Explore the vast range of titles available.

The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) is a thermodynamic tool for modeling the evolution of magmatic systems that are open with respect to assimilation of partial melts or stoped blocks, magma recharge + mixing, and fractional crystallization. MCS is available for both PC and Mac. In the MCS, the thermal, mass, and compositional evolution of a multicomponent–multiphase composite system of resident magma, wallrock, and recharge reservoirs is tracked by rigorous self-consistent thermodynamic modeling. A Recharge–Assimilation (Assimilated partial melt or Stoped blocks)–Fractional Crystallization (RnASnFC; ntot ≤ 30) scenario is computed by minimization or maximization of appropriate thermodynamic potentials using the family of rhyolite- and pMELTS engines coupled to an Excel Visual Basic interface. In MCS, during isobaric cooling and crystallization, resident magma thermally interacts with wallrock that is in internal thermodynamic equilibrium. Wallrock partial melt above a user-defined percolation threshold is homogenized (i.e., brought in to chemical potential equilibrium) with resident magma. Crystals that form become part of a cumulate reservoir that remains thermally connected but chemically isolated from resident melt. Up to 30 instances (n ≤ 30) of magma mixing by recharge and/or bulk assimilation of stoped wallrock blocks can occur in a single simulation; each recharge magma or stoped block has a unique user-defined composition and thermal state. Recharge magmas and stoped blocks hybridize (equilibrate) with resident melt, yielding a single new melt composition and temperature. MCS output includes major and trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios (Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb, Os, and O as defaults) of wallrock, recharge magma/stoped blocks, resident magma melt, and cumulates. The chemical formulae of equilibrium crystalline phases in the cumulate reservoir, wallrock, and recharge magmas/stoped blocks are also output. Depending on the selected rhyolite-MELTS engine, the composition and properties of a possible supercritical fluid phase (H2O and/or CO2) are also tracked. Forward modeling of theoretical magma systems and suites of igneous rocks provides quantitative insight into key questions in igneous petrology such as mantle versus crustal contributions to terrestrial magmas, the record of magmatism preserved in cumulates and exsolved fluids, and the chronology of RASFC processes that may be recorded by crystal populations, melt inclusions, and whole rocks. Here, we describe the design of the MCS software that focuses on major element compositions and phase equilibria (MCS-PhaseEQ). Case studies that involve fractional crystallization, magma recharge + mixing, and crustal contamination of a depleted basalt that resides in average upper crust illustrate the major element and phase equilibria consequences of these processes and highlight the rich array of data produced by MCS. The cases presented here, which represent an infinitesimal fraction of possible RASFC processes and bulk compositions, show that the records of recharge and/or crustal contamination may be subtle and are not necessarily those that would be predicted using conventional intuition and simple mass balance arguments. Mass and energy constrained thermodynamic tools like the MCS quantify the open-system evolution of magmas and provide a systematic understanding of the petrology and geochemistry of open system magmatic processes. The trace element and isotope MCS computational tool (MCS-Traces) is described in a separate contribution (part II).

The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) is a thermodynamic model that computes the phase, thermal, and compositional evolution of a multiphase–multicomponent system of a Fractionally Crystallizing resident body of magma (i.e., melt ± solids ± fluid), linked wallrock that may either be assimilated as Anatectic melts or wholesale as Stoped blocks, and multiple Recharge reservoirs (RnASnFC system, where n is the number of user-selected recharge events). MCS calculations occur in two stages; the first utilizes mass and energy balance to produce thermodynamically constrained major element and phase equilibria information for an RnASnFC system; this tool is informally called MCS-PhaseEQ, and is described in a companion paper (Bohrson et al. 2020). The second stage of modeling, called MCS-Traces, calculates the RASFC evolution of up to 48 trace elements and seven radiogenic and one stable isotopic system (Sr, Nd, Hf, 3xPb, Os, and O) for the resident melt. In addition, trace element concentrations are calculated for bulk residual wallrock and each solid (± fluid) phase in the cumulate reservoir and residual wallrock. Input consists of (1) initial trace element concentrations and isotope ratios for the parental melt, wallrock, and recharge magmas/stoped wallrock blocks and (2) solid-melt and solid–fluid partition coefficients (optional temperature-dependence) for stable phases in the resident magma and residual wallrock. Output can be easily read and processed from tabulated worksheets. We provide trace element and isotopic results for the same example cases (FC, R2FC, AFC, S2FC, and R2AFC) presented in the companion paper. These simulations show that recharge processes can be difficult to recognize based on trace element data alone unless there is an independent reference frame of successive recharge events or if serial recharge magmas are sufficiently distinct in composition relative to the parental magma or magmas on the fractionation trend. In contrast, assimilation of wallrock is likely to have a notable effect on incompatible trace element and isotopic compositions of the contaminated resident melt. The magnitude of these effects depends on several factors incorporated into both stages of MCS calculations (e.g., phase equilibria, trace element partitioning, style of assimilation, and geochemistry of the starting materials). Significantly, the effects of assimilation can be counterintuitive and very different from simple scenarios (e.g., bulk mixing of magma and wallrock) that do not take account phase equilibria. Considerable caution should be practiced in ruling out potential assimilation scenarios in natural systems based upon simple geochemical “rules of thumb”. The lack of simplistic responses to open-system processes underscores the need for thermodynamical RASFC models that take into account mass and energy conservation. MCS-Traces provides an unprecedented and detailed framework for utilizing thermodynamic constraints and element partitioning to document trace element and isotopic evolution of igneous systems. Continued development of the Magma Chamber Simulator will focus on easier accessibility and additional capabilities that will allow the tool to better reproduce the documented natural complexities of open-system magmatic processes.

Continental arcs are associated with volcanism concentrated into two main belts—the main arc and back arc, often separated by fold and thrust belts. The Loicas Trough, Argentina, is a post-orogenic extensional feature that obliquely cuts the fold and thrust belts. The trough hosts large Pliocene–Holocene volcanic centres, including Domuyo and Tromen, that lie between the main arc and back arc and thus provide a rare window into this setting. We present major and trace element data for the Loicas Trough, which we combine with geochemical modelling using the Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) to explore the origin and evolution of the volcanism. The lavas display a wide continuous range from alkaline basalts to subalkaline rhyolites. Trace elements reveal variable extents of arc enrichment (2 < Nb/U < 28), which correlate with proximity to the trench and differentiation indices. Our results and MCS models indicate that the Loicas Trough parental magmas formed from compositionally zoned mantle. Best-fit models indicate that the differentiation occurs at middle and upper crustal levels, in sharp contrast to lower crustal hot zones beneath main arcs. Assimilation of partial crustal melts drives compositional evolution and obscures source signatures. Pure or high fraction end-member partial crustal melts are also identified at Domuyo based on their low Ba (~ 250 ppm) and moderate Sc contents (~ 8 ppm). We find evidence of similar lavas in transtensional settings adjacent to continental arcs worldwide, which do not adhere to the main versus back arc volcanism binary. We suggest the term arc-adjacent magmatism , where compositions are mainly controlled by extensive assimilation and reworking in the middle to upper crust.

Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are unusual volcanic events in which massive amounts of melt (∼106 km3) erupt in relatively short time periods (<106 years). Most LIP magmas have undergone extensive fractional crystallization and crustal contamination, but the crustal magmatic plumbing systems and the processes triggering eruptions are poorly understood. We present new major and trace element and radiogenic isotope data for 43 individual lava flows from a continuous 1,200 m thick stratigraphic profile through the upper, most voluminous part of the Deccan LIP (Bushe to Mahabaleshwar Formations). Eruption rates for this section are constrained by published paleomagnetic directions and absolute U‐Pb ages for zircons from weathered flow tops exposed in the profile. We find four magmatic sequences each lasting ∼104–∼105 years during which major and trace element compositions change systematically, followed by an abrupt change in geochemistry at the start of a new sequence. Within each sequence, the MgO content and proportion of crustal contamination decrease progressively, indicating a continuous replenishment of the associated magma reservoirs with less contaminated but more evolved melts. These geochemical signatures are best explained by repeated episodes of melt recharge, mixing, and eruption of variably evolved magmas originating from relatively small magma reservoir located in different crustal levels. Plain Language Summary Volcanism occurs predominantly at plate boundaries, either at mid‐ocean ridges or subduction zones, where most mantle melts are produced. However, the Earth's history is punctuated by volcanic events which are not related to plate boundary processes and during which large amounts of melt erupt (∼106 km3) in relatively short periods of time (<106 years). These Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are associated with the activity of mantle plumes and eruption rates during their main stages are significantly higher than those of today's largest magmatic systems. However, since no LIP is currently active, the architecture of the associated plumbing systems is relatively unknown. In order to understand the magmatic processes during the emplacement of a LIP, we generated geochemical data from a continuous stratigraphic profile covering the most voluminous stage of the ∼66 Ma Deccan LIP. By combining these new data with published paleomagnetic directions and absolute U‐Pb ages for zircons, we found four eruption sequences each lasting ∼104–∼105 years. During these sequences, geochemical compositions change systematically, which is best explained by repeated episodes of melt recharge, mixing, and eruption of variably evolved magmas originating from relatively small magma reservoirs located at different crustal levels. Key Points Four recharge‐crystallization‐eruption sequences fed the most voluminous Deccan lava Magmatic plumbing system with interconnected small‐ to medium‐sized magma reservoirs Complex emplacement history including multiple stages of ascent, mixing, and storage

We document the presence, composition, and number density (TND) of titanomagnetite nanolites and ultra‐nanolites in aphyric rhyolitic pumice, obsidian, and vesicular obsidian from the 1060 CE Glass Mountain volcanic eruption of Medicine Lake Volcano, California, using magnetic methods. Curie temperatures indicate compositions of Fe2.40Ti0.60O4 to Fe3O4. Rock‐magnetic parameters sensitive to domain state, which is dependent on grain volume, indicate a range of particle sizes spanning superparamagnetic (<50–80 nm) to multidomain (>10 μm) particles. Cylindrical cores drilled from the centers of individual pumice clasts display anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility with prolate fabrics, with the highest degree of anisotropy coinciding with the highest vesicularity. Fabrics within a pumice clast require particle alignment within a fluid, and are interpreted to result from the upward transport of magma driven by vesiculation, ensuing bubble growth, and shearing in the conduit. Titanomagnetite number density (TND) is calculated from titanomagnetite volume fraction, which is determined from ferromagnetic susceptibility. TND estimates for monospecific assemblages of 1,000 nm–10 nm cubes predict 1012 to 1020 m−3 of solid material, respectively. TND estimates derived using a power law distribution of grain sizes predict 1018 to 1019 m−3. These ranges agree well with TND determinations of 1018 to 1020 m−3 made by McCartney et al. (2024), and are several orders of magnitude larger than the number density of bubbles in these materials. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that titanomagnetite crystals already existed in extremely high number‐abundance at the time of magma ascent and bubble nucleation. Plain Language Summary We use magnetism experiments to prove that nanometer‐sized magnetic particles are present in volcanic rocks with low iron content and few visible crystals. Nanolites (particles between 30 and 1,000 nm) and ultra‐nanolites (particles smaller than 30 nm) are extremely difficult to detect in volcanic rocks composed mainly of glass using conventional methods such as optical and electron microscopy. Titanomagnetite nano‐particles may play a role in controlling the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions. The magnetic signatures of minerals can be used to determine their chemical composition, particle size range, and particle abundance. Pumice and obsidian contain the mineral titanomagnetite, with no evidence of prolonged crystallization at high oxygen levels at the Earth's surface. Observed magnetic behaviors are very similar to those of previously published studies of titanomagnetite in the 10–1,000 nm size range, and similar to mathematical models that simulate this size range. We find that pumice clasts have a magnetic fabric, suggesting that the nanolites and ultra‐nanolites were aligned in spatial patterns before the magma solidified, with stronger alignment coinciding with high degrees of vesicularity. Our results indicate that titanomagnetite crystals are highly abundant, and had crystallized in the magma chamber before the eruption. Key Points Magnetic methods document titanomagnetite nanolites in rhyolitic materials from Glass Mountain, Medicine Lake Volcano, California Titanomagnetite number densities for pumice, obsidian, and vesicular obsidian span 1012 to 1020 m−3 of solid material Titanomagnetite crystals already existed in extremely high number‐abundance at the time of magma ascent and bubble nucleation

Arc volcanoes are underlain by complex systems of molten‐rock reservoirs ranging from melt‐poor mush zones to melt‐rich magma chambers. Petrological and satellite data indicate that eruptible magma chambers form in the topmost few kilometres of the crust. However, very few chambers have ever been definitively located, suggesting that most are too short‐lived or too small to be imaged, which has direct implications for hazard assessment and modeling of magma differentiation. Here we use a high‐resolution technology based on inverting full seismic waveforms to image a small, high‐melt‐fraction magma chamber that was not detected with standard seismic tomography. The melt reservoir extends from ∼2 to at least 4 km below sea level (b.s.l.) at Kolumbo—a submarine volcano near Santorini, Greece. The chamber coincides with the termination point of the recent earthquake swarms and may be a missing link between a deeper melt reservoir and the high‐temperature hydrothermal system venting at the crater floor. The chamber poses a serious hazard as it could produce a highly explosive, tsunamigenic eruption in the near future. Our results suggest that similar reservoirs (relatively small but high‐melt‐fraction) may have gone undetected at other active volcanoes, challenging the existing eruption forecasts and reactive‐flow models of magma differentiation. Plain Language Summary Arc volcanoes, which mark the curved boundaries between converging tectonic plates, host the most explosive events on Earth. The associated hazard depends on how much mobile magma is currently present shallow beneath a volcano. Standard tomographic methods used so far have relatively low resolution and give a blurred picture of only the largest molten‐rock bodies. In particular, they struggle to distinguish between mobile magma and melt spread between tightly packed mineral grains. This study, a first in volcanology, combines a next‐generation tomographic method with extraordinarily dense seafloor recordings of controlled marine sound sources. This state‐of‐the‐art experiment at Kolumbo volcano, offshore of Santorini allowed us to detect a body of mobile magma which has been growing at an average rate of 4 × 106 m3 per year since the last eruption in 1650 CE. This rate is large enough to counteract the effect of cooling and crystallization. Our results show that Kolumbo poses a serious threat and deserves a real‐time monitoring facility. Despite the excellent data coverage, the small magma body was missed by standard tomography. This suggests that applying next‐generation imaging methods to already‐well‐studied volcanoes may lead to similar discoveries. We envision that small‐volume, high‐melt‐fraction reservoirs may be more widespread than previously thought. Key Points A shallow, very strong negative Vp anomaly imaged under the explosive, submarine Kolumbo volcano, Greece, using full‐waveform inversion The high‐fidelity image and petrologic data indicate the anomaly is a small (∼0.6‐km wide, ∼2‐km deep), magma chamber with ∼42% of melt The chamber was missed by travel‐time tomography indicating similar reservoirs may have gone undetected at other volcanoes

The rhyodacitic magma discharged during the 30–80 km3 DRE (dense rock equivalent) Late Bronze Age (LBA; also called ‘Minoan’) eruption of Santorini caldera is known from previous studies to have had a complex history of polybaric ascent and storage prior to eruption. We refine the timescales of these processes by modelling Mg–Fe diffusion profiles in orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene crystals. The data are integrated with previously published information on the LBA eruption (phase equilibria studies, melt inclusion volatile barometry, Mg-in-plagioclase diffusion chronometry), as well as new plagioclase crystal size distributions and the established pre-LBA history of the volcano, to reconstruct the events that led up to the assembly and discharge of the LBA magma chamber. Orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase crystals in the rhyodacite have compositionally distinct rims, overgrowing relict, probably source-derived, more magnesian (or calcic) cores, and record one or more crystallization (plag ≫ opx > cpx) events during the few centuries to years prior to eruption. The crystallization event(s) can be explained by the rapid transfer of rhyodacitic melt from a dioritic/gabbroic region of the subcaldera pluton (mostly in the 8–12 km depth range), followed by injection, cooling and mixing in a large melt lens at 4–6 km depth (the pre-eruptive magma chamber). Since crystals from all eruptive phases yield similar timescales, the melt transfer event(s), the last of which took place less than 2 years before the eruption, must have involved most of the magma that subsequently erupted. The data are consistent with a model in which prolonged generation, storage and segregation of silicic melts were followed by gravitational instability in the subcaldera pluton, causing the rapid interconnection and amalgamation of melt-rich domains. The melts then drained to the top of the pluton, at fluxes of up to 0.1–1 km3 year− 1, where steep vertical gradients of density and rheology probably caused them to inject laterally, forming a short-lived holding chamber prior to eruption. This interpretation is consistent with growing evidence that some large silicic magma chambers are transient features on geological timescales. A similar process preceded at least one earlier caldera-forming eruption on Santorini, suggesting that it may be a general feature of this rift-hosted magmatic system.

The trachydacitic Alpehué tephra from Sollipulli volcano (Andean Southern Volcanic Zone), consists of ignimbrite and fallout from a Plinian eruption about 3000 years ago. It is mainly composed of (1) crystal-rich pumice and ash but also contains (2) chilled knobbly basaltic lava clasts and (3) mostly highly inflated glomerocrystic fragments with high crystal-glass ratios interpreted to represent a crystal mush zoned from basaltic to dacitic bulk compositions. Knobbly lava clasts are of three types: (a) a very phenocryst-poor basalt, (b) a basalt with large, unzoned olivine and plagioclase phenocrysts and glomerocrysts, and (c) mixtures of microcrystalline basalt with various fragments, glomerocrysts and crystals derived from a crystal mush. Clast type (4) in the tephra is banded pumices in which the three magmatic components occur variably mingled. Thermobarometry and petrographic observations, particularly presence or absence of amphibole, constrain an upper-crustal succession of a lower basaltic reservoir, a zoned basaltic to dacitic crystal mush reservoir, and a separate trachydacite magma chamber on top. All Alpehué magmatic components form a coherent liquid line of descent which supports the interpretation that the crystal mush reservoir is a gradually solidifying magma chamber, not the result of large-scale crystal-liquid segregation. The trachydacite magma may originally have formed as melt escaping from the crystal-mush reservoir but subsequently underwent a long and complex evolution recorded in large strongly zoned plagioclase phenocrysts including resorption horizons. The ascending mafic magmas collected samples from the crystal mush body and intruded the trachydacite reservoir. The phenocryst-poor basalt (a) arrived first and entrained and partially resorbed plagioclase from the host magma. The phyric basalt (b) arrived later and did not resorb entrained plagioclase before eruption. Estimated cooling times, plagioclase resorption times and ascent rates avoiding amphibole breakdown limit the duration of these pre-eruptive processes to not more than a few days.

Volcanic activity has been shown to affect Earth's climate in a myriad of ways. One such example is that eruptions proximate to surface ice will promote ice melting. In turn, the crustal unloading associated with melting an ice sheet affects the internal dynamics of the underlying magma plumbing system. Geochronologic data from the Andes over the last two glacial cycles suggest that glaciation and volcanism may interact via a positive feedback loop. At present, accurate sea‐level predictions hinge on our ability to forecast the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and thus require consideration of two‐way subglacial volcano‐deglaciation processes. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is particularly vulnerable to collapse, yet its position atop an active volcanic rift is seldom considered. Ice unloading deepens the zone of melting and alters the crustal stress field, impacting conditions for dike initiation, propagation, and arrest. However, the consequences for internal magma chamber dynamics and long‐term eruption behavior remain elusive. Given that unloading‐triggered volcanism in West Antarctica may contribute to the uncertainty of ice loss projections, we adapt a previously published thermomechanical magma chamber model and simulate a shrinking ice load through a prescribed lithostatic pressure decrease. We investigate the impacts of varying unloading scenarios on magma volatile partitioning and eruptive trajectory. Considering the removal of km‐thick ice sheets, we demonstrate that the rate of unloading influences the cumulative mass erupted and consequently the heat released into the ice. These findings provide fundamental insights into the complex volcano‐ice interactions in West Antarctica and other subglacial volcanic settings. Plain Language Summary In regions like West Antarctica, volcanic eruptions occur underneath ice sheets. When hot magma comes in contact with ice, it can accelerate the melting of the ice cover. Beyond this, as climate change causes ice sheets to shrink, the decreasing weight on a volcano may affect its likelihood of erupting. The effects of ice loss above volcanoes on the underlying volcanic activity are not well understood. We conducted computer simulations to explore how gradual ice loss affects magma stored in the Earth's crust. We find that volcanoes beneath shrinking ice sheets are sensitive to the rate at which the ice sheet shrinks. As the ice melts away, the reduced weight on the volcano allows the magma to expand, applying pressure upon the surrounding rock that may facilitate eruptions. Additionally, the reduced weight from the melting ice above also allows dissolved water and carbon dioxide to form gas bubbles, which causes pressure to build up in the magma chamber and may eventually trigger an eruption. Under these conditions, we find that the removal of an ice sheet above a volcano results in more abundant and larger eruptions, which may potentially hasten the melting of overlying ice through complex feedback mechanisms. Key Points During deglaciation, the evolution of a crustal magma chamber beneath kilometers of ice is sensitive to the rate at which ice is removed A critical rate of unloading can trigger additional eruption events Ice unloading expedites the onset of volatile exsolution, with consequences for magma chamber pressurization and eruption size

The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) quantitatively models the phase equilibria, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, and radiogenic isotopes in a multicomponent–multiphase magma + wallrock + recharge system by minimization or maximization of the appropriate thermodynamic potential for the given process. In this study, we utilize MCS to decipher the differentiation history of a continental flood basalt sequence from the Antarctic portion of the ~ 180 Ma Karoo large igneous province. Typical of many flood basalts, this suite exhibits geochemical evidence (e.g., negative initial εNd) of interaction with crustal materials. We show that isobaric assimilation-fractional crystallization models fail to produce the observed lava compositions. Instead, we propose two main stages of differentiation: (1) the primitive magmas assimilated Archean crust at depths of ~ 10‒30 km (pressures of 300–700 MPa), while crystallizing olivine and orthopyroxene; (2) subsequent fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase took place at lower pressures in upper crustal feeder systems without significant additional assimilation. Such a scenario is corroborated with additional thermophysical considerations of magma transport via a crack network. The proposed two-stage model may be widely applicable to flood basalt plumbing systems: assimilation is more probable in magmas pooled in hotter crust at depth where the formation of wallrock partial melts is more likely compared to rapid passage of magma through shallower fractures next to colder wallrock.