just above the present sea level. Here crustal thickness is almost half that in the unextended core of the adjacent Sierra Madre Occidental, implying significant lithosphere stretching before ca. 11 Ma. This mafic pulse, with subdued Nb-Ta negative spikes, may be related to the detachment of the lower part of the subducted slab, allowing an upward asthenospheric flow into an upper mantle previously modified by fluid fluxes related to past subduction. Widespread eruption of very uniform oceanic island basalt–like lavas occurred by the late Pliocene and Pleistocene, only 20 m.y. after the onset of rifting and ∼9 m.y. after the end of subduction, implying that preexisting subduction-modified mantle had now become isolated from melt source regions. Our study shows that rifting across the southern-central Gulf Extensional Province began much earlier than the Late Miocene and provided a fundamental control on the style and composition of volcanism from at least 30 Ma. We envision a sustained period of lithospheric stretching and magmatism during which the pace and breadth of extension changed ca. 20–18 Ma to be narrower, and again after ca. 12.5 Ma, when the kinematics of rifting became more oblique.

Geology and diagenesis of a zeolitic Foça tuff unit deposited in a Miocene phreatomagmatic lacustrine environment (western Anatolia)

This study explains the relations between the depositional environment of a zeolitic tuff unit and its diagenesis. It gives new ideas of the juvenile phreatomagmatic origin of the zeolitic unit with its bentonitic cap rock, and finds that the diagenetic alteration of the volcanic ash deposition in a hot hydrologic system is penecontemporaneous and not epigenetic. A massive, fine-grained zeolitic unit has a sharp contact with the underlying shallow subaqueous rhyolitic dome intrusions and their surrounding volcanoclastic ejecta. Juvenile emanations from the basal subaqueous intrusions activated thorough zeolitic diagenesis within the overlying rhyolitic tuff deposits extending as far as the periphery of the underlying intrusions. The bentonitic cap rock suggests that the diagenesis diminished vertically with the weakened phreatomagmatic activity up to the overlying limestone. The lack of sedimentary evaporite minerals and scarcity of boron-bearing authigenic K-feldspar indicate a nonsaline-alkaline depositional and diagenetic environment during the zeolitic transformation. Geochemical data from the zeolitic tuff samples indicated that the main diagenetic factors were hydrolysis of the glassy tuff in an open hydrologic system, under high heat flow rates and one of several scales of ion transfer. Zeolitisation developed with a significant loss of alkaline elements and iron oxide, which were compensated for by an important gain in the alkaline earth elements and absorption of strontium. The rhyolitic glass was altered by hydrolysis to form smectite and clinoptilolite, resulting in the release of excess silica that was not removed from the system but was changed in crystal form to opal-CT.

(U-Th)/He zircon and archaeological ages for a late prehistoric eruption in the Salton Trough (California, USA)

Research Article| January 01, 2013 (U-Th)/He zircon and archaeological ages for a late prehistoric eruption in the Salton Trough (California, USA) Axel K. Schmitt; Axel K. Schmitt * 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA *E-mail: axelk@argon.ess.ucla.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Arturo Martín; Arturo Martín 2Departamento de Geología, CICESE, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana, Ensenada, B.C. C.P. 22800, México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Daniel F. Stockli; Daniel F. Stockli 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kenneth A. Farley; Kenneth A. Farley 4Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Oscar M. Lovera Oscar M. Lovera 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Axel K. Schmitt * 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA Arturo Martín 2Departamento de Geología, CICESE, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana, Ensenada, B.C. C.P. 22800, México Daniel F. Stockli 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA Kenneth A. Farley 4Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA Oscar M. Lovera 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA *E-mail: axelk@argon.ess.ucla.edu. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 16 May 2012 Revision Received: 06 Jun 2012 Accepted: 11 Jun 2012 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2012 Geological Society of America Geology (2013) 41 (1): 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1130/G33634.1 Article history Received: 16 May 2012 Revision Received: 06 Jun 2012 Accepted: 11 Jun 2012 First Online: 09 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 Axel K. Schmitt, Arturo Martín, Daniel F. Stockli, Kenneth A. Farley, Oscar M. Lovera; (U-Th)/He zircon and archaeological ages for a late prehistoric eruption in the Salton Trough (California, USA). Geology 2013;; 41 (1): 7–10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G33634.1 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 U-Th and (U-Th)/He zircon geochronology redefines the timing of volcanic activity in the Salton Trough (Southern California, USA), the subaerial extension of the incipiently oceanic Gulf of California. U-series disequilibrium corrected (U-Th)/He zircon analyses for a granophyre ejecta clast from the Red Island rhyolite dome indicate an eruption age of 2480 ± 470 a (calendric dates between 0 and 940 Before Common Era, BCE; error at 95% confidence). This eruption age is supported by U-Th zircon crystallization ages for two obsidian-bearing lavas: Red Island (the host for the granophyre) and Obsidian Butte, a prehistoric quarry for obsidian that is widely distributed in southern California and northern Mexico archaeological sites. Lavas and granophyre display overlapping zircon crystallization age distributions that support field and compositional evidence that they are cogenetic and contemporaneous. The (U-Th)/He eruption age is younger and significantly more precise than previous ages for these volcanoes, and is the first indication that the eruption of obsidian flows coincided with human presence in the region. A late prehistoric eruption age agrees with the absence of the Obsidian Butte lithic source among early prehistoric cultural artifacts, previously attributed to submergence of the quarry location during hypothesized persistent flooding by ancient Lake Cahuilla. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Degassing of Cl, F, Li, and Be during extrusion and crystallization of the rhyolite dome at Volcán Chaitén, Chile during 2008 and 2009

We investigated the distribution of Cl, F, Li, and Be in pumices, obsidians, and crystallized dome rocks at Chaiten volcano in 2008–2009 in order to explore the behavior of these elements during explosive and effusive volcanic activity. Electron and ion microprobe analyses of matrix and inclusion glasses from pumice, obsidian, and microlite-rich dome rock indicate that Cl and other elements were lost primarily during crystallization of the rhyolitic dome after it had approached the surface. Glass in pumice and microlite-free obsidian has 888 ± 121 ppm Cl, whereas residual glass in evolved microlite-rich dome rock generally retains less Cl (as low as 0.7 Mt Cl, with a potential maximum of 1.8 Mt for the entire 0.8-km3 dome. Elemental variations reflect an integrated bulk distribution ratio for Cl > 1.7 (1.7 times more Cl was degassed or incorporated into crystals than remained in the melt). Because Cl is lost dominantly as the very last H2O is degassed, and Cl is minimally (if at all) partitioned into microlites, the integrated vapor/melt distribution ratio for Cl exceeds 200 (200 times more Cl in the evolved vapor than in the melt). Cl is likely lost as HCl, which is readily partitioned into magmatic vapor at low pressure. Cl loss is accelerated by the change in the composition of the residual melt due to microlite growth. Cl loss also may be affected by open-system gas fluxing. Integrated vapor-melt distribution ratios for Li, F, and Be all exceed 1,000. On degassing, an unknown fraction of these volatiles could be immediately dissolved in rainwater.

Diverse subaerial and sublacustrine hot spring settings of the Cerro Negro epithermal system (Jurassic, Deseado Massif), Patagonia, Argentina

The Late Jurassic (~150Ma) Cerro Negro volcanic–epithermal–geothermal system (~15km2 area), Deseado Massif, Patagonia, Argentina, includes two inferred volcanic emission centers characterized by rhyolitic domes linked along NW–SE regional faults that are associated with deeper level Au/Ag mineralization to the NW, and with shallow epithermal quartz veins and mainly travertine surface hot spring manifestations to the SE. Some travertines are silica-replaced, and siliceous and mixed silica–carbonate geothermal deposits also are found. Five hot spring-related facies associations were mapped in detail, which show morphological and textural similarities to Pleistocene–Recent geothermal deposits at Yellowstone National Park (U.S.A.), the Kenya Rift Valley, and elsewhere. They are interpreted to represent subaerial travertine fissure ridge/mound deposits (low-flow spring discharge) and apron terraces (high-flow spring discharge), as well as mixed silica–carbonate lake margin and shallow lake terrace vent-conduit tubes, stromatolitic mounds, and volcano-shaped cones. The nearly 200 mapped fossil vent-associated deposits at Cerro Negro are on a geographical and numerical scale comparable with subaerial and sublacustrine hydrothermal vents at Mammoth Hot Springs, and affiliated with Yellowstone Lake, respectively. Overall, the Cerro Negro geothermal system yields paleoenvironmentally significant textural details of variable quality, owing to both the differential preservation potential of particular subaerial versus subaqueous facies, as well as to the timing and extent of carbonate diagenesis and silica replacement of some deposits. For example, the western fault associated with the Eureka epithermal quartz vein facilitated early silicification of the travertine deposits in the SE volcanic emission center, thereby preserving high-quality, microbial macro- and micro-textures of this silica-replaced “pseudosinter.” Cerro Negro provides an opportunity to reconstruct paleogeographic, paleohydrologic and paleoenvironmental associations in a well-exposed, extensive and diverse fossil geothermal system. This Late Jurassic hydrothermal deposit will likely contribute to a better understanding of the impact of depositional and post-depositional history on the development and long-term preservation potential of Lagerstätte in epithermal settings and, more generally, in extreme environments of the geological record.

Origin of the Matauri Bay halloysite deposit, Northland, New Zealand

At the Matauri Bay halloysite deposit, economically valuable halloysite-rich clays are hosted by a sanidine rhyolite dome (Ar–Ar dated at 10.1 ± 0.03 Ma). The rhyolite dome intrudes an older basalt and is overlain by alluvial sediments and a younger basalt (4.0 ± 0.7 Ma). A blanket-like, halloysite-rich zone is restricted to depths of 10–30 m from the present day erosion surface. Primary sanidine and plagioclase phenocrysts in rhyolite are completely leached out in the halloysite-rich zone but are only partially leached out at greater depth. Halloysite was formed by hydrolysis and cation leaching of sanidine and plagioclase phenocrysts and groundmass glass in the rhyolite, resulting in loss of K, Ca, Na and Si and enrichment in OH (LOI 6–10%) and Al2O3 (20–30%) relative to least-altered rhyolite with 1.8% LOI and 14.5% Al2O3. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope data indicate the halloysite is supergene rather than hydrothermal in origin, which is consistent with the absence of pyrite, alunite and other acid-sulphate type hydrothermal minerals, and with the blanket-like alteration profile. The dominance of halloysite over kaolinite was favoured by water-saturated weathering conditions during the late Miocene-Pliocene subtropical weathering regime in Northland.

Geología de la región de Salamanca, Guanajuato, México

Geological cartography of the Salamanca-Aldama region in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, was carried out at a scale of 1:50000. The study area is located between the Transmexican Volcanic Belt and the Mesa Central physiographic provinces. During field work we identified 16 stratigraphic units. The oldest unit at a regional level is formed of sedimentary marine rocks, which belong to the Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous (Tithonian-Hauterivian) Sierra de Guanajuato volcanosedimentary complex. This unit does not crop out within the study area. The oldest outcropping unit in the mapped area is a continental polymictic conglomerate, which is correlated with the “Guanajuato Red Conglomerate”. An andesitic unit covers the conglomerate, and rhyolite domes and lava flows overlie the andesite. Although no topaz was observed during fieldwork, we correlate those rhyolites with the “topaz bearing-rhyolites” of the

Structure of the Rambler Rhyolite, Baie Verte Peninsula, Newfoundland: Inversions using UBC-GIF Grav3D and Mag3D

Hosted within the Pacquet Harbour Group (PHG) on the Baie Verte Peninsula of north-central Newfoundland, the Rambler rhyolite is a 487 Ma unit of felsic tuffs , flows and subvolcanic intrusive rocks. The PHG has been affected by multiple phases of deformation with the youngest D 4 deformation event producing broad northeast plunging upright cross folds in the Rambler rhyolite. Fold culminations on the upper bounding surface of the rhyolite host Cu +/− Au volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (e.g. Rambler and Ming mines). Geophysical inversions of recently acquired high resolution gravity and magnetic data have been implemented to determine the extent of the fold axis (dome) at depth. To direct the outcome of the inversion process towards a more geologically reasonable solution this study outlines a procedure which permits the inclusion of known geological and geophysical constraints into the input (reference) model for inversion using the MAG3D and GRAV3D algorithms provided by the University of British Columbia Geophysical Inversion Facility. Reference model constraints included surficial geological contacts as defined by aeromagnetic data , and subsurface distribution of physical property variations from a series of drill-hole logs. The output (computed) model images the surface of the rhyolite dome as dipping roughly 40° to the northeast as a series of voxels with density values ranging from 2.71 to 2.75 g/cm 3 . While previously published ore deposit models parallel this structure in the near surface, results from these inversions suggest deeper exploration may be favorable. Magnetic inversion modeling has not provided any insight into dome morphology however it outlines the distribution of gabbroic dykes surrounding the dome. ► We present geologically constrained inversion models of the Rambler mining camp. ► Known geologic bounds and physical property ranges were included in the input mesh. ► Complimentary gravity and magnetic inversions outline the main lithological units. ► The two inversions image adjacent antiformal and synformal structures. ► The ore horizon has a direct association with the locus of the fold axes.

Obsidian source characterization in the Cordillera Real and eastern piedmont of the north Ecuadorian Andes

Recent research in the Quijos and Cosanga valleys of the eastern piedmont of Ecuador’s Cordillera Real has revealed and substantiated previous knowledge of obsidian sources that are unrelated to obsidian flow systems in the Sierra de Guamaní, Ecuador. Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) were carried out on 47 obsidian source samples collected from several contexts in and adjacent to the study area. From samples within the study area three distinct obsidians were characterized: Cosanga A, Cosanga B, and Bermejo. These obsidians originate from a number of obsidian-bearing rhyolitic domes recently identified in the hills west of the Río Cosanga. Extensive survey of these dome localities has identified obsidian cobbles large enough for formal and informal tool manufacture. Beyond the study area, samples were collected and analyzed from the El Tablón source in the Sierra de Guamaní, providing much needed data on this poorly understood source. In addition, a sample from the newly identified Conda Dome source, near the Cotopaxi volcano, was characterized with XRF. All samples were then compared to 57 pre-existing samples from the Mullumica–Callejones, Yanaurco–Quiscatola and Carboncillo sources in the Ecuadoran Cordillera Real, as well as to artifacts from the Sumaco area in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Results of the elemental characterization indicate that the Cosanga Valley, El Tablón and Conda Dome obsidians are chemically distinct. Further, visual characteristics of Cosanga Valley obsidian types are useful in source attribution for the large artifact samples from the region. Finally, obsidian collected from the El Tablón flow suggests that this source may have produced obsidian suitable for tool manufacture.

Geochemistry of H2‐ and CH4‐enriched hydrothermal fluids of Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. Evidence for serpentinization and abiogenic methane

AbstractSocorro Island is the exposed part of an approx. 4000‐m‐high volcanic edifice rising from the oceanic floor to approx. 1000 m asl at the northern part of the Mathematician Ridge, Eastern Pacific. The volcano is active, with the most recent basaltic eruption in 1993. Moderate fumarolic activity and diffuse degassing with a total CO2 flux of approx. 20 total day−1 are concentrated in the summit region of the volcano composed of a group of rhyolite domes. Low‐temperature, boiling point, fumaroles discharge gas with high H2 (up to 20 mol% in dry gas) and CH4 (up to 4 mol%). Both carbon and He isotopic ratios and abundances correspond to those in MORB fluids (δ13≈−5‰; 3He/4He = 7.6 Ra, CO2/3He = (2–3) × 109, where Ra is the atmospheric ratio 3He/4He of 1.4 × 10−6). Light hydrocarbons (CH4, C2H6, C3H8, and C4H10) are characterized by a high C1/C2+ ratio of approx. 1000. Methane is enriched in 13C (δ13 from −15 to −20‰) and 2H (δ2H from −80 to −120‰), and hydrocarbons show an inverse isotopic trend in both δ13C and δ2H (ethane is isotopically lighter than methane). These isotopic and concentration features of light hydrocarbons are similar to those recently discovered in fluids from ultramafic‐hosted spreading ridge vents and may be related to the serpentinization processes: H2 generation and reduction of CO2 to CH4 within high‐temperature zone of volcano‐seawater hydrothermal system hosted in basaltic and ultramafic rocks beneath a volcano edifice. The thermodynamic analysis of this unusual composition of the Socorro fluids and the assessment of endmember compositions are complicated by the near‐surface cooling, condensation and mixing with meteoric water.

Timing of Magmatic Activity and Mineralization and Evidence of a Long-Lived Hydrothermal System in the Fresnillo Silver District, Mexico: Constraints from 40ar/39Ar Geochronology

The ore deposits of Fresnillo have produced silver for more than 450 years and contain resources of approximately 1 Goz. Mineralization in Fresnillo occurs in epithermal veins hosted by a Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous volcanosedimentary sequence (Guerrero terrane). Late Paleocene conglomerates and Eocene to Oligocene tuffs and flows of trachyte, rhyolite, and rhyodacite lie unconformably on top of the Guerrero terrane. Steam-heated acid sulfate alteration containing alunite veins occurs in Eocene tuffs above some of the mineralized veins. Oligocene rhyolitic domes and a quartz-monzonite stock also occur in the area, whereas sporadic Miocene basaltic flows and dikes are the youngest igneous rocks in the district. Spatial association of Tertiary volcanic rocks, intrusions, acid sulfate alteration, and epithermal veins makes the district ideal for evaluating the temporal relations between magmatism and hydrothermal activity using precise 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Sanidine single crystal laser fusion analyses reveal discrete volcanic eruptions at 44.73 ± 0.04, 40.92 ± 0.04, 40.83 ± 0.04, 31.55 ± 0.03, and 31.04 ± 0.05 Ma. Dating of orthoclase from the Fortuna quartz-monzonite was problematic due to excess argon contamination, but a preferred age of 32.65 ± 0.05 Ma is suggested. Two adularia samples from the Jarillas vein give statistically identical ages of 29.75 ± 0.12 and 29.68 ± 0.10 Ma. Adularia from Valdecanas vein shows a climbing age spectrum related to hydrothermal alteration; however, a terminal step with an age of 29.74 ± 0.07 Ma suggests that the two veins may be coeval. Alunite recorded two distinct ages at 30.56 ± 0.04 and 31.03 ± 0.05 Ma. Alunite and adularia ages suggest that acid sulfate alteration and mineralization occurred separately well after emplacement of the dated phase of the Fortuna stock and, consequently, it cannot be the source of heat for the hydrothermal system that formed those. Finally, the ~3 m.y. difference in age between epithermal mineralization and the Fortuna stock is indicative of a long-lived but episodic hydrothermal system which could have been driven by multiple pulses of small and shallow intrusions.

The Itajaí foreland basin: a tectono-sedimentary record of the Ediacaran period, Southern Brazil

The Itajaí Basin located in the southern border of the Luís Alves Microplate is considered as a peripheral foreland basin related to the Dom Feliciano Belt. It presents an excellent record of the Ediacaran period, and its upper parts display the best Brazilian example of Precambrian turbiditic deposits. The basal succession of Itajaí Group is represented by sandstones and conglomerates (Baú Formation) deposited in alluvial and deltaic-fan systems. The marine upper sequences correspond to the Ribeirão Carvalho (channelized and non-channelized proximal silty-argillaceous rhythmic turbidites), Ribeirão Neisse (arkosic sandstones and siltites), and Ribeirão do Bode (distal silty turbidites) formations. The Apiúna Formation felsic volcanic rocks crosscut the sedimentary succession. The Cambrian Subida leucosyenogranite represents the last felsic magmatic activity to affect the Itajaí Basin. The Brusque Group and the Florianópolis Batholith are proposed as source areas for the sediments of the upper sequence. For the lower continental units the source areas are the Santa Catarina, São Miguel and Camboriú complexes. The lack of any oceanic crust in the Itajaí Basin suggests that the marine units were deposited in a restricted, internal sea. The sedimentation started around 600 Ma and ended before 560 Ma as indicated by the emplacement of rhyolitic domes. The Itajaí Basin is temporally and tectonically correlated with the Camaquã Basin in Rio Grande do Sul and the Arroyo del Soldado/Piriápolis Basin in Uruguay. It also has several tectono-sedimentary characteristics in common with the African-equivalent Nama Basin.

Evidence from zircon U-Pb age spectra for crustal structure and felsic magma genesis at Taupo volcano, New Zealand

U-Pb zircon age spectra from a metasedimentary xenolith and a young dacite provide evidence for rapid episodes of crustal melting and eruption at Taupo volcano, as well as unexpected crustal structure beneath the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Ages from the xenolith in a 28 ka rhyolite dome match those from Early Cretaceous Pahau Terrane graywackes that crop out >75 km east of the volcano and were underthrust and partially melted during the penecontemporaneous accretion process. Boundaries between graywacke terranes in the North Island are thus more complex than implied from map views. In contrast, ages from zircons in the 20 ka Omega dacite match the nearby surficial graywacke of the Jurassic Kaweka Terrane (55% of grains), Quaternary plutonic sources (39%), and Pahau Terrane graywacke (6%). Five of 72 grains analyzed contain graywacke cores and Pleistocene rims. Survival of euhedral xenocrystic zircons through the generation processes for Omega dacite magma reflects wholesale melting of crustal protoliths (including varieties not previously considered for petrogenetic modeling), open-system behavior, and crustal melts being generated and erupted within ∼1–10 yr.

Extreme alteration by hyperacidic brines at Kawah Ijen volcano, East Java, Indonesia: I. Textural and mineralogical imprint

Kawah Ijen volcano, located on the eastern tip of Java and renowned for its large hyperacidic crater lake, poses significant volcanic and environmental hazards to its immediate surroundings. Crater lake brines seep through the flanks of the volcano to form the Banyu Pahit river, which is used in irrigation downstream, resulting in extensive pollution, sharply reduced crop yields and health problems. The impact on the environment comes mainly from the high element load, which is derived from leaching of rocks by the acid fluids and transported downstream. Our detailed study of water–rock interaction in different parts of the Kawah Ijen system indicates that there are three settings for this alteration; the crater lake and Banyu Pahit riverbed, the hydrothermal system below the lake, and the solfatara of the active rhyolite dome. In all three settings, the silicates are leached and altered to amorphous silica in the order olivine + glass > An-rich plagioclase > ortho-pyroxene > clino-pyroxene > Ab-rich plagioclase. In contrast, the alteration of titanomagnetite is characterised by dissolution in the surficial setting, replacement by pyrite and Ti-oxide in the hydrothermal system and pyritisation + Ti-mobility in the fumarole conduits. Alteration progresses along crystallographically controlled planes in all phases, and shows strong compositional control in plagioclase and titanomagnetite. No secondary minerals develop, except for minor barite, cristobalite, pyrite and jarosite. This indicates that, despite its high element load, the waters are undersaturated with respect to most secondary minerals typically produced during alteration of these magmatic rocks by acid chloride-sulphate brines, and that water–rock interaction at Kawah Ijen is not a sink of elements, but rather contributes to the element load transported downstream.

Evolution of tuff ring-dome complex: the case study of Cerro Pinto, eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Cerro Pinto is a Pleistocene rhyolite tuff ring-dome complex located in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The complex is composed of four tuff rings and four domes that were emplaced in three eruptive stages marked by changes in vent location and eruptive character. During Stage I, vent clearing produced a 1.5-km-diameter tuff ring that was then followed by emplacement of two domes of approximately 0.2 km3 each. With no apparent hiatus in activity, Stage II began with the explosive formation of a tuff ring ~2 km in diameter adjacent to and north of the earlier ring. Subsequent Stage II eruptions produced two smaller tuff rings within the northern tuff ring as well as a small dome that was mostly destroyed by explosions during its growth. Stage III involved the emplacement of a 0.04 km3 dome within the southern tuff ring. Cerro Pinto’s eruptive history includes sequences that follow simple rhyolite-dome models, in which a pyroclastic phase is followed immediately by effusive dome emplacement. Some aspects of the eruption, however, such as the explosive reactivation of the system and explosive dome destruction, are more complex. These events are commonly associated with polygenetic structures, such as stratovolcanoes or calderas, in which multiple pulses of magma initiate reactivation. A comparison of major and trace element geochemistry with nearby Pleistocene silicic centers does not show indication of any co-genetic relationship, suggesting that Cerro Pinto was produced by a small, isolated magma chamber. The compositional variation of the erupted material at Cerro Pinto is minimal, suggesting that there were not multiple pulses of magma responsible for the complex behavior of the volcano and that the volcanic system was formed in a short time period. The variety of eruptive style observed at Cerro Pinto reflects the influence of quickly exhaustible water sources on a short-lived eruption. The rising magma encountered small amounts of groundwater that initiated eruption phases. Once a critical magma:water ratio was exceeded, the eruptions became dry and sub-plinian to plinian. The primary characteristic of Cerro Pinto is the predominance of fall deposits, suggesting that the level at which rising magma encountered water was deep enough to allow substantial fragmentation after the water source was exhausted. Isolated rhyolite domes are rare and are not currently viewed as prominent volcanic hazards, but the evolution of Cerro Pinto demonstrates that individual domes may have complex cycles, and such complexity must be taken into account when making hazard risk assessments.

Archaeological applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: an example from the Coso Volcanic Field, California, using advanced statistical signal processing analysis

Over the past quarter century, multielement chemical analysis has become a common means for attributing the provenance of archaeological materials. The Coso Volcanic Field (CVF) in California, USA, contains at least 38 high-silica rhyolite domes, many of which contain obsidian glass that has been quarried for tools by the indigenous population for more than 12,000 years. Artifacts made from CVF obsidian are found throughout the southwestern United States and geochemical sourcing of CVF obsidian has been an important tool in understanding prehistoric Native American trading patterns. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a simple atomic emission spectroscopic technique that has the potential for real-time man-portable chemical analysis in the field. Because LIBS is simultaneously sensitive to all elements, a single laser shot can be used to record the broadband emission spectra, which provides a “chemical fingerprint” of a material. Single-shot broadband LIBS spectra were collected using a commercial benchtop LIBS system for 27 obsidian samples from major sites across the CVF and four additional sites in California and western Nevada outside of CVF. Classification of the samples was performed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA), a common chemometric technique suitable for performing regression on high-dimensional data. Provenance identification for the obsidian samples was evaluated for three separate labeling frameworks. The first framework consisted of a binary classification problem to distinguish CVF samples from non-CVF samples. The second approach focused on the CVF samples with labels that corresponded to the eight separate Coso sites encompassed by the 27 samples. In the third analysis, non-CVF samples were excluded, and the remaining 27 CVF samples were labeled based on groupings defined from previous major and trace element chemical studies, which reduces the number of possible classes from eight to four. Different aspects of the classifier setup considered in this study include the training/testing routine (a 27-fold leave-one-sample-out setup versus a simple split of the data into separate sets for training and evaluation), the number of latent variables used in the regression model, and whether PLSDA operating on the entire broadband LIBS spectrum is superior to that using only a selected subset of LIBS emission lines. The results point to the robustness of the PLSDA technique and suggest that LIBS analysis combined with the appropriate statistical signal processing has the potential to be a useful tool for chemical analysis of archaeological artifacts and geological specimens.

Stable isotope evidences of jarosite–barite mineralization in the Rangan rhyolitic dome NE Isfahan, Iran

The Rangan area is part of Cenozoic magmatic belt of central Iran. Eocene volcanic flows and pyroclastic rocks are intruded by a Neogene rhyolitic dome along the major Qom–Zefreh fault. The dome is pervasively hydrothermally altered. The main mineral assemblage is jarosite+barite+pyrite+quartz+sericite. This assemblage indicates acid sulphate or advanced argillic alteration. Sulfur and oxygen isotope data (δ 34S & δ 18O (SO 4)) obtained from jarosite and barite indicate a mixing episode during the evolution of hydrothermal system and reflect the overlapping of two distinct sources of acid sulphate alteration in Rangan, i.e., a magmatic–hydrothermal fluid reacting with steam-heated meteoric water. Considering the position of brittle–ductile transition and major fault movements, jarosite and barite seemingly precipitated from rapid injection of magmatic–hydrothermal fluids into the upper portions of a steam-heated environment.

Jurassic geothermal landscapes and fossil ecosystems at San Agustín, Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract: An extensive, well-preserved, Late Jurassic ( c . 150 Ma) geothermal system at San Agustín farm in the Deseado Massif, Patagonia, Argentina, is described. This deposit, along with others previously known from the same region, partially fills a considerable gap between Cenozoic and scattered Palaeozoic hot spring localities reported worldwide. The San Agustín deposit is novel because it represents a large (1.4 km 2 ) and nearly complete geothermal landscape. Siliceous hot spring facies, both subaerial and subaqueous, are exposed side by side in their original spatial and geological context, set amongst intrusive rhyolite domes and fluviolacustrine sediments. The Jurassic hot springs have preserved an entire local ecosystem containing microbes, arthropods, gastropods and plants exhibiting Lagerstätten-style preservation. Plant preservation, in particular, ranges from decayed litter, to seedling sprouts, and to dense stands in life orientation with intact anatomy. The San Agustín deposit shares some ecological, taphonomic and sedimentological characteristics with modern hot springs. As it formed in a pre-angiosperm world, it is akin to the famous hot spring-related Devonian Rhynie cherts of Scotland. It differs in having excellent exposure, and thus will probably contribute to a better understanding of biosignal preservation in extreme environments in the geological record.

Volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits in the Murchison greenstone belt, South Africa

The Archean Murchison greenstone belt, Limpopo Province, South Africa, represents a rifted epicontinental arc sequence containing the largest volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VMS) district in Southern Africa. The so-called Cu–Zn line is host to 12 deposits of massive sulfide mineralization including: Maranda J, LCZ, Romotshidi, Mon Desir, Solomons, and Mashawa with a total tonnage of three million metric tons of very high grade Zn, subordinate Cu, and variable Pb and Au ore. The deposits developed during initial phases of highly evolved felsic volcanism between 2,974.8 ± 3.6 and 2,963.2 ± 6.4 Ma and are closely associated with quartz porphyritic rhyolite domes. Elevated heat supply ensured regional hydrothermal convection along the entire rift. Recurrent volcanism resulted in frequent disruption of hydrothermal discharge and relative short-lived episodes of hydrothermal activity, probably responsible for the small size of the deposits. Stable thermal conditions led to the development of mature hydrothermal vent fields from focused fluid discharge and sulfide precipitation within thin layers of felsic volcaniclastic rocks. Two main ore suites occur in the massive sulfide deposits of the “Cu–Zn line”: (1) a low-temperature venting, polymetallic assemblage of Zn, Pb, Sb, As, Cd, Te, Bi, Sn, ±In, ±Au, ±Mo occurring in the pyrite- and sphalerite-dominated ore types and (2) a higher temperature suite of Cu, Ag, Au, Se, In, Co, Ni is associated with chalcopyrite-bearing ores. Sphalerite ore, mineralogy, and geochemical composition attest to hydrothermal activity at relatively low temperatures of ≤250 °C for the entire rift, with short-lived pulses of higher temperature upflow, reflected by proportions of Zn-rich versus Cu-rich deposits. Major- and trace-metal composition of the deposits and Pb isotope signatures reflect the highly evolved felsic source rock composition. Geological setting, host rock composition, and metallogenesis share many similarities not only with Archean VMS districts in Canada and Australia but also with recent arc–back-arc systems on the modern seafloor where fragments of continental crust and areas of elevated heat flow are involved in petrogenetic and associated metallogenic processes.