The Role of Open-System Processes in the Development of Silicic Magma Chambers: a Chemical and Isotopic Investigation of the Fogo A Trachyte Deposit, Sao Miguel, Azores

The processes operating in the development of chemical zonationin silicic magma chambers have been addressed with a Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–Thisotope study of the chemically zoned trachyte pumice depositof the Fogo A eruption, Fogo volcano, Azores. Sr isotopic variationis observed in whole rocks, glass separates and sanidine phenocrysts(whole-rock ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr: 0·7049–0·7061; glass⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr: 0·7048–0·7052; sanidine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr:0·7048–0·7062). Thorium isotopic variationis observed in glass separates, with (²³⁰Th/²³²Th)_o rangingfrom 0·8737 to 0·8841, and exhibiting a negativecorrelation with Sr isotopes. The Nd, Pb and Hf isotopic compositionsof the whole-rock trachytic pumices are invariant and indistinguishablefrom basalts flanking the volcano. The Sr isotope variationsin the whole rocks are proposed to be the result of three distinctprocesses: contamination of the Fogo A magma by assimilationof radiogenic seawater-altered syenite wall rock, to explainthe Sr and Th isotopic compositions of the glass separates;incorporation of xenocrysts into the trachytic magma, requiredto explain the range in feldspar Sr isotopic compositions; andpost-eruptive surface alteration. This study emphasizes theimportance of determining the isotopic composition of glassand mineral separates rather than whole rocks when pre-eruptivemagmatic processes are being investigated. KEY WORDS: Azores; open-system processes; Sr isotopes; trachytic pumices; zoned magma chambers