Crystal Zoning Constrains on the Processes and Time Scales Involved in Monogenetic Mafic Volcanism (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

Abstract:

Most of the historical eruptive activity in Tenerife has been relatively mafic and mildly-explosive monogenetic eruptions, and thus it seems that this activity is the most likely in the near future. Here we investigate the processes and time scales that lead to such eruptions with the aim to better interpret and plan for any possible unrest in the island. We focus on three historical eruptions: Siete Fuentes (December 31 1704-January 1705), Fasnia (January 5-January 13 1705) and Arafo (February 2-February 26 1705) issued from a 10 km long basaltic fissure eruption oriented N45E and covering an area of 10.4 km². The erupted volume increases by 5-fold from the first to the last eruption. All magmas are tephritic, although the bulk-rock becomes more mafic with time due to accumulation of olivine with Cr-spinel inclusions, and clinopyroxene rather than to the appearance of a truly more primitive melt. Olivine core compositions of the three eruptions range between Fo79 and Fo87. Frequency histograms show three main populations: at Fo79-80, Fo80-82 and Fo84-87 displaying normal and reverse zoning. Thermodynamic calculations show that only cores with Fo80-82 are in equilibrium with the whole rock. Clinopyroxene phenocrysts can have large pools of matrix glass and show rims of different composition. Only the rims, with Mg#84-86, are in equilibrium with the whole-rock. Considering olivine cores and clinopyroxene rims in equilibrium we obtained a temperature range of 1150-1165°C, and MELTS calculations suggest pressures of 1 to 5 kbar. The variety of olivine core populations reflects mixing and mingling between three different magmas, and their proportions have changed with time from Siete Fuentes to Arafo. Most crystals have complex zoning profiles that record two events: (1) one of magma mixing/mingling at depth, (2) another of magma transport and ascent to the surface. Magma mixing at depth ranges from about 3 months to two years and is similar for the three eruptions. Magma transport times vary between about one week and one month, with somewhat longer times in the last eruption. The longer magma mixing times might be related to precursory seismicity of a few months as it occurred in the recent eruption of El Hierro in 2011. The shorter transport times of a week to a month might be more relevant for emergency plans in Tenerife Island.