Description: Petrological data have been acquired on natural trachytes from the Chaîne des Puys, French Massif Central, and on experimental products from phase equilibria to (1) constrain the storage conditions of trachytic magmas that lead to explosive eruptions (dome destructions as block-and-ash flows or pumice-and-ash flows) and (2) provide phase relationships and chemical compositions for differentiated alkaline liquids in an intraplate continental context. Phase assemblages, proportions, and compositions have been determined on six trachytes with SiO 2 contents varying from 62 to 69 wt % and alkali contents of 10·5–12·0 wt %. The samples contain up to 30% of phenocrysts, mainly consisting of feldspar (15–17%; plagioclase and/or alkali-feldspar), biotite (2–6%; except in the most SiO 2 -poor sample), Fe–Ti oxides (1–3%) ± amphibole (〈5%), ± clinopyroxene (~1%). All samples have apatite and zircon as minor phases and titanite was found in one sample. Pristine glasses (melt inclusions or residual glasses) in pumice from explosive events are trachytic to rhyolitic (65–73 wt % SiO 2 and 10·5–13·0 wt % alkali). H 2 O dissolved in melt inclusions and the biotite + alkali feldspar + magnetite hygrobarometer both suggest pre-eruptive H 2 O contents up to 8 wt %. These are so far the highest H 2 O contents ever reported for alkaline liquids in an intraplate continental context. Melt inclusions also contain ~3400 ppm chlorine, ~700 ppm fluorine, and ~300 ppm sulphur. Crystallization experiments on the six trachytes were performed between 200 and 400 MPa, 700 and 900°C, at H 2 O saturation, and oxygen fugacity of NNO ± 1. A comparison between the natural and experimental phase assemblage, proportions, and composition suggests magma storage conditions at a pressure of 300–350 MPa (~10–12 km deep), melt H 2 O content ~8 wt % (close to saturation), an oxygen fugacity close to NNO ~0·5, and temperatures increasing from 700 to 825°C with decreasing bulk SiO 2 content of the trachyte. The high H 2 O contents of the trachytes show that wet conditions may prevail during the differentiation of continental alkaline series. Regardless of the size of the magma reservoir assumed to have fed the trachyte eruptions, calculation of thermal relaxation timescales indicates that the tapped magma reservoir(s) are likely to be still partially molten. The four northernmost edifices may correspond to a single large reservoir with a lateral extent of up to 10 km, which could be possibly reactivated in weeks to months if intercepted by new rising mafic magma batches.

Description: From oxic atmosphere to metallic core, the Earth's components are broadly stratified with respect to oxygen fugacity. A simple picture of reducing oxygen fugacity with depth may be disrupted by the accumulation of oxidised crustal material in the deep lower mantle, entrained there as a result of subduction. While hotspot volcanoes are fed by regions of the mantle likely to have incorporated such recycled material, the oxygen fugacity of erupted hotspot basalts had long been considered comparable to or slightly more oxidised than that of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and more reduced than subduction zone basalts. Here we report measurements of the redox state of glassy crystal-hosted melt inclusions from tephra and quenched lava samples from the Canary and Cape Verde Islands, that we can independently show were entrapped prior to extensive sulphur degassing. We find high ferric iron to total iron ratios (Fe3+/∑Fe) of up to 0.27–0.30, indicating that mantle plume primary melts are significantly more oxidised than those associated with mid-ocean ridges and even subduction zone. These results, together with previous investigations from the Erebus, Hawaiian and Icelandic hotspots, confirm that mantle upwelling provides a return flow from the deep Earth for components of oxidised subducted lithosphere and suggest that highly oxidised material accumulates or is generated in the lower mantle. The oxidation state of the Earth's interior must therefore be highly heterogeneous and potentially locally inversely stratified.

Description: We present the results of phase equilibrium experiments carried out on basanite and phonotephrite lavas from Ross Island, Antarctica. Experiments were designed to reproduce the P–T–X–f O 2 conditions of deep and intermediate magma storage and to place constraints on the differentiation of each of the two predominant lava suites on the island, which are thought to be derived from a common parent melt. The Erebus Lineage (EL) consists of lava erupted from the Erebus summit and the Dry Valley Drilling Project (DVDP) lineage is represented by lavas sampled by drill core on Hut Point Peninsula. Experiments were performed in internally heated pressure vessels over a range of temperatures (1000–1150°C) and pressures (200–400 MPa), under oxidized conditions (NNO to NNO + 3, where NNO is the nickel–nickel oxide buffer), with X H2O of the H 2 O–CO 2 mixture added to the experimental capsule varying between zero and unity. The overall mineralogy and mineral compositions of the natural lavas were reproduced, suggesting oxidizing conditions for the deep magma plumbing system, in marked contrast to the reducing conditions (QFM to QFM – 1, where QFM is the quartz–fayalite–magnetite buffer) in the Erebus lava lake. In basanite, crystallization of spinel is followed by olivine and clinopyroxene; olivine is replaced by kaersutitic amphibole below ~1050°C at intermediate water contents. In phonotephrite, the liquidus phase is kaersutite except in runs with low water content ( X H 2 O fluid 〈 0·2) where it is replaced by clinopyroxene. Experimental kaersutite compositions suggest that the amphibole-bearing DVDP lavas differentiated below 1050°C at 200–400 MPa and NNO + 1·5 to NNO + 2. Olivine- and clinopyroxene-bearing EL lavas are consistent with experiments performed above 1050°C and pressures around 200 MPa. The plagioclase liquidus at 〈1–2 wt % H 2 O suggests extremely dry conditions for both lineages ( X H 2 O fluid approaching zero for EL, ~0·25 for DVDP), probably facilitated by dehydration induced by a CO 2 -rich fluid phase. Our results agree with previous studies that suggest a single plumbing system beneath Ross Island in which DVDP lavas (and probably other peripheral volcanic products) were erupted through radial fractures associated with the ascent of parental magma into the lower crust. The longer travel time of the DVDP lavas through the crust owing to lateral movement along fractures and the lack of a direct, sustained connection to the continuous CO 2 -rich gas flux that characterizes the main central Erebus conduit is probably responsible for the lower temperatures and slightly wetter conditions and hence the change in mineralogy observed.

Description: A rich history of experimental petrology has revealed the paths by which silicic igneous rocks follow mineral–melt equilibria during differentiation. Subdividing these rocks by ‘molar Al versus Ca + Na + K’ illustrates first-order differences in mineralogy and gives insight into formation mechanisms. Peraluminous magmas, formed by partial melting of sediments, largely owe their attributes and compositions to melting reactions in the protoliths, whereas most metaluminous felsic magmas record both continental and mantle inputs. Peralkaline rhyolites are mainly derived from either protracted crystallization or small degrees of partial melting of basalt, with only a marginal crustal contribution. Most silicic magmas hold 3–7 wt% H 2 O melt , which is inversely correlated with pre-eruptive temperature (700 °C to 〉950 °C) but unrelated to their reduced/oxidized state.

Description: Andesitic arc volcanism is the most common type of subduction-related magmatism on Earth. How these melts are generated and under which conditions they evolve towards silica-rich liquids is still a matter of discussion. We have performed crystallization experiments on a representative andesite sample from the Upper Scoriae 1 (USC-1) eruption of Santorini (Greece) with the aim of understanding such processes. Experiments were performed between 1000 and 900 °C, in the pressure range 100–400 MPa, at f O 2 from QFM (quartz–fayalite–magnetite) to NNO (nickel–nickel oxide) + 1·5, with H 2 O melt contents varying from saturation to nominally dry conditions. The results show that the USC-1 andesitic magma was generated at 1000 °C and 12–15 km depth (400 MPa), migrated to shallower levels (8 km; 200 MPa) and intruded into a partially crystallized dacitic magma body. The magma cooled to 975 °C and generated the phenocryst assemblage and compositional zonations that characterize the products of this eruption. An injection of basaltic magma problably subsequently triggered the eruption. In addition to providing the pre-eruptive conditions of the USC-1 magma, our experiments also shed light on the generation conditions of silica-rich magmas at Santorini. Experimental of runs performed at f O 2 ~ NNO + 1 (± 0·5) closely mimic the compositional evolution of magmas at Santorini whereas those at reduced conditions (QFM) do not. Glasses from runs at 1000–975 °C encompass the magma compositions of intermediate-dominated eruptions, whereas those at 950–900 °C reproduce the silicic-dominated eruptions. Altogether, the comparison between our experimental results and natural data for major recent eruptions from Santorini shows that different magma reservoirs, located at different levels, were involved during highly energetic events. Our results suggest that fractionation in deep reservoirs may give rise to magma series with a tholeiitic signature whereas at shallow levels calc-alkaline trends are produced.

Description: Phase equilibrium experiments were performed to determine the pre-eruptive conditions of the explosive eruption of Montaña Blanca (2020 bp ) that occurred from a satellite vent located on the east flank of Teide volcano (Tenerife). Crystallization experiments used a phonolitic obsidian from the fall-out deposit as the starting material; this contains 5 wt % anorthoclase, diopside and magnetite with minor amounts of biotite and ilmenite, set in a glassy matrix that contains microlites of Ca-rich alkali feldspar. Temperature was varied between 850 and 800°C, and pressure between 200 and 50 MPa. The oxygen fugacity ( f O 2 ) was varied between NNO + 0·2 (0·2 log units above the Ni–NiO solid buffer) and NNO – 2, and dissolved water contents varied from 7 to 1·5 wt %. Comparison between natural and experimental phase proportions and compositions indicates that the main body of phonolitic magma was stored at 850 ± 15°C, 50 ± 20 MPa, 2·5 ± 0·5 wt % H 2 O at an f O 2 around NNO – 0·5 prior to eruption, equivalent to depths of between 1 and 2 km below the surface. Some clinopyroxene crystals hosting H 2 O-rich melt inclusions possibly originate from an intermittent supply of phonolitic magma stored at somewhat deeper levels (100 MPa). The Ca- and Fe-rich composition of alkali feldspar phenocryst rims and microlites attests to the intrusion of a more mafic magma into the reservoir just prior to eruption; this is evidenced by the appearance of banded pumices in the later products of the eruptive sequence. The comparison with other phonolitic magmas from Tenerife and elsewhere (e.g. Vesuvius, Laacher See) shows that differences in the eruption dynamics of phonolitic magmas can be correlated with differences in magma storage depths, along with variations in pre-eruptive volatile contents.

Description: Peritectic crystals in igneous rocks may be derived from either the source or country rocks, or may have formed by reactive assimilation of source-inherited solids, primary magmatic minerals during self- or magma mixing, or country-rock xenoliths or xenocrysts. Identifying such peritectic crystals is important for constraining the components and textures of igneous rocks and the underlying processes of magmatic evolution. In this study we demonstrate that peritectic olivine formed in melting experiments crystallizes as clusters of euhedral to subhedral crystals. Olivine replacing orthopyroxene, amphibole, and phlogopite forms crystal clusters with distinct crystal to melt ratios, 2D surface area, grain boundary segmentation, and inclusion relations. In our experiments the textures of peritectic crystals are primarily controlled by the stability temperature and decomposition rate of reactive minerals. High-temperature minerals such as orthopyroxene slowly decompose to form high-density clusters of large crystals with long grain boundary segments. The SiO 2 -rich peritectic melt produced favours formation of melt inclusions. Low-temperature minerals such as amphibole and phlogopite rapidly decompose to form low-density clusters of small crystals with short grain boundary segments. The relatively SiO 2 -poor peritectic melt produced results in the formation of fewer melt inclusions. Host melt composition has a minor effect on the textures of peritectic olivine formed in the melting experiments of this study and previous contamination experiments, but affects the assemblages of the peritectic crystal clusters. Cluster density and 2D surface area of peritectic olivine tend to decrease, whereas grain boundary segment length increases with increasing experimental temperature and H 2 O content. Using textural criteria that distinguish olivine formed after different minerals in our melting experiments, we hypothesize that two olivine populations from a basaltic–andesitic lava flow of the Tatara–San Pedro volcanic complex, Chile, may be peritectic crystals formed after amphibole and orthopyroxene. Both amphibole and orthopyroxene are common in xenoliths preserved in some Tatara–San Pedro lava flows. One notable difference between the experimental and natural olivine crystals is that the natural olivine crystals have 2D surface areas and 2D grain boundary segments up to ~1000 and ~100 times larger, respectively, than those produced in our experiments. We propose that this size difference is primarily controlled by comparatively slow heating and decomposition of reactive crystals and textural coarsening of peritectic crystals during prolonged magma residence in the natural system.

Description: Field observations and petrological studies have recently advanced understanding of the magmatic system of Erebus volcano, renowned for its sustained CO 2 -rich degassing, and long-lived phonolitic lava lake. However, this body of work has highlighted uncertainty in several key parameters, including the magma temperature, redox state and the depth of the reservoir presumed to maintain the lava lake. Here, we use experimentally determined phase equilibria to constrain these unknowns. The experiments ranged in temperature from 900 to 1025°C, in pressure from atmospheric to 300 MPa, in water content from 0 to 8 wt %, and in oxygen fugacity from NNO + 4 (where NNO is nickel–nickel oxide) to QFM – 2 (where QFM is quartz–fayalite–magnetite). The natural system was experimentally reproduced at 950 ± 25°C, a pressure below 200 MPa, redox conditions between QFM and QFM – 1, and remarkably low water contents of less than 0·5 wt %. These findings help in understanding petrological observations, including melt inclusion data, as well as the measured composition of gas emissions from the lava lake. Biotite and amphibole appear in the crystallization sequence at around 925°C, even under very dry conditions (biotite). Both biotite and amphibole are absent in the phonolites erupted over the last 20 kyr at Erebus. The constant abundance of anorthoclase observed in the erupted lavas and bombs indicates that the shallow magmatic system feeding the Erebus lava lake (below pressures of 200 MPa) has been thermally buffered at 950 ± 25°C over this time period, possibly reflecting steady-state connection with the deep feeding system rooted in the mantle. Combined with recent seismological data, our results suggest that if a large phonolitic reservoir exists, then it should lie in the depth range 4–7·5 km. The tight constraints on temperature and redox conditions will be valuable for future thermodynamical and rheological modelling.

Description: We performed crystallization experiments at 2–3 GPa at 700–950°C on basaltic and pelitic lithologies with added water and sulphur to constrain the factors controlling sulphur behaviour in subduction zones and how it may have varied through geological time. The resulting hydrous silicic melts have up to 20 times more dissolved sulphur (up to 1 wt %) than at 0·2–0·4 GPa, when moderately oxidized conditions prevail. Such high solubilities appear to result from the combined effects of enhanced solubility of water in high-pressure silicate melts (10–20 wt % H 2 O), which acts to decrease silica activity, and oxidizing conditions. The results confirm previous findings that high sulphur contents in silicate melts do not necessarily require iron-rich compositions, suggesting instead that sulphur–water complexes play a fundamental role in sulphur dissolution mechanisms in iron-poor silicic melts, in agreement with recent spectroscopic data. The experimental melts reproduce Phanerozoic slab-derived magmas, in particular their distinct Ca- and Mg-rich composition. The results also show that sulphur increases the degree of melting of basalt lithologies. Hence, we suggest that subducted slabs will preferentially melt where sulphur is present in abundance and that the variability in arc magma sulphur output reflects, in part, the vagaries of sulphur distribution in the slab source. In contrast, comparison with the composition of Archean felsic rocks suggests that, in the early Earth, much less sulphur was present in subducted slabs, in agreement with a number of independent lines of evidence showing that the Archean ocean, hence the hydrothermally altered subducted Archean oceanic crust, was considerably poorer in sulphur than at present. Volcanic degassing of sulphur was thus probably much weaker during the Archean than in Proterozoic–Phanerozoic times.