A history of violence: magma incubation,timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera,Guatemala)

The climactic Los Chocoyos (LCY) eruption from Atitlán caldera (Guatemala) is a key chronostratigraphic marker for the Quaternary period given the extensive distribution of its deposits that reached both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Despite LCY tephra being an important marker horizon, a radioisotopic age for this eruption has remained elusive. Using zircon (U–Th)/He geochronology, we present the first radioisotopically determined eruption age for the LCY of 75 ± 2 ka. Additionally, the youngest zircon crystallization ²³⁸U–²³⁰Th rim ages in their respective samples constrain eruption age maxima for two other tephra units that erupted from Atitlán caldera, W-Fall (130 ⁺¹⁶/₋₁₄ ka) and I-Fall eruptions (56 ^+8.2/_−7.7 ka), which under- and overlie LCY tephra, respectively. Moreover, rim and interior zircon dating and glass chemistry suggest that before eruption silicic magma was stored for >80 kyr, with magma accumulation peaking within ca. 35 kyr before the LCY eruption during which the system may have developed into a vertically zoned magma chamber. Based on an updated distribution of LCY pyroclastic deposits, a new conservatively estimated volume of ~1220 ± 150 km³ is obtained (volcanic explosivity index VEI > 8), which confirms the LCY eruption as the first-ever recognized supereruption in Central America.     

The Strandja Massif and the İstanbul Zone were once parts of the same palaeotectonic unit: new data from Triassic detrital zircons

Spatially continuous rock assemblages that share similar environmental evolution or structural features can be classified as a single tectonic unit. This approach enables to link dispersed units or massifs with each other and sometimes can be subjective, depending on the classification criteria. The relationship and the nature of the contact between the Strandja Massif and the ?stanbul Zone have been controversial due to the Cainozoic cover. Amalgamation of these units was claimed as early as the Aptian-Albian.

Lower Triassic sedimentary rocks, which are overlain by the Carboniferous flysch with a N-verging thrust fault are exposed NW of the ?stanbul Zone. This study reveals the spatial relationship between the Strandja Massif and the ?stanbul Zone deduced from the U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopes of the detrital zircons from these Lower Triassic clastics. Our results show that the early Triassic basin was fed from a provenance that included arc-related Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian magmatic rocks which is much more likely to be the Strandja Massif than the ?stanbul Zone. The second outcome of this study is that a unit that previously assigned to Palaeozoic turned out to be Triassic, which brings the Strandja Massif farther to the east, into the northern ?stanbul Zone.     

A review of Palaeoarchaean felsic volcanism in the eastern Kaapvaal craton:Linking plutonic and volcanic records

In the Kaapvaal craton of southern Africa, as well as other Archaean cratons worldwide, the progression from dominant tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG) to granite-monzogranite-syenogranite(GMS)rock types is interpreted to reflect progressive reworking and differentiation of the continental crust.Here we re-evaluate the early Archaean evolution of the Kaapvaal craton and propose a unified view of the plutonic and volcanic records based on elemental and isotopic(Nd, Hf) data and zircon U-Pb ages.We also report new whole-rock major and trace element analyses, zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-in-zircon analyses of igneous clasts from a conglomerate of the 3.2 Ga Moodies Group of the Barberton Greenstone Belt. Many of these clasts are derived from shallow intrusive rocks of granitic composition, which are scarcely represented in outcrop. Despite alteration, the volcanic rocks can be classified based on their trace element contents into two main groups by comparison with plutonic rocks. One group has characteristics resembling TTGs: relatively low and fractionated rare earth element concentrations with no Eu anomaly and relatively low concentrations of high field strength elements(Nb mostly ≤12 ppm). The second group has GMS-like characteristics: less fractionated REE, marked negative Eu anomalies and HFSE-increasing trends with progressing fractionation(Nb ≤ 50 ppm or more, Th up to 30-40 ppm). In addition, igneous clasts of Moodies Group conglomerate have chemical, mineralogical and isotopic characteristics that link them to GMS. New analyses of some of these clasts indicate elevated high field strength elements(Nb up to 20 ppm) and_(εHf)(t)of zircon down to -3.5. These rocks imply the presence of an already differentiated felsic crust at 3.5 Ga, which has Nd and Hf model ages indicating mantle extraction ages extending back to the Eoarchaean. The combined record of plutonic and volcanic rocks of the Kaapvaal craton provides a more complex scenario than previously suggested and indicates that TTG and GMS-like felsic magmas were emplaced broadly coevally in multiple pulses between ~3.5 Ga and 3.2 Ga.     

Monazite stability,composition and geochronology as tracers of Paleoproterozoic events at the eastern margin of the East European Craton (Taratash complex,Middle Urals)

The Precambrian Taratash complex (Middle Urals) is one of the rare windows into the Palaeoproterozoic and earlier history of the eastern margin of the East European Craton. Monazite from intensively deformed rocks within a major amphibolite-facies shear zone in the Taratash complex has been investigated by means of electron-probe microanalysis and laser-ablation SF-ICP-MS.Metamorphic and magmatic cores of monazite from metasedimentary and metagranitoid rocks yield U–Pb ages of 2244 ± 19 and 2230 ± 22 Ma (± 2 σ) and record a previously unknown pre-deformational HT-metamorphic event in the Taratash complex. Subsequent dissolution–reprecipitation of monazite, during shear zone formation under amphibolite-facies conditions, caused patchy zonation and chemical alteration of the recrystallised monazite domains, leading to higher cheralite and huttonite components. This process, which was mediated by a probable (alkali + OH)-bearing metamorphic fluid also caused a total resetting of the U–Pb-system. The patchy domains yield concordant U–Pb-ages between 2052 ± 16 and 2066 ± 22 Ma, interpreted as the age of the shear zone. In line with previously published ages of high grade metamorphism and migmatisation, the data may point to a Palaeoproterozoic orogenic event at the eastern margin of the East European Craton.Post-deformational fluid-induced greenschist-facies retrogression caused partial to complete breakdown of monazite to fluorapatite, REE + Y-rich epidote, allanite and Th-orthosilicate.The retrograde assemblages either form coronas around monazite, or occur as dispersed reaction zones, indicating that the REE, Y, and Th were mobile at least on the thin section scale. The greenschist-facies metamorphic fluid was aqueous and rich in Ca. Monazite affected by advanced breakdown responded to the retrogression by incorporating the cheralite or huttonite components during a fluid-induced dissolution–reprecipitation process. This event did not reset the U–Pb-system but caused partial Pb loss reflected by discordant U–Pb-dates.     

Active Region Formation through the Negative Effective Magnetic Pressure Instability

The negative effective magnetic-pressure instability operates on scales encompassing many turbulent eddies, which correspond to convection cells in the Sun. This instability is discussed here in connection with the formation of active regions near the surface layers of the Sun. This instability is related to the negative contribution of turbulence to the mean magnetic pressure that causes the formation of large-scale magnetic structures. For an isothermal layer, direct numerical simulations and mean-field simulations of this phenomenon are shown to agree in many details, for example the onset of the instability occurs at the same depth. This depth increases with increasing field strength, such that the growth rate of this instability is independent of the field strength, provided the magnetic structures are fully contained within the domain. A linear stability analysis is shown to support this finding. The instability also leads to a redistribution of turbulent intensity and gas pressure that could provide direct observational signatures.     

Trace elements and cathodoluminescence of quartz in stockwork veins of Mongolian porphyry-style deposits

The combination of scanning electron microscope–cathodoluminescence (CL), fluid inclusion analysis and high-resolution electron probe microanalysis of Al, Ti, K and Fe in vein quartz has yielded results permitting a greater understanding of the complex mineralisation of the Central Oyu Tolgoi and Zesen Uul porphyry-style deposits, southern Mongolia. These data demonstrate the relationship between quartz precipitation, dissolution and ore deposition as the mineralising fluid chemistry changed through time. Four major quartz generations are identified in the A-type veins from the stockworks of both the Central Oyu Tolgoi (OTi to OTiv) and Zesen Uul deposits (ZUi to ZUiv). Despite differences in the associated alteration and mineralisation style, the observed CL textures and trace element signatures of the quartz generations are comparable between deposits. The OTi and ZUi stage formed both the primary network of A-type veins and pervasive silicification of the host rock. Using the Ti-in-quartz geothermometer, crystallisation temperatures for OTi and ZUi of between 598°C and 880°C are indicated. The main stage of sulphide mineralisation was accompanied by the dissolution of pre-existing quartz (OTi and ZUi) and precipitation of a weakly luminescent generation of quartz (OTii and ZUii) with a low Ti content, reflected in a calculated temperature drop from approximately 700°C to 340°C in Central Oyu Tolgoi and 445°C in Zesen Uul. OTii and ZUii stage quartzes show high and variable Al concentrations. The next stage of quartz in both deposits (OTiii and ZUiii) forms a fine network of veins in cracks formed in pre-existing quartz. OTiii and ZUiii quartz contain measurable fluid inclusions of moderate salinity (3–17.1 wt.% NaCl eq.), entrapped in the temperature range 256°C to 385°C. OTiii and ZUiii are not related to any sulphide mineralisation. The final OTiv and ZUiv stages are characterised by quartz–calcite micro-breccias that penetrate the A-type veins. Based on the calculated entrapment temperatures, the OTiv/ZUiv stage crystallised between 212°C and 335°C, and the quartz is characterised by elevated but variable Al and Fe contents. The CL and trace element signatures of the OTi to OTiii and ZUi to ZUiii stages of the two Mongolian porphyries show similar features to those observed in porphyry-style deposits from other regions. This suggests that a common sequence of quartz crystallisation occurs during the formation of early veins in many porphyry copper systems.     

Zircon trace element chemistry at sub-micrometer resolution for Tarawera volcano,New Zealand,and implications for rhyolite magma evolution

Zoned crystals can be important recorders of magmatic processes in space and time. However, in most situations, the temporal dimension is difficult to quantify. Here, we have employed secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling to excavate parallel pits into non-polished crystal faces of zircon to obtain ~5 μm resolution U–Th disequilibrium ages (one pit) that can be correlated with trace element zoning at sub-μm resolution derived from a second pit. Data from 17 crystals representing each of the four rhyolite eruptions of Tarawera volcano, an intra-caldera edifice within the Okataina Volcanic Centre, reveal diverse zircon growth conditions over time. Most crystals display rimward depletions in Zr/Hf and Ti, broadly consistent with cooling and crystallization. However, a significant fraction of crystals lacks these patterns and displays rimward trace element variations consistent with isothermal or prograde crystallization. Oscillatory zonation patterns in Y, Th, and U are superimposed on the Zr/Hf and Ti trends. Despite the limited number of crystals analyzed in this way, the striking lack of ubiquitous trace element zoning patterns in crystals from the same hand sample implies that fractional crystallization upon cooling was punctuated by magma recharge and crystal mixing affecting different parts of the magma reservoir. By combining data from all crystals, a systematic change to more heterogeneous trace element abundances is revealed by zircon crystal domains <45 ka following the Rotoiti caldera-forming eruption. This contrasts with the more uniform conditions of zircon crystallization lasting >100 ka prior to caldera formation and is best explained by the post-caldera system consisting of small, isolated melt pockets that evolved independently. An important conclusion is that the zircon ‘cargo’ in volcanic rocks reflects thermally and compositionally divergent processes that act near simultaneously in a magma storage region and not exclusively the conditions in the eruptible magma.     

Climatic change on the Tibetan Plateau: Potential Evapotranspiration Trends from 1961–2000

Time series (1961–2000) of Penman-Monteith potential evapotranspiration estimates for 101 stations on the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas are analyzed in this paper. For the Tibetan Plateau as a whole potential evapotranspiration (PET) has decreased in all seasons. The average annual evapotranspiration rate decreased by 13.1 mm/decade or 2.0% of the annual total. Superimposed on this general decline are fluctuations ranging from app. 600 to 700 mm with above average rates in the 1970s and 1980s. On a regional basis, spatial trend distributions remain stable throughout the year with similar seasonal variations. Decreasing PET rates are more pronounced in winter and spring (80% of all stations) as compared to summer and autumn (58% of all stations). Maximum negative (positive) annual rates were recorded at two stations in the southern Qaidam Basin with –79.5 mm/decade (84.8 mm/decade) even though in general negative rates tend to be noticeably higher than positive rates.Changes in wind speed and to a lesser degree relative humidity were found to be the most important meteorological variables affecting PET trends on the Tibetan Plateau while changes in sunshine duration played an insignificant role. Stable daytime temperatures on the Tibetan Plateau have limited the importance of temperature trends for changes of PET rates. Negative evapotranspiration trends are therefore thought to be linked to a general decrease in intensity of the regional monsoon circulation rather than to reductions in sunshine duration. Reduced PET rates appear to be in contrast to a predicted increased hydrological cycle under global warming scenarios.