Multiple levels of magma storage during the 1980 summer eruptions of Mount St. Helens, WA

Transitions in eruptive style—explosive to effusive, sustained to pulsatory—are a common aspect of volcanic activity and present a major challenge to volcano monitoring efforts. A classic example of such transitions is provided by the activity of Mount St. Helens, WA, during 1980, where a climactic Plinian event on May 18 was followed by subplinian and vulcanian eruptions that became increasing pulsatory with time throughout the summer, finally progressing to episodic growth of a lava dome. Here we use variations in the textures, glass compositions and volatile contents of melt inclusions preserved in pyroclasts produced by the summer 1980 eruptions to determine conditions of magma ascent and storage that may have led to observed changes in eruptive activity. Five different pyroclast types identified in pyroclastic flow and fall deposits produced by eruptions in June 12, July 22 and August 7, 1980, provide evidence for multiple levels of magma storage prior to each event. Highly vesicular clasts have H₂O-rich (4.5–5.5 wt%) melt inclusions and lack groundmass microlites or hornblende reaction rims, characteristics that require magma storage at P≥160 MPa until shortly prior to eruption. All other clast types have groundmass microlites; P_H20 estimated from both H₂O-bearing melt inclusions and textural constraints provided by decompression experiments suggest pre-eruptive storage pressures of ∼75, 40, and 10 MPa. The distribution of pyroclast types within and between eruptive deposits can be used to place important constraints on eruption mechanisms. Fall and flow deposits from June 12, 1980, lack highly vesicular, microlite-free pyroclasts. This eruption was also preceded by a shallow intrusion on June 3, as evidenced by a seismic crisis and enhanced SO₂ emissions. Our constraints suggest that magma intruded to a depth of ≤4 km beneath the crater floor fed the June eruption. In contrast, eruptions of July and August, although shorter in duration and smaller in volume, erupted deep volatile-rich magma. If modeled as a simple cylinder, these data require a step-wise decrease in effective conduit diameter from 40–50 m in May and June to 8–12 m in July and August. The abundance of vesicular (intermediate to deep) clast types in July and August further suggests that this change was effected by narrowing the shallower part of the conduit, perhaps in response to solidification of intruded magma remaining in the shallow system after the June eruption. Eruptions from July to October were distinctly pulsatory, transitioning between subplinian and vulcanian in character. As originally suggested by Scandone and Malone (1985), a growing mismatch between the rate of magma ascent and magma disruption explains the increasingly pulsatory nature of the eruptions through time. Recent fragmentation experiments Spieler et al. (2004) suggest this mismatch may have been aided by the multiple levels at which magma was stored (and degassed) prior to these events.Editorial responsibility: J Stix     

新疆天山托木尔峰自然保护区旅游资源评价及旅游资源区划

采用层次分析法方法对该区域的５２个旅游景点进行了资源评价,一级景点５个,二级景点７个,三级景点２７人,四级景点１３个。表明该区旅游资源的质量处于中等偏上水平。最后根据该区域旅游资源的分布特点,以河流流域的相对完整性为主要原则和依据,把该区域的的旅游资源划分为二个亚区,四个小区。     

托木尔峰自然保护区旅游资源及开发构想

该区是新疆最重要的自然景观旅游区之一,区内以著名的山峰、气势磅薄的冰川、优美的风景河段,幽密的原始森林、珍鸹的野生动物,奇特的象形山石为特征。凭借资源的独特性和高品位,合理规划,贯彻旅游业持续发展原则,积极发展生态旅游,加强宣传与促销,可以使其成为全国著名的旅游区,并可与库库县以人文景观为主的旅游我互为依托,相互辉映,共创阿克苏地区旅游业的美好前景。     

Post-eruptive seismic activity of Mount Cameroon (Cameroon), West Africa: a statistical analysis

Recent seismological studies of the Cameroon Volcanic Line show that Mt. Cameroon is the most active centre, so a permanent seismic network of six seismographs was set up in its region between 1984 and 1986. The network was reinforced with temporary stations up till 1987, and the local seismicity was studied. Here we emphasise a statistical analysis of seismic events recorded by the permanent seismic stations. Four swarms lasting 9 to 14 months are identified at intervals of 2–3 years. Most earthquakes are felt (intensity and magnitude, respectively, less than VI MM and 5) during the first three swarms and a few during repose periods. The main focal regions are the northwest and southeast flanks, the Bimbia and Bioko regions in the South of the volcano. Hypocentres are distributed from the surface to 60 km depth indicating crustal and subcrustal activities. The subcrustal events are observed only in the southeast flank, they are the most regular earthquakes with a monthly frequency of 9 to 15 events. They are characteristic earthquakes with magnitude 2.8 ± 0.1. Between 1984 and 1992, their yearly mean time interval between successive events range from 50 to 86 hours. For that period their occurrence can be modelled as a stationary renewal process with a 3-day period. But the analysis of variance shows possible significant differences among yearly means. A Weibull's distribution confirms that the time intervals between successive deep events are not independent, and in 1993 a swarm of deep earthquakes is recorded, hence a non-loglinear magnitude/frequency relation. The deep seismicity is thought to be associated with a zone of weakness (perhaps a magmatic conduit) and may have some close relationship with the magmatic activity.     

Tree-ring evidence for 1842–1843 eruptive activity at the Goat Rocks dome,Mount St. Helens,Washington

Until the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a debris fan and adjacent forest downslope from the dacitic Goat Rocks dome, on the north flank of the volcano, contained evidence that the dome was active in 1842 or 1843. The fan was destroyed by the debris avalanche of 18 May. Before 1980, the oldest tree cored on the debris fan showed that the fan predated 1855 by a few years. The young age of this tree suggests that the dome was active several decades after extrusion of the nearby andesitic floating island lava flow, dated to 1800. An anomalous series of narrow rings that starts with the 1843 ring is present in cores from two older trees adjacent to the fan. These ring-width patterns imply that these trees were damaged in late 1842 or early 1843 by flowage material from the dome; the trees were probably singed by an ash-cloud surge that originated on the dome as a hot-rock avalanche. Several lines of evidence suggest that the anomalous ring patterns record tree injury by surge, rather than by lahars or nonvolcanic causes (climate or insects). First, comparable ring patterns formed in all sampled trees that survived the 18 May surge, but formed in only a few sampled trees abraded or partially buried by 18 May lahars. Second, a 13-cm fine-ash layer, consistent with either tephra fall or surge emplacement, was present on the 1840s forest floor; yet the lack of similar tree-ring responses to 1980 tephra fall shows that such minor tephra fall could not have caused the ring patterns. Third, identical 1843 narrow-ring patterns are absent in control trees further from the volcano. The ring patterns of the trees adjacent to the Goat Rocks fan provide the first field evidence that the dome was active in late 1842 or early 1843. Thus, the new tree-ring dates confirm stratigraphic evidence for the youth of the activity of the Goat Rocks dome. They also link historical accounts of mid nineteenth century volcanism at Mount St. Helen with continuing dome extrusion. The dates additionally corroborate and revise the dacite-andesite-dacite petrologic cycle interpretation of Mount St. Helens' Goat Rocks eruptive period (1800–1857). They constrain the cycle to no more than 43 years. Lastly, the dates support the notion that the vent that erupted the 1800 dacitic T tephra was different from the one that produced the Goat Rocks dome. We infer that the magma that formed the floating-island lava flow plugged the T tephra vent. This forced residual magma from the compositionally zoned magma chamber into an alternate conduit. The second conduit produced the unnamed 1842 lithic tephra and the Goat Rocks dome.     

Evolution of Mount Cameroon volcanism: Geochemistry,mineral chemistry and radiogenic isotopes (Pb,Sr, Nd)

Mount Cameroon volcano has erupted several times in the 20th Century with documented eruptions in 1909, 1922, 1954, 1959, 1982, 1999 and 2000. Evidence of historic volcanism is represented by several older lava flows and lahar deposits around the flanks of the volcano. This study aims to assess the evolution of Mount Cameroon volcanism through its eruptive history via interpretation of mineralogical, whole rock geochemical and Pb, Sr, Nd isotope data generated from historic and recent lava flows. In this study, samples were collected from the 1959, 1982, 1999 and 2000 eruptions and from several historic eruption sites with unknown eruption dates.Evaluation of major and trace element data demonstrates that Mount Cameroon is geotectonically associated with within-plate Ocean Island Basalt Settings. More than 90% of the studied historic lavas (n ​= ​29) classify as tephrites and basanites whereas the modern lavas (n ​= ​38) are predominantly trachybasalts, demonstrating evolution from primitive to evolved lavas over time typically in response to fractional crystallization. Petrographically, the lavas are porphyritic with main mineral phases being olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase feldspars and Fe–Ti–Cr oxides. The 1982 lavas are predominantly aphyric and dominated by lath-shaped flow-aligned plagioclase in the groundmass. Olivine chemistry shows variable forsterite compositions from Fo_60–89. Clinopyroxenes vary from diopside through augite to titanaugite with chemical composition ranges from Wo₄₅En₃₂Fs₇ to Wo₅₁En₄₇Fs₁₇. Plagioclase feldspars vary from labradorite (An_56–70) to bytownite (An_80–87). For the Fe–Ti–Cr oxides, calculated ulvöspinel component shows a wide variation from ulv_38–87. CIPW-normative classification on the Di-Ol-Hy-Qz-Ne system shows that all Mount Cameroon lavas are nepheline-normative (Ne ranges from 4.20 wt.% to 11.45 ​wt.%).Radiogenic isotope data demonstrate that Mount Cameroon lavas are HIMU (or high μ ​= ​²³⁸U/²⁰⁴Pb), characterized by ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ​= ​20.19–20.46, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ​= ​15.63–15.69, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ​= ​40.01–40.30, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ​= ​0.70322–0.70339 (ε_Sr ​= ​−21.37 to −18.96) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ​= ​0.51276–0.51285 (ε_Nd ​= ​+2.29 to +4.05). The historic lavas show stronger HIMU signature relative to the modern lavas, suggesting evolution towards less HIMU signatures over time. This study has revealed that Mount Cameroon volcanism has evolved from primitive magmas characterized by stronger HIMU signatures with high ^206/204Pb and ^208/204Pb isotopes, low SiO₂ and high Mg, Ni, Cr content towards lower HIMU signatures with relatively higher SiO₂, lower Mg, Cr and Ni compositions. The geochemical and isotopic changes, which account for the evolution of magmatism on Mount Cameroon occur over long periods of time because all the modern lavas erupted within the last 100 years are isotopically homogeneous, with very limited variation in SiO₂ compositions.     

山东半岛冷流暴雪过程的个例分析

2008年12月4~5日,山东半岛出现了1次冷流暴雪过程,渤海上的辐合带对这次暴雪过程起到了重要的作用。本文利用观测资料和数值模式对这次过程进行了研究,探讨渤海辐合带的发展演变机制及对山东半岛冷流暴雪的影响,并分析了太行山脉对渤海辐合带的影响。结果表明,渤海上空生成的西北东南向的中尺度辐合带造成了以烟台-牟平-文登为中心的西北东南向的降雪带。太行山脉的阻挡作用使绕太行山的西北气流在太行山背风侧形成辐合,同时在低层大气存在1个暖脊,所以在渤海形成了1个西北东南向的辐合带。在西北风的水平平流和非地转风的作用下,渤海辐合带向东北移动,当渤海西北岸出现北风后,渤海辐合带西北部在北风的水平平流作用下向南移动,而渤海辐合带东南部在西北风水平平流和非地转风的作用下,继续向东北移动并与山东半岛北部的海岸锋辐合带合并增强,渤海辐合带西北和东南两部分移动方向的不同造成了辐合带的波动。渤海辐合带增强后登陆山东半岛,造成山东半岛西北东南向降雪带。对这次冷流暴雪个例的分析发现,太行山脉通过形成背风低压中尺度系统直接影响渤海上的中尺度辐合带的发展,而渤海辐合带与山东半岛北岸附近海岸锋的耦合使辐合加强,增强了降雪强度。     

Bulk chemical control on metamorphic monazite growth in pelitic schists and implications for U–Pb age data

Several petrographic studies have linked accessory monazite growth in pelitic schist to metamorphic reactions involving major rock‐forming minerals, but little attention has been paid to the control that bulk composition might have on these reactions. In this study we use chemographic projections and pseudosections to argue that discrepant monazite ages from the Mount Barren Group of the Albany–Fraser Orogen, Western Australia, reflect differing bulk compositions. A new Sensitive High‐mass Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb monazite age of 1027 ± 8 Ma for pelitic schist from the Mount Barren Group contrasts markedly with previously published SHRIMP U–Pb monazite and xenotime ages of c. 1200 Ma for the same area. All dated samples experienced identical metamorphic conditions, but preserve different mineral assemblages due to variable bulk composition. Monazite grains dated at c. 1200 Ma are from relatively magnesian rocks dominated by biotite, kyanite and/or staurolite, whilst c. 1027 Ma grains are from a ferroan rock dominated by garnet and staurolite. The latter monazite population is likely to have grown when staurolite was produced at the expense of garnet and chlorite, but this reaction was not intersected by more magnesian compositions, which are instead dominated by monazite that grew during an earlier, greenschist facies metamorphic event. These results imply that monazite ages from pelitic schist can vary depending on the bulk composition of the host rock. Samples containing both garnet and staurolite are the most likely to yield monazite ages that approximate the timing of peak metamorphism in amphibolite facies terranes. Samples too magnesian to ever grow garnet, or too iron‐rich to undergo garnet breakdown, are likely to yield older monazite, and the age difference can be significant in terranes with a polymetamorphic history.     

Textural and chemical variation in plagioclase phenocrysts from the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens,USA

This study presents major- and trace-element chemistry of plagioclase phenocrysts from the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens volcano. Despite the considerable variation in textures and composition of plagioclase phenocrysts, distinct segments have been cross-correlated between crystals. The variation of Sr and Ba concentration in the melt, as calculated from the concentration in the phenocrysts using partition coefficients, suggests the cores and rims crystallised from compositionally different melts offset by the plagioclase crystallisation vector. In both of these melts Sr and Ba are correlated despite the abundance of plagioclase in the 1980 dacites. We propose that rapid crystallisation of plagioclase upon magma ascent caused a shift in melt composition towards lower Sr and higher Ba, as documented in the rims of the phenocrysts. Although the cores of the phenocrysts crystallised at relatively shallow depths, they preserve the Sr and Ba of the deep-seated melts as they ascended from a deeper region. Further magma ascent resulted in microlite nucleation, which is responsible for a similar shift to even lower Sr concentration as observed in the groundmass of post-18 May 1980 samples. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Numerical Modeling of the Coupled Mechanical and Hydrological Processes during Deformation and Mineralization in the Mount Isa Block, Australia

Mount Isa is a major Australian and world Pb‐Zn‐Ag mineral province. The wide varieties of mineralization in the province are believed to be closely related to the geodynamic processes of Isan Orogeny, which occurred between ca 1500 and 1620 Ma. In order to understand the geodynamic processes associated with the Isan Orogeny and the giant mineralization systems in the Mount Isa district, a series of numerical models has been constructed to simulate coupled mechanical–hydrological processes, using Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC), a finite difference computer code. The numerical modeling results have demonstrated that the most probable far‐field stress orientation during the Isan Orogeny is the asymmetrical E–W shortening, which led to greater easternward tectonic movement at the west boundary of the district in comparison with westward movement at the east boundary. During the initial and early stage of the Isan Orogeny, the mechanical and hydrological conditions in the Leichardt Fault Trough of the West Fold Belt are much more favorable for fluid accumulation and mineralization than in the East Fold Belt. The Mount Isan fault zone developed as a high dilation shear zone where the fluids were focused. As the asymmetrical shortening progressed, shortening deformation and shear strain localization became intensified in the eastern part of the orogenic district. The eastern region therefore became a more favorable locality for hydrothermal mineralization. This structural development feature seems to explain why mineralization in the East Fold Belt is generally later than in the West Fold Belt. Fluid production from the Williams–Naraku granites could result in fluid over‐pressuring, and this probably contributed to the extensive brecciation and related mineralization in the East Fold Belt.