Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume 313-314, Issue 1, 2012, Pages 23-33

Systematic tapping of independent magma chambers during the 1Ma Kidnappers supereruption (Article)

Cooper G.F.* , Wilson C.J.N. , Millet M.-A. , Baker J.A. , Smith E.G.C.
  • a School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
  • b School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
  • c School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
  • d School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
  • e School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

Abstract

The 1.0Ma Kidnappers supereruption (~1200km 3 DRE) from Mangakino volcanic centre, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, produced a large phreatomagmatic fall deposit followed by an exceptionally widespread ignimbrite. Detailed sampling and analysis of glass shards and mineral phases have been undertaken through a proximal 4.0m section of the fall deposit, representing the first two-thirds of erupted extra-caldera material. Major and trace element chemistries of glass shards define three distinct populations (types A, B and C), which systematically change in proportion through the fall deposit and are inferred to represent three magma types. Type B glass and biotite first appear at the same level (~0.95m above base) in the fall deposit suggesting later tapping of a biotite-bearing magma. Plagioclase and Fe-Ti oxide compositions show bimodal distributions, which are linked to types A and B glass compositions. Temperature and pressure (T-P) estimates from hornblende and Fe-Ti oxide equilibria from each magma type are similar and therefore the three magma bodies were adjacent, not vertically stacked, in the crust. Most hornblende model T-P estimates range from 770 to 840°C and 90 to 170MPa corresponding to storage depths of ~4.0-6.5km. Hornblende model T-P estimates coupled with in situ trace element fingerprinting imply that the magma bodies were individually well mixed, and not stratified. Compositional gaps between the three glass compositional types imply that no mixing between these magmas occurred. We interpret these data, coupled with the systematic changes in shard compositional proportions through the fall deposit, to reflect that three independent melt-dominant bodies of magma contributed large (A, ~270km 3), medium (B, ~90km 3) and small (C, ~40km 3) volumes (as reflected in the fall deposits) and were systematically tapped during the eruption. We propose that the systematic evacuation of the three independent magma bodies implies that there was tectonic triggering and linkage of eruptions. Our results show that supereruptions can be generated by near simultaneous multiple eruptions from independent magma chambers rather than the evacuation of a large single unitary magma chamber. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Author Keywords

Taupo Volcanic Zone supereruption Eruption trigger Phreatomagmatic fall deposit Multiple magmas Kidnappers eruption

Index Keywords

Trace Elements volcanology Volcanoes Supereruption volcanic eruption Taupo Volcanic Zone glass estimation North Island trace element phreatomagmatism magma chamber Eruption trigger Multiple magmas Mica ignimbrite Kidnappers eruption plagioclase caldera biotite hornblende Deposits New Zealand

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84855173610&doi=10.1016%2fj.epsl.2011.11.006&partnerID=40&md5=3fd7f6f3d132b4f6cc36efa9874c72e2

DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2011.11.006
ISSN: 0012821X
Cited by: 46
Original Language: English