Petrology of the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano and the origin of the Lake Natron Footprint Tuff (northern Tanzania)

Abstract:

During its evolution the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano (northern Tanzania) has erupted magmas with a compositional range from nephelinites to phonolites and carbonatites. Intrusive, metasomatic and cumulate enclaves are commonly found in all silicate products of the volcano. New and detailed geochemical and mineralogical study of 132 samples of fresh volcanic silicate material from four debris avalanches, and the volcanic edifice, indicates that phonolites and nephelinites associated with carbonatites were generated via different evolutionary paths. Temporally, the first stage of evolution included the phonolitic path, whereas the second, modern stage includes the production of combeite-wollastonite-bearing nephelinites, associated with carbonatites. Our data supports the two-stage evolutionary model previously presented by Klaudius and Keller (2006). The modern stage is characterised by the mildly explosive natrocarbonatitic activity, which is alternating with highly explosive, nephelinitic eruptions. Distal products of these nephelinitic eruptions cover a wide area around the volcano, however only the recent eruptions have been documented. In this context, special emphasis was paid to the origin of the Lake Natron Footprint Tuff which has preserved hominid footprints that received considerable interest within the anthropological community in recent years. The so-called Footprint tuff is the most significant volcaniclastic horizon in the area around Oldoinyo Lengai. Based on the geochemical, mineralogical and magnetic data we collected from this site, we can deduce that the footprint-bearing horizon was deposited during one or several big eruptions of the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano (corresponding to the late nephelinitic stage of volcanism) and was slightly reworked by water. The material that comprises the upper horizon, which covers the footprints, was derived as aeolian sediments from the Lake Natron – Engaruka Monogenetic Volcanic Field (i.e., melilititic in composition). Based on the petrology in combination with field observations and climatological data from the region we further conclude that the age of the Footprint tuff must be less than 11 ka.

Klaudius, J. and J. Keller (2006), Peralkaline silicate lavas at Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania, Lithos, 91(1-4), 173-190