The Llullaillaco volcano, northwest Argentina: construction by Pleistocene volcanism and destruction by sector collapse

Llullaillaco is one of a chain of Quaternary stratovolcanoes that defines the present Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), and marks the border between Chile and Argentina/Bolivia. The current edifice is constructed from a series of thick dacitic lava flows, forming the second tallest active volcano in the world (6739 m). K–Ar and new biotite laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar step-heating dates indicate that the volcano was constructed during the Pleistocene (≤1.5 Ma), with a youngest date of 0.048±0.012 Ma being recorded for a fresh dacite flow that descends the southern flank. Additional ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar measurements for andesitic and dacitic lava flows from the surrounding volcanic terrain yield dates of between 11.94±0.13 Ma and 5.48±0.07 Ma, corresponding to an extended period of Miocene volcanism which defines much of the landscape in this region. Major- and trace-element compositions of lavas from Llullaillaco are typical of Miocene–Pleistocene volcanic rocks from the western margin of the CVZ, and are related to relatively shallow-dipping subduction of the Nazca plate beneath northern Chile and Argentina.Oversteepening of the edifice by stacking of thick, viscous, dacitic lava flows resulted in collapse of its southeastern flank to form a large volcanic debris avalanche. Biotite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of lava blocks from the avalanche deposit indicate that collapse occurred at or after 0.15 Ma, and may have been triggered by extrusion of a dacitic flow similar to the one dated at 0.048±0.012 Ma. The avalanche deposits are exceptionally well preserved due to the arid climate, and prominent levées, longitudinal ridges, and megablocks up to 20-m diameter are observed.The avalanche descended 2.8 km vertically, and bifurcated around an older volcano, Cerro Rosado, before debouching onto the salt flats of Salina de Llullaillaco. The north and south limbs of the avalanche traveled 25 and 23 km, respectively, and together cover an area of approximately 165 km². Estimates of deposit volume are hampered by a lack of thickness information except at the edges, but it is likely to be between 1 and 2 km³. Equivalent coefficients of friction of 0.11 and 0.12, and excess travel distances of 20.5 and 18.5 km, are calculated for the north and south limbs, respectively. The avalanche ascended 400 m where it broke against the western flank of Cerro Rosado, and a minimum flow velocity of 90 m s⁻¹ can be calculated at this point; lower velocities of 45 m s⁻¹ are calculated where distal toes ascend 200 m slopes.It is suggested that the remaining precipitous edifice has a high probability for further avalanche collapse in the event of renewed volcanism.     

The Whitsunday Volcanic Province, Central Queensland, Australia: lithological and stratigraphic investigations of a silicic-dominated large igneous province

Contrary to general belief, not all large igneous provinces (LIPs) are characterised by rocks of basaltic composition. Silicic-dominated LIPs, such as the Whitsunday Volcanic Province of NE Australia, are being increasingly recognised in the rock record. These silicic LIPs are consistent in being: (1) volumetrically dominated by ignimbrite; (2) active over prolonged periods (40–50 m.y.), based on available age data; and (3) spatially and temporally associated with plate break-up. This silicic-dominated LIP, related to the break-up of eastern continental Gondwana, is also significant for being the source of >1.4×10⁶ km³ of coeval volcanogenic sediment preserved in adjacent sedimentary basins of eastern Australia.The Whitsunday Volcanic Province is volumetrically dominated by medium- to high-grade, dacitic to rhyolitic lithic ignimbrites. Individual ignimbrite units are commonly between 10 and 100 m thick, and the ignimbrite-dominated sequences exceed 1 km in thickness. Coarse lithic lag breccias containing clasts up to 6 m diameter are associated with the ignimbrites in proximal sections. Pyroclastic surge and fallout deposits, subordinate basaltic to rhyolitic lavas, phreatomagmatic deposits, and locally significant thicknesses of coarse-grained volcanogenic conglomerate and sandstone are interbedded with the ignimbrites. The volcanic sequences are intruded by gabbro/dolerite to rhyolite dykes (up to 50 m in width), sills and comagmatic granite. Dyke orientations are primarily from NW to NNE.The volcanic sequences are characterised by the interstratification of proximal/near-vent lithofacies such as rhyolite domes and lavas, and basaltic agglomerate, with medial to distal facies of ignimbrite. The burial of these near-vent lithofacies by ignimbrites, coupled with the paucity of mass wastage products such as debris-flow deposits indicates a low-relief depositional environment. Furthermore, the volcanic succession records a temporal change in: (1) eruptive styles; (2) the nature of source vents; and (3) erupted compositions. An early explosive dacitic pyroclastic phase was succeeded by a later mixed pyroclastic-effusive phase producing an essentially bimodal suite of lavas and rhyolitic ignimbrite. From the nature and distribution of volcanic lithofacies, the volcanic sequences are interpreted to record the evolution of a multiple vent, low-relief volcanic region, dominated by several large caldera centres.     

Volcano-stratigraphy and geochemistry of collision-related volcanism on the Erzurum–Kars Plateau, northeastern Turkey

The Eastern Anatolia Region exhibits one of the world's best exposed and most complete transects across a volcanic province related to a continental collision zone. Within this region, the Erzurum–Kars Plateau is of special importance since it contains the full record of collision-related volcanism from Middle Miocene to Pliocene. This paper presents a detailed study of the volcanic stratigraphy of the plateau, together with new K–Ar ages and several hundred new major- and trace-element analyses in order to evaluate the magmatic evolution of the plateau and its links to collision-related tectonic processes. The data show that the volcanic units of the Erzurum–Kars Plateau cover a broad compositional range from basalts to rhyolites. Correlations between six logged, volcano-stratigraphic sections suggest that the volcanic activity may be divided into three consecutive Stages, and that activity begins slightly earlier in the west of the plateau than in the east. The Early Stage (mostly from 11 to 6 Ma) is characterised by bimodal volcanism, made up of mafic-intermediate lavas and acid pyroclastic rocks. Their petrography and high-Y fractionation trend suggest that they result from crystallization of anhydrous assemblages at relatively shallow crustal levels. Their stratigraphy and geochemistry suggest that the basic rocks erupted from small transient chambers while the acid rocks erupted from large, zoned magma chambers. The Middle Stage (mostly from 6–5 Ma) is characterised by unimodal volcanism made up predominantly of andesitic–dacitic lavas. Their petrography and low-Y fractionation trend indicate that they resulted from crystallization of hydrous (amphibole-bearing) assemblages in deeper magma chambers. The Late Stage (mostly 5–2.7 Ma) is again characterised by bimodal volcanism, made up mainly of plateau basalts and basaltic andesite lavas and felsic domes. Their petrography and high-Y fractionation trend indicate that they resulted from crystallization of anhydrous assemblages at relatively shallow crustal levels. AFC modelling shows that crustal assimilation was most important in the deeper magma chambers of the Middle Stage. The geochemical data indicate that the parental magma changed little throughout the evolution of the plateau. This parental magma exhibits a distinctive subduction signature represented by selective enrichment in LILE and LREE thought to have been inherited from a lithosphere modified by pre-collision subduction events. The relationships between magmatism and tectonics support models in which delamination of thickened subcontinental lithosphere cause uplift accompanied by melting of this enriched lithosphere. Magma ascent, and possibly magma generation, is then strongly controlled by strike-slip faulting and associated pull-apart extensional tectonics.     

Relationships between mineralization and silicic volcanism in the Central Andes

Studies of late Tertiary silicic volcanic centres in the Western and Eastern Cordilleras of the Central Andes show that three volcanic environments are appropriate sites for mineralization: (1) ring-fracture extrusions post-dating large calderas; (2) similar extrusions within ignimbrite shields; and (3) isolated, small silicic volcanoes. Subvolcanic tin mineralization in the Eastern Cordillera is located in silicic stocks and associated breccias of Miocene age. The Cerro Rico stock, Potosi, Bolivia, contains tin and silver mineralization and has an intrusion age apparently millions of years younger than that of the associated Kari Kari caldera. Similar age relationships between mineralization and caldera formation have been described from the San Juan province, Colorado. The vein deposits of Chocaya, southern Bolivia, were emplaced in the lower part of an ignimbrite shield, a type of volcanic edifice as yet unrecognized in comparable areas of silicic volcanism. The El Salvador porphyry copper deposit, Chile, is related to silicic stocks which may have been intruded along a caldera ring fracture. Cerro Bonete, Chile, provides a modern example of the volcanic superstructure which may have overlain isolated mineralized stocks and breccia pipes such as that of Salvadora at Llallagua, Bolivia.Existing models for the genesis of porphyry copper deposits suggest that they formed in granodioritic stocks located in the infrastructure of andesitic stratovolcanoes. Sites of porphyry-type subvolcanic tin mineralization in the Eastern Cordillera of Bolivia are distinguished by the absence of such andesitic structures. The surface expression of a typical subvolcanic porphyry tin deposit was probably an extrusive dome of quartz latite porphyry, sometimes related to a larger caldera structure. Evidence from the El Salvador porphyry copper deposit in the Eocene magmatic belt in Chile suggests that it too may be more closely related to a silicic volcanic structure than to an andesitic stratovolcano.The dome of La Soufriere, Guadeloupe is proposed as a modern analog for the surface expression of subvolcanic mineralization processes, the phreatic eruptions there suggesting the formation of hydrothermal breccia bodies in depth. Occurrence of mineralized porphyries, millions of years after caldera formation, does not necessarily indicate that intrusions and mineralization are not genetically related to the sub-caldera pluton, but may be a consequence of the long thermal histories (1–10 million years) of the lowermost parts of large plutons. Caldera formation can only inhibit mineralization by dispersal of ore metals when these are of magmatic origin, and ignimbrites should not be taken as being unlikely to be associated with porphyry mineralization. Whether ore metals are of wall rock or magmatic origin, the key to understanding the relationships between silicic volcanism and mineralization lies in the fractionation of trace elements within large zoned magma chambers during their igneous history, and their subsequent hydrothermal migration. Small, highly mineralized intrusions formed late in a caldera cycle (such as the Cerro Rico) may be due to the introduction of fresh supplies of mafic magma into the lower parts of the main pluton.     

Neogene ignimbrites of the Nevsehir plateau (Central Turkey): stratigraphy, distribution and source constraints

In Anatolia (Turkey), extensive calc-alkaline volcanism has developed along discontinuous provinces from Neogene to Quaternary times as a consequence of plate convergence and continental collision. In the Nevsehir plateau, which is located in the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province, volcanism consists of numerous monogenetic centres, several large stratovolcanoes and an extensive, mainly Neogene, rhyolitic ignimbrite field. Vent and caldera locations for the Neogene ignimbrites were not well known based on previous studies.In the Neogene ignimbrite sequence of the Nevsehir plateau, we have identified an old group of ignimbrites (Kavak ignimbrites) followed by five major ignimbrite units (Zelve, Sarimaden Tepe, Cemilköy, Gördeles, Kizilkaya) and two smaller, less extensive ones (Tahar, Sofular). Other ignimbrite units at the margin of the plateau occur as outliers of larger ignimbrites whose main distributions are beyond the plateau. Excellent exposure and physical continuity of the units over large areas have allowed establishment of the stratigraphic succession of the ignimbrites as, from bottom to top: Kavak, Zelve, Sarimaden Tepe, Cemilköy, Tahar, Gördeles, Sofular, Kizilkaya. Our stratigraphic scheme refines previous ones by the identification of the Zelve ignimbrite and the correlation of the previously defined ‘Akköy’ ignimbrite with the Sarimaden Tepe ignimbrite. Correlations of distant ignimbrite remnants have been achieved by using a combination a field criteria: (1) sedimentological characterisitics; (2) phenocryst assemblage; (3) pumice vesiculation texture; (4) presence and characteristics of associated plinian fallout deposits; and (5) lithic types. The correlations significantly enlarge the estimates of the original extent and volume of most ignimbrites: volumes range between 80 km³ and 300 km³ for the major ignimbrites, corresponding to 2500–10,000 km³ in areal extent.The major ignimbrites of the Nevsehir plateau have an inferred source area in the Derinkuyu tectonic basin which extends mainly between Nevsehir and the Melendiz Dag volcanic complex. The Kavak ignimbrites and the Zelve ignimbrite have inferred sources located between Nevsehir and Derinkuyu, coincident with a negative gravity anomaly. The younger ignimbrites (Sarimaden Tepe, Cemilköy, Gördeles, Kizilkaya) have inferred sources clustered to the south between the Erdas Dag and the Melendiz Dag volcanic complex. We found evidence of collapse structures on the northern and southern flanks of the Erdas Dag volcanic massif, and of a large updoming structure in the Sahinkalesi Tepe massif. The present-day Derinkuyu tectonic basin is mostly covered with Quaternary sediments and volcanics. The fault system which bounds the basin to the east provides evidence that the ignimbrite volcanism and inferred caldera formation took place in a locally extensional environment while the basin was already subsiding. Drilling and geophysical prospecting are necessary to decipher in detail the presently unknown internal structure of the basin and the inferred, probably coalesced or nested, calderas within it.     

Volcanism and structure of southwestern Bolivia

Cenozoic volcanic activity started in southwestern Bolivia during the Oligocene. From the Early Miocene up to the Holocene, volcanism produced about 8000 km³ of lavas and pyroclastic rocks. Five major cycles could be distinguished.North—south-trending fissures in the eastern part of southwestern Bolivia were sources of Miocene ignimbrites. The eruptive centers of Pliocene ignimbrites are scattered throughout the investigated area, but are concentrated in the western part. During Pleistocene times small ignimbrite flows were formed by collapse of composite volcanoes.The oldest lavas (Oligocene) are alkaline and differ considerably from younger rocks, which are rhyodacites and dacites with only a small limited range of compositions. Based on the K₂O/Na₂O ratios and the mineralogical composition, the lavas can be subdivided into a calc-alkaline and a high-K calc-alkaline (shoshonitic) association. Hornblende is absent from lavas with high K₂O/Na₂O ratios.In southwestern Bolivia a westward migration of volcanic activity is apparent. The potassium content of the lavas decreases from the Miocene to the Holocene, whereas the sodium content increases. The potassium content cannot, therefore, be correlated with the depth of the Benioff zone. It is suggested, that the lavas and ignimbrites were formed by partial melting of material from different crustal levels.     

Recent hydrothermal explosion craters in an old hyaloclastite flow, central Iceland

Hundreds of small (diameter 2–50 m) hydrothermal explosion craters are dispersed across the top plateau of a hyaloclastite ridge in central Iceland. The craters are undisturbed by erosion and must be of Recent age. The ridge, Dyngjufjöll Ytri, is a tectonic horst, separated from the Dyngjufjöll volcanic center and the Askja caldera by a narrow graben. The ridge is 20 km by 6 km with a flat top partly covered with glacial sediments and air-fall tephra. It is composed of two major volcanic units, a lower hyaloclastite flow and an upper complex series containing pillow lavas, air-fall and surge tephra deposits and water lain sediments. Large (max. 9 m diameter) cylindrical gas pipes, coated with calcite, are locally exposed in the hyaloclastite flow. Evidence suggests that volcanism contributing to the formation of the ridge was long extinct when its surface was broken by the hydrothermal explosions. The elevated position of the ridge and its narrow form make unlikely the existence of a long-lived hydrothermal system. This is also borne out by the absence of intense thermal alteration of the material blown out in the explosions. The ridge is surrounded by postglacial lavas. One of these lavas issued from a fissure with the same strike as the ridge that terminates in a small crater at the base of its southern slope. It is suggested that the fissure continues as an intrusion into the basal hyaloclastite flow where water in gas pipes of the hyaloclastite was converted into high-pressure steam that exploded through the overlying unconsolidated formations.     

Geology of the quaternary volcanic centres of the east Anatolia

Following the collision along the Bitlis–Zagros suture, a north–south convergence between the Arabian Platform and Laurasia has continued uninterrupted until the present. As a result, the continental crust has been shortened, thickened and consequently elevated to form the Turkish–Iranian high plateau. On the high plateau volcanic activity began during the Neogene, intensified during the late Miocene–Pliocene and continued until historical times. Large volcanic centres have been developed during the Quaternary which form significant peaks above the Turkish–Iranian high plateau. Among the Quaternary volcanoes, the major volcanic centres are Ararat, Tendürek, Suphan and Nemrut. Ararat (Ağri Daği) is the largest volcanic center and is a compound stratovolcano, consisting of Greater Ararat and lesser Ararat. The former represents the highest elevation of Anatolia reaching over 5000 m in height. Tendürek is a double-peaked shield volcano, which produced a voluminous amount of basalt lava as extensive pahoehoe, and aa flows. It has an ill-defined semi-caldera. Suphan is an isolated stratovolcano, capped by silicic dome. It represents the second highest topographic elevation in Anatolia, with a height of over 4000 m. A cluster of subsidiary cones and small domes surrounds the volcano. Nemrut is the largest member of a group of volcanoes, which trend north–south. It is a stratovolcano, having a well-defined collapse caldera and a caldera lake. Various volcanic ejecta have been extruded from these volcanic centres over the last 1 to 2 million years. The Quaternary volcanic centres, although temporally and spatially closely associated, display a wide range of lavas from basalt to rhyolite. The volcanoes have diverse compositional trends; Ararat is distinctly subalkaline, Suphan is mildly subalkaline, Nemrut is mildly alkaline and Tendürek is strongly alkaline. The major and trace element compositions together with the isotope ratios indicate that their magmas were generated from a heterogeneous mantle source. Each of the volcanic centres has undergone a partly different magmatic evolution.     

Facies architecture of a silicic intrusion-dominated volcanic centre at Highway–Reward, Queensland, Australia

The Highway–Reward massive sulphide deposit is hosted by a silicic volcanic succession in the Cambro-Ordovician Seventy Mile Range Group, northeastern Australia. Three principal lithofacies associations have been identified in the host succession: the volcanogenic sedimentary facies association, the primary volcanic facies association and the resedimented syn-eruptive facies association. The volcanogenic sedimentary facies association comprises volcanic and non-volcanic siltstone and sandstone turbidites that indicate submarine settings below storm wave base. Lithofacies of the primary volcanic facies association include coherent rhyolite, rhyodacite and dacite, and associated non-stratified breccia facies (autoclastic breccia and peperite). The resedimented volcaniclastic facies association contains clasts that were initially formed and deposited by volcanic processes, but then redeposited by mass-flow processes. Resedimentation was more or less syn-eruptive so that the deposits are essentially monomictic and clast shapes are unmodified. This facies association includes monomictic rhyolitic to dacitic breccia (resedimented autoclastic facies), siltstone-matrix rhyolitic to dacitic breccia (resedimented intrusive hyaloclastite or resedimented peperite) and graded lithic-crystal-pumice breccia and sandstone (pumiceous and crystal-rich turbidites). The graded lithic-crystal-pumice breccia and sandstone facies is the submarine record of a volcanic centre(s) that is not preserved or is located outside the study area. Pumice, shards, and crystals are pyroclasts that reflect the importance of explosive magmatic and/or phreatomagmatic eruptions and suggest that the source vents were in shallow water or subaerial settings.The lithofacies associations at Highway–Reward collectively define a submarine, shallow-intrusion-dominated volcanic centre. Contact relationships and phenocryst populations indicate the presence of more than 13 distinct porphyritic units with a collective volume of 0.5 km³. Single porphyritic units vary from <10 to 350 m in thickness and some are less than 200 m in diameter. Ten of the porphyritic units studied in the immediate host sequence to the Highway–Reward deposit are entirely intrusive. Two of the units lack features diagnostic of their emplacement mechanism and could be either lavas and intrusions. Direct evidence for eruption at the seafloor is limited to a single partly extrusive cryptodome. However, distinctive units of resedimented autoclastic breccia indicate the presence nearby of additional lavas and domes.The size and shape of the lavas and intrusions reflect a restricted supply of magma during eruption/intrusion, the style of emplacement, and the subaqueous emplacement environment. Due to rapid quenching and mixing with unconsolidated clastic facies, the sills and cryptodomes did not spread far from their conduits. The shape and distribution of the lavas and intrusions were further influenced by the positions of previously or concurrently emplaced units. Magma preferentially invaded the sediment, avoiding the older units or conforming to their margins. Large intrusions and their dewatered envelope may have formed a barrier to the lateral progression and ascent of subsequent batches of magma.     

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.     

K-Ar geochronology of the late cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Cordillera Occidental, southernmost Peru

Twenty-four K-Ar radiometric ages are presented for late Cenozoic continental volcanic rocks of the Cordillera Occidental of southernmost Perú (lat. 16° 57′–17° 36′S). Rhyodacitic ignimbrite eruptions began in this transect during the Late Oligocene and continued episodically through the Miocene. The development of andesitic-dacitic strato volcanoes was initiated in the Pliocene and continues to the present.The earliest ignimbrite flows (25.3–22.7 Ma) are intercalated in the upper, coarsely-elastic member of the Moquegua Formation and demonstrate that this sedimentary unit accumulated in a trough, parallel to Andean tectonic trends, largely in the Oligocene. More voluminous ash-flow eruptions prevailed in the Early Miocene (22.8–17.6 Ma) and formed the extensively preserved Huaylillas Formation. This episode was coeval with a major phase of Andean uplift, and the pyroclastics overlie an erosional surface of regional extent incised into a Paleogene volcano-plutonic arc terrain. An age span of 14.2–8.9 Ma (mid-Late Miocene) is indicated for the younger Chuntacala Formation, which again comprises felsic ignimbrite flows, largely restricted to valleys incised into the pre-Huaylillas Formation lithologies, and, at lower altitudes, an extensive aggradational elastic facies. The youngest areally extensive ignimbrites, constituting the Sencca Formation, were extruded during the Late Miocene.In the earliest Pliocene, the ignimbrites were succeeded by more voluminous calcalkaline, intermediate flows which generated numerous large and small stratovolcanoes; these range in age from 5.3 to 1.6 Ma. Present-day, or Holocene, volcanism is restricted to several large stratovolcanoes which had begun their development during the Pleistocene (by 0.7 Ma).The late Oligocene/Early Miocene (ca. 22–23 Ma) reactivation of the volcanic arc coincided with a comparable increase in magmatic activity throughout much of the Cordilleras Occidental and Oriental of the Central Andes.     

A magnetic model for deep plutonic bodies beneath the central Taupo Volcanic Zone, North Island, New Zealand

The central Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) is a region of intense Quaternary rhyolitic volcanism and geothermal activity in the North Island of New Zealand from which about 14,000 km³ of pyroclastics and lavas have been erupted during the last 1.6 Ma. Analysis of aeromagnetic surveys over the TVZ showed the presence of long-wavelength (10 to 25 km) magnetic anomalies which roughly follow the trend of the currently active eastern TVZ, from the north of Lake Taupo to the east of Lake Rotorua. An interpretation of the long-wavelength magnetic anomalies using 3-D magnetic modelling suggests that these anomalies are caused by the magnetic effects of < 3 km thick sequence of volcanic rocks and deeper magnetised bodies within the non-magnetic upper crust (4–7 km depth) beneath the young (age < 0.7 Ma), currently active eastern TVZ. The deep magnetised bodies are interpreted as solidified rhyolitic sub-volcanic plutons that have cooled down to below their Curie temperature.Although the existence of plutonic bodies beneath the TVZ has been postulated prior to this study, this magnetic interpretation result appears to be the first geophysical model of such bodies.     

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     

Permian to recent volcanism in northern sumatra,indonesia: a preliminary study of its distribution,chemistry, and peculiarities

Sumatra has been a ‘volcanic arc’, above an NE-dipping subduction zone, since at least the Late Permian. The principal volcanic episodes in Sumatra N of the Equator have been in the Late Permian, Late Mesozoic, Palaeogene, Miocene and Quaternary.Late Permian volcanic rocks, of limited extent, are altered porphyritic basic lavas interstratified with limestones and phyllites.Late Mesozoic volcanic rocks, widely distributed along and W of the major transcurrent.Sumatra Fault System (SFS), which axially bisects Sumatra, include ophiolite-related spilites, andesites and basalts. PossiblePalaeogene volcanic rocks include an altered basalt pile with associated dyke-swarm in the extreme NW, intruded by an Early Miocene (19 my) dioritic stock; and variable pyroxene rich basic lavas and agglomerates ranging from alkali basaltic to absarokitic in the extreme SW.Miocene volcanic rocks, widely distributed (especially W of the SFS), and cropping out extensively along the W coast, include calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline basalts, andesites and dacites.Quaternary volcanoes (3 active, 14 dormant or extinct) are irregularly distributed both along and across the arc; thus they lie fore-arc of the SFS near the Equator but well back-arc farther north. The largest concentration of centres, around Lake Toba, includes the >2000 km³ Pleistocene rhyolitic Toba Tuffs. Quaternary volcanics are mainly calc-alkaline andesites, dacites and rhyolites with few basalts; they seem less variable, but on the whole more acid, than the Tertiary. The Quaternary volcanism is anomalous in relation to both southern Sumatra and adjacent Java/Bali: in southern Sumatra, volcanoes are regularly spaced along and successively less active away from the SFS, but neither rule holds in northern Sumatra. Depths to the subduction zone below major calc-alkaline volcanoes in Java/Bali are 160–210 km, but little over 100 km in northern Sumatra, which also lacks the regular K₂O-depth correlations seen in Java. These anomalies may arise because Sumatra — being underlain by continental crust — is more akin to destructive continental margins than typical island-arcs such as E Java or Bali, and because the Sumatran subduction zone has a peculiar structure due to the oblique approach of the subducting plate. A further anomaly — an E-W belt of small centres along the back-arc coast — may relate to an incipient S-dipping subduction zone N of Sumatra and not the main NE-dipping zone to its W. Correlation of the Tertiary volcanism with the present tectonic regime is hazardous, but the extensive W coastal volcanism (which includes rather alkaline lavas) is particularly anomalous in relation to the shallow depth (<100 km) of the present subduction zone. The various outcrops may owe their present locations to extensive fault movements (especially along the SFS), to the peculiar structure of the fore-arc (suggested by equally anomalous Sn- and W-bearing granitic batholiths also along the W coast), or they may not be subduction-related at all.     

Potassic lavas in the orogenic volcanism of the mediterranean area

Volcanism in the Mediterranean fold belts is dominantly related to plate-convergence processes. The occurrence of highly potassic and often leucite-bearing lavas is a typical feature of many Neogene to Quaternary volcanic provinces in the Mediterranean area.The paper describes possible relationships between the Aeolian island arc and the Roman comagmatic region and presents petrological evidence for an ultrapotassic province within the Cypriot-Taurus arc of Turkey. It is thus a contribution to the controversy about tectonic setting and geodynamic significance of the highly potassic volcanism of the Mediterranean suite.     

New age constraints on the timing of volcanism and tectonism in the northern Main Ethiopian Rift–southern Afar transition zone (Ethiopia)

Forty new K-Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar isotopic ages from the northern Main Ethiopian Rift (MER)–southern Afar transition zone provide insights into the volcano-tectonic evolution of this portion of the East African Rift system. The earliest evidence of volcanic activity in this region is manifest as 24–23 Ma pre-rift flood basalts. Transition zone flood basalt activity renewed at approximately 10 Ma, and preceded the initiation of modern rift margin development. Bimodal basalt–rhyolite volcanism in the southern Afar rift floor began at approximately 7 Ma and continued into Recent times. In contrast, post-subsidence volcanic activity in the northern MER is dominated by Mio-Pliocene silicic products from centers now covered by Quaternary volcanic and sedimentary lithologies. Unlike other parts of the MER, Mio-Pliocene silicic volcanism in the MER–Afar transition zone is closely associated with fissural basaltic products. The presence of Pliocene age ignimbrites on the plateaus bounding the northern MER, whose sources are found in the present rift, indicates that subsidence of this region was gradual, and that it attained its present physiography with steep escarpments only in the Plio-Pleistocene. Large 7–5 Ma silicic centers along the southern Afar and northeastern MER margins apparently formed along an E–W-oriented regional structural feature parallel to the already established southern escarpment of the Afar. The Addis Ababa rift embayment and the growth of 4.5–3 Ma silicic centers in the Addis Ababa area are attributed to the formation of a major cross-rift structure and its intersection with the same regional E–W structural trend. This study illustrates the episodic nature of rift development and volcanic activity in the MER–Afar transition zone, and the link between this activity and regional structural and tectonic features.     

Guagua pichincha volcano, Ecuador: fluid geochemistry in volcanic surveillance

The densely populated metropolitan area of Quito is located on the slopes of the active Guagua Pichincha volcano at only 10 km from the crater. Recently, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored a project for the mitigation of volcanic hazard in this area. The geochemical study carried out as part of this project was aimed at constructing a geochemical model of the zone for use in volcanic surveillance.According to this geochemical model, a hydrothermal aquifer (T = 200–240°C), fed both by meteoric waters and by fluids released by a magma body, lies at shallow levels beneath Guagua Pichincha crater. The crater fumaroles are essentially fed by steam boiled off from the hydrothermal aquifer. The high flow rate fumaroles located in the dome area show significant SO₂ contents, which suggest a relatively high contribution of magmatic fluids in the zone of the aquifer feeding them. The absence of SO₂ in the fumarolic discharges near the southern crater wall indicates instead that the magmatic fluids dissolve entirely into the aquifer here. The hot springs located at the western end of the crater represent the lateral discharge of the hydrothermal aquifer.On the basis of this model, it is likely that an increment in the flux of both the magmatic fluids and the heat from a magma body produces an increase, albeit small, of the pressure-temperature conditions of the hydrothermal system and consequent changes in flow rate and fluid chemistry of the fumarolic vents. In particular, total sulphur and possibly hydrochloric acid may increase in all the vents and sulphur dioxide may appear in other fumarolic discharges. The varying thermodynamic conditions in the hydrothermal aquifer can be evaluated on the basis of the equilibria among carbon species and hydrogen. Only minor delayed changes are expected in the physical-chemical characteristics of the springs located at the western end of the crater.     

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.     

Geology and eruptive history of the Rabaul Caldera area, Papua New Guinea

Rabaul Caldera is the most recently active (1937–1943) of four adjoining volcanic centres aligned north-south through the northern extremity of eastern New Britain. Geological mapping after the 1983–1985 Rabaul seismic and deformation crisis has partially revealed a long and complex eruption history dominated by numerous explosive eruptions, the largest accompanied by caldera collapse. The oldest exposed eruptives are the basaltic pre-caldera cone Tovanumbatir Lavas K/Ar dated at 0.5 Ma. The dacitic Rabaul Quarry Lavas exposed in the caldera wall and K/Ar dated at 0.19 Ma, are overlain by a sequence of dacitic and andesitic pyroclastic flow and fall deposits. Uplifted coral reef limestones, interbedded within the pyroclastic sequence on the northeast coast, suggest that explosive eruptions in the Rabaul area had commenced prior to the 0.125 Ma last interglacial high sea level stand. The pyroclastic sequence includes the large Boroi Ignimbrites and Malaguna Pyroclastics both ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dated at about 0.1 Ma, and the Barge Tunnel Ignimbrite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dated at around 0.04 Ma. Few reliable ages exist for the many younger eruptives. These include Holocene ignimbrites of the latest caldera-forming eruptions—the Raluan Pyroclastics variously dated (¹⁴C) at either about 3500 or 7000 yr B.P., and the ca. 1400 yr B.P. Rabaul Pyroclastics. At least eight intracaldera eruptions have occurred since the 1400 yr B.P. collapse, building small pyroclastic and lava cones within the caldera.A major erosional episode is evident as a widespread unconformity in the upper pyroclastic stratigraphy at Rabaul. Lacking relevant radiometric ages, this episode is assumed to have occurred during last glaciation low sea levels and is here arbitarily dated at ca. ?20 ka. At least five, possibly nine, significant ignimbrite eruptions have occurred at Rabaul during the last ?20 ka. The new eruptive history differs considerably from that previously published, which considered ignimbrite eruption and caldera collapse to have first occurred at 3500 yr B.P.Rabaul volcanism has been dominated by two main types: (a) basaltic and basaltic andesite cone building eruptions; and (b) dacitic, and rarely andesitic or rhyolitic, plinian/ignimbrite eruptions of both high- and low-aspect ratio types. The 1400 yr B.P. Rabaul Ignimbrite is a type example of a low-aspect ratio, high-energy, and potentially very damaging eruption. Fine vitric ash deposits, common in the Rabaul pyroclastic sequence, demonstrate the frequent modification of eruptions by external water probably related to early caldera lakes or bays. Interbedding of these fine ashes with plinian pumice lapilli beds suggests that many early eruptions occurred from multiple vents, located in both wet and dry areas.     

The relationship between calc-alkaline volcanism and within-plate continental rift volcanism: evidence from Scottish Palaeozoic lavas

Lower Carboniferous lavas from the Midland Valley and adjacent regions of Scotland are mildly alkaline and intraplate in nature. The sequence is dominated by basalt and hawaiite, although mugearite, benmoreite, trachyte and rhyolite are also present. Basic volcanic rocks display the LIL element and LREE enrichment typical of intraplate alkali basalt terrains. Low initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7029–0.7046), high ε_Nd (−0.4 to +5.6) and moderately radiogenic²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (17.77–18.89) ratios are also comparable with alkali basalts from other continental rifts and oceanic islands.When the Carboniferous lavas are compared with subduction-related lavas of Old Red Sandstone age, erupted in and around the Midland Valley ca. 50 Ma earlier (at 410 Ma) remarkable similarities are apparent. Significant overlap occurs in Nd and Pb isotopic compositions. Sr isotopic compositions are, however, more radiogenic in the older subduction-related lavas. This, combined with high K and Rb concentrations in ORS lavas may be explained by the incorporation of a sediment component derived from the subducted slab, which by Lower Carboniferous times had been lost from the mantle source region by convection. A pronounced negative Nb anomaly in the ORS subduction-related lavas may be explained by the retention of a Nb-bearing phase in the mantle during hydrous melting of the mantle wedge above the subduction zone.Allowing for the effects of the added component from the subducted slab, there appears to be no necessity to invoke separate mantle source regions for the two suites of lavas: both may have been derived from chemically similar portions of mantle. If volcanic arc lavas are derived from the mantle wedge, the implication is that such a source lies at relatively shallow depth within the upper mantle: the same may therefore apply to the Carboniferous continental rift basalts. This evidence, combined with the fact that there is no evident hot-spot trail across the Midland Valley despite a long period of within-plate volcanism and rapid plate movements during the Carboniferous, suggests that the alkali basalt magmatism is not the product of a deep-seated mantle plume. Rather, the volcanism appears to owe more to passive rifting and to diapiric upwelling from a source region within the uppermost mantle.