Relations of cinder cones to the magmatic evolution of Mount Mazama,Crater Lake National Park,Oregon

Cinder cones at Crater Lake are composed of high-alumina basaltic to andesitic scoria and lavas. The Williams Crater Complex, a basaltic cinder cone with andesitic to dacitic lava flows, stands on the western edge of the caldera, against an andesite flow from Mount Mazama. Bombs erupted from Williams Crater contain cores of banded andesite and dacite, similar to those erupted during the climatic eruption of Mount Mazama.Major- and trace-element variations exhibit an increase in incompatible elements and a decrease in compatible elements, consistent with crystal fractionation of olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and magnetite. LREE patterns in the rocks are irregular; each successive basalt is enriched in LREE relative to the preceding andesite.Compositional variations in the magmas of the cinder cones suggest that three magmatic processes were involved, partial melting, fractional crystallization, and magma mixing. Partial melting of more than one source produced primary basaltic magma(s). Subsequent mixing and fractional crystallization produced the more differentiated basaltic to andesitic magmas.     

Apoyo caldera, Nicaragua: A major quaternary silicic eruptive center

Apoyo caldera, near Granada, Nicaragua, was formed by two phases of collapse following explosive eruptions of dacite pumice about 23,000 yr B.P. The caldera sits atop an older volcanic center consisting of lava flows, domes, and ignimbrite (ash-flow tuff). The earliest lavas erupted were compositionally homogeneous basalt flows, which were later intruded by small andesite and dacite flows along a well defined set of N—S-trending regional faults. Collapse of the roof of the magma chamber occurred along near-vertical ring faults during two widely separated eruptions. Field evidence suggests that the climactic eruption sequence opened with a powerful plinian blast, followed by eruption column collapse, which generated a complex sequence of pyroclastic surge and ignimbrite deposits and initiated caldera collapse. A period of quiescence was marked by the eruption of scoria-bearing tuff from the nearby Masaya caldera and the development of a soil horizon. Violent plinian eruptions then resumed from a vent located within the caldera. A second phase of caldera collapse followed, accompanied by the effusion of late-stage andesitic lavas, indicating the presence of an underlying zoned magma chamber. Detailed isopach and isopleth maps of the plinian deposits indicate moderate to great column heights and muzzle velocities compared to other eruptions of similar volume. Mapping of the Apoyo airfall and ignimbrite deposits gives a volume of 17.2 km³ within the 1-mm isopach. Crystal concentration studies show that the true erupted volume was 30.5 km³ (10.7 km³ Dense Rock Equivalent), approximately the volume necessary to fill the caldera. A vent area located in the northeast quadrant of the present caldera lake is deduced for all the silicic pyroclastic eruptions. This vent area is controlled by N—S-trending precaldera faults related to left-lateral motion along the adjacent volcanic segment break. Fractional crystallization of calc-alkaline basaltic magma was the primary differentiation process which led to the intermediate to silicic products erupted at Apoyo. Prior to caldera collapse, highly atypical tholeiitic magmas resembling low-K, high-Ca oceanic ridge basalts were erupted along tension faults peripheral to the magma chamber. The injection of tholeiitic magmas may have contributed to the paroxysmal caldera-forming eruptions.     

The volcanic and magmatic evolution of Volcán Ollagüe, a high-K, late quaternary stratovolcano in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone

Volcán Ollagüe is a high-K, calc-alkaline composite volcano constructed upon extremely thick crust in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone. Volcanic activity commenced with the construction of an andesitic to dacitic composite cone composed of numerous lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of the Vinta Loma series and an overlying coalescing dome and coulée sequence of the Chasca Orkho series. Following cone construction, the upper western flank of Ollagüe collapsed toward the west leaving a collapse-amphitheater about 3.5 km in diameter and a debris avalanche deposit on the lower western flank of the volcano. The deposit is similar to the debris avalanche deposit produced during the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, U.S.A., and was probably formed in a similar manner. It presently covers an area of 100 km² and extends 16 km from the summit. Subsequent to the collapse event, the upper western flank was reformed via eruption of several small andesitic lava flows from vents located near the western summit and growth of an andesitic dome within the collapse-amphitheater. Additional post-collapse activity included construction of a dacitic dome and coulée of the La Celosa series on the northwest flank. Field relations indicate that vents for the Vinta Loma and post-collapse series were located at or near the summit of the cone. The Vinta Loma series is characterized by an anhydrous, two-pyroxene assemblage. Vents for the La Celosa and Chasca Orkho series are located on the flanks and strike N55 W, radial to the volcano. The pattern of flank eruptions coincides with the distribution in the abundance of amphibole and biotite as the main mafic phenocryst phases in the rocks. A possible explanation for this coincidence is that an unexposed fracture or fault beneath the volcano served as a conduit for both magma ascent and groundwater circulation. In addition to the lava flows at Ollagüe, magmas are also present as blobs of vesiculated basaltic andesite and mafic andesite that occur as inclusions in nearly all of the lavas. All eruptive activity at Ollagüe predates the last glacial episode ( 11.000 a B.P.), because post-collapse lava flows are overlain by moraine and are incised by glacial valleys. Present activity is restricted to emission of a persistent, 100-m-high fumarolic steam plume from a vent located within the summit andesite dome.Sr and Nd isotope ratios for the basaltic andesite and mafic andesite inclusions and lavas suggest that they have assimilated large amounts of crust during crystal fractionation. In contrast, narrow ranges in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in the andesitic and dacitic lavas are enigmatic with respect to crustal contamination.     

Origin and emplacement of the andesite of Burroughs Mountain,a zoned,large-volume lava flow at Mount Rainier,Washington, USA

Burroughs Mountain, situated at the northeast foot of Mount Rainier, WA, exposes a large-volume (3.4 km³) andesitic lava flow, up to 350 m thick and extending 11 km in length. Two sampling traverses from flow base to eroded top, over vertical sections of 245 and 300 m, show that the flow consists of a felsic lower unit (100 m thick) overlain sharply by a more mafic upper unit. The mafic upper unit is chemically zoned, becoming slightly more evolved upward; the lower unit is heterogeneous and unzoned. The lower unit is also more phenocryst-rich and locally contains inclusions of quenched basaltic andesite magma that are absent from the upper unit. Widespread, vuggy, gabbronorite-to-diorite inclusions may be fragments of shallow cumulates, exhumed from the Mount Rainier magmatic system. Chemically heterogeneous block-and-ash-flow deposits that conformably underlie the lava flow were the earliest products of the eruptive episode. The felsic–mafic–felsic progression in lava composition resulted from partial evacuation of a vertically-zoned magma reservoir, in which either (1) average depth of withdrawal increased, then decreased, during eruption, perhaps due to variations in effusion rate, or (2) magmatic recharge stimulated ascent of a plume that brought less evolved magma to shallow levels at an intermediate stage of the eruption. Pre-eruptive zonation resulted from combined crystallization–differentiation and intrusion(s) of less evolved magma into the partly crystallized resident magma body. The zoned lava flow at Burroughs Mountain shows that, at times, Mount Rainier’s magmatic system has developed relatively large, shallow reservoirs that, despite complex recharge events, were capable of developing a felsic-upward compositional zonation similar to that inferred from large ash-flow sheets and other zoned lava flows.     

Petrology,geochemistry, and age of the Spurr volcanic complex,eastern Aleutian arc

The Spurr volcanic complex (SVC) is a calc-alkaline, medium-K, sequence of andesites erupted over the last 250000 years by the eastern-most currently active volcanic center in the Aleutian arc. The ancestral Mt. Spurr was built mostly of andesites of uniform composition (58%–60% SiO₂), although andesite production was episodically interrupted by the introduction of new batches of more mafic magma. Near the end of the Pleistocene the ancestral Mt. Spurr underwent avalanche caldera formation, resulting in the production of a volcanic debris avalanche with overlying ashflows. Immediately afterward, a large dome (the present Mt. Spurr) formed in the caldera. Both the ash flows and dome are made of acid andesite more silicic (60%–63% SiO₂) than any analyzed lavas from the ancestral Mt. Spurr, yet contain olivine and amphibole xenocrysts derived from more mafic magma. The mafic magma (53%–57% SiO₂) erupted during and after dome emplacement from a separate vent only 3 km away. Hybrid block-and-ash flows and lavas were also produced. The vents for the silicic and mafic lavas are in the center and in the breach of the 5-by-6-km horseshoe-shaped caldera, respectively, and are less than 4 km apart. Late Holocene eruptive activity is restricted to Crater Peak, and magmas continue to be relatively mafic. SVC lavas are plag ±ol+cpx±opx+mt bearing. All postcaldera units contain small amounts of high-Al₂O₃, high-alkali amphibole, and proto-Crater Peak and Crater Peak lavas contain abundant pyroxenite and anorthosite clots presumably derived from an immediately preexisting magma chamber. Ranges of mineral chemistries within individual samples are often nearly as large as ranges of mineral chemistries throughout the SVC suite, suggesting that magma mixing is common. Elevated Sr, Pb, and O isotope ratios and trace-element systematics incompatible with fractional crystallization suggest that a significant amount of continental crust from the upper plate has been assimilated by SVC magmas during their evolution.     

Recent eruptions of Mount Adams, Washington Cascades, USA

 The postglacial eruption rate for the Mount Adams volcanic field is ∼0.1 km³/k.y., four to seven times smaller than the average rate for the past 520 k.y. Ten vents have been active since the last main deglaciation ∼15 ka. Seven high flank vents (at 2100–2600 m) and the central summit vent of the 3742-m stratocone produced varied andesites, and two peripheral vents (at 2100 and 1200 m) produced mildly alkalic basalt. Eruptive ages of most of these units are bracketed with respect to regional tephra layers from Mount Mazama and Mount St. Helens. The basaltic lavas and scoria cones north and south of Mount Adams and a 13-km-long andesitic lava flow on its east flank are of early postglacial age. The three most extensive andesitic lava-flow complexes were emplaced in the mid-Holocene (7–4 ka). Ages of three smaller Holocene andesite units are less well constrained. A phreatomagmatic ejecta cone and associated andesite lavas that together cap the summit may be of latest Pleistocene age, but a thin layer of mid-Holocene tephra appears to have erupted there as well. An alpine-meadow section on the southeast flank contains 24 locally derived Holocene andesitic ash layers intercalated with several silicic tephras from Mazama and St. Helens. Microprobe analyses of phenocrysts from the ash layers and postglacial lavas suggest a few correlations and refine some age constraints. Approximately 6 ka, a 0.07-km³ debris avalanche from the southwest face of Mount Adams generated a clay-rich debris flow that devastated >30 km² south of the volcano. A gravitationally metastable 2-to 3-km³ reservoir of hydrothermally altered fragmental andesite remains on the ice-capped summit and, towering 3 km above the surrounding lowlands, represents a greater hazard than an eruptive recurrence in the style of the last 15 k.y. Received: 24 June 1996 / Accepted: 6 December 1996     

Genesis of dacitic magmatism at batur volcano, Bali, Indonesia: Implications for the origins of stratovolcano calderas

Batur is an active stratovolcano on the island of Bali, Indonesia, with a large, well-formed caldera whose formation is correlated with the eruption about 23,700 years ago of a thick ignimbrite sheet. Our study of the volcanic stratigraphy and geochemistry of Batur shows the formation of the caldera was signalled by a change in the composition of the erupting material from basaltic and andesitic to dacitic. The dacitic rocks are glassy, possess equilibrium phenocryst assemblages, and display compositional characteristics consistent with an origin by crystal-liquid fractionation from more mafic parent magmas in a shallow chamber, possibly at 1.5 km depth and 1000–1070°C.However, although separated by a gap of 6 wt.% SiO₂, the dacitic rocks are clearly related in their minor- and trace-element geochemistry to those basalts and basaltic andesites erupted after the caldera was formed rather than to the andesites erupted immediately before the dacites first appeared. We infer from this and published experimental modelling of the possible crystallization behaviour of basaltic magma chambers that a magmatic cycle involving caldera formation began independently of the previous activity of Batur by formation of a new, closed-system magma chamber beneath the volcano. Fractional crystallization, possibly at the walls of the chamber, led to the early production of derivative siliceous magmas and, consequently, to caldera formation, while most of the magma retained its original composition. The postcaldera Batur basalts represent the largely undifferentiated core liquids of this chamber.This model contrasts with the traditional evolutionary model for stratovolcano calderas but may be applicable to the origins of calderas similar to that of Batur, particularly those in volcanic island arcs.     

New insights into the initiation and venting of the Bronze-Age eruption of Santorini (Greece), from component analysis

The late-seventeenth century BC Minoan eruption of Santorini discharged 30–60 km³ of magma, and caldera collapse deepened and widened the existing 22 ka caldera. A study of juvenile, cognate, and accidental components in the eruption products provides new constraints on vent development during the five eruptive phases, and on the processes that initiated the eruption. The eruption began with subplinian (phase 0) and plinian (phase 1) phases from a vent on a NE–SW fault line that bisects the volcanic field. During phase 1, the magma fragmentation level dropped from the surface to the level of subvolcanic basement and magmatic intrusions. The fragmentation level shallowed again, and the vent migrated northwards (during phase 2) into the flooded 22 ka caldera. The eruption then became strongly phreatomagmatic and discharged low-temperature ignimbrite containing abundant fragments of post-22 ka, pre-Minoan intracaldera lavas (phase 3). Phase 4 discharged hot, fluidized pyroclastic flows from subaerial vents and constructed three main ignimbrite fans (northwestern, eastern, and southern) around the volcano. The first phase-4 flows were discharged from a vent, or vents, in the northern half of the volcanic field, and laid down lithic-block-rich ignimbrite and lag breccias across much of the NW fan. About a tenth of the lithic debris in these flows was subvolcanic basement. New subaerial vents then opened up, probably across much of the volcanic field, and finer-grained ignimbrite was discharged to form the E and S fans. If major caldera collapse took place during the eruption, it probably occurred during phase 4. Three juvenile components were discharged during the eruption—a volumetrically dominant rhyodacitic pumice and two andesitic components: microphenocryst-rich andesitic pumices and quenched andesitic enclaves. The microphenocryst-rich pumices form a textural, mineralogical, chemical, and thermal continuum with co-erupted hornblende diorite nodules, and together they are interpreted as the contents of a small, variably crystallized intrusion that was fragmented and discharged during the eruption, mostly during phases 0 and 1. The microphenocryst-rich pumices, hornblende diorite, andesitic enclaves, and fragments of pre-Minoan intracaldera andesitic lava together form a chemically distinct suite of Ba-rich, Zr-poor andesites that is unique in the products of Santorini since 530 ka. Once the Minoan magma reservoir was primed for eruption by recharge-generated pressurization, the rhyodacite moved upwards by exploiting the plane of weakness offered by the pre-existing andesite–diorite intrusion, dragging some of the crystal-rich contents of the intrusion with it.     

The eruptive history of the Tequila volcanic field, western Mexico: ages, volumes, and relative proportions of lava types

The eruptive history of the Tequila volcanic field (1600 km²) in the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt is based on ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronology and volume estimates for eruptive units younger than 1 Ma. Ages are reported for 49 volcanic units, including Volcán Tequila (an andesitic stratovolcano) and peripheral domes, flows, and scoria cones. Volumes of volcanic units 1 Ma were obtained with the aid of field mapping, ortho aerial photographs, digital elevation models (DEMs), and ArcGIS software. Between 1120 and 200 kyrs ago, a bimodal distribution of rhyolite (~35 km³) and high-Ti basalt (~39 km³) dominated the volcanic field. Between 685 and 225 kyrs ago, less than 3 km³ of andesite and dacite erupted from more than 15 isolated vents; these lavas are crystal-poor and show little evidence of storage in an upper crustal chamber. Approximately 200 kyr ago, ~31 km³ of andesite erupted to form the stratocone of Volcán Tequila. The phenocryst assemblage of these lavas suggests storage within a chamber at ~2–3 km depth. After a hiatus of ~110 kyrs, ~15 km³ of andesite erupted along the W and SE flanks of Volcán Tequila at ~90 ka, most likely from a second, discrete magma chamber located at ~5–6 km depth. The youngest volcanic feature (~60 ka) is the small andesitic volcano Cerro Tomasillo (~2 km³). Over the last 1 Myr, a total of 128±22 km³ of lava erupted in the Tequila volcanic field, leading to an average eruption rate of ~0.13 km³/kyr. This volume erupted over ~1600 km², leading to an average lava accumulation rate of ~8 cm/kyr. The relative proportions of lava types are ~22–43% basalt, ~0.4–1% basaltic andesite, ~29–54% andesite, ~2–3% dacite, and ~18–40% rhyolite. On the basis of eruptive sequence, proportions of lava types, phenocryst assemblages, textures, and chemical composition, the lavas do not reflect the differentiation of a single (or only a few) parental liquids in a long-lived magma chamber. The rhyolites are geochemically diverse and were likely formed by episodic partial melting of upper crustal rocks in response to emplacement of basalts. There are no examples of mingled rhyolitic and basaltic magmas. Whatever mechanism is invoked to explain the generation of andesite at the Tequila volcanic field, it must be consistent with a dominantly bimodal distribution of high-Ti basalt and rhyolite for an 800 kyr interval beginning ~1 Ma, which abruptly switched to punctuated bursts of predominantly andesitic volcanism over the last 200 kyrs.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at Editorial responsility: J. Donnelly-NolanThis revised version was published online in January 2005 with corrections to Tables 1 and 3.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Collapse mechanism of the Paleogene Sakurae cauldron, SW Japan

The Paleogene Sakurae cauldron of SW Japan is characterized by a nested structure with a polygonal outline (21×13 km²) including a circular collapsed part (5 km in diameter). Total thickness of the caldera infill amounts to 2,000 m. The lower member of the infill consists mainly of felsic crystal tuff and lesser intercalated andesitic lava flows, whereas the upper member is composed of high-grade ignimbrite capped with a large rhyolitic lava dome. These members represent the first and second stage eruptions, respectively. Faults bounding the cauldron rim comprise intersecting radial and concentric faults, producing the polygonal outline of this cauldron. The primary collapse of this cauldron thus occurred as a polygonal caldera basin where products of the first stage eruption accumulated. In contrast, the inner collapse part is defined by a ring fracture system. This sector subsided concurrently with accumulation of the high-grade ignimbrite of the second stage eruption. This inner circular collapse thus represents syn-eruptional subsidence concurrent with the climactic eruption. Magma drainage during the first stage probably induced outward-dipping ring fractures in the chamber roof. Opening of the ring fractures following subsidence of the central bell-jar block caused rapid evacuation of magma as voluminous pumice flows, even though magma pressure may have decreased to some degree.     

The Negra Muerta Volcanic Complex, southern Central Andes: geochemical characteristics and magmatic evolution of an episodically active volcanic centre

This petrologic analysis of the Negra Muerta Volcanic Complex (NMVC) contributes to understanding the magmatic evolution of eruptive centres associated with prominent NW-striking fault zones in the southern Central Andes. Specifically, the geochemical characteristics and magmatic evolution of the two eruptive episodes of this Complex are analysed. The first one occurred as an explosive eruption at 9 Ma and is represented by a strongly welded, fiamme-rich, andesitic to dacitic ignimbrite deposit. The second commenced with an eruption of a rhyolitic ignimbrite at 7.6 Ma followed by effusive discharge of hybrid lavas at 7.3 Ma and by emplacement of andesitic to rhyodacitic dykes and domes. Both explosive and effusive eruptions of the second episode occurred within a short time span, but geochemical interpretations permit consideration of the existence of different magmas interacting in the same magma chamber. Our model involves an andesitic recharge into a partially cooled rhyolitic magma chamber, pressurising the magmatic system and triggering explosive eruption of rhyolitic magma. Chemical or mechanical evidence for interaction between the rhyolitic and andesitic magma in the initial stages are not obvious because of their difference in composition, which could have been strong enough to inhibit the interaction between the two magmas. After the initial explosive stages of the eruption at 7.6 Ma, the magma chamber become more depressurised and the most mafic magma settled in compositional layers by fractional crystallisation. Restricted hybridisation occurred and was effective between adjacent and thermally equivalent layers close to the top of the magma chamber. At 7.3 Ma, increments of caldera formation were accompanied by effusive discharge of hybrid lavas through radially disposed dykes whereby andesitic magma gained in importance toward the end of this effusive episode in the central portion of the caldera. Assimilation during turbulent ascent (ATA) is invoked to explain a conspicuous reversed isotopic signature (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd) in the entire volcanic series. Therefore, the 7.6 to 7.3 Ma volcanic rocks of the NMVC resulted from synchronous and mutually interacting petrological processes such as recharge, fractional crystallization, hybridisation, and Assimilation during Turbulent Ascent (ATA).Geochemical characteristics of both volcanic episodes show diverse type and/or depth in the sources and variable influence of upper crustal processes, and indicate a recurrence in the magma-forming conditions. Similarly, other minor volcanic centres in the transversal volcanic belts of the Central Andes repeated their geochemical signatures throughout the Miocene.     

Sequence and eruptive style of the 1783 eruption of Asama Volcano, central Japan: a case study of an andesitic explosive eruption generating fountain-fed lava flow, pumice fall, scoria flow and forming a cone

The 3-month long eruption of Asama volcano in 1783 produced andesitic pumice falls, pyroclastic flows, lava flows, and constructed a cone. It is divided into six episodes on the basis of waxing and waning inferred from records made during the eruption. Episodes 1 to 4 were intermittent Vulcanian or Plinian eruptions, which generated several pumice fall deposits. The frequency and intensity of the eruption increased dramatically in episode 5, which started on 2 August, and culminated in a final phase that began on the night of 4 August, lasting for 15 h. This climactic phase is further divided into two subphases. The first subphase is characterized by generation of a pumice fall, whereas the second one is characterized by abundant pyroclastic flows. Stratigraphic relationships suggest that rapid growth of a cone and the generation of lava flows occurred simultaneously with the generation of both pumice falls and pyroclastic flows. The volumes of the ejecta during the first and second subphases are 0.21 km³ (DRE) and 0.27 km³ (DRE), respectively. The proportions of the different eruptive products are lava: cone: pumice fall=84:11:5 in the first subphase and lava: cone: pyroclastic flow=42:2:56 in the second subphase. The lava flows in this eruption consist of three flow units (L1, L2, and L3) and they characteristically possess abundant broken phenocrysts, and show extensive "welding" texture. These features, as well as ghost pyroclastic textures on the surface, indicate that the lava was a fountain-fed clastogenic lava. A high discharge rate for the lava flow (up to 10⁶ kg/s) may also suggest that the lava was initially explosively ejected from the conduit. The petrology of the juvenile materials indicates binary mixing of an andesitic magma and a crystal-rich dacitic magma. The mixing ratio changed with time; the dacitic component is dominant in the pyroclasts of the first subphase of the climactic phase, while the proportion of the andesitic component increases in the pyroclasts of the second subphase. The compositions of the lava flows vary from one flow unit to another; L1 and L3 have almost identical compositions to those of pyroclasts of the first and second subphases, respectively, while L2 has an intermediate composition, suggesting that the pyroclasts of the first and second subphases were the source of the lava flows, and were partly homogenized during flow. The complex features of this eruption can be explained by rapid deposition of coarse pyroclasts near the vent and the subsequent flowage of clastogenic lavas which were accompanied by a high eruption plume generating pumice falls and/or pyroclastic flows.Editorial responsibility: T. Druitt     

La Pacana caldera and the Atana Ignimbrite — a major ash-flow and resurgent caldera complex in the Andes of northern Chile

The recently discovered La Pacana caldera, 60 × 35 km, is the largest caldera yet described in South America. This resurgent caldera of Pliocene age developed in a continental platemargin environment in a major province of ignimbrite volcanism in the Central Andes of northern Chile at about 23° S latitude. Collapse of La Pacana caldera was initiated by the eruption of about 900 km³ of the rhyodacitic Atana Ignimbrite. The Atana Ignimbrite was erupted from a composite ring fracture system and formed at least four major ash-flow tuff units that are separated locally by thin air-fall and surge deposits; all four sheets were emplaced in rapid succession about 4.1 ± 0.4 Ma ago. Caldera collapse was followed closely by resurgent doming of the caldera floor, accompanied by early postcaldera eruptions of dacitic to rhyolitic lava domes along the ring fractures. The resurgent dome is an elongated, asymmetrical uplift, 48.5 × 12 km, which is broken by a complex system of normal faults locally forming a narrow discontinuous apical graben. Later, postcaldera eruptions produced large andesitic and dacitic stratocones along the caldera margins and dacitic domes on the resurgent dome beginning about 3.5 Ma ago and persisting into the Quaternary. Hydrothermally altered rocks occur in the eroded cores of precaldera and postcaldera stratovolcanoes and along fractures in the resurgent dome, but no ore deposits are known. A few warm springs located in salars within the caldera moat appear to be vestiges of the caldera geothermal system.     

Volcanic and structural history of the Hohi volcanic zone,central Kyushu,Japan

More than 5000 km³ of magmatic material was erupted in Pliocene-Pleistocene times in a volcano-tectonic depression, i. e., the Hohi volcanic zone (HVZ) in central Kyushu, Japan. The eruptive deposits consist mainly of andesite lava flows and large-scale pyroclastic-flow deposits. Their eruptions were accompanied by the formation of an EW-oriented graben (70 km × 45 km) under regional NS extensional stress. Pre-Tertiary basement rocks are absent on the surface of the graben but occur at depth, having subsided up to 3 km. Radiometric ages of volcanic rocks on the surface show zoned isochrons from 5 Ma at the margin to 0.3 Ma in the center of the HVZ. The youngest center of age zonation coincides with a 30 mgal negative Bouguer gravity anomaly. Radiometric ages of rocks from drill cores are older toward the bottom of the graben, reaching a maximum of at least 4 Ma. Volcanic activity concentrated over time toward the center of the graben and buried successively erupted material. Areas of active volcanism in the HVZ became smaller and changed in style during the 5-Ma history of activity. Volcanism of the early stage (5-2 Ma) was characterized by voluminous eruptions of andesitic lava flows that formed lava plateaus and were intruded by EW-oriented feeder dikes, perhaps related to fissure eruptions. In contrast, late-stage volcanism (2-0 Ma) resulted primarily in andesitic to dacitic lava domes with features of monogenetic volcanoes produced at low eruption rates. The HVZ shows unimodal volcanism dominated by andesitic and dacitic lavas with a small amount of rhyolite and only traces of basalt; these characteristics differ from those that typify volcanism in most other extensional areas. Erupted material in the HVZ is of the calc-alkali and high-alkali tholeiite series and shows no significant chemical changes over 5 Ma, except for an increase in K₂O after 1.6 Ma. The net horizontal displacement along normal faults indicates that the HVZ widened by about 10%–20% across the graben at an average rate of 0.1 cm/yr. I interpret the HVZ to be neither a pull-apart structure of the pre-Tertiary basement nor the result of propagation of the Okinawa Trough, but rather the earliest stage of rifting when vertical subsidence caused by normal faulting is compensated by filling with volcanic material.     

Geology of the peralkaline volcano at Pantelleria,Strait of Sicily

Situated in a submerged continental rift, Pantelleria is a volcanic island with a subaerial eruptive history longer than 300 Ka. Its eruptive behavior, edifice morphologies, and complex, multiunit geologic history are representative of strongly peralkaline centers. It is dominated by the 6-km-wide Cinque Denti caldera, which formed ca. 45 Ka ago during eruption of the Green Tuff, a strongly rheomorphic unit zoned from pantellerite to trachyte and consisting of falls, surges, and pyroclastic flows. Soon after collapse, trachyte lava flows from an intracaldera central vent built a broad cone that compensated isostatically for the volume of the caldera and nearly filled it. Progressive chemical evolution of the chamber between 45 and 18 Ka ago is recorded in the increasing peralkalinity of the youngest lava of the intracaldera trachyte cone and the few lavas erupted northwest of the caldera. Beginning about 18 Ka ago, inflation of the chamber opened old ring fractures and new radial fractures, along which recently differentiated pantellerite constructed more than 25 pumice cones and shields. Continued uplift raised the northwest half of the intracaldera trachyte cone 275 m, creating the island's present summit, Montagna Grande, by trapdoor uplift. Pantellerite erupted along the trapdoor faults and their hingeline, forming numerous pumice cones and agglutinate sheets as well as five lava domes. Degassing and drawdown of the upper pantelleritic part of a compositionally and thermally stratified magma chamber during this 18-3-Ka episode led to entrainment of subjacent, crystal-rich, pantelleritic trachyte magma as crenulate inclusions. Progressive mixing between host and inclusions resulted in a secular decrease in the degree of evolution of the 0.82 km³ of magma erupted during the episode.The 45-Ka-old caldera is nested within the La Vecchia caldera, which is thought to have formed around 114 Ka ago. This older caldera was filled by three widespread welded units erupted 106, 94, and 79 Ka ago. Reactivation of the ring fracture ca. 67 Ka ago is indicated by venting of a large pantellerite centero and a chain of small shields along the ring fault. For each of the two nested calderas, the onset of postcaldera ring-fracture volcanism coincides with a low stand of sea level.Rates of chemical regeneration within the chamber are rapid, the 3% crystallization/Ka of the post-Green Tuff period being typical. Highly evolved pantellerites are rare, however, because intervals between major eruptions (averaging 13–6 Ka during the last 190 Ka) are short. Benmoreites and mugearites are entirely lacking. Fe-Ti-rich alkalic basalts have erupted peripherally along NW-trending lineaments parallel to the enclosing rift but not within the nested calderas, suggesting that felsic magma persists beneath them. The most recent basaltic eruption (in 1891) took place 4 km northwest of Pantelleria, manifesting the long-term northwestward migration of the volcanic focus. These strongly differentiated basalts reflect low-pressure fractional crystallization of partial melts of garnet peridotite that coalesce in small magma reservoirs replenished only infrequently in this continental rift environment.     

Replenishment of a mafic magma in a zoned felsic magma chamber beneath Rishiri Volcano, Japan

The trachytic Tanetomi lava from Rishiri Volcano, northern Japan, provides useful information concerning how a replenished mafic magma mixes with a compositionally zoned felsic magma in a magma chamber. The Tanetomi lava was erupted in the order of Lower lava 1 (LL1, 59.2-59.8 wt.% in SiO₂), Lower lava 2 (LL2, 58.4-59.1 wt.%), and Upper lava (UL, 59.9-65.1 wt.%). Evidence for mixing with a mafic magma is observed only in the LL2, in which a greater amount of crystals derived from the mafic magma occurs in rocks with higher SiO₂ content. The whole-rock compositional trend of the Tanetomi lavas is fairly smooth except for the LL2 lava composition, which scatter along the main composition trend. There is no reasonable composition of basaltic magma on the extrapolation of the LL2 composition trend, and the trend cannot be explained by a simple two-component magma mixing. Before the replenishment, the felsic magma was zoned in composition (58-65 wt.% in SiO₂) and temperature (1030-920°C) in the magma chamber located at the pressure of ~2 kbar. The compositional variation of the main felsic magma was produced by extraction of a fractionated interstitial melt from mush zones along the chamber walls and its subsequent mixing with the main magma (boundary layer fractionation). The LL1 magma tapped the magma chamber soon after the replenishment, before the mafic magma mixed with the overall felsic magma. Then the basalt magma mixed heterogeneously with the upper part of the felsic magma by forced convection as a fountain during injection. The mixing of the basalt magma with compositionally zoned felsic magma resulted in the characteristic composition trend of the LL2. The fraction of basaltic magma in the LL2 magma is estimated to be at most 10%. Despite such a small proportion, the basalt magma was mixed completely with the felsic magma, probably because the crystallinity of undercooled basalt magma was low enough to behave as a liquid.     

Stratigraphy of the Toba Tuffs and the evolution of the Toba Caldera Complex,Sumatra, Indonesia

During the past 1.2 m.y., a magma chamber of batholithic proportions has developed under the 100 by 30 km Toba Caldera Complex. Four separate eruptions have occurred from vents within the present collapse structure, which formed from eruption of the 2800 km³ Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) at 74 ka. Eruption of the three older Toba Tuffs alternated from calderas situated in northern and southern portions of the present caldera. The northern caldera apparently developed upon a large andesitic stratovolcano. The calderas associated with the three older tuffs are obscured by caldera collapse and resurgence resulting from eruption of the YTT. Samosir Island and the Uluan Block are two sides of a single resurgent dome that has resurged since eruption of the YTT. Samosir Island is composed of thick YTT caldera fill, whereas the Uluan Block consists mainly of the Oldest Toba Tuff (OTT). In the past 74000 years lava domes have been extruded on Samosir Island and along the caldera's western ring fracture. This part of the ring fracture is the site of the only current activity at Toba: updoming and fumarolic activity. The Toba eruptions document the growth of the laterally continuous magma body which eventually erupted the YTT. Repose periods between the four Toba Tuffs range between 0.34 and 0.43 m.y. and give insights into pluton emplacement and magmatic evolution at Toba.     

Crystal retention,fractionation and crustal assimilation in a convecting magma chamber,Nisyros Volcano,Greece

Nisyros island is a calc-alkaline volcano, built up during the last 100 ka. The first cycle of its subaerial history includes the cone-building activity with three phases, each characterized by a similar sequence: (1) effusive and explosive activity fed by basaltic andesitic and andesitic magmas; and (2) effusive andextrusive activity fed by dacitic and rhyolitic magmas. The second eruptive cycle includes the caldera-forming explosive activity with two phases, each consisting of the sequence: (1) rhyolitic phreatomagmatic eruptions triggering a central caldera collapse; and (2) extrusion of dacitic-rhyolitic domes and lava flows. The rocks of this cycle are characteized by the presence of mafic enclaves with different petrographic and chemical features which testify to mixing-mingling processes between variously evolved magmas. Jumps in the degree of evolution are present in the stratigraphic series, accompanied by changes in the porphyritic index. This index ranges from 60% to about 5% and correlates with several teochemical parameters, including a negative correlation with Sr isotope ratios (0.703384–0.705120). The latter increase from basaltic andesites to intermediate rocks, but then slightly decrease in the most evolved volcanic rocks. The petrographic, geochemical and isotopic characteristics can be largely explained by processes occurring in a convecting, crystallizing and assimilating magma chamber, where crystal sorting, retention, resorption and accumulation take place. A group of crystal-rich basaltic andesites with high Sr and compatible element contents and low incompatible elements and Sr isotope ratios probably resulted from the accumulation of plagioclase and pyroxene in an andesitic liquid. Re-entrainment of plagioclase crystals in the crystallizing magma may have been responsible for the lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in the most evolved rocks. The gaps in the degree of evolution with time are interpreted as due to liquid segregation from a crystal mush once critical crystallinity was reached. At that stage convection halted, and a less dense, less porphyritic, more evolved magma separated from a denser crystal-rich magma portion. The differences in incompatible element enrichment of pre-and post-caldera dacites and the chemical variation in the post-caldera dome sequence are the result of hybridization of post-caldera dome magmas with more mafic magmas, as represented by the enclave compositions. The occurrence of the quenched, more mafic magmas in the two post-caldera units suggests that renewed intrusion of mafic magma took place after each collapse event.     

40Ar/39Ar Ages and stratigraphy of the Latera caldera,Italy

The Latera caldera is a well-exposed volcano where more than 8 km³ of mafic silica-undersaturated potassic lavas, scoria and felsic ignimbrites were emplaced between 380 and 150 ka. Isotopic ages obtained by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analysis of single sanidine crystals indicate at least four periods of explosive eruptions from the caldera. The initial period of caldera eruptions began at 232 ka with emplacement of trachytic pumice fallout and ignimbrite. They were closely followed by eruption of evolved phonolitic magma. After roughly 25 ky, several phonolitic ignimbrites were deposited, and they were followed by phreatomagmatic eruptions that produced trachytic ignimbrites and several smaller ash-flow units at 191 ka. Compositionally zoned magma then erupted from the northern caldera rim to produce widespread phonolitic tuffs, tephriphonolitic spatter, and scoria-bearing ignimbrites. After 40 ky of mafic surge deposit and scoria cone development around the caldera rim, a compositionally zoned pumice sequence was emplaced around a vent immediately northwest of the Latera caldera. This activity marks the end of large-scale explosive eruptions from the Latera volcano at 156 ka.     

Geological evolution of a pleistocene rhyolitic center — Sierra La Primavera, Jalisco, México

The Sierra La Primavera volcanic complex consists of late Pleistocene comenditic lava flows and domes. ash-flow tuff, air-fall pumice, and cold caldera-lake sediments. The earliest lavas were erupted about 120,000 years ago, and were followed approximately 95,000 years ago by the eruption of about 20 km³ of magma as ash flows that form the compositionally-zoned Tala Tuff. Collapse of the roof zone of the magma chamber led to the formation of a shallow 11-km-diameter caldera. It soon filled with water, forming a caldera lake in which sediment began to collect. At about the same time, two central domes erupted through the middle of the lake and a “giant pumice horizon”, an important stratigraphic marker, was deposited. Shortly thereafter ring domes erupted along two parallel arcs: one along the northeast portion of the ring fracture, and the other crossing the middle of the lake. All these events occurred during a period of approximately 5,000–10,000 years. Sedimentation continued and a period of volcanic quiescence was marked by the deposition of some 30 m of fine-grained ashy sediments virtually free from pumice lapilli. Approximately 75,000 years ago, a new group of ring domes erupted at the southern margin of the lake. These domes are lapped by only 10–20 m of sediments, as uplift resulting from renewed insurgence of magma brought an end to the lake. This uplift culminated in the eruption, beginning approximately 60,000 years ago, of aphyric lavas along a southern arc. The youngest of these lavas erupted approximately 20,000–30,000 years ago.The four major fault systems in the Sierra La Primavera are related to caldera collapse or to uplift caused by the insurgence of the southern are magma. Steam vents and larga-discharge 65°C hot springs are associated with the faulting. Calculated equilibrium temperatures of the geothermal fluids are 170°C, but temperatures in excess of 240°C have been encountered in an exploratory drill hole.A seismic survey showed attenuation of both S and P waves within the caldera, P waves attenuated more severely than S waves. The greatest attenuation is associated with an area of steam vents, and the rapid lateral variations in attenuation suggest that they are produced by a shallow geothermal system rather than by underlying magma.