Revealing the eruptive dynamics of post-glacial effusive volcanism in the western part of Laguna del Maule Volcanic Field: Insights into a complex magmatic system

Abstract:

In this study we analyzed six Quaternary lava flows and one lava dome from Laguna del Maule Volcanic Field, in the Chilean Andes, in order to create a volcano-petrological eruptive model to get ideas about pre- and syn-eruptive stages, the main factors that control the broad distribution of vents and the architecture of magma reservoir. We estimated eruptive parameters such as effusion rates and erupted volumes, extrinsic and intrinsic lava flows emplacement controlling factors, magma ascent rates and pre-eruptive thermodynamics conditions to determine different stages in magma evolution from magma reservoir to emplacement of lava at surface. The analyzed lavas have andesitic-to-rhyolitic compositions, blocky morphology with volumes about a few cubic kilometers, thicknesses up to 140 m, maximum widths of 5 km and maximum lengths of 10 km. Modeling of the advance of these flows gives effusion rates of 10^-1-10² m³s^-1 and eruptions of a few months to years. Petrologic studies which include quantitative textural analyses and mineral and glass compositions, reveal similar provenance and crystalizing temperatures of similar minerals, coupled with similar pressures, H2O content and oxygen fugacity by similar lava composition, meanwhile individual chamber size estimations show an overlap sharing volume in near chambers indicating the equivalent provenance. Our main results about dynamics of lava flows suggest a crustal yield strength control in the emplacement over the internal viscosity of the flow for each lava. On the other hand, non-rhyolitic units appear to come from chambers located in similar depths and with coinciding volumes which indicate that the eruptions were triggered by the injection of different magma batches into a crystal-rich magma reservoir that could be divided into many sub-compartments which could explain the broad distribution of the vents. In addition, rhyolitic units also show similar thermodynamics conditions and coming from equivalent chambers.