Apoyo caldera, Nicaragua: A major quaternary silicic eruptive center

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

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

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

Collapse mechanism of the Paleogene Sakurae cauldron, SW Japan

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

Non-explosive,constructional evolution of the ice-filled caldera at Volcán Sollipulli,Chile

 A radar and gravity survey of the ice-filled caldera at Volcán Sollipulli, Chile, indicates that the intra-caldera ice has a thickness of up to 650 m in its central part and that the caldera harbours a minimum of 6 km³ of ice. Reconnaissance geological observations show that the volcano has erupted compositions ranging from olivine basalt to dacite and have identified five distinct volcanic units in the caldera walls. Pre- or syn-caldera collapse deposits (the Sharkfin pyroclastic unit) comprise a sequence which evolved from subglacial to subaerial facies. Post-caldera collapse products, which crop out along 17 of the 20 km length of the caldera wall, were erupted almost exclusively along the caldera margins in the presence of a large body of intra-caldera ice. The Alpehué crater, formed by an explosive eruption between 2960 and 2780 a. BP, in the southwest part of the caldera is shown to post date formation of the caldera. Sollipulli lacks voluminous silicic pyroclastic rocks associated with caldera formation and the collapse structure does not appear to be a consequence of a large-magnitude explosive eruption. Instead, lateral magma movement at depth resulting in emptying of the magma chamber may have generated the caldera. The radar and gravity data show that the central part of the caldera floor is flat but, within a few hundred metres of the caldera walls, the floor has a stepped topography with relatively low-density rock bodies beneath the ice in this region. This, coupled with the fact that most of the post-caldera eruptions have taken place along the caldera walls, implies that the caldera has been substantially modified by subglacial marginal eruptions. Sollipulli caldera has evolved from a collapse to a constructional feature with intra-caldera ice playing a major role. The post-caldera eruptions have resulted in an increase in height of the walls and concomitant deepening of the caldera with time. Received: 12 June 1995 / Accepted: 7 December 1995     

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

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

1998 Eruption at Volcán Cerro Azul, Galápagos Islands: I. Syn-Eruptive Petrogenesis

The 1998 eruption of Volcán Cerro Azul in the Galápagos Islands produced two intra-caldera vents and a flank vent that erupted more than 1.0×10⁸ m³ of lava. Lava compositions changed notably during the 5-week eruption, and contemporaneous eruptions in the caldera and on the flank produced different compositions. Lavas erupted from the flank vent range from 6.3 to 14.1% MgO, nearly the entire range of MgO contents previously reported from the volcano. On-site monitoring of eruptive activity is linked with petrogenetic processes such that geochemical variations are evaluated in a temporal context. Lavas from the 1998 eruption record two petrogenetic stages characterized by progressively more mafic lavas as the eruption proceeded. Crystal compositions, whole rock major and trace element compositions, and isotope ratios indicate that early lavas are the product of mixing between 1998 magma and remnant magma of the 1979 eruption. Intra-caldera lavas and later lavas have no 1979 signature, but were produced by the 1998 magma incorporating olivine and clinopyroxene xenocrysts. Thus, early magma petrogenesis is characterized by mixing with the 1979 magma, followed by the magma progressively entraining wehrlite cumulate mush.Editorial Responsibility: M.R. Carroll     

The physical volcanology of the 1600 eruption of Huaynaputina, southern Peru

Volcán Huaynaputina is a group of four vents located at 16°36'S, 70°51'W in southern Peru that produced one of the largest eruptions of historical times when ~11 km³ of magma was erupted during the period 19 February to 6 March 1600. The main eruptive vents are located at 4200 m within an erosion-modified amphitheater of a significantly older stratovolcano. The eruption proceeded in three stages. Stage I was an ~20-h sustained plinian eruption on 19-20 February that produced an extensive dacite pumice fall deposit (magma volume ~2.6 km³). Throughout medial-distal and distal parts of the dispersal area, a fine-grained plinian ashfall unit overlies the pumice fall deposit. This very widespread ash (magma volume ~6.2 km³) has been recognized in Antarctic ice cores. A short period of quiescence allowed local erosion of the uppermost stage-I deposits and was followed by renewed but intermittent explosive activity between 22 and 26 February (stage II). This activity resulted in intercalated pyroclastic flow and pumice fall deposits (~1 km³). The flow deposits are valley confined, whereas associated co-ignimbrite ash fall is found overlying the plinian ash deposit. Following another period of quiescence, vulcanian-type explosions of stage III commenced on 28 February and produced crudely bedded ash, lapilli, and bombs of dense dacite (~1 km³). Activity ceased on 6 March. Compositions erupted are predominantly high-K dacites with a phenocryst assemblage of plagioclase>hornblende>biotite>Fe-Ti oxides-apatite. Major elements are broadly similar in all three stages, but there are a few important differences. Stage-I pumice has less evolved glass compositions (~73% SiO₂), lower crystal contents (17-20%), lower density (1.0-1.3 g/cm³), and phase equilibria suggest higher temperature and volatile contents. Stage-II and stage-III juvenile clasts have more evolved glass (~76% SiO₂) compositions, higher crystal contents (25-35%), higher densities (up to 2.2 g/cm³), and lower temperature and volatile contents. All juvenile clasts show mineralogical evidence for thermal disequilibrium. Inflections on a plot of log thickness vs area^1/2 for the fall deposits suggest that the pumice fall and the plinian ash fall were dispersed under different conditions and may have been derived from different parts of the eruption column system. The ash appears to have been dispersed mainly from the uppermost parts of the umbrella cloud by upper-level winds, whereas the pumice fall may have been derived from the lower parts of the umbrella cloud and vertical part of the eruption column and transported by a lower-altitude wind field. Thickness half distances and clast half distances for the pumice fall deposit suggests a column neutral buoyancy height of 24-32 km and a total column height of 34-46 km. The estimated mass discharge rate for the ~20-h-long stage-I eruption is 2.4᎒⁸ kg/s and the volumetric discharge rate is ~3.6᎒⁵ m³/s. The pumice fall deposit has a dispersal index (Hildreth and Drake 1992) of 4.4, and its index of fragmentation is at least 89%, reflecting the dominant volume of fines produced. Of the 11 km³ total volume of dacite magma erupted in 1600, approximately 85% was evacuated during stage 1. The three main vents range in size from ~70 to ~400 m. Alignment of these vents and a late-stage dyke parallel to the NNW-SSE trend defined by older volcanics suggest that the eruption initiated along a fissure that developed along pre-existing weaknesses. During stage I this fissure evolved into a large flared vent, vent 2, with a diameter of approximately 400 m. This vent was active throughout stage II, at the end of which a dome was emplaced within it. During stage III this dome was eviscerated forming the youngest vent in the group, vent 3. A minor extra-amphitheater vent was produced during the final event of the eruptive sequence. Recharge may have induced magma to rise away from a deep zone of magma generation and storage. Subsequently, vesiculation in the rising magma batch, possibly enhanced by interaction with an ancient hydrothermal system, triggered and fueled the sustained Plinian eruption of stage I. A lower volatile content in the stage-II and stage-III magma led to transitional column behavior and pyroclastic flow generation in stage II. Continued magma uprise led to emplacement of a dome which was subsequently destroyed during stage III. No caldera collapse occurred because no shallow magma chamber developed beneath this volcano.     

Magma supply, magma discharge and readjustment of the feeding system of mount St. Helens during 1980

The landslide and cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 triggered a sequence of explosive eruptions over the following five months. The volume of explosive products from each of these eruptions decreased uniformly over this period, and the character for each eruption progressed from a fairly continuous eruption lasting more than eight hours on May 18 to a series of short bursts, some of which were spaced 12 hours apart, on October 16–18. The transition in the character of these eruption sequences can be explained by a difference between the magma supply rate and the magma discharge rate from a shallow reservoir.The magma supply rate (MSR) is the rate with which magma is supplied to the level where disruption due to vesiculation occurs. It is determined by dividing the dense-rock-equivalent volume of eruptive products by the total duration of each eruption sequence. The magma discharge rate (MDR) is the rate with which the disrupted magma is discharged through the vent. It is determined by dividing the volume of erupted products by the duration of each explosive burst. The relative magnitude of these two quantities controls the temporal evolution of an explosive event. When MDRMSR the explosive phase of the eruption lasts for several hours as a single continuous event. When MDR>MSR, an eruption is characterized by a series of short explosive bursts at intervals of several minutes to several days. The MSR of the eruptions of 1980 decreased with time from 5500 m' s⁻¹ on May 18 to 7 m³ s⁻² on October 16–18 and approximately fits an exponential decay. The MDR for the same events remained approximately constant at 2000 m³ s⁻¹. Each explosive event has been followed by an aftershock-like series of earthquakes located beneath the volcano at depth mostly between 7 and 14 km. The seismic energy released during each of these series is proportional to the corresponding volume of erupted magma. Deformation data between June and November, 1980 indicate a subsidence of the volcanic structure which can be modeled by a volume collapse of 0.25 km³ located at 9 km depth.We propose a model in which magma is supplied from depths of 7–14 km through a narrow conduit during each eruption. It erupts to the surface at a uniform rate during each eruption. The deep seismic activity following each eruption is related to a readjustment and volume decrease in the deep feeding system. The decrease of the MSR over time is explained by an increase in the viscosity of a progressively water-depleted magma. The amount of water necessary to explain the observed decrease of the MSR is of the order of 4.6%.     

Reconstruction of a major caldera-forming eruption from pyroclastic deposit characteristics: Kos Plateau Tuff, eastern Aegean Sea

The 161 ka explosive eruption of the Kos Plateau Tuff (KPT) ejected a minimum of 60 km³ of rhyolitic magma, a minor amount of andesitic magma and incorporated more than 3 km³ of vent- and conduit-derived lithic debris. The source formed a caldera south of Kos, in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Textural and lithofacies characteristics of the KPT units are used to infer eruption dynamics and magma chamber processes, including the timing for the onset of catastrophic caldera collapse.The KPT consists of six units: (A) phreatoplinian fallout at the base; (B, C) stratified pyroclastic-density-current deposits; (D, E) volumetrically dominant, massive, non-welded ignimbrites; and (F) stratified pyroclastic-density-current deposits and ash fallout at the top. The ignimbrite units show increases in mass, grain size, abundance of vent- and conduit-derived lithic clasts, and runout of the pyroclastic density currents from source. Ignimbrite formation also corresponds to a change from phreatomagmatic to dry explosive activity. Textural and lithofacies characteristics of the KPT imply that the mass flux (i.e. eruption intensity) increased to the climax when major caldera collapse was initiated and the most voluminous, widespread, lithic-rich and coarsest ignimbrite was produced, followed by a waning period. During the eruption climax, deep basement lithic clasts were ejected, along with andesitic pumice and variably melted and vesiculated co-magmatic granitoid clasts from the magma chamber. Stratigraphic variations in pumice vesicularity and crystal content, provide evidence for variations in the distribution of crystal components and a subsidiary andesitic magma within the KPT magma chamber. The eruption climax culminated in tapping more coarsely crystal-rich magma. Increases in mass flux during the waxing phase is consistent with theoretical models for moderate-volume explosive eruptions that lead to caldera collapse.     

The Christmas Mountains caldera complex,Trans-Pecos Texas

The Christmas Mountains caldera complex developed approximately 42 Ma ago over an elliptical (8×5 km) laccolithic dome that formed during emplacement of the caldera magma body. Rocks of the caldera complex consist of tuffs, lavas, and volcaniclastic deposits, divided into five sequences. Three of the sequences contain major ash-flow tuffs whose eruption led to collapse of four calderas, all 1–1.5 km in diameter, over the dome. The oldest caldera-related rocks are sparsely porphyritic, rhyolitic, air-fall and ash-flow tuffs that record formation and collapse of a Plinian-type eruption column. Eruption of these tuffs induced collapse of a wedge along the western margin of the dome. A second, more abundantly porphyritic tuff led to collapse of a second caldera that partly overlapped the first. The last major eruptions were abundantly porphyritic, peralkaline quartz-trachyte ash-flow tuffs that ponded within two calderas over the crest of the dome. The tuffs are interbedded with coarse breccias that resulted from failure of the caldera walls. The Christmas Mountains caldera complex and two similar structures in Trans-Pecos Texas constitute a newly recognized caldera type, here termed a laccocaldera. They differ from more conventional calderas by having developed over thin laccolithic magma chambers rather than more deep-seated bodies, by their extreme precaldera doming and by their small size. However, they are similar to other calderas in having initial Plinian-type air-fall eruption followed by column collapse and ash-flow generation, multiple cycles of eruption, contemporaneous eruption and collapse, apparent pistonlike subsidence of the calderas, and compositional zoning within the magma chamber. Laccocalderas could occur else-where, particularly in alkalic magma belts in areas of undeformed sedimentary rocks.     

Reconstruction of the eruptive history of Usu volcano,Hokkaido, Japan,inferred from petrological correlation between tephras and dome lavas

Usu volcano has erupted nine times since 1663. Most eruptive events started with an explosive eruption, which was followed by the formation of lava domes. However, the ages of several summit lava domes and craters remain uncertain. The petrological features of tephra deposits erupted from 1663 to 1853 are known to change systematically. In this study, we correlated lavas with tephras under the assumption that lava and tephra samples from the same event would have similar petrological features. Although the initial explosive eruption in 1663 was not accompanied by lava effusion, lava dome or cryptodome formation was associated with subsequent explosive eruptions. We inferred the location of the vent associated with each event from the location of the associated lava dome and the pyroclastic flow deposit distribution and found that the position of the active vent within the summit caldera differed for each eruption from the late 17th through the 19th century. Moreover, we identified a previously unrecognized lava dome produced by a late 17th century eruption; this dome was largely destroyed by an explosive eruption in 1822 and was replaced by a new lava dome during a later stage of the 1822 event at nearly the same place as the destroyed dome. This new interpretation of the sequence of events is consistent with historical sketches and documents. Our results show that petrological correlation, together with geological evidence, is useful not only for reconstructing volcanic eruption sequences but also for gaining insight into future potential disasters.     

Evolution of a complex isolated dome system,Cerro Pizarro,central México

Cerro Pizarro is an isolated rhyolitic dome in the intermontane Serdán-Oriental basin, located in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Cerro Pizarro erupted ~1.1 km³ of magma at about 220 ka. Activity of Cerro Pizarro started with vent-clearing explosions at some depth; the resultant deposits contain clasts of local basement rocks, including Cretaceous limestone, ~0.46-Ma welded tuff, and basaltic lava. Subsequent explosive eruptions during earliest dome growth produced an alternating sequence of surge and fallout layers from an inferred small dome. As the dome grew both vertically and laterally, it developed an external glassy carapace due to rapid chilling. Instability of the dome during emplacement caused the partial gravitational collapse of its flanks producing various block-and-ash-flow deposits. After a brief period of repose, re-injection of magma caused formation of a cryptodome with pronounced deformation of the vitrophyric dome and the underlying units to orientations as steep as near vertical. This stage began apparently as a gas-poor eruption and no explosive phases accompanied the emplacement of the cryptodome. Soon after emplacement of the cryptodome, however, the western flank of the edifice catastrophically collapsed, causing a debris avalanche. A hiatus in eruptive activity was marked by erosion of the cone and emplacement of ignimbrite derived from a caldera to the north of Cerro Pizarro. The final growth of the dome growth produced its present shape; this growth was accompanied by multiple eruptions producing surge and fallout deposits that mantle the topography around Cerro Pizarro. The evolution of the Cerro Pizarro dome holds aspects in common with classic dome models and with larger stratovolcano systems. We suggest that models that predict a simple evolution for domes fail to account for possibilities in evolutionary paths. Specifically, the formation of a cryptodome in the early stages of dome formation may be far more common than generally recognized. Likewise, sector collapse of a dome, although apparently rare, is a potential hazard that must be recognized and for which planning must be done.Editorial responsibility: J. Gilbert     

Eruptive history of Fisher Caldera,Alaska, USA

New field, compositional, and geochronologic data from Fisher Caldera, the largest of 12 Holocene calderas in Alaska, provide insights into the eruptive history and formation of this volcanic system. Prior to the caldera-forming eruption (CFE) 9400 years ago, the volcanic system consisted of a cluster of several small (∼3 km³) stratocones, which were independently active between 66±144 and 9.4±0.2 ka. Fisher Caldera formed through a single eruption, which produced a thick dacitic fall deposit and two pyroclastic-flow deposits, a small dacitic flow and a compositionally mixed basaltic-dacitic flow. Thickness and grain-size data indicate that the fall deposit was dispersed primarily to the northeast, whereas the two flows were oppositely directed to the south and north. After the cataclysmic eruption, a lake filled much of the caldera during what may have been a significant quiescent period. Volcanic activity from intracaldera vents gradually resumed, producing thick successions of scoria fall interbedded with lake sediments. Several Holocene stratocones have developed; one of which has had a major collapse event. The caldera lake catastrophically drained when a phreatomagmatic eruption generated a large wave that overtopped and incised the southwestern caldera wall. Multiple accretionary-lapilli-bearing deposits inside and outside the caldera suggest significant Holocene phreatomagmatic activity. The most recent eruptive activity from the Fisher volcanic system was a small explosive eruption in 1826, and current activity is hydrothermal. Late Pleistocene to Holocene magma eruption rates range from 0.03 to 0.09 km³ ky⁻¹ km⁻¹, respectively. The Fisher volcanic system is chemically diverse, ∼48–72 wt.% SiO₂, with at least seven dacitic eruptions over the last 82±14 ka that may have become more frequent over time. Least squares calculations suggest that prior to the CFE, Fisher Volcano products were not derived from a single, large magma reservoir, and were likely erupted from multiple, compositionally independent magma reservoirs. After the CFE, the majority of products appear to have derived from a single reservoir in which magma mixing has occurred.     

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     

Eruptive history of Mount Mazama and Crater Lake Caldera, Cascade Range, U.S.A.

New investigations of the geology of Crater Lake National Park necessitate a reinterpretation of the eruptive history of Mount Mazama and of the formation of Crater Lake caldera. Mount Mazama consisted of a glaciated complex of overlapping shields and stratovolcanoes, each of which was probably active for a comparatively short interval. All the Mazama magmas apparently evolved within thermally and compositionally zoned crustal magma reservoirs, which reached their maximum volume and degree of differentiation in the climactic magma chamber 7000 yr B.P.The history displayed in the caldera walls begins with construction of the andesitic Phantom Cone 400,000 yr B.P. Subsequently, at least 6 major centers erupted combinations of mafic andesite, andesite, or dacite before initiation of the Wisconsin Glaciation 75,000 yr B.P. Eruption of andesitic and dacitic lavas from 5 or more discrete centers, as well as an episode of dacitic pyroclastic activity, occurred until 50,000 yr B.P.; by that time, intermediate lava had been erupted at several short-lived vents. Concurrently, and probably during much of the Pleistocene, basaltic to mafic andesitic monogenetic vents built cinder cones and erupted local lava flows low on the flanks of Mount Mazama. Basaltic magma from one of these vents, Forgotten Crater, intercepted the margin of the zoned intermediate to silicic magmatic system and caused eruption of commingled andesitic and dacitic lava along a radial trend sometime between 22,000 and 30,000 yr B.P. Dacitic deposits between 22,000 and 50,000 yr old appear to record emplacement of domes high on the south slope. A line of silicic domes that may be between 22,000 and 30,000 yr old, northeast of and radial to the caldera, and a single dome on the north wall were probably fed by the same developing magma chamber as the dacitic lavas of the Forgotten Crater complex. The dacitic Palisade flow on the northeast wall is 25,000 yr old. These relatively silicic lavas commonly contain traces of hornblende and record early stages in the development of the climatic magma chamber.Some 15,000 to 40,000 yr were apparently needed for development of the climactic magma chamber, which had begun to leak rhyodacitic magma by 7015 ± 45 yr B.P. Four rhyodacitic lava flows and associated tephras were emplaced from an arcuate array of vents north of the summit of Mount Mazama, during a period of 200 yr before the climactic eruption. The climactic eruption began 6845 ± 50 yr B.P. with voluminous airfall deposition from a high column, perhaps because ejection of 4−12 km³ of magma to form the lava flows and tephras depressurized the top of the system to the point where vesiculation at depth could sustain a Plinian column. Ejecta of this phase issued from a single vent north of the main Mazama edifice but within the area in which the caldera later formed. The Wineglass Welded Tuff of Williams (1942) is the proximal featheredge of thicker ash-flow deposits downslope to the north, northeast, and east of Mount Mazama and was deposited during the single-vent phase, after collapse of the high column, by ash flows that followed topographic depressions. Approximately 30 km³ of rhyodacitic magma were expelled before collapse of the roof of the magma chamber and inception of caldera formation ended the single-vent phase. Ash flows of the ensuing ring-vent phase erupted from multiple vents as the caldera collapsed. These ash flows surmounted virtually all topographic barriers, caused significant erosion, and produced voluminous deposits zoned from rhyodacite to mafic andesite. The entire climactic eruption and caldera formation were over before the youngest rhyodacitic lava flow had cooled completely, because all the climactic deposits are cut by fumaroles that originated within the underlying lava, and part of the flow oozed down the caldera wall.A total of 51−59 km³ of magma was ejected in the precursory and climactic eruptions, and 40−52 km³ of Mount Mazama was lost by caldera formation. The spectacular compositional zonation shown by the climactic ejecta — rhyodacite followed by subordinate andesite and mafic andesite — reflects partial emptying of a zoned system, halted when the crystal-rich magma became too viscous for explosive fragmentation. This zonation was probably brought about by convective separation of low-density, evolved magma from underlying mafic magma. Confinement of postclimactic eruptive activity to the caldera attests to continuing existence of the Mazama magmatic system.     

Evolution of tuff ring-dome complex: the case study of Cerro Pinto, eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Cerro Pinto is a Pleistocene rhyolite tuff ring-dome complex located in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The complex is composed of four tuff rings and four domes that were emplaced in three eruptive stages marked by changes in vent location and eruptive character. During Stage I, vent clearing produced a 1.5-km-diameter tuff ring that was then followed by emplacement of two domes of approximately 0.2 km³ each. With no apparent hiatus in activity, Stage II began with the explosive formation of a tuff ring ~2 km in diameter adjacent to and north of the earlier ring. Subsequent Stage II eruptions produced two smaller tuff rings within the northern tuff ring as well as a small dome that was mostly destroyed by explosions during its growth. Stage III involved the emplacement of a 0.04 km³ dome within the southern tuff ring. Cerro Pinto’s eruptive history includes sequences that follow simple rhyolite-dome models, in which a pyroclastic phase is followed immediately by effusive dome emplacement. Some aspects of the eruption, however, such as the explosive reactivation of the system and explosive dome destruction, are more complex. These events are commonly associated with polygenetic structures, such as stratovolcanoes or calderas, in which multiple pulses of magma initiate reactivation. A comparison of major and trace element geochemistry with nearby Pleistocene silicic centers does not show indication of any co-genetic relationship, suggesting that Cerro Pinto was produced by a small, isolated magma chamber. The compositional variation of the erupted material at Cerro Pinto is minimal, suggesting that there were not multiple pulses of magma responsible for the complex behavior of the volcano and that the volcanic system was formed in a short time period. The variety of eruptive style observed at Cerro Pinto reflects the influence of quickly exhaustible water sources on a short-lived eruption. The rising magma encountered small amounts of groundwater that initiated eruption phases. Once a critical magma:water ratio was exceeded, the eruptions became dry and sub-plinian to plinian. The primary characteristic of Cerro Pinto is the predominance of fall deposits, suggesting that the level at which rising magma encountered water was deep enough to allow substantial fragmentation after the water source was exhausted. Isolated rhyolite domes are rare and are not currently viewed as prominent volcanic hazards, but the evolution of Cerro Pinto demonstrates that individual domes may have complex cycles, and such complexity must be taken into account when making hazard risk assessments.     

The Neapolitan Yellow Tuff — A large volume multiphase eruption from Campi Flegrei,Southern Italy

the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) (12 ka BP) is considered to be the product of a single eruption. Two different members (A and B) have been identified and can be correlated around the whole of Campi Flegrei. Member A is made up of at least 6 fall units including both ash and lapilli horizons. The basal stratified ash unit (A1) is interpreted to be a phreatoplinian fall deposit, since it shows a widespread dispersal (>1000 km²) and a constant thickness over considerable topography. The absence of many lapilli fall units in proximal and medial areas testifies to the erosive power of the intervening pyroclastic surges. The overlying member B was formed by many pyroclastic flows, radially distributed around Campi Flegrei, that varied widely in their eruptive and emplacement mechanisms. In some of the most proximal exposures coarse scoria and lithic-rich deposits, sometimes welded, have been identified at the base of member B. Isopach and isopleth maps of fall-units, combined with the distribution of the coarse proximal facies, indicate that the eruptive vent was located in the NE area of Campi Flegrei. It is considered that the NYT eruption produced collapse of a caldera approximately 10 km diameter within Campi Flegrei. The caldera rim, located by geological and borehole evidence, is now largely buried by the products of more recent eruptions. Initiation of caldera collapse may have been contemporaneous with the start of the second phase (member B). It is suggested that there was a single vent throughout the eruption rather than the development of multiple or ring vents. Chemical data indicate that different levels of a zoned trachyte-phonolite magma chamber were tapped during the eruption. The minimum volume of the NYT is calculated to be about 50 km³ (DRE), of which 35 km³ (70%) occurs within the caldera.     

The caldera-forming eruption of Ksudach volcano about cal. A.D. 240: the greatest explosive event of our era in Kamchatka, Russia

The largest Plinian eruption of our era and the latest caldera-forming eruption in the Kuril-Kamchatka region occurred about cal. A.D. 240 from the Ksudach volcano. This catastrophic explosive eruption was similar in type and characteristics to the 1883 Krakatau event. The volume of material ejected was 18–19 km³ (8 km³ DRE), including 15 km³ of tephra fall and 3–4 km³ of pyroclastic flows. The estimated height of eruptive column is 22–30 km. A collapse caldera resulting from this eruption was 4 × 6.5 km in size with a cavity volume of 6.5–7 km³. Tephra fall was deposited to the north of the volcano and reached more than 1000 km. Pyroclastic flows accompanied by ash-cloud pyroclastic surges extended out to 20 km. The eruption was initially phreatomagmatic and then became rhythmic, with each pulse evolving from pumice falls to pyroclastic flows. Erupted products were dominantly rhyodacite throughout the eruption. During the post-caldera stage, when the Shtyubel cone started to form within the caldera, basaltic-andesite and andesite magma began to effuse. The trigger for the eruption may have been an intrusion of mafic magma into the rhyodacite reservoir. The eruption had substantial environmental impact and may have produced a large acidity peak in the Greenland ice sheet.     

Interaction between caldera collapse and eruptive dynamics during the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption,Phlegraean Fields,Italy

The Campanian Ignimbrite (36000 years B.P.) was produced by the explosive eruption of at least 80 km³ DRE of trachytic ash and pumice which covered most of the southern Italian peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean region. The eruption has been related to the 12-x15-km-diameter caldera located in the Phlegraean Fields, west of Naples. Proximal deposits on the periphery of the Phlegraean Fields comprise the following pyroclastic sequence from base to top: densely welded ignimbrite and lithic-rich breccias (unit A); sintered ignimbrite, low-grade ignimbrite and lithic-rich breccia (unit B); lithic-rich breccia and spatter agglutinate (unit C); and low-grade ignimbrite (unit D). Stratigraphic and componentry data, as well as distribution of accidental lithic types and the composition of pumice clasts of different units, indicate that coarse, lithic-rich breccias were emplaced at different stages during the eruption. Lower breccias are associated with fines-rich ignimbrites and are interpreted as co-ignimbrite lag breccia deposits. The main breccia unit (C) does not grade into a fines-rich ignimbrite, and therefore is interpreted as formed from a distinct lithic-rich flow. Units A and B exhibit a similar pattern of accidental lithic types, indicating that they were erupted from the same area, probably in the E of the caldera. Units C and D display a distinct pattern of lithics indicating expulsion from vent(s) that cut different areas. We suggest that unit C was ejected from several vents during the main stage of caldera collapse. Field relationships between spatter agglutinate and the breccia support the possibility that these deposits were erupted contemporaneously from vents with different eruptive style. The breccia may have resulted from a combination of magmatic and hydrothermal explosive activity that accompanied extensive fracturing and subsidence of the magma-chamber roof. The spatter rags probably derived from sustained and vigorous pyroclastic fountains. We propose that the association lithic-rich breccia and spatter agglutinate records the occurrence of catastrophic piecemeal collapse.     

Pyroclastic phases of a rhyolitic dome-building eruption: Puketarata tuff ring,Taupo Volcanic Zone,New Zealand

The 14 ka Puketarata eruption of Maroa caldera in Taupo Volcanic Zone was a dome-related event in which the bulk of the 0.25 km³ of eruption products were emplaced as phreatomagmatic fall and surge deposits. A rhyolitic dike encountered shallow groundwater during emplacement along a NE-trending normal fault, leading to shallow-seated explosions characterised by low to moderate water/magma ratios. The eruption products consist of two lava domes, a proximal tuff ring, three phreatic collapse craters, and a widespread fall deposit. The pyroclastic deposits contain dominantly dense juvenile clasts and few foreign lithics, and relate to very shallow-level disruption of the growing dome and its feeder dike with relatively little involvement of country rock. The distal fall deposit, representing 88% of the eruption products is, despite its uniform appearance and apparently subplinian dispersal, a composite feature equivalent to numerous discrete proximal phreatomagmatic lapilli fall layers, each deposited from a short-lived eruption column. The Puketarata products are subdivided into four units related to successive phases of:(A) shallow lava intrusion and initial dome growth; (B) rapid growth and destruction of dome lobes; (C) slower, sustained dome growth and restriction of explosive disruption to the dome margins; and (D) post-dome withdrawal of magma and crater-collapse. Phase D was phreatic, phases A and C had moderate water: magma ratios, and phase B a low water: magma ratio. Dome extrusion was most rapid during phase B, but so was destruction, and hence dome growth was largely accomplished during phase C. The Puketarata eruption illustrates how vent geometry and the presence of groundwater may control the style of silicic volcanism. Early activity was dominated by these external influences and sustained dome growth only followed after effective exclusion of external water from newly emplaced magma.