The 2005 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano,Galápagos,Ecuador

Sierra Negra volcano began erupting on 22 October 2005, after a repose of 26 years. A plume of ash and steam more than 13 km high accompanied the initial phase of the eruption and was quickly followed by a ~2-km-long curtain of lava fountains. The eruptive fissure opened inside the north rim of the caldera, on the opposite side of the caldera from an active fault system that experienced an m_b 4.6 earthquake and ~84 cm of uplift on 16 April 2005. The main products of the eruption were an `a`a flow that ponded in the caldera and clastigenic lavas that flowed down the north flank. The `a`a flow grew in an unusual way. Once it had established most of its aerial extent, the interior of the flow was fed via a perched lava pond, causing inflation of the `a`a. This pressurized fluid interior then fed pahoehoe breakouts along the margins of the flow, many of which were subsequently overridden by `a`a, as the crust slowly spread from the center of the pond and tumbled over the pahoehoe. The curtain of lava fountains coalesced with time, and by day 4, only one vent was erupting. The effusion rate slowed from day 7 until the eruption’s end two days later on 30 October. Although the caldera floor had inflated by ~5 m since 1992, and the rate of inflation had accelerated since 2003, there was no transient deformation in the hours or days before the eruption. During the 8 days of the eruption, GPS and InSAR data show that the caldera floor deflated ~5 m, and the volcano contracted horizontally ~6 m. The total eruptive volume is estimated as being ~150×10⁶ m³. The opening-phase tephra is more evolved than the eruptive products that followed. The compositional variation of tephra and lava sampled over the course of the eruption is attributed to eruption from a zoned sill that lies 2.1 km beneath the caldera floor.     

The volcanic history of Volcán Alcedo,Galápagos Archipelago: A case study of rhyolitic oceanic volcanism

Volcán Alcedo is one of the seven western Galápagos shields and is the only active Galápagos volcano known to have erupted rhyolite as well as basalt. The volcano stands 4 km above the sea floor and has a subaerial volume of 200 km³, nearly all of which is basalt. As Volcán Alcedo grew, it built an elongate domal shield, which was partly truncated during repeated caldera-collapse and partial-filling episodes. An outward-dipping sequence of basalt flows at least 250 m thick forms the steepest (to 33°) flanks of the volcano and is not tilted; thus a constructional origin for the steep upper flanks is favored. About 1 km³ of rhyolite erupted late in the volcano's history from at least three vents and in 2–5 episodes. The most explosive of these produced a tephra blanket that covers the eastern half of the volcano. Homogeneous rhyolitic pumice is overlain by dacite-rhyolite commingled pumice, with no stratigraphic break. The tephra is notable for its low density and coarse grain size. The calculated height of the eruption plume is 23–30 km, and the intensity is estimated to have been 1.2x10⁸ kg/s. Rhyolitic lavas vented from the floor of the caldera and from fissures along the rim overlie the tephra of the plinian phase. The age of the rhyolitic eruptions is 120 ka, on the basis of K-Ar ages. Between ten and 20 basaltic lava flows are younger than the rhyolites. Recent faulting resulted in a moat around part of the caldera floor. Alcedo most resently erupted sometime between 1946 and 1960 from its southern flank. Alcedo maintains an active, transient hydrothermal system. Acoustic and seismic activity in 1991 is attributed to the disruption of the hydrothermal system by a regional-scale earthquake.     

A re-appraisal of the stratigraphy and volcanology of the Cerro Galán volcanic system,NW Argentina

From detailed fieldwork and biotite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating correlated with paleomagnetic analyses of lithic clasts, we present a revision of the stratigraphy, areal extent and volume estimates of ignimbrites in the Cerro Galán volcanic complex. We find evidence for nine distinct outflow ignimbrites, including two newly identified ignimbrites in the Toconquis Group (the Pitas and Vega Ignimbrites). Toconquis Group Ignimbrites (~5.60–4.51 Ma biotite ages) have been discovered to the southwest and north of the caldera, increasing their spatial extents from previous estimates. Previously thought to be contemporaneous, we distinguish the Real Grande Ignimbrite (4.68 ± 0.07 Ma biotite age) from the Cueva Negra Ignimbrite (3.77 ± 0.08 Ma biotite age). The form and collapse processes of the Cerro Galán caldera are also reassessed. Based on re-interpretation of the margins of the caldera, we find evidence for a fault-bounded trapdoor collapse hinged along a regional N-S fault on the eastern side of the caldera and accommodated on a N-S fault on the western caldera margin. The collapsed area defines a roughly isosceles trapezoid shape elongated E-W and with maximum dimensions 27 × 16 km. The Cerro Galán Ignimbrite (CGI; 2.08 ± 0.02 Ma sanidine age) outflow sheet extends to 40 km in all directions from the inferred structural margins, with a maximum runout distance of ~80 km to the north of the caldera. New deposit volume estimates confirm an increase in eruptive volume through time, wherein the Toconquis Group Ignimbrites increase in volume from the ~10 km³ Lower Merihuaca Ignimbrite to a maximum of ~390 km³ (Dense Rock Equivalent; DRE) with the Real Grande Ignimbrite. The climactic CGI has a revised volume of ~630 km³ (DRE), approximately two thirds of the commonly quoted value.     

GOES satellite and field observations of the 1998 eruption of Volcan Cerro Azul, Galápagos Islands

 The 1998 eruption of Volcan Cerro Azul, Isla Isabela, Galápagos Islands, was observed in near real-time by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-8 (GOES-8) weather satellite. Due to the remote location of the eruption site, 3.9-μm radiance values derived from GOES band 2 provide the best timing of the start and termination of the eruption, which occurred on 15 Sept. and 21 Oct., respectively. Throughout the 36-day long eruption, a total of 1335 thermal infrared images were collected, of which 851 were cloud-free and permitted the thermal anomaly to be detected. A detailed chronology including 77 separate events was assembled from the GOES data and field observations. Numerous attributes of the eruption were observed from the GOES data, including the sizes and dispersal of seven eruption plumes and the occurrence and timing of intra-caldera effusive activity. The growth of a lava flow on the SE flank, the formation of smoke and volcanic haze from the flank vent, and burning of vegetation caused by lava flows entering vegetated areas were monitored both on the ground and with the satellite data. In most cases GOES images were processed as they were received every 30 min and were then distributed over the Internet within minutes of reception. These data provided timely high-temporal information to field parties as well as enabled the documentation of the eruption. The GOES observations of Cerro Azul serve as a further example of the way in which the remote sensing community and field volcanologists can collaborate during future eruptions, and permit the temporal and spatial resolution requirements for future satellites systems to be better defined. Received: 27 April 1999 / Accepted: 21 February 2000     

Columnar jointing in vapor-phase-altered,non-welded Cerro Galán Ignimbrite,Paycuqui, Argentina

Columnar jointing is thought to occur primarily in lavas and welded pyroclastic flow deposits. However, the non-welded Cerro Galán Ignimbrite at Paycuqui, Argentina, contains well-developed columnar joints that are instead due to high-temperature vapor-phase alteration of the deposit, where devitrification and vapor-phase crystallization have increased the density and cohesion of the upper half of the section. Thermal remanent magnetization analyses of entrained lithic clasts indicate high emplacement temperatures, above 630°C, but the lack of welding textures indicates temperatures below the glass transition temperature. In order to remain below the glass transition at 630°C, the minimum cooling rate prior to deposition was 3.0 × 10⁻³–8.5 × 10⁻²°C/min (depending on the experimental data used for comparison). Alternatively, if the deposit was emplaced above the glass transition temperature, conductive cooling alone was insufficient to prevent welding. Crack patterns (average, 4.5 sides to each polygon) and column diameters (average, 75 cm) are consistent with relatively rapid cooling, where advective heat loss due to vapor fluxing increases cooling over simple conductive heat transfer. The presence of regularly spaced, complex radiating joint patterns is consistent with fumarolic gas rise, where volatiles originated in the valley-confined drainage system below. Joint spacing is a proxy for cooling rates and is controlled by depositional thickness/valley width. We suggest that the formation of joints in high-temperature, non-welded deposits is aided by the presence of underlying external water, where vapor transfer causes crystallization in pore spaces, densifies the deposit, and helps prevent welding.     

Oil contamination of sedimentary shores of the Galápagos Islands following the wreck of the Jessica

Sediment samples were collected from sandy beaches at a variety of sites in the southern Galápagos Archipelago to assess levels of hydrocarbon contamination following the wreck of the oil tanker Jessica. Hydrocarbon levels in sediments were generally very low by international standards ranging between 0.4 and 48.9 ppm, with contamination attributable to the Jessica only detected at three sites Santa Fe, Playa Estación (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) and Long Beach (Isabela). There was evidence of residual hydrocarbon contamination from sources other than the wreck of the Jessica.     

Effects of the Jessica oil spill on artisanal fisheries in the Galápagos

In contrast to local perceptions, the impact on the local Galápagos artisanal fishery of the 16 January 2001 grounding of the Jessica and subsequent oil spill was relatively minor. No significant changes in fishing effort, total fishing catches or catch-per-unit effort were detected after the spill based on analyses of fisheries monitoring data. Nevertheless, large boats tended to move away from sites near the path of the spill following the grounding in 2001, with no fishing recorded from the oil-affected regions of Floreana and southern Isabela in February 2001. The total fishing effort of small boats operating from the Jessica-grounding island of San Cristóbal also declined immediately after the spill, probably in part because such boats were used in clean up operations. During 2001, prices paid to fishers remained stable at levels higher than in 2000, with the notable anomaly that prices fell precipitously to 30% of previous levels during a 1-2 week period in early February 2001. Fish exports remained at similar levels for the years 2000 and 2001; however, as in the previous year, little fish product was exported from Galápagos in the month following the spill, with most fish product dried and stored for up to two months prior to transport to the continent.     

Geochemical homogeneity of a long-lived,large silicic system; evidence from the Cerro Galán caldera,NW Argentina

By applying a number of analytical techniques across a spectrum of spatial scales (centimeter to micrometer) in juvenile components, we show that the Cerro Galán volcanic system has repeatedly erupted magmas with nearly identical geochemistries over >3.5 Myr. The Cerro Galán system produced nine ignimbrites (∼5.6 to 2 Ma) with a cumulative volume of >1,200 km³ (DRE; dense rock equivalent) of calc-alkaline, high-K rhyodacitic magmas (68–71 wt.% SiO₂). The mineralogy is broadly constant throughout the eruptive sequence, comprising plagioclase, quartz, biotite, Fe–Ti oxides, apatite, and titanite. Early ignimbrite magmas also contained amphibole, while the final eruption, the most voluminous Cerro Galán ignimbrite (CGI; 2.08 ± 0.02 Ma) erupted a magma containing rare amphibole, but significant sanidine. Each ignimbrite contains two main juvenile clast types; dominant “white” pumice and ubiquitous but subordinate “grey” pumice. Fe–Ti oxide and amphibole-plagioclase thermometry coupled with amphibole barometry suggest that the grey pumice originated from potentially hotter and deeper magmas (800–840°C, 3–5 kbar) than the more voluminous white pumice (770–810°C, 1.5–2.5 kbar). The grey pumice is interpreted to represent the parental magmas to the Galán system emplaced into the upper crust from a deeper storage zone. Most inter-ignimbrite variations can be accounted for by differences in modal mineralogy and crystal contents that vary from 40 to 55 vol.% on a vesicle-free basis. Geochemical modeling shows that subtle bulk-rock variations in Ta, Y, Nb, Dy, and Yb between the Galán ignimbrites can be reconciled with differences in amounts of crystal fractionation from the “grey” parent magma. The amount of fractionation is inversely correlated with volume; the CGI (∼630 km³) and Real Grande Ignimbrite (∼390 km³) return higher F values (proportion of liquid remaining) than the older Toconquis Group ignimbrites (<50 km³), implying less crystal fractionation took place during the upper-crustal evolution of these larger volume magmas. We attribute this relationship to variations in magma chamber geometry; the younger, largest volume ignimbrites came from flat sill-like magma chambers, reducing the relative proportion of sidewall crystallization and fractionation compared to the older, smaller-volume ignimbrite eruptions. The grey pumice clasts also show evidence of silicic recharge throughout the history of the Cerro Galán system, and recharge days prior to eruption has previously been suggested based on reversely zoned (OH and Cl) apatite phenocrysts. A rare population of plagioclase phenocrysts with thin An-rich rims in juvenile clasts in many ignimbrites supports the importance of recharge in the evolution and potential triggering of eruptions. This study extends the notion that large volumes of nearly identical silicic magmas can be generated repeatedly, producing prolonged geochemical homogeneity from a long-lived magma source in a subduction zone volcanic setting. At Cerro Galán, we propose that there is a zone between mantle magma input and upper crustal chambers, where magmas are geochemically “buffered”, producing the underlying geochemical and isotopic signatures. This produces the same parental magmas that are delivered repeatedly to the upper crust. A lower-crustal MASH (melting, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) zone is proposed to act as this buffer zone. Subsequent upper crustal magmatic processes serve only to slightly modify the geochemistry of the magmas.     

SeaWiFS satellite monitoring of oil spill impact on primary production in the Galápagos Marine Reserve

Near daily satellite monitoring of ocean colour using sea viewing wide angle of field viewing sensor (SeaWiFS) allowed the oceanic and near coastal chlorophyll-a distributions to be followed across the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) from space. In the aftermath of the Jessica spill early indications suggested that, compared to the three preceding years 1998-2000, local chlorophyll concentrations over January 2001 were elevated across the Galápagos Marine Reserve [Biological Impacts of the Jessica Oil Spill on the Galápagos Environment: Preliminary Report. Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador, 2001]. At the time of the spill the central and eastern extent of the archipelago was experiencing a spatially extensive moderate bloom event (0.5-2.5 mgm(-3) chl-a) extending over the central islands, including the source of the spill and areas of known impact such as the islands of Santa Fé, eastern Santa Cruz and Floreana directly in the advection path.Further investigation shows that chlorophyll across the affected regions of western San Cristóbal, Santa Fé, southeast Santa Cruz, eastern Floreana and eastern Isabela declined in the week directly following the spill event, yet rose in the successive month to levels analogous to preceding years. Although there may have been a localised effect of the spill upon near coast phytoplankton primary production in the short term, the observed variance in the weeks following the spill was not significant in comparison to the normal high variation between years and within the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation signal.     

The May 2005 eruption of Fernandina volcano,Galápagos: The first circumferential dike intrusion observed by GPS and InSAR

The May 2005 eruption of Fernandina volcano, Galápagos, occurred along circumferential fissures parallel to the caldera rim and fed lava flows down the steep southwestern slope of the volcano for several weeks. This was the first circumferential dike intrusion ever observed by both InSAR and GPS measurements and thus provides an opportunity to determine the subsurface geometry of these enigmatic structures that are common on Galápagos volcanoes but are rare elsewhere. Pre- and post- eruption ground deformation between 2002 and 2006 can be modeled by the inflation of two separate magma reservoirs beneath the caldera: a shallow sill at ~1 km depth and a deeper point-source at ~5 km depth, and we infer that this system also existed at the time of the 2005 eruption. The co-eruption deformation is dominated by uplift near the 2005 eruptive fissures, superimposed on a broad subsidence centered on the caldera. Modeling of the co-eruption deformation was performed by including various combinations of planar dislocations to simulate the 2005 circumferential dike intrusion. We found that a single planar dike could not match both the InSAR and GPS data. Our best-fit model includes three planar dikes connected along hinge lines to simulate a curved concave shell that is steeply dipping (~45–60°) toward the caldera at the surface and more gently dipping (~12–14°) at depth where it connects to the horizontal sub-caldera sill. The shallow sill is underlain by the deep point source. The geometry of this modeled magmatic system is consistent with the petrology of Fernandina lavas, which suggest that circumferential eruptions tap the shallowest parts of the system, whereas radial eruptions are fed from deeper levels. The recent history of eruptions at Fernandina is also consistent with the idea that circumferential and radial intrusions are sometimes in a stress-feedback relationship and alternate in time with one another.     

High-temperature emplacement of the Cerro Galán and Toconquis Group ignimbrites (Puna plateau,NW Argentina) determined by TRM analyses

Estimates of pyroclastic flow emplacement temperatures in the Cerro Galán ignimbrite and Toconquis Group ignimbrites were determined using thermal remanent magnetization of lithic clasts embedded within the deposits. These ignimbrites belong to the Cerro Galán volcanic system, one of the largest calderas in the world, in the Puna plateau, NW Argentina. Temperature estimates for the 2.08-Ma Cerro Galán ignimbrite are retrieved from 40 sites in 14 localities (176 measured clasts), distributed at different distances from the caldera and different stratigraphic heights. Additionally, temperature estimates were obtained from 27 sample sites (125 measured clasts) from seven ignimbrite units forming the older Toconquis Group (5.60–4.51 Ma), mainly outcropping along a type section at Rio Las Pitas, Vega Real Grande. The paleomagnetic data obtained by progressive thermal demagnetization show that the clasts of the Cerro Galán ignimbrite have one single magnetic component, oriented close to the expected geomagnetic field at the time of emplacement. Results show therefore that most of the clasts acquired a new magnetization oriented parallel to the magnetic field at the moment of the ignimbrite deposition, suggesting that the clasts were heated up to or above the highest blocking temperature (T _b) of the magnetic minerals (T _b = 580°C for magnetite; T _b = 600–630°C for hematite). We obtained similar emplacement temperature estimations for six out of the seven volcanic units belonging to the Toconquis Group, with the exception of one unit (Lower Merihuaca), where we found two distinct magnetic components. The estimation of emplacement temperatures in this latter case is constrained at 580–610°C, which are lower than the other ignimbrites. These estimations are also in agreement with the lowest pre-eruptive magma temperatures calculated for the same unit (i.e., 790°C; hornblende–plagioclase thermometer; Folkes et al. 2011b). We conclude that the Cerro Galán ignimbrite and Toconquis Group ignimbrites were emplaced at temperatures equal to or higher than 620°C, except for Lower Merihuaca unit emplaced at lower temperatures. The homogeneity of high temperatures from proximal to distal facies in the Cerro Galán ignimbrite provides constraints for the emplacement model, marked by a relatively low eruption column, low levels of turbulence, air entrainment, surface–water interaction, and a high level of topographic confinement, all ensuring minimal heat loss.     

The effect of the Jessica grounding on Galápagos reef fish communities adjacent to the wreck site

The grounding of the oil tanker Jessica off San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, resulted in generally elevated rather than depressed densities of fishes adjacent to the wreck site 15 weeks post spill. Species richness of fishes declined along transects out from the wreck; however, patterns were inconsistent for different depth strata, with the most clearly defined decline evident for the intermediate 5-7 m depth stratum. Fish species attracted to the immediate wreck site, most notably the surgeonfish Prionurus laticlavius, the damselfish Microspathodon dorsalis and the angelfish Holacanthus passer, were considered to be responding either to the heterogeneity provided by the wreck structure or elevated densities of macroalgae. The fish community at the wreck site lay outside the range of variation for other sites investigated in the region; however, contrary to predictions of grounding impacts, the fish assemblage immediately adjacent to the wreckage showed greater faunal similarity to reference sites than did fish assemblage at 60-90 m distance from the grounding.     

The flow dynamics of an extremely large volume pyroclastic flow,the 2.08-Ma Cerro Galán Ignimbrite,NW Argentina,and comparison with other flow types

The 2.08-Ma Cerro Galán Ignimbrite (CGI) represents a >630-km³ dense rock equivalent (VEI 8) eruption from the long-lived Cerro Galán magma system (∼6 Ma). It is a crystal-rich (35–60%), pumice (<10% generally) and lithic-poor (<5% generally) rhyodacitic ignimbrite, lacking a preceding plinian fallout deposit. The CGI is preserved up to 80 km from the structural margins of the caldera, but almost certainly was deposited up to 100 km from the caldera in some places. Only one emplacement unit is preserved in proximal to medial settings and in most distal settings, suggesting constant flow conditions, but where the pyroclastic flow moved into a palaeotopography of substantial valleys and ridges, it interacted with valley walls, resulting in flow instabilities that generated multiple depositional units, often separated by pyroclastic surge deposits. The CGI preserves a widespread sub-horizontal fabric, defined by aligned elongate pumice and lithic clasts, and minerals (e.g. biotite). A sub-horizontal anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility fabric is defined by minute magnetic minerals in all localities where it has been analysed. The CGI is poor in both vent-derived (‘accessory’) lithics and locally derived lithics from the ground surface (‘accidental’) lithics. Locally derived lithics are small (<20 cm) and were not transported far from source points. All data suggest that the pyroclastic flow system producing the CGI was characterised throughout by high sedimentation rates, resulting from high particle concentration and suppressed turbulence at the depositional boundary layer, despite being a low aspect ratio ignimbrite. Based on these features, we question whether high velocity and momentum are necessary to account for extensive flow mobility. It is proposed that the CGI was deposited by a pyroclastic flow system that developed a substantial, high particle concentration granular under-flow, which flowed with suppressed turbulence. High particle concentration and fine-ash content hindered gas loss and maintained flow mobility. In order to explain the contemporaneous maintenance of high particle concentration, high sedimentation rate at the depositional boundary layer and a high level of mobility, it is also proposed that the flow(s) was continuously supplied at a high mass feeding rate. It is also proposed that internal gas pressure within the flow, directed downwards onto the substrate over which the flow was passing, reduced the friction between the flow and the substrate and also enhanced its mobility. The pervasive sub-horizontal fabric of aligned pumice, lithic and even biotite crystals indicates a consistent horizontal shear force existed during transport and deposition in the basal granular flow, consistent with the existence of a laminar, shearing, granular flow regime during the final stages of transport and deposition.     

The effect of the Jessica grounding on subtidal invertebrate and plant communities at the Galápagos wreck site

Impacts of the grounding of the oil tanker Jessica off San Cristóbal island, Galápagos, included both effects of oil on biota and also mechanical effects associated with a shallow furrow 50 m x 30 m gouged across the rocky seafloor and wreckage strewn over 7500 m(2). The wreckage represented a minor but potentially chronic source of pollution to the surrounding environment through delayed releases of oil, antifouling compounds and other toxic chemicals, and a possible source of exotic marine taxa. Investigation at the wreck site indicated that impacts on subtidal plant and macro-invertebrate communities were largely confined within 100 m of the wreck site itself. Observed population effects included significant increases in cover of opportunistic algae (filamentous green algae, filamentous red algae and Ulva sp.) and the hydroid Ectopleura media adjacent to the wreck, while densities of the green sea urchin Lytechinus semituberculatus significantly decreased from 0.3 m(-2) adjacent to the wreck to 11 m(-2) at 100 m distance.     

The caldera-forming eruption of Volcán Ceboruco, Mexico

3 of magma erupted, ∼95% of which was deposited as fall layers. During most of the deposition of P1, eruptive intensity (mass flux) was almost constant at 4–8×10⁷ kg s⁻¹, producing a Plinian column 25–30 km in height. Size grading at the top of P1 indicates, however, that mass flux waned dramatically, and possibly that there was a brief pause in the eruption. During the post-P1 phase of the eruption, a much smaller volume of magma erupted, although mass flux varied by more than an order of magnitude. We suggest that caldera collapse began at the end of the P1 phase of the eruption, because along with the large differences in mass flux behavior between P1 and post-P1 layers, there were also dramatic changes in lithic content (P1 contains ∼8% lithics; post-P1 layers contain 30–60%) and magma composition (P1 is 98% rhyodacite; post-P1 layers are 60–90% rhyodacite). However, the total volume of magma erupted during the Jala pumice event is close to that estimated for the caldera. These observations appear to conflict with models which envision that, after an eruption is initiated by overpressure in the magma chamber, caldera collapse begins when the reservoir becomes underpressurized as a result of the removal of magma. The conflict arises because firstly, the P1 layer makes up too large a proportion (∼75%) of the total volume erupted to correspond to an overpressurized phase, and secondly, the caldera volume exceeds the post-P1 volume of magma by at least a factor of three. The mismatches between model and observations could be reconciled if collapse began near the beginning of the eruption, but no record of such early collapse is evident in the tephra sequence. The apparent inability to place the Jala pumice eruptive sequence into existing models of caldera collapse, which were constructed to explain the formation of calderas much greater in volume than that at Ceboruco, may indicate that differences in caldera mechanics exist that depend on size or that a more general model for caldera formation is needed. Received: 18 November 1998 / Accepted: 23 October 1999     

Reconstruction of the volcanic history of the Tacámbaro-Puruarán area (Michoacán, México) reveals high frequency of Holocene monogenetic eruptions

The 690?km² Tacámbaro-Puruarán area located at the arc-front part of the Michoácan-Guanajuato volcanic field in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) records a protracted history of volcanism that culminated with intense monogenetic activity in the Holocene. Geologic mapping, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and ¹⁴C radiometric dating, and whole-rock chemical analyses of volcanic products provide insights to that history. Eocene volcanics (55–40?Ma) exposed at uplifted blocks are related to a magmatic arc that preceded the TMVB. Early TMVB products are represented by poorly exposed Pliocene silicic domes (5–2?Ma). Quaternary (<2?Ma) volcanoes (114 mapped) are mainly scoria cones with lavas (49 vol.%), viscous lava flows (22 vol.%), and lava shields (22 vol.%). Erupted products are dominantly either basaltic andesites (37 vol. %), or andesites (17 vol.%), or span across both compositions (28 vol.%). Basalts (9 vol.%), dacites (4 vol.%), shoshonites (2 vol.%), and other alkali-rich rocks (<3 vol.%) occur subordinately. Early-Pleistocene volcanism was bimodal (dacites and basalts) and voluminous while since 1?Ma small-volume eruptions of intermediate magmas have dominated. Higher rates of lithospheric extension in the Quaternary may have allowed a larger number of small, poorly evolved dikes to reach the surface during this period. Eruptive centers as old as 1.7?Ma are aligned in a NE direction parallel to both, basement faults and the direction of regional compressive stress, implying structural control on volcanic activity. Data suggest that volcanism was strongly pulsatory and fed by localized low-degree partial melting of mantle sources. In the Holocene, at least 13 eruptions occurred (average recurrence interval of 800?years). These produced ~3.8?km³ of basaltic andesitic to andesitic magma and included four eruptions dated at ~1,000; 4,000; 8,000; and 11,000?years bc (calibrated ¹⁴C ages). To date, this is one of the highest monogenetic eruption frequencies detected within such a small area in a subduction-related arc-setting. These anomalous rates of monogenetic activity in an area with thick crust (>30?km) may be related to high rates of magma production at depth and a favorable tectonic setting.     

Hf–Nd isotope constraints on the origin of the Cretaceous Caribbean plateau and its relationship to the Galápagos plume

Formation of the Cretaceous Caribbean plateau, including the komatiites of Gorgona, has been linked to the currently active Galápagos hotspot. We use Hf–Nd isotopes and trace element data to characterise both the Caribbean plateau and the Galápagos hotspot, and to investigate the relationship between them. Four geochemical components are identified in the Galápagos mantle plume: two ‘enriched’ components with ϵHf and ϵNd similar to enriched components observed in other mantle plumes, one moderately enriched component with high Nb/Y, and a fourth component which most likely represents depleted MORB source mantle. The Caribbean plateau basalt data form a linear array in Hf–Nd isotope space, consistent with mixing between two mantle components. Combined Hf–Nd–Pb–Sr–He isotope and trace element data from this study and the literature suggest that the more enriched Caribbean end member corresponds to one or both of the enriched components identified on Galápagos. Likewise, the depleted end member of the array is geochemically indistinguishable from MORB and corresponds to the depleted component of the Galápagos system. Enriched basalts from Gorgona partially overlap with the Caribbean plateau array in ϵHf vs. ϵNd, whereas depleted basalts, picrites and komatiites from Gorgona have a high ϵHf for a given ϵNd, defining a high-ϵHf depleted end member that is not observed elsewhere within the Caribbean plateau sequences. This component is similar, however, in terms of Hf–Nd–Pb–He isotopes and trace elements to the depleted plume component recognised in basalts from Iceland and along the Reykjanes Ridge. We suggest that the Caribbean plateau represents the initial outpourings of the ancestral Galápagos plume. Absence of a moderately enriched, high Nb/Y component in the older Caribbean plateau (but found today on the island of Floreana) is either due to changing source compositions of the plume over its 90 Ma history, or is an artifact of limited sampling. The high-ϵHf depleted component sampled by the Gorgona komatiites and depleted basalts is unique to Gorgona and is not found in the Caribbean plateau. This may be an indication of the scale of heterogeneity of the Caribbean plateau system; alternatively Gorgona may represent a separate oceanic plateau derived from a completely different Pacific plume, such as the Sala y Gomez.     

Pyroclastic flow deposits of the 1991 eruption of Volcán de Colima,Mexico

The April 16, 1991, eruption of Volcán de Colima represents a classical example of partial dome collapse with the generation of progressively longer-runout, Merapi-type pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 4 km along the El Cordoban gullies (East, Central and West). The flows filled the gullies with block-and-ash flow deposits up to 10 m thick, of which, after 7 years of erosion, only remnants remained in the El Cordoban West and East gullies. The El Cordoban Central gully, however, provided a well-preserved and incised longitudinal section of the 1991 deposits. The deposits were emplaced as proximal and distal facies, separated by a change in slope angle from >30° to <20°. The proximal facies consists of massive, clast-supported flow units (up to 1 m thick) with andesite blocks locally supported by a matrix of coarse ash and devoid of segregation structures or grading. The distal facies consists of a massive, matrix-supported deposit up to 8 m thick, which contains dispersed andesite blocks in a fine ash matrix. In the distal facies, a train of blocks marks flow-unit upper boundaries and, although sorting is poor, some grading is present. Thin, finely stratified, or dune-bedded layers of fine ash material are locally present above or below units of both facies. Sedimentologic parameters show that the size or fraction of large pyroclasts (larger than –1 ) decreases from proximal to distal facies, as the percentage of matrix (0 to 4 ) increases, especially immediately beyond the break in slope. We propose that the propagation of the Colima pyroclastic flows is critically dependent on local slope angle, the presence of erodible slope debris, and the decrease in grain size with distance from the vent. The progressive fining is probably caused by some combination of erosion, clast breakup and deposition of larger pyroclasts, and is itself influenced by the slope angle. In the proximal region, the flows moved as granular avalanches, in which interacting grains ground each other and erosion occurred to produce an overriding dilute ash cloud. The maximum runout distance of the avalanches was controlled by the angle of repose of the material, and the volume and grain size of source and eroded material. Because the slope angle is close to the repose angle for this debris, granular avalanches were not able to propagate far beyond the change in slope. If, however, an avalanche had enough mass in finer grain size fractions, at least part of the flow continued beyond the break in slope and across the volcano apron, propagating in a turbulent state and depositing surge layers, or in an otherwise settling-modified state and depositing block-and-ash flow layers.Editorial responsibility: T Druitt