An integrated study involving whole-rock and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope geochemistry and zircon geochronology and trace element combined with detailed field investigation was carried out for the composite Meiwu batholith in the West Qinling orogenic belt of central China to probe the origins of its compositional diversity and its emplacement history. The batholith is composed of quartz diorite, granodior...

Measurements of CO2 fluxes from open-vent volcanos are rare, yet may offer special capabilities for monitoring volcanos and forecasting activity. The measured fluxes of CO2 and SO2 from Mount St. Helens decreased from July through November 1980, but the record includes variations of CO2/SO2 in the emitted gas and episodes of greatly increased fluxes of CO2. We propose that the CO2 flux variatio...

[1] We investigate the plausibility of the stratified Boycott effect as a source of layering in magma chambers. Crystal settling within the magma chamber will generate buoyant fluid near the sloping sidewalls whose vertical ascent may be limited by the ambient stratification associated with vertical gradients in SiO2. The resulting flow may be marked by a layered structure, each layer taking th...

[1] Lunar pyroclastic beads are interpreted to represent primitive magmas derived from great depths and rapidly erupted to the surface in explosive events. However, a detailed mechanism for gas generation at great depth and rapid magma transport to the surface has not yet been described. Furthermore, the pyroclastic beads are not petrogenetically related to basalts erupted near the sampling sit...

A method is proposed to invert displacement and tilt measurements from a single monitoring location to constrain the nature of a volcanic pressure source. Evolutionary strategy is applied to a sequence of Mogi solutions and the program is shown capable of distinguishing between depth and volume increment of the magma source, in addition to its 3-dimensional spatial coordinates. The mechanism is...

[1] Lava dome eruptions are commonly characterized by large fluctuations in discharge rate with cyclic behaviour on time-scales ranging from hours to decades. Examples include Bezymianny volcano (Russia), Merapi (Java), Santiaguito (Guatemala), Mt St Helens (USA), Mt Unzen (Japan), and Soufrière Hills volcano (Montserrat). Previous models have assumed simple cylindrical conduits for magma trans...

Deformation of the ground surface at active volcanoes provides information about magma movements at depth. Improved seafloor deformation measurements between 2011 and 2015 documented a fourfold increase in magma supply and confirmed that Axial Seamount's eruptive behavior is inflation-predictable, probably triggered by a critical level of magmatic pressure. A 2015 eruption was successfully fore...

Background/Overview: Most differentiated rocky worlds in our Solar System have mantles of olivine, pyroxene, spinel, and calcic plagioclase (or equivalent high-pressure phase assemblages). Earth’s mantle peridotite and similar rocks in other silicate planets and asteroids normally melt to form basaltic magma, komatiite, or other olivinenormative melts. Details of planetary mantle compositions a...

Introduction: Recent work on chronology seem to point to older ages for eucrites: which favor a magma ocean model for Vesta. [1] indicate a Pb-Pb age for the eucrite Asuka 881394 of 4.566 + 0.3 Ga. Whole rock isochrons of eucrites based on Hf-W, Al-Mg and Mn-Cr [2-4] indicate somewhat younger ages at around 4.564 Ga (or about 3.5 Myrs after CAI formation). From the perspective of thermal modeli...