Setting A Stopwatch for Post-Caldera Effusive Rhyolite Eruptions at Yellowstone caldera, Wyoming

Abstract:

Rejuvenation of previously intruded silicic magma is an important process leading to effusive rhyolite, which is the most common product of volcanism at calderas with protracted histories of eruption and unrest such as Yellowstone caldera (Wyoming), Long Valley caldera (California), and Valles caldera (New Mexico) in the United States. Although orders of magnitude smaller in volume than rare caldera-forming supereruptions, these relatively frequent effusions of rhyolite are comparable to the largest eruptions of the 20^th century and pose a considerable volcanic hazard. However, the physical pathway from rejuvenation to eruption of silicic magma is unclear, particularly because the time between reheating of a subvolcanic intrusion and eruption is poorly quantified. This study uses trace element diffusion in sanidine crystals measured at nanometer-scale with NanoSIMS to reveal that rejuvenation of a near-solidus or subsolidus silicic intrusion occurred within ~10 months following a protracted period (220 k.y.) of volcanic repose, and resulted in effusion of ~3 km³ of high-silica rhyolite lava at the onset of Yellowstone’s last volcanic interval. In addition we find that the frequently made assumption in geospeedometry of a step-function initial condition can be inaccurate despite petrographic evidence for resorption, and can be addressed by interrogating diffusion time scale concordance between multiple trace elements that are geochemically similar. The results of this study reveal that a sufficiently energetic rejuvenation of Yellowstone’s shallow crystal-melt mush and/or hydrothermally altered wall rock could lead to an effusive eruption within months. Fortunately, any significant rejuvenation of the reservoir is likely to be associated with deformation or seismicity and identifiable by geophysical monitoring.