Magma Differentiation in the Plumbing System of an Alkaline Ocean Island Volcano (Fuerteventura, Canary Island).

Abstract:

Magma differentiation and mixing are generally regarded as taking place in magma chambers, sills or reservoirs, while magma stagnates before continuing to ascent or erupt. Here we consider differentiation to occur during magma rise in vertical dykes, as documented in the PX1 pluton, Fuerteventura, which is part of the root-zone of an eroded ocean island volcano.

PX1 is a vertically layered cumulative body composed of meter to decameter-wide bands of clinopyroxenites and gabbros, surrounded by a very high-grade contact aureole (ca. 1000°C, Hobson et al., 1998). Many clinopyroxenites are characterized by a coarse-grained texture and complexly zoned clinopyroxene crystals. Resorption features and reverse zoning observed in rims are evidence for successive pulses. Percolation of high temperature basaltic melts through the accumulating crystal-rich mush would generate the complexly zoned clinopyroxenes and lead to crystal coarsening. We interpret these coarse-grained clinopyroxenites as crystal-rich magma channels, through which sustained magma fluxes travelled to the surface over a long period of time, thus generating the contact aureole. On the other hand, gabbro bands are interpreted as sluggish magma pulses emplaced in a cooler environment during the waning stages of magmatic activity.

We thus propose a model of magma differentiation by dynamic fractionation in dykes throughout magma ascent in the plumbing system of basaltic volcanoes. This model assumes fractional crystallization of continuously rising magmas in vertical channels all along their way to the surface through phenocryst accumulation and crystal-melt interaction processes.