Origin and differentiation of picritic arc magmas,Ambae (Aoba), Vanuatu

Key aspects of magma generation and magma evolution in subduction zones are addressed in a study of Ambae (Aoba) volcano, Vanuatu. Two major lava suites (a low-Ti suite and high-Ti suite) are recognised on the basis of phenocryst mineralogy, geochemistry, and stratigraphy. Phenocryst assemblages in the more primitive low-Ti suite are dominated by magnesian olivine (mg 80 to 93.4) and clinopyroxene (mg 80 to 92), and include accessory Cr-rich spinel (cr 50 to 84). Calcic plagioclase and titanomagnetite are important additional phenocryst phases in the high-Ti suite lavas and the most evolved low-Ti suite lavas. The low-Ti suite lavas span a continuous compositional range, from picritic (up to 20 wt% MgO) to high-alumina basalts (<5 wt% MgO), and are consistent with differentiation involving observed phenocrysts. Melt compositions (aphyric lavas and groundmasses) in the low-Ti suite form a liquid-line of descent which corresponds with the petrographically-determined order of crystallisation: olivine + Cr-spinel, followed by clinopyroxene + olivine + titanomagnetite, and then plagioclase + clinopyroxene + olivine + titanomagnetite. A primary melt for the low-Ti suite has been estimated by correcting the most magnesian melt composition (an aphyric lava with 10.5 wt% MgO) for crystal fractionation, at the oxidising conditions determined from olivine-spinel pairs (fo₂ FMQ + 2.5 log units), until in equilibrium with the most magnesian olivine phenocrysts. The resultant composition has 15 wt% MgO and an mg ^Fe2 value of 81. It requires deep (3 GPa) melting of the peridotitic mantle wedge at a potential temperature consistent with current estimates for the convecting upper mantle (T _p 1300°C). At least three geochemically-distinct source components are necessary to account for geochemical differences between, and geochemical heterogeneity within, the major lava suites. Two components, one LILE-rich and the other LILE- and LREE-rich, may both derive from the subducting ocean crust, possibly as an aqueous fluid and a silicate melt respeetively. A third component is attributed to either differnt degrees of melting, or extents of incompatible-element depletion, of the peridotitic mantle wedge.     

The petrogenesis of sodic island arc magmas at Savo volcano,Solomon Islands

Savo, Solomon Islands, is a historically active volcano dominated by sodic, alkaline lavas, and pyroclastic rocks with up to 7.5 wt% Na₂O, and high Sr, arc-like trace element chemistry. The suite is dominated by mugearites (plagioclase–clinopyroxene–magnetite ± amphibole ± olivine) and trachytes (plagioclase–amphibole–magnetite ± biotite). The presence of hydrous minerals (amphibole, biotite) indicates relatively wet magmas. In such melts, plagioclase is relatively unstable relative to iron oxides and ferromagnesian silicates; it is the latter minerals (particularly hornblende) that dominate cumulate nodules at Savo and drive the chemical differentiation of the suite, with a limited role for plagioclase. This is potentially occurring in a crustal “hot zone”, with major chemical differentiation occurring at depth. Batches of magma ascend periodically, where they are subject to decompression, water saturation and further cooling, resulting in closed-system crystallisation of plagioclase, and ultimately the production of sodic, crystal and feldspar-rich, high-Sr rocks. The sodic and hydrous nature of the parental magmas is interpreted to be the result of partial melting of metasomatised mantle, but radiogenic isotope data (Pb, Sr, Nd) cannot uniquely identify the source of the metasomatic agent.     

The origin of medium-K ankaramitic arc magmas from Lombok (Sunda arc, Indonesia): Mineral and melt inclusion evidence

High-calcium, nepheline-normative ankaramitic basalts (MgO > 10 wt.%, CaO/Al₂O₃ > 1) from Rinjani volcano, Lombok (Sunda arc, Indonesia) contain phenocrysts of clinopyroxene and olivine (Fo_85–92) with inclusions of spinel (Cr# 58–77) and crystallised melt. Olivine crystals have variable but on average low NiO (0.10–0.23 wt.%) and high CaO (0.22–0.35 wt.%) contents for their forsterite number. The CaO content of Fo_89–91 olivine is negatively correlated with the Al₂O₃ content of enclosed spinel (9–15 wt.%) and positively correlated with the CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios of melt inclusions (0.9–1.5). Major and trace element patterns of melt inclusions are similar to that of the host rock, indicating that the magma could have formed by accumulation of small batches of melt, with compositions similar to the melt inclusions. The liquidus temperature of the magma was  1275 °C, and its oxygen fugacity ≤ FMQ + 2.5. Correlations between K₂O, Zr, Th and LREE in the melt inclusions are interpreted to reflect variable degrees of melting of the source; correlations between Al₂O₃, Na₂O, Y and HREE are influenced by variations in the mineralogy of the source. The melts probably formed from a water-poor, clinopyroxene-rich mantle source.     

Grove Mountains (GRV) 020043: Insights into acapulcoite-lodranite genesis from the most primitive member

Although acapulcoites and lodranites played a key role in understanding partial differentiation of asteroids, the lack of samples of the chondritic precursor limits our understanding of the processes that formed these meteorites. Grove Mountains (GRV) 020043 is a type 4 chondrite, with abundant, well-delineated, pyroxene-rich chondrules with an average diameter of 690 μm, microcrystalline mesostasis, polysynthetically striated low-Ca pyroxene, and slightly heterogeneous plagioclase compositions. Similarities in mineralogy, mineral composition, and oxygen isotopic composition link GRV 020043 to the acapulcoite-lodranite clan. These features include a high low-Ca pyroxene to olivine ratio, high kamacite to taenite ratio, and relatively FeO-poor mafic silicates (Fa_10.3, Fs_10.4) relative to ordinary chondrites, as well as the presence of ubiquitous metal and sulfide inclusions in low-Ca pyroxene and ƒO₂ typical of acapulcoites. GRV 020043 shows that evidence of partial melting is not an essential feature for classification within the acapulcoite-lodranite clan. GRV 020043 experienced modest thermal metamorphism similar to type 4 ordinary chondrites. GRV 020043 suggests a range of peak temperatures on the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body similar to that of ordinary chondrites, but shifted to higher temperatures, perhaps consistent with earlier accretion. The mineralogy and mineral compositions of GRV 020043, despite modest thermal metamorphism, suggests that most features of acapulcoites previously attributed to reduction were, instead, inherited from the precursor chondrite. Although partial melting was widespread on the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body, ubiquitous Fe,Ni-FeS blebs in the cores of silicates were not implanted by shock or trapped during silicate melting, but were inherited from the precursor chondrite with subsequent overgrowths during metamorphism.     

Experimental study into the petrogenesis of crystal-rich basaltic to andesitic magmas at Arenal volcano

Arenal volcano is nearly unique among arc volcanoes with its 42 year long (1968–2010) continuous, small-scale activity erupting compositionally monotonous basaltic andesites that also dominate the entire, ~7000 year long, eruptive history. Only mineral zoning records reveal that basaltic andesites are the result of complex, open-system processes deriving minerals from a variety of crystallization environments and including the episodic injections of basalt. The condition of the mafic input as well as the generation of crystal-rich basaltic andesites of the recent, 1968–2010, and earlier eruptions were addressed by an experimental study at 200 MPa, 900–1,050 °C, oxidizing and fluid-saturated conditions with various fluid compositions [H₂O/(H₂O + CO₂) = 0.3–1]. Phase equilibria were determined using a phenocryst-poor (~3 vol%) Arenal-like basalt (50.5?wt% SiO₂) from a nearby scoria cone containing olivine (Fo₉₂), plagioclase (An₈₆), clinopyroxene (Mg# = 82) and magnetite (X_ulvö = 0.13). Experimental melts generally reproduce observed compositional trends among Arenal samples. Small differences between experimental melts and natural rocks can be explained by open-system processes. At low pressure (200 MPa), the mineral assemblage as well as the mineral compositions of the natural basalt were reproduced at 1,000 °C and high water activity. The residual melt at these conditions is basaltic andesitic (55 wt% SiO₂) with 5 wt% H₂O. The evolution to more evolved magmas observed at Arenal occurred under fluid-saturated conditions but variable fluid compositions. At 1,000 °C and 200 MPa, a decrease of water content by approximately 1 wt% induces significant changes of the mineral assemblage from olivine + clinopyroxene + plagioclase (5 wt% H₂O in the melt) to clinopyroxene + plagioclase + orthopyroxene (4 wt% H₂O in the melt). Both assemblages are observed in crystal-rich basalt (15 vol%) and basaltic andesites. Experimental data indicate that the lack of orthopyroxene and the presence of amphibole, also observed in basaltic andesitic tephra units, is due to crystallization at nearly water-saturated conditions and temperatures lower than 950 °C. The enigmatic two compositional groups previously known as low- and high-Al₂O₃ samples at Arenal volcano may be explained by low- and high-pressure crystallization, respectively. Using high-Al as signal of deeper crystallization, first magmas of the 1968–2010 eruption evolved deep in the crust and ascent was relatively fast leaving little time for significant compositional overprint by shallower level crystallization.     

The composition and sources of magmas of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano (China-North Korea)

The Changbaishan Tianchi volcano is the greatest stratovolcano within the bounds of the Late Cenozoic intraplate volcanic province of East Asia. Changbaishan Tianchi volcanic cone consists mostly of trachytes and pantellerites. It was found that the lavas composing the shield platform of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano are weakly differentiated basic rocks whose geochemical characteristics are generally similar. All the alkaline salic rocks composing the cone of the volcano are characterized by conformable normalized trace element patterns. The concentrations of rare-earth elements in these rocks are high and amount up to 1000 ppm. The character of the distribution of trace elements in the basic rocks of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano is close to that in the OIB-type basalts. Within the series from basalts to pantellerites, the rocks are enriched in REE and zirconium, but depleted in barium, strontium, and europium. According to the obtained geochemical data, it was shown that the rock series of Changbaishan Tianchi volcano, varying from basalts to trachytes and pantellerites comprises compositions geochemically interrelated by the processes of crystal fractionation. The parental magma for the rocks of the volcano was derived from plume sources of the same type as those of OIB and sources of the Late Cenozoic intraplate province of East Asia.     

Primary melt from Sannome-gata volcano,NE Japan arc: constraints on generation conditions of rear-arc magmas

The conditions under which rear-arc magmas are generated were estimated using primary basalts from the Sannome-gata volcano, located in the rear of the NE Japan arc. Scoriae from the volcano occur with abundant crustal and mantle xenoliths, suggesting that the magma ascended rapidly from the upper mantle. The scoriae show significant variations in their whole-rock compositions (7.9–11.1 wt% MgO). High-MgO scoriae (MgO > ~9.5 wt%) have mostly homogeneous ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70318–0.70320), whereas low-MgO scoriae (MgO < ~9 wt%) have higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (>0.70327); ratios tend to increase with decreasing MgO content. The high-MgO scoriae are aphyric, containing ~5 vol% olivine microphenocrysts with Mg# [100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe²⁺)] of up to 90. In contrast, the low-MgO scoriae have crustal xenocrysts of plagioclase, alkali feldspar, and quartz, and the mineralogic modes correlate negatively with whole-rock MgO content. On the basis of these observations, it is inferred that the high-MgO scoriae represent primary or near-primary melts, while the low-MgO scoriae underwent considerable interaction with the crust. Using thermodynamic analysis of the observed petrological features of the high-MgO scoriae, the eruption temperature of the magmas was constrained to 1,160–1,220 °C. Given that the source mantle was depleted MORB-source mantle, the primary magma was plausibly generated by ~7 % melting of a garnet-bearing spinel peridotite; taking this into consideration, and considering the constraints of multi-component thermodynamics, we estimated that the primary Sannome-gata magma was generated in the source mantle with 0.5–0.6 wt% H₂O at 1,220–1,230 °C and at ~1.8 GPa, and that the H₂O content of the primary magma was 6–7 wt%. The rear-arc Sannome-gata magma was generated by a lower degree of melting of the mantle at greater depths and lower temperatures than the frontal-arc magma from the Iwate volcano, which was also estimated to be generated by ~15 % melting of the source mantle with 0.6–0.7 wt% H₂O at ~1,250 °C and at ~1.3 GPa.     

Enrichment of Rh,Ru, Ir and Os in Cr spinels from oxidized magmas: Evidence from the Ambae volcano,Vanuatu

Experimental studies, performed under oxidized conditions (fO₂ > QFM + 2, where QFM is quartz–fayalite–magnetite oxygen buffer), have shown that Rh, Ru, Ir and Os are strongly compatible with Cr spinel, whereas empirical studies of Cr spinels from ultramafic–mafic rocks suggest that the experimental results may overestimate the partition coefficients. We report laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of platinum-group elements (PGE), Au and Re abundances in Cr spinels from the Ambae volcano, Vanuatu (fO₂ = QFM + 2.5), the Jimberlana layered intrusion, western Australia, and the Bushveld complex, South Africa (fO₂ ～ QFM). The results show that Rh and IPGEs (Iridium-group PGE; Ru, Ir, Os) partition strongly into the Cr spinels that crystallized from the oxidized Ambae lavas whereas most of the Cr spinels from the more reduced Jimberlana layered intrusion and the Bushveld complex contain no detectable PGE, Au or Re, with exception of ～10 ppb of Ir in some Jimberlana Cr spinels. In the Ambae Cr spinels, Rh, Ru and, to lesser extent Os, are positively correlated with Fe³⁺, Ni and V. The homogeneous distribution of Rh and IPGEs in LA-ICP-MS time-resolved spectra indicates that these elements are in solid solution in Cr spinels. Pt–Fe alloys occur as inclusions within the Ambae Cr spinels, which indicate that the Ambae melt was saturated with Pt.Our results show that partitioning of Rh, Ru and Ir into Cr spinels increases with increasing oxygen fugacity, which suggests that the high concentrations of these elements in the Ambae Cr spinels are due to the high oxygen fugacity of the host magma. Therefore, Cr spinels may play an important role in controlling the concentrations of Rh and IPGEs during fractional crystallization of oxidized ultramafic–mafic magmas and during partial melting of oxidized arc mantle.     

Cumulates of arc magmas incorporated into the Sulu UHP metamorphic belt,eastern China

ABSTRACT

The Hujialin ultramafic complex in the central region of the Sulu ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt consists of discontinuous lenses of garnet-bearing clinopyroxenite and dunite surrounded by marginal serpentinite. The clinopyroxenite shows relatively low concentrations of compatible elements, such as Cr (≤1670 ppm) and Ni (≤514 ppm) and Ir-group platinum group elements (IPGE; Ir, Os, and Ru; ≤4.8 ppb in total). They show varying ratios (0.02–2.50) of IPGE to Pd-group PGE (PPGE). Their chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REE) patterns are convex and the total REE concentrations range from 18 to 63 times that of Cl chondrite. The bulk rocks show a ‘subduction-related’ geochemical signature, with high concentrations of fluid-mobile elements (i.e. Sr, Ba) relative to high-field strength elements (i.e. Nb, Y, Zr). Clinopyroxene is diopside and contains low Al₂O₃ (<2.76 wt.%) and high SiO₂ (54.6–56.9 wt.%). Olivine grains enclosed by clinopyroxene and in the matrix show relatively low Fo (76.6–80.7) and NiO contents (0.18–0.29 wt.%). The bulk rock compositions and mineral chemistry of olivine and clinopyroxene suggest that the unit was a cumulate of a subduction-related melt. On the other hand, dunite and its hydration product, serpentinite, have a different origin. The bulk rock and mineral chemistry suggest that dunite represents a mantle wedge peridotite in a spinel-stable field. Both clinopyroxenite and spinel-bearing dunite were once located in the mantle wedge below the southern margin of the North China craton (NCC), and were dragged by a mantle flow into the continental subduction channel along the interface between the subducting Yangtze craton (YZC) and the overlying NCC. Although clinopyroxenite and dunite are dense (2.8–3.2 g/cm³), the buoyancy-driven exhumation of voluminous granitic rocks of the YZC likely brought clinopyroxenite and dunite to shallow crustal depths. The lack of the evidence for high pressure to ultra-high pressure (HP-UHP) metamorphism in spinel-bearing dunite may be explained by overall low Al and Ca in the bulk rocks. Alternatively, dunite was not subducted to deep levels, but exhumed together with the deeply subducted clinopyroxenites and granite during their exhumation.     

The central Kenya peralkaline province: Insights into the evolution of peralkaline salic magmas

The central Kenya peralkaline province comprises five young (< 1 Ma) volcanic complexes dominated by peralkaline trachytes and rhyolites. The geological and geochemical evolution of each complex is described and issues related to the development of peralkalinity in salic magmas are highlighted. The peralkaline trachytes may have formed by fractionation of basaltic magma via metaluminous trachyte and in turn generated pantellerite by the same mechanism. Comenditic rhyolites are thought to have formed by volatile-induced crustal anatexis and may themselves have been parental to pantelleritic melts by crystal fractionation. The rhyolites record very low temperatures of equilibration (≤ 700 °C) at low fO₂ (≤ FMQ). The development of compositional zonation within the magma reservoirs has been ubiquitous, involving up to tens of cubic km of magma at timescales of 10³–10⁴ years. Magma mixing has also been commonplace, sometimes between adjacent centres. Isotopic evidence relating to rates and timescales of pre-eruptive residence times and crystal fractionation processes is summarized.     

Volatile-induced transport of HFSE, REE, Th and U in arc magmas: evidence from zirconolite-bearing vesicles in potassic lavas of Lewotolo volcano (Indonesia)

Potassium-rich calc-alkaline lavas of Lewotolo volcano, situated in the East Sunda Arc, Indonesia, contain the rare mineral zirconolite (CaZrTi₂O₇). Samples in which tiny grains of this mineral (3–25 μm in size) were found span the entire range of lava compositions (47–62 wt% SiO₂). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of primary zirconolite in juvenile arc volcanics. The mineral forms part of a vesicle-filling assemblage consisting of a network of quenched feldspar crystals and an SiO₂ phase, probably cristobalite. High contents of Th, U and REE (up to 9.3, 4.3 and 15.6 wt% oxide respectively) and very high Fe contents (up to 13.5 wt% Fe₂O₃) distinguish these zirconolites from those of other rock types. The extraction of volatile-rich phases with changing compositions in successive stages is considered to be responsible for the zirconolite formation. We hypothesise that a fluid capable of transporting HFSE, REE, Th and U was extracted from the magma and (partly) crystallised within voids which had formed earlier upon saturation of an aqueous fluid. Assuming that zirconolite compositions largely reflect trace metal contents of the coexisting fluid phase, significant amounts of `immobile' elements must have been transported on a macroscopic scale. Our findings thus point to a late-stage transfer of HFSE, REE, Th and U between different domains in a cooling magma body. Such a volatile-induced redistribution of trace elements at shallow levels of high-K volcanic systems may be significant for conventional geochemical modelling of magma evolution and for Th–U disequilibrium studies. Received: 3 November 1999 / Accepted: 29 February 2000     

加勒比海小安德列斯岛弧Kick’emJenny海底火山岩的斜长石成分环带:示踪大洋岛弧岩浆房的演化

我们对采自于加勒比海地区小安德列斯岛弧(Lesser Antilles Arc)Kick’em Jenny(KEJ)海底火山玄武岩中的斜长石斑晶进行了矿物形态和成分分析。利用电子探针(EMPA)和LA-ICP-MS测定了具有环带结构的斜长石斑晶中主量元素的空间分布,同时也利用LA-ICP-MS分析了斜长石中Sr的分布。结果表明,在不同的矿物斑晶中,元素含量均表现出和环带结构相联系的空间分布变化。斜长石斑晶中最主要的结构为韵律环带以及熔蚀结构,所测定的矿物边缘都存在An值从由内向外迅速降低的致密韵律环带,可能反映了快速结晶时的不平衡;而晶体内部的稀疏韵律环带结构是由岩浆填充或对流活动导致的。部分斜长石的熔蚀层An值由内向外升高,反映了高Ca岩浆填充的过程。这说明斜长石斑晶的矿物形态和元素环带可以用来制约俯冲带海底火山岩浆从源区上升到岩浆房再到喷发的复杂过程,包括岩浆演化、熔体多次填充、熔体与结晶矿物之间的反应、以及矿物再熔融等。这对于理解海底火山的喷发以及岛弧岩浆岩的演化有重要意义。     

A case for hornblende dominated fractionation of arc magmas: the Chelan Complex (Washington Cascades)

Amphibole fractionation in the deep roots of subduction-related magmatic arcs is a fundamental process for the generation of the continental crust. Field relations and geochemical data of exposed lower crustal igneous rocks can be used to better constrain these processes. The Chelan Complex in the western U.S. forms the lowest level of a 40-km thick exposed crustal section of the North Cascades and is composed of olivine websterite, pyroxenite, hornblendite, and dominantly by hornblende gabbro and tonalite. Magmatic breccias, comb layers and intrusive contacts suggest that the Chelan Complex was build by igneous processes. Phase equilibria, textural observations and mineral chemistry yield emplacement pressures of ∼1.0 GPa followed by isobaric cooling to 700°C. The widespread occurrence of idiomorphic hornblende and interstitial plagioclase together with the lack of Eu anomalies in bulk rock compositions indicate that the differentiation is largely dominated by amphibole. Major and trace element modeling constrained by field observations and bulk chemistry demonstrate that peraluminous tonalite could be derived by removing successively 3% of olivine websterite, 12% of pyroxene hornblendite, 33% of pyroxene hornblendite, 19% of gabbros, 15% of diorite and 2% tonalite. Peraluminous tonalite with high Sr/Y that are worldwide associated with active margin settings can be derived from a parental basaltic melt by crystal fractionation at high pressure provided that amphibole dominates the fractionation process. Crustal assimilation during fractionation is thus not required to generate peraluminous tonalite.     

Contribution of slab-fluid in arc magmas beneath the Japan arcs

Identifying the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid and its spatial variation is key to quantifying fluid processes in subduction zones. Based on the isotopic systematics of arc lavas, we found regional variations over the Japan arcs in terms of the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid added to the melting source region. The average amounts of slab-derived fluid differ among the arcs: 2.6 wt.% for Central Japan, 0.69 wt.% for Ryukyu, 0.17 wt.% for NE Japan, and 0.12 wt.% for both Kurile and Izu–Bonin. These differences may be attributed to the arc setting (oceanic or continental) and the geometry of the slabs. Contribution of sediment involved in the slab-derived fluid is dominant in NE Japan compared to the Izu–Bonin and Central Japan arcs. This could be attributed to mechanical features such as fractures near the subducting plate surface, in addition to the arc setting and the slab geometry. Therefore, the amount and composition of slab-derived fluid are thought to be controlled not only by the thermal conditions, but also by the tectonic and mechanical features around the subduction zone. On top of the variability of slab-derived fluid, the mantle wedge shows the regional variation in terms of proportion of the Pacific-type and Indian-type MORB-source mantle components, which also contributes to the compositional variations of arc magmas.     

Intra- and extra-caldera volcaniclastic facies and geomorphic characteristics of a frequently active mafic island–arc volcano, Ambrym Island, Vanuatu

Ambrym is one of the most voluminous active volcanoes in the Melanesian arc. It consists of a 35 by 50 km island elongated east–west, parallel with an active fissure zone. The central part of Ambrym, about 800 m above sea level, contains a 12 kilometre-wide caldera, with two active intra-caldera cone-complexes, Marum and Benbow. These frequently erupting complexes provide large volumes of tephra (lapilli and ash) to fill the surrounding caldera and create an exceptionally large devegetated plateau “ash plain”, as well as sediment-choked fluvial systems leading outward from the summit caldera. Deposits from fall, subordinate base surge and small-volume pyroclastic (scoria) flows dominate the volcaniclastic sequences in near vent regions. Frequent and high-intensity rainfall results in rapid erosion of freshly deposited tephra, forming small-scale debris flow- and modified grain flow-dominated deposits. Box-shaped channel systems are initially deep and narrow on the upper flanks of the composite cones and are filled bank-to-bank with lapilli-dominated debris flow deposits. These units spill out into larger channel systems forming debris aprons of thousands of overlapping and anastomosing long, narrow lobes of poorly sorted lapilli-dominated deposits. These deposits are typically remobilised by hyperconcentrated flows, debris-rich stream flows and rare debris flows that pass down increasingly shallower and broader box-shaped valleys. Lenses and lags of fines and primary fall deposits occur interbedded between the dominantly tabular hyperconcentrated flow deposits of these reaches. Aeolian sedimentation forms elongated sand dunes flanking the western rim of the ash-plain. Outside the caldera, initially steep-sided immature box-canyons are formed again, conveying dominantly hyperconcentrated flow deposits. These gradually pass into broad channels on lesser gradients in coastal areas and terminate at the coast in the form of prograding fans of ash-dominated deposits. The extra-caldera deposits are typically better sorted and contain other bedding features characteristic of more dilute fluvial flows and transitional hyperconcentrated flows. These outer flank volcaniclastics fill valleys to modify restricted portions of the dominantly constructional landscape (lava flows, and satellite cones) of Ambrym. Apparent maturity of the volcanic system has resulted in the subsidence of the present summit caldera at a similar rate to its infill by volcaniclastic deposits.     

Change in the viscosity of kimberlite and basaltic magmas during their origin and evolution (prediction)

Based on the analysis of experimental data on the viscosity of mafic to ultramafic magmatic melts with the use of our structure-chemical model for the calculation and prediction of the viscosity of magmas, we have first predicted that diamond-carryihg kimberlite magma must ascend from mantle to crust with considerable acceleration. The viscosity of kimberlite magma decreases by more than three times during its genesis, evolution, and ascent from mantle to crust despite the significant decrease in the temperature of the ascending kimberlite magma (~ 150 °C) and its partial crystallization and degassing. In the case of partial melting (< 1 wt.%) of carbonated peridotite in the mantle at depths of 250-350 km, high-viscosity (~ 35 Pas) kimberlite melts can be generated at ~ 8.5 GPa and ~ 1350 °C, the water content in the melt being up to ~ 8 wt.%, C(OH^-) = 0-2 wt.%, and C(H₂O) = 0-6 wt.%. On the other hand, during the formation of kimberlite pipes, dikes, and sills, the viscosity of near-surface kimberlite melts is much lower (~ 10 Pa s) at ~ 50 MPa and 1200 °C, the volume contents of crystals (V_cr) and the fluid phase (bubbles) (Vfl) are 35 and 5 vol.%, respectively, and the water content in magma, C(OH^-), is 0.5 wt.%. On the contrary, the viscosity of basaltic magmas increases by more than two orders of magnitude during their ascent from mantle to crust. The basaltic magmas which can be generated in the asthenosphere at depths of ~ 100 km have the minimum viscosity (up to ~ 2.3 Pas) at ~ 4.0 GPa, 1350 °C, C(OH^-) - 3 wt.%, and C(H₂O) - 5 wt.%. However, at the final stage of evolution (e.g., during volcanic eruptions), the viscosity of basaltic magma is considerably higher (600 Pa s) at ~ 10 MPa, 1180 °C, V_cr - 30 vol.%, Vf - 15 vol.%, and C(OH^-) - 0.5 wt.%.     

Insights from trace element geochemistry as to the roles of subduction zone geometry and subduction input on the chemistry of arc magmas

Subduction zones of continental, transitional, and oceanic settings, relative to the nature of the overriding plate, are compared in terms of trace element compositions of mafic to intermediate arc rocks, in order to evaluate the relationship between subduction parameters and the presence of subduction fluids. The continental Chilean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) and the transitional to oceanic Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA) show increasing degrees of melting with increasing involvement of slab fluids, as is typical for hydrous flux melting beneath arc volcanoes. At the SVZ, the central segment with the thinnest continental crust/lithosphere erupted the highest-degree melts from the most depleted sources, similar to the oceanic-like Nicaraguan segment of the CAVA. The northern part of the SVZ, located on the thickest continental crust/lithosphere, exhibits features more similar to Costa Rica situated on the Caribbean Large Igneous Province, with lower degrees of melting from more enriched source materials. The composition of the slab fluids is characteristic for each arc system, with a particularly pronounced enrichment in Pb at the SVZ and in Ba at the CAVA. A direct compositional relationship between the arc rocks and the corresponding marine sediments that are subducted at the trenches clearly shows that the compositional signature of the lavas erupted in the different arcs carries an inherited signal from the subducted sediments.     

The origin and evolution of the parental magmas of frontal volcanoes in Kamchatka: Evidence from magmatic inclusions in olivine from Zhupanovsky volcano

The paper presents data on naturally quenched melt inclusions in olivine (Fo 69–84) from Late Pleistocene pyroclastic rocks of Zhupanovsky volcano in the frontal zone of the Eastern Volcanic Belt of Kamchatka. The composition of the melt inclusions provides insight into the latest crystallization stages (∼70% crystallization) of the parental melt (∼46.4 wt % SiO₂, ∼2.5 wt % H₂O, ∼0.3 wt % S), which proceeded at decompression and started at a depth of approximately 10 km from the surface. The crystallization temperature was estimated at 1100 ± 20°C at an oxygen fugacity of ΔFMQ = 0.9–1.7. The melts evolved due to the simultaneous crystallization of olivine, plagioclase, pyroxene, chromite, and magnetite (Ol: Pl: Cpx: (Crt-Mt) ∼ 13: 54: 24: 4) along the tholeiite evolutionary trend and became progressively enriched in FeO, SiO₂, Na₂O, and K₂O and depleted in MgO, CaO, and Al₂O₃. Melt crystallization was associated with the segregation of fluid rich in S-bearing compounds and, to a lesser extent, in H₂O and Cl. The primary melt of Zhupanovsky volcano (whose composition was estimated from data on the most primitive melt inclusions) had a composition of low-Si (∼45 wt % SiO₂) picrobasalt (∼14 wt % MgO), as is typical of parental melts in Kamchatka and other island arcs, and was different from MORB. This primary melt could be derived by ∼8% melting of mantle peridotite of composition close to the MORB source, under pressures of 1.5 ± 0.2 GPa and temperatures 20–30°C lower than the solidus temperature of “dry” peridotite (1230–1240°C). Melting was induced by the interaction of the hot peridotite with a hydrous component that was brought to the mantle from the subducted slab and was also responsible for the enrichment of the Zhupanovsky magmas in LREE, LILE, B, Cl, Th, U, and Pb. The hydrous component in the magma source of Zhupanovsky volcano was produced by the partial slab melting under water-saturated conditions at temperatures of 760–810°C and pressures of ∼3.5 GPa. As the depth of the subducted slab beneath Kamchatkan volcanoes varies from 100 to 125 km, the composition of the hydrous component drastically changes from relatively low-temperature H₂O-rich fluid to higher temperature H₂O-bearing melt. The geothermal gradient at the surface of the slab within the depth range of 100–125 km beneath Kamchatka was estimated at 4°C/km.     

Small-scale coexistence of island-arc- and enriched-MORB-type basalts in the central Vanuatu arc

We report here major, trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data for a new set of basaltic lavas and melt inclusions hosted in Mg-rich olivines (Fo_86–91) from Mota Lava, in the Banks islands of the Vanuatu island arc. The results reveal the small-scale coexistence of typical island-arc basalts (IAB) and a distinct type of Nb-enriched basalts (NEB) characterized by primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns without high-field-strength element (HFSE) depletion. The IAB show trace element patterns with prominent negative HFSE anomalies acquired during melting of mantle sources enriched with slab-derived, H₂O-rich components during subduction. In contrast, the NEB display trace element features that compare favourably with enriched-mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and the most enriched basalts from the Vanuatu back-arc troughs. Both their trace element and Nd–Sr isotopic compositions require partial melting of an enriched-MORB-type mantle source, almost negligibly contaminated by slab-derived fluids (~0.2 wt%). The coexistence of these two distinct types of primitive magma, at the scale of one volcanic island and within a relatively short span of time, would reflect a heterogeneous mantle source and/or tapping of distinct mantle sources. Direct ascent of such distinct magmas could be favoured by the extensive tectonic setting of Mota Lava Island, allowing decompression melting and sampling of variable mantle sources. Significantly, this island is located at the junction of the N–S back-arc troughs and the E–W Hazel Home extensional zone, where the plate motion diverges in both direction and rate. More broadly, this study indicates that crustal faulting in arc contexts would permit basaltic magmas to reach Earth’s surface, while preserving the geochemical heterogeneity of their mantle sources.