Journal Article

Evaluating the Role of Titanomagnetite in Bubble Nucleation: Rock Magnetic Detection and Characterization of Nanolites and Ultra‐Nanolites in Rhyolite Pumice and Obsidian From Glass Mountain, California

Shea, Thomas, McCartney, Kelly N., Giachetti, Thomas, Brachfeld, Stefanie, Hammer, Julia E.

2024

Overview

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

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Abundance / Anisotropy / bubble nucleation / Bubbles / Chemical composition / Crystallization / Crystals / Earth surface / Electron microscopy / explosive volcanism / Fabrics / Glass / Iron content / Iron oxides / Lakes / Lava / Magma / magma chamber processes / Magma chambers / magnetic fabrics and anisotropy / magnetic mineralogy and petrology / Magnetic susceptibility / Magnetism / Mathematical models / nanolites / Nucleation / Obsidian / Oxygen / Pumice / rhyolite / Rhyolites / rock and mineral magnetism / rock magnetism / titanomagnetite / ultra‐nanolites / Volcanic eruptions / Volcanic rocks / Volcanoes