Comparison of enigmatic diamonds from the Tolbachik arc volcano (Kamchatka) and Tibetan ophiolites: Assessing the role of contamination by synthetic materials

The enigmatic appearance of cuboctahedral diamonds in ophiolitic and arc volcanic rocks with morphology and infrared characteristics similar to synthetic diamonds that were grown from metal solvent requires a critical reappraisal. We have studied 15 diamond crystals and fragments from Tolbachik volcano lava flows, using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). FTIR spectra of Tolbachik diamonds correspond to typical type Ib patterns of synthetic diamonds. In TEM films prepared using focused ion beam technique, we find Mn-Ni and Mn-Si inclusions in Tolbachik diamonds. SRXRF spectra indicate the presence of Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-Mn inclusions with Cr, Ti, Cu, and Zn impurities. LA-ICP-MS data show variable but significantly elevated concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, and Cu reaching up to 70 ppm. These transition metal concentration levels are comparable with those determined by LA-ICP-MS for similar diamonds from Tibetan ophiolites. Mn-Ni (+Fe) solvent was widely used to produce industrial synthetic diamonds in the former USSR and Russia with very similar proportions of these metals. Hence, it appears highly probable that the cuboctahedral diamonds recovered from Kamchatka arc volcanic rocks represent contamination and are likely derived from drilling tools or other hard instruments. Kinetic data on diamond dissolution in basaltic magma or in fluid phase demonstrate that diamond does not form under the pressures and temperature conditions prevalent within the magmatic system beneath the modern-day Klyuchevskoy group of arc volcanoes. We also considered reference data for inclusions in ophiolitic diamonds and compared them with the composition of solvent used in industrial diamond synthesis in China. The similar inclusion chemistry close to Ni₇₀Mn₂₅Co₅ for ophiolitic and synthetic Chinese diamonds scrutinized here suggests that most diamonds recovered from Tibetan and other ophiolites are not natural but instead have a synthetic origin. In order to mitigate further dubious reports of diamonds from unconventional tectonic settings and source rocks, we propose a set of discrimination criteria to better distinguish natural cuboctahedral diamonds from those produced synthetically in industrial environments and found as contaminants in mantle- and crust-derived rocks.     

Microcrystalline diamonds in the oceanic lithosphere and their nature

The carbon isotope composition of microdiamonds found in products of the Tolbachik Volcano eruption, Kamchatka (porous lavas and ash), was studied. The isotope composition of microdiamonds (with an average value of δ¹³C =–25.05‰) is close to that of microsized carbon particles in lavas (from–28.9 to–25.3‰). The general peculiarities of the diamond-forming environment include (1) no evidence for high pressure in the medium; (2) a reduced environment; and (3) mineralogical evidence for the presence of a fluid. The geochemical data characterizing the type of diamonds studied allow us to suggest that they were formed in accordance with the mechanism of diamond synthesis during cavitation in a rapidly migrating fluid, which was suggested by E.M. Galimov.     

Diamonds in the products of the 2012–2013 Tolbachik eruption (Kamchatka) and mechanism of their formation

The origin of diamonds in the lava and ash of the recent Tolbachik eruption of 2012–2013 (Kamchatka) is enigmatic. The mineralogy of the host rocks provides no evidence for the existence of the high pressure that is necessary for diamond formation. The analysis of carbon isotope systematics showed a similarity between the diamonds and dispersed carbon from the Tolbachik lava, which could serve as a primary material for diamond synthesis. There are grounds to believe that the formation of Tolbachik diamonds was related to fluid dynamics. Based on the obtained results, it was suggested that Tolbachik microdiamonds were formed as a result of cavitation during the rapid movement of volcanic fluid. The possibility of cavitation-induced diamond formation was previously theoretically substantiated by us and confirmed experimentally. During cavitation, ultrahigh pressure is generated locally (in collapsing bubbles), while the external pressure is not critical for diamond synthesis. The conditions of the occurrence of cavitation are rather common in geologic processes. Therefore, microdiamonds of such an origin may be much more abundant in nature than was supposed previously.     

High‐temperature gold‐copper extraction with chloride flux in lava tubes of Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka)

Subvolcanic environments in supra‐subduction zones are renowned for hosting epithermal deposits that often contain electrum and native gold, including bonanza examples. This study examined mineral assemblages and processes occurring in shallow‐crust volcanic settings using recent eruption (2012–2013) of the basaltic Tolbachik volcano in the Kamchatka arc. The Tolbachik eruptive system is characterized by an extensive system of lava tubes. After cessation of magma input, the tubes maintained the flow of hot oxidized gases that episodically interacted with the lava surfaces and sulphate‐chloride precipitates from volcanic gases on these surfaces. The gas‐rock interaction had strong pyrometamorphic effects that resulted in the formation of molten salt, oxidized (tenorite, hematite, Cu‐rich magnesioferrite) and skarn‐like silicate mineral assemblages. By analogy with experimental studies, we propose that a combination of these processes was responsible for extraction of metals from the basaltic wall rocks and deposition of Cu‐, Fe‐ and Cu‐Fe‐oxides and native gold.     

Physicochemical parameters of crystallization of melts in intermediate suprasubduction chambers (by the example of Tolbachik and Ichinskii Volcanoes,Kamchatka Peninsula)

In study of plagioclases, amphiboles, and melt inclusions, we have determined the physicochemical parameters of crystallization of melts in the intermediate suprasubduction chambers of volcanoes representing different types of subduction magmatism on the Kamchatka Peninsula: the young basaltic systems of Tolbachik Volcano (Klyuchevskaya group) and ancient Ichinskii Volcano (Sredinnyi Ridge) with alternating basaltic and felsic eruptions. For Tolbachik Volcano, we have found that plagioclase lapilli formed from basaltic melts at 1075-1115 °C and low (< 1 kbar) pressures at depths of 2-3 km. Andesite minerals crystallized within a wider range of temperatures and pressures (1220-1020 °C and 3.3-1.6 kbar) in an intermediate chamber at depths of < 10 km. The melts were generated in basaltic magma chambers (detected well by geophysical methods at depths of 18-20 km) with minimum temperatures of ~ 1290 °C. For Ichinskii Volcano, three levels of intermediate chambers are distinguished. Andesites formed at depths of < 23 km at < 1225 °C. Dacitic melts were generated from an intermediate chamber (14 km) at 1135-1045 °C as a result of differentiation of andesitic magmas. Dacites formed in the uppermost horizons (9-3 km) at 1130-1030 °C. Despite the similarity between differentiation processes in the intermediate chambers of the Kamchatka volcanoes, each volcano is characterized by specific magmatism. The lavas of basaltic volcanoes (Tolbachik) and those of andesitic volcanoes (Ichinskii) differ in genesis and differentiation.     

Peculiarities of Diamonds in Eclogitic Xenoliths from the Komsomolskaya Kimberlite Pipe,Yakutia

The first studies of diamonds in eclogitic xenoliths from the Komsomolskaya kimberlite pipe are described. Among round and oval-shaped xenoliths with diamond ingrowths, samples with a garnet content of 40–90% of the xenolith volume dominate. Two eclogite samples contain grains of accessory rutile; a kyanite sample is also revealed. Certain samples contain two or more crystals of diamonds. Diamonds with an octahedral habit and crystals with transitional habits, which belong to an octahedral-rhombic dodecahedral row, dominate in eclogites; there are many variety VIII aggregates. A high concentration of structural nitrogen, commonly in the A form, was registered in most of the crystals. Diamonds with a small content of nitrogen impurities, 40–67% in the B1 form, are present in a number of xenoliths. The calculated temperatures of the formation of eclogitic xenoliths is 1100–1300°C. Diversity in the impurity compositions of diamonds in the same xenolith shows that these diamonds were formed at various times and in different settings. The diamond position in xenoliths, the various level of nitrogen aggregation in the diamonds, and a number of other factors point to the later formation of the diamonds, as compared to minerals of eclogites, from fluid or fluid-melts in the process of metasomatosis.

     

Petrology of Medicine Lake Highland volcanics: Characterization of endmembers of magma mixing

Lavas from Medicine Lake volcano, Northern California have been examined for evidence of magma mixing. Mixing of magmas has produced basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite and rhyolite lavas at the volcano. We are able to identify the compositional characteristics of the components that were mixed and to estimate the time lag between the mixing event and eruption of the mixed magma. Compositional data from pairs of phenocrysts identify a high alumina basalt (HAB) and a silicic rhyolite as endmembers of mixing. Mg-rich olivine or augite and Ca-rich plagioclase are associated with the HAB component, and Fe-rich orthopyroxene and Na-rich plagioclase are associated with the rhyolitic component. Some lavas contain multiple phenocryst assemblages suggesting the incorporation of several magmas intermediate between the HAB and silicic components. Glass inclusions trapped in Mg-rich olivine and Na-rich plagioclase are similar in composition to the proposed HAB and rhyolite end members and provide supportive evidence for mixing. Textural criteria are also consistent with magma mixing. Thermal curvature of the liquidus surfaces in the basalt-andesite-rhyolite system allows magmas produced by mixing to be either supercooled or superheated. Intergranular textures of basaltic andesites and andesites result from cooling initiated below the liquidus. The trachytic textures of silicic andesites form from cooling initiated above the liquidus. Reversed compositional zoning profiles in olivine crystals were produced by the mixing event, and the homogenization of the compositional zoning has been used to estimate the time interval between magma mixing and eruption. Time estimates are on the order of 80 to 90 h, suggesting that the mixing event triggered eruption.     

Discovery and Significance of Diamonds and Moissanites in Chromitite within the Skenderbeu Massif of the Mirdita Zone Ophiolite, West Albania

In recent years diamonds and other unusual minerals(carbides,nitrides,metal alloys and native elements) have been recovered from mantle peridotites and chromitites(both high-Cr chromitites and high-Al chromitites) from a number of ophiolites of different ages and tectonic settings.Here we report a similar assemblage of minerals from the Skenderbeu massif of the Mirdita zone ophiolite,west Albania.So far,more than 20 grains of microdiamonds and 30 grains of moissanites(SiC) have been separated from the podiform chromitite.The diamonds are mostly light yellow,transparent,euhedral crystals,200~300 μm across,with a range of morphologies;some are octahedral and cuboctahedron and others are elongate and irregular.Secondary electron images show that some grains have well-developed striatums.All the diamond grains have been analyzed and yielded typical Raman spectra with a shift at ~1325 cm~(-1).The moissanite grains recovered from the Skenderbeu chromitites are mainly light blue to dark blue,but some are yellow to light yeUow.All the analyzed grains have typical Raman spectra with shifts at 766 cm~(-1),787 cm~(-1),and 967 cm~(-1).The energy spectrums of the moissanites confirm that the grains are composed entirely of silicon and carbon.This investigation expands the occurrence of diamonds and moissanites to Mesozoic ophiolites in the Neo-Tethys.Our new findings suggest that diamonds and moissanites are present,and probably ubiquitous in the oceanic mantle and can provide new perspectives and avenues for research on the origin of ophiolites and podiform chromitites.     

Rutile Enriched in Chalcophile Elements (Sb,Sn, Te), and Ti-rich Varieties of Tripuhyute and Cassiterite from Sublimates of Active Fumaroles at the Tolbachik Volcano,Kamchatka, Russia

Geology of Ore Deposits - Abstract—The paper contains data on rutile, tripuhyite, and unusual Ti-rich cassiterite found in sublimates of active fumaroles at the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka,...     

Magma Evolution of the Sete Cidades Volcano, Sao Miguel, Azores

The Sete Cidades volcano (São Miguel, Azores) is situatedat the eastern end of the ultraslow spreading Terceira riftaxis. The volcano comprises several dominantly basaltic pre-calderaeruptions, a trachytic caldera-forming stage and a post-calderastage consisting of alternating trachytic and basaltic eruptions.The post-caldera flank lavas are more primitive (>5 wt %MgO) than the pre-caldera lavas, implying extended fractionalcrystallization and longer crustal residence times for the pre-caldera,shield-building lavas. Thermobarometric estimates show thatthe ascending alkali basaltic magmas stagnated and crystallizedat the crust–mantle boundary (15 km depth), whereas themore evolved magmas mainly fractionated in the upper crust (3km depth). The caldera-forming eruption was triggered by a basalticinjection into a shallow trachytic magma chamber. Lavas fromall stages follow a single, continuous liquid line of descentfrom alkali basalt to trachyte, although slight differencesin incompatible element (e.g. Ba/Nb, La/Nb) and Sr isotope ratiosimply some heterogeneity of the mantle source. Major and traceelement data suggest similar partial melting processes throughoutthe evolution of the volcano. Slight geochemical differencesbetween post- and pre-caldera stage lavas from the Sete Cidadesvolcanic system indicate a variation in the mantle source compositionwith time. The oxygen fugacity increased from the pre-calderato the post-caldera stage lavas, probably as a result of theassimilation of crustal rocks; this is supported by the presenceof crustal xenoliths in the lavas of the flank vents. The lavasfrom the Sete Cidades volcano generally have low Sr isotoperatios; however, rocks from one post-caldera vent on the westernflank indicate mixing with magmas resembling the lavas fromthe neighbouring Agua de Pau volcano, having higher Sr isotoperatios. The different magma sources at Sete Cidades and theadjacent Agua de Pau volcano imply that, despite their closeproximity, there is only limited interaction between them. KEY WORDS: crystallization depth; fractionation; stratigraphy; Terceira rift; volcanic stages     

Xenoliths of Eclogites with Diamonds from the Yubileinaya Kimberlite Pipe,Yakutia

The first results of study of minerals and diamonds of diamond-bearing eclogites from kimberlites of the Yubileinaya pipe with a variable percent amount of clinopyroxene and garnet are presented. Samples with a garnet content from 30 to 90% of the xenolith volume are dominant among the round to oval xenoliths with diamonds. Five eclogite samples contain grains of accessory rutile, as well as corundum and kyanite. Some samples host two or more diamond crystals.     

Fe–S melt as a likely solvent of diamond under mantle conditions

The first results of experimental study of diamond dissolution in a S-bearing Fe melt at high P–T parameters are reported and the morphology of partially dissolved crystals is compared with that of natural diamonds. Our results show that under the experimental conditions (4 GPa, 1400°C), flat-faced octahedral diamond crystals are transformed into curve-faced octahedroids with morphological features similar to those of natural diamonds.     

Fluid history of UHP metamorphism in Dabie Shan, China: a fluid inclusion and oxygen isotope study on the coesite-bearing eclogite from Bixiling

This paper characterizes late Holocene basalts and basaltic andesites at Medicine Lake volcano that contain high pre-eruptive H₂O contents inherited from a subduction related hydrous component in the mantle. The basaltic andesite of Paint Pot Crater and the compositionally zoned basaltic to andesitic lavas of the Callahan flow erupted approximately 1000 ¹⁴C years Before Present (¹⁴C years b.p.). Petrologic, geochemical and isotopic evidence indicates that this late Holocene mafic magmatism was characterized by H₂O contents of 3 to 6 wt% H₂O and elevated abundances of large ion lithophile elements (LILE). These hydrous mafic inputs contrast with the preceding episodes of mafic magmatism (from 10,600 to ∼3000 ¹⁴C years b.p.) that was characterized by the eruption of primitive high alumina olivine tholeiite (HAOT) with low H₂O (<0.2 wt%), lower LILE abundance and different isotopic characteristics. Thus, the mantle-derived inputs into the Medicine Lake system have not always been low H₂O, primitive HAOT, but have alternated between HAOT and hydrous subduction related, calc-alkaline basalt. This influx of hydrous mafic magma coincides temporally and spatially with rhyolite eruption at Glass Mountain and Little Glass Mountain. The rhyolites contain quenched magmatic inclusions similar in character to the mafic lavas at Callahan and Paint Pot Crater. The influence of H₂O on fractional crystallization of hydrous mafic magma and melting of pre-existing granite crust beneath the volcano combined to produce the rhyolite. Fractionation under hydrous conditions at upper crustal pressures leads to the early crystallization of Fe-Mg silicates and the suppression of plagioclase as an early crystallizing phase. In addition, H₂O lowers the saturation temperature of Fe and Mg silicates, and brings the temperature of oxide crystallization closer to the liquidus. These combined effects generate SiO₂-enrichment that leads to rhyodacitic differentiated lavas. In contrast, low H₂O HAOT magmas at Medicine Lake differentiate to iron-rich basaltic liquids. When these Fe-enriched basalts mix with melted granitic crust, the result is an andesitic magma. Since mid-Holocene time, mafic volcanism has been dominated primarily by hydrous basaltic andesite and andesite at Medicine Lake Volcano. However, during the late Holocene, H₂O-poor mafic magmas continued to be erupted along with hydrous mafic magmas, although in significantly smaller volumes. Received: 4 January 1999 / Accepted: 30 August 1999     

Petrology,volume and age relations of alkaline and saturated peralkaline volcanics from Terceira,Azores

Four volcanoes form Terceira, one of the islands of the Azores group; three contain both basaltic and peralkaline and one only peralkaline rocks. A recently active basaltic fissure zone trends NW-SE across the island.The rocks fall into the alkaline olivine basalt suite although some young basalts are of transitional affinity. The geochemistry shows two general basaltic series: 1) undersaturated, found in lavas of the oldest volcano and in some recent fissure zone basalts and hawaiites; 2) saturated, found in the younger basaltic lavas.Since the emergence of Terceira there has been a contemporaneity of basalt and salic peralkaline lavas. The younger rocks show a bimodal composition distribution, the most voluminous compositions being alkali olivine basalt and comendite with negligible volume in the benmoreite-trachyte range. Two processes appear viable for the derivation of voluminous oversaturated peralkaline rocks: 1) partial melting of upper mantle material giving small magma batches of contrasting composition or 2) fractionation from a transitional basaltic parental magma.Now at Department of Geology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.     

长白山天池地区全新世以来火山活动及其特征

新生代以来,强烈而频繁的火山活动铸成了长白山火山的主体——白头山火山锥。近几年来,从火山学和火山灾害学角度在该区进行研究和调查所获得的资料发现,长白山天池地区在全新世至少有六期火山活动在地表留下了记录。除白云峰期和八卦庙期喷发出大量碱流岩质浮岩形成的火山碎屑流造成了严重的火山灾害之外,其他四次喷发的规模均较小、影响面不大。老虎洞期活动发生在浮岩喷发之前,主要产物为玄武质火山渣和熔岩;气象站期喷发可能是该火山近期活动的表现,以碱流岩喷溢为主。这些喷发活动证实,该区近代火山活动不仅从未停止过,相反,活动的频度却逐渐加大。     

New data on the deep structure of the Northern Vent of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption (1975–1976)

In order to restore the deep structure in the region of the Northern Vent (NV) of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption (GTFE) (1975–1976), low-frequency microseismic sounding was applied. For this purpose accumulation of spectra of the microseismic field was performed in a wide frequency band in 29 points along a linear profile 14 km in length embedded transversely to the fissure eruption. A deep cross section of the Earth’s crust was constructed up to 20 km, reflecting the distribution of relative velocities of transverse seismic waves. The revealed structural heterogeneities were interpreted with consideration of previously known results of complex studies of the eruption. The existence of an abnormal structure at the depths of 2–3 and 7–8 km under the NV GTFE was confirmed, which could be low-depth magma chambers. Deep subvertical low-velocity structures were revealed and spatially registered, which probably feed the conduits of the eruption. It was demonstrated that the ways of possible magma supply to the peripheral chamber at the depth of 2–3 km could be various. For the first time for the zone of areal volcanism, variation of the character of magmatic intrusions was demonstrated at the transition from a crystalline basement to the near-surface depth: subvertical forms are replaced with a system of sills and interesting injections.     

Morphological Features of Diamond Crystals Dissolved in Fe<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>S<Subscript>0.3</Subscript> Melt at 4 GPa and 1400°C

An experimental study of the dissolution of natural and synthetic diamonds in a sulfur-bearing iron melt (Fe_0.7S_0.3) with high P–T parameters (4 GPa, 1400°С) was performed. The results demonstrated that under these conditions, octahedral crystals with flat faces and rounded tetrahexahedral diamond crystals are transformed into rounded octahedroids, which have morphological characteristics similar to those of natural diamonds from kimberlite. It was suggested that, taking into account the complex history of individual natural diamond crystals, including the dissolution stages, sulfur-bearing metal melts up to sulfide melts were not only diamond-forming media during the early evolution of the Earth, but also natural solvents of diamond in the mantle environment before the formation of kimberlitic melts.     

High-K basaltic trachyandesite xenoliths in pyroclastic deposits from the Bezymianny volcano (Kamchatka)

Bezymianny is an active andesitic volcano of the Klyuchevskaya group, and its eruptive products are xenolith- and enclave-bearing basaltic andesites and dacites. Here we report the first occurrence of clinopyroxene-plagioclase high-potassium basaltic trachyandesite xenoliths (51.84-53.00 wt.% SiO₂, 0.45-1.95 wt.% K₂O) crystallized in the temperature range 1120-840 °C in products of modern eruptions (2007, 2011, 2012). Basaltic trachyandesite differ systematically in petrologic and geochemical characteristics from all previously studied rocks from the Bezymianny volcano. They correspond to the clinopyroxene-plagioclase porphyry rocks from the foot of the Tolbachik volcanoes.     

Temporal variation of mineralogy and petrology in cognate gabbroic enclaves at Arenal volcano,Costa Rica

Gabbroic enclaves ejected during the current eruption phase (A-1) and during the latest prehistoric eruption phase (A-2) of Arenal Volcano show systematic variations in texture, mineralogy and composition as a function of host rock chemistry and timing of eruption. The most differentiated enclaves occur in the more differentiated A-2 lavas. Enclaves in the A-1 volcanics are consistently less evolved. Within the current A-1 eruption, the most mafic enclaves are amphibole-bearing rocks that were erupted during the first 2–3 years of activity (1968–1970). These enclaves occur in the most differentiated A-1 volcanics and are not in equilibrium with their host rocks. They crystallized from a hydrous melt that was slightly more mafic than anything erupted during the current cycle. We interpret the enclaves as sidewall crystallization products of a melt, possibly a high-alumina basalt, that was immediately parental to the A-1 lavas. Enclaves that occur in A-1 rocks erupted after 1970 and all of the A-2 enclaves are amphibole-free and less mafic than the early A-1 enclaves. Their chemistry suggests that they formed during the early to intermediate crystallization of their host lavas. None of the enclaves contain minerals that might have equilibrated with a primary, mantle-derived melt. Geothermometry is consistent with geochemistry, with amphibole-bearing A-1 enclaves yielding the highest pyroxene temperatures (ave. 1090° C) and A-2 enclaves the lowest (ave. 1030° C). Geobarometry suggests mid- to upper crustal depths for the crystallization of all enclaves. The enclaves are cognate and reflect pre-eruptive crystallization of Arenal magmas. They record evolution from a hydrous, basaltic magma to the drier basaltic andesites that characterize the current eruption. Volatiles appear to have been lost due to depressurization during the slow ascent of the magmas through the upper levels of the crust following the initial explosive eruption. Volatile loss and depressurization resulted in the destabilization and the progressive resorption of amphibole. The A-2 lavas may represent the long-term fractionation products of basaltic andesite magmas similar in composition to the A-1 lavas. Anorthitic plagioclase, commonly thought of as a phase stabilized by high Ca/Na and high water pressure, continued to crystallize in a system with relatively low Ca/Na and which had dehydrated and/or depressurized to the point at which amphibole was no longer stable. This suggests that compositional characteristics other than high Ca/Na or high water content may have stabilized the anorthite in the basaltic and basaltic andesite melts at Arenal. We speculate that the high-alumina content of the Arenal magmas may be the stabilizing factor.     

The Tatara-San Pedro Volcano, 36 S, Chile: A Chemically Variable, Dominantly Mafic Magmatic System

The Tatara shield volcano and subsequent San Pedro cone arethe youngest edifices of the San Pedro-Pellado volcanic complexat 36S in the Chilean Andes. There are multiple basaltic andesitecompositional types present in the Tatara volcano, which couldresult from either contrasting source regions or interactionof primitive liquids with heterogeneous crust. The eruptivestratigraphy of the magma types implies concurrent, isolatedmagma chambers beneath Tatara-San Pedro. Open-system processesand multiple crustal endmembers were involved in calcalkalinedifferentiation series, whereas a tholeitiic series evolvedmainly by fractional crystallization. The glaciated Tatara shield comprises two cycles of compositionallydiverse basaltic andesite lavas, each of which is capped byvolumetrically minor andesite to dacite lavas. Four types (I-IV)of basaltic andesite are defined on the basis of chemical criteria,two in each cycle. The early cycle consists of calcalkalinetype I basaltic andesites, and tholeiitic type II basaltic andesitesand andesites; it culminated in the eruption of a dacite dome.The later cycle comprises intercalated calcalkaline type IIIand IV basaltic andesites, and they are overlain by San Pedroandesites and dacites which appear to be the differentiationproducts of type IV magmas. Tatara lavas were erupted from acommon vent situated beneath the modern San Pedro cone. Althoughthey overlap temporally and spatially, there is little evidenceof chemical interaction among the different lava types, indicatingthat there were two or more magma reservoirs beneath Tatara-SanPedro. Chemical differences among the basaltic andesite types precludederivation of any one from any of the others by fractional crystallization,assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC), or magma mixing.The differences seem to reflect chemically different parentmagmas. The type I and IV parent liquids were relatively highin MgO, low in CaO and AI₂O₃, and had high incompatible andcompatible element abundances. The type II and III parents werelower in MgO, higher in A1₂O₃ and CaO, and had lower compatibleand incompatible element abundances. Tholeiitic type II lavasappear to have evolved mainly by fractional crystallization,whereas there is evidence of open-system processes such as AFCand magma mixing in the evolution of the calcalkaline I, III,and IV suites. The chemical evolution of the type III and type IV-San Pedromagma suites has been simulated by assimilation and mixing modelsusing local granites and xenoliths as assimilants. The xenolithsprobably represent portions of a sub-caldera pluton associatedwith the Quebrada Turbia Tuff, which erupted from the Rio Coloradocaldera within the San Pedro-Pellado complex at 0–487Ma. Chemical and textural variations in type III lavas correlatewith stratigraphic position and appear to represent mixing betweena parental type III magma and remnant, evolved type I magmathat was progressively flushed from its chamber concurrent withmixing. The youngest San Pedro flow is chemically zoned fromdacite to basaltic andesite and may have formed by mixing withina conduit during eruption.