Experimental simulation of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius, ItalyShow others and affiliations
2013 (English)In: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, ISSN 0010-7999, E-ISSN 1432-0967, Vol. 166, no 5, p. 1335-1353Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We simulated the process of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius in short duration piston-cylinder experiments under controlled magmatic conditions (from 0 to 300 s at 0.5 GPa and 1,200 A degrees C), using a Vesuvius shoshonite composition and upper crustal limestone and dolostone as starting materials. Backscattered electron images and chemical analysis (major and trace elements and Sr isotopes) of sequential experimental products allow us to identify the textural and chemical evolution of carbonated products during the assimilation process. We demonstrate that melt-carbonate interaction can be extremely fast (minutes), and results in dynamic contamination of the host melt with respect to Ca, Mg and Sr-87/Sr-86, coupled with intense CO2 vesiculation at the melt-carbonate interface. Binary mixing between carbonate and uncontaminated melt cannot explain the geochemical variations of the experimental charges in full and convection and diffusion likely also operated in the charges. Physical mixing and mingling driven by exsolving volatiles seems to be a key process to promote melt homogenisation. Our results reinforce hypotheses that magma-carbonate interaction is a relevant and ongoing process at Mt. Vesuvius and one that may operate not only on a geological, but on a human timescale.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2013. Vol. 166, no 5, p. 1335-1353
Keywords [en]
Mt. Vesuvius, Magma-carbonate interaction, Crustal assimilation, CO2 liberation, Experimental petrology
National Category
Geochemistry Geology
Research subject
Earth Science with specialization in Mineral Chemistry, Petrology and Tectonics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-211007DOI: 10.1007/s00410-013-0931-0ISI: 000325625500005OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-211007DiVA, id: diva2:665526
2013-11-202013-11-192017-12-06Bibliographically approved