Petrogenesis of Mafic Inclusions in Rhyolitic Lavas from Narugo Volcano, Northeastern Japan

Mafic inclusions present in the rhyolitic lavas of Narugo volcano,Japan, are vesiculated andesites with diktytaxitic texturesmainly composed of quenched acicular plagioclase, pyroxenes,and interstitial glass. When the mafic magma was incorporatedinto the silica-rich host magma, the cores of pyroxenes andplagioclase began to crystallize (>1000°C) in a boundarylayer between the mafic and felsic magmas. Phenocryst rim compositionsand interstitial glass compositions (average 78 wt % SiO₂) inthe mafic inclusions are the same as those of the phenocrystsand groundmass glass in the host rhyolite. This suggests thatthe host felsic melt infiltrated into the incompletely solidifiedmafic inclusion, and that the interstitial melt compositionin the inclusions became close to that of the host melt (c.850°C). Infiltration was enhanced by the vesiculation ofthe mafic magma. Finally, hybridized and density-reduced portionsof the mafic magma floated up from the boundary layer into thehost rhyolite. We conclude that the ascent of mafic magma triggeredthe eruption of the host rhyolitic magma. KEY WORDS: mafic inclusion; stratified magma chamber; magma mixing; mingling; Narugo volcano; Japan