The use of biotite trace element compositions for fingerprinting magma batches at Las Cañadas volcano, Tenerife


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Date

2017-01

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

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Abstract

Accurate identification of individual volcanic events in the field is crucial for constraining eruption volumes and calculating recurrence intervals between eruptive episodes. Due to complexities of pyroclastic transport and deposition and intra-unit textural variability, such identification can be challenging. We present a novel method for fingerprinting ignimbrites via trace element chemistry (V, Co, Nb) in biotite by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Using samples from the alkaline magmatic series of Tenerife, we are able to demonstrate (1) clustering of previously characterized units into distinct, homogeneous groups based on V, Co, and Nb concentrations in biotite, despite the presence of extreme variation and zonation in other trace elements (Ba, Sr, Rb) that indicate complex petrogenetic processes, and (2) biotite compositions are similar throughout a deposit and relatively independent of stratigraphic height or juvenile clast texture (crystal-rich vs crystal-poor). Our results show that trace elements in biotite can be used to fingerprint eruptions and correlate geographically separated volcanic deposits, including those preserved in offshore turbidite records.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

79 (1)

Pages / Article No.

1

Publisher

Springer

Event

Edition / version

Methods

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Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Stratigraphy; Tenerife; Alkaline magmatism; Trace element chemistry; Biotite

Organisational unit

03958 - Bachmann, Olivier / Bachmann, Olivier check_circle

Notes

It was possible to publish this article open access thanks to a Swiss National Licence with the publisher.

Funding

166281 - Understanding eruptive and post-eruptive processes in rhyolites via lithium (Li) isotopes (SNF)

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