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Volcanic evolution of Volcán Aucanquilcha: a long-lived dacite volcano in the Central Andes of northern Chile

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Abstract

Volcán Aucanquilcha, northern Chile, has produced ∼37 km3 of dacite (63–66 wt% silica), mainly as lavas with ubiquitous magmatic inclusions (59–62 wt% silica) over the last ∼1 million years. A pyroclastic flow deposit related to dome collapse occurs on the western side of the edifice and a debris avalanche deposit occurs on the eastern side. The >6,000-m high edifice defines a 9-km E–W ridge and lies at the center of a cluster of more than 15 volcanoes, the Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster, that has been active for at least the past 11 million years. The E–W alignment of vents is nearly orthogonal to the arc axis. A majority of Volcán Aucanquilcha was constructed during the first 200,000 years of eruption, whereas the last 800,000 years have added little additional volume. The peak eruptive rate during the edifice-building phases was ∼0.16 km3/ka and the later eruptive rate was ∼0.02 km3/ka. Comparable dacite volcanoes elsewhere show a similar pattern of high volcanic productivity during the early stages and punctuated rather than continuous activity. Volcán Aucanquilcha lavas are dominated by phenocrysts of plagioclase, accompanied by two populations of amphibole, biotite, clinopyroxene, Fe–Ti oxides and (or) orthopyroxene. Accessory phases include zircon, apatite and rare quartz and sanidine. One amphibole population is pargasite and the other is hornblende. The homogeneity of dacite lava from Volcán Aucanquilcha contrasts with the heterogeneity (52–66 wt% silica) at nearby Volcán Ollagüe, which has been active over roughly the same period of time. We attribute this homogeneity at Aucanquilcha to the thermal development of the crust underneath the volcano resulting from protracted magmatism there, whereas Volcán Ollagüe lacks this magmatic legacy.

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Acknowledgements

We extend thanks to the Servicio Nacional de Geología y Mineralogía for logistical and partial financial support for fieldwork as well as access to maps and air photos. Particular thanks go to A. Tomlinson, M. Gardeweg, C. Mpodozis and P. Cornejo for assisting in a myriad of formal and informal ways to make this project possible. Additional invaluable assistance and cheer in the field were provided by C. McKee, T. Feeley, S. Palma, "Tuco" Díaz, J. Lemp, W. Tibbets and C. Lindsay. For home-front logistical support and geological discussions we thank J. Dilles. This manuscript was helped greatly by reviews from J. Davidson, S. de Silva and J. McPhie. We thank R. Duncan and J. Huard for assistance with argon extraction and data reduction. The project was mainly funded by NSF grant EAR-9814941 to A. Grunder.

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Correspondence to Erik W. Klemetti.

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Appendix

Appendix

Eleven samples were dated using 40Ar/39Ar methods in the Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry Lab at Oregon State University. Samples were chosen based on their stratigraphic and geographic location on the edifice and relative freshness as determined by optical microscopy. These samples were crushed and sieved in order to separate plagioclase, biotite and groundmass (Table 1), mainly using a Frantz magnetic separator. Plagioclase crystals were washed in a very dilute HF solution to remove excess glass. Biotite and groundmass were washed in distilled water only. All separates were handpicked thoroughly under magnifying lenses to ensure sample purity. Approximately 100 mg of each sample were wrapped in Cu-foil, loaded into quartz vials and sealed in standard Al tubes. The tubes were irradiated at the Triga Reactor, Oregon State University, with neutron flux monitored as a function of position via standards in the tube for use in age calculation.

All samples were analyzed using a MAP 215-50 rare gas mass spectrometer at the Noble Gas Laboratory. Ar gas was released using incremental heating methods (Duncan and Hogan 1994) in a Ta-resistance furnace. Temperatures were monitored and controlled with a programmable power supply thermocouple system. Masses 35–40 and intervening baselines were measured during 10 sweeps with <10% peak decay per analysis. All samples were corrected for furnace blanks taken at the beginning, end and during the sample runs. After the isotopic measurement were made, plateau, normal isochron and total fusion ages were calculated using ArArCalc V2.2 (Koppers 2002), correcting for between 2–4 blanks per analysis, typically at room temperature, ∼800, ∼1,100 and ∼1,400°C; all errors reported are 2σ (Table 1).

The age determinations were used to constrain the rates of eruption at Volcán Aucanquilcha over its history. In evaluating the ages of samples, we applied the following acceptability criteria, modified from Frey et al. (2004): (1) greater than 50% of the 39Ar is released in the adjoining steps that define the plateau; (2) plateau ages and isochron ages are within 5% of each other; (3) the mean square of the weighted deviations (MSWD) for the steps are below 2.0; (4) the intercept of 40Ar/36Ar for the isochron using all heating steps is within 10% of the atmospheric value (295.5 ± 29.55).

Five samples meet all criteria, whereas three samples meet three of four criteria. All but one of the 11 samples analyzed (AP2-00-28; Table 1) yielded plateau ages, which we prefer (see bold in Table 1). For three samples, the plateau age and isochron age differ by more than 5%, the largest difference being a modest 24%. This sample (AP2-00-60; Table 1), based on field relationships, is one of youngest lavas on Aucanquilcha. In one case (AP2-00-28; Table 1), the lack of a true plateau makes it impossible to compare plateau and isochron ages, although 89% of 39Ar gas was released in the steps that define the isochron and the 40Ar/39Ar intercept for these steps is within 90% of the atmospheric value. In the other two samples, plateau ages and isochron ages do not match within 95% and the 40Ar/39Ar intercept for those steps is greater than 5% higher (but less than 20%) than the atmospheric value. This discrepancy might be the result of older phenocrysts in a mixed mineral population (Nelson et al. 1992). Although these two samples provide less than ideal ages based on the four criteria, they do not fall out of the range of ages for Volcán Aucanquilcha.

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Klemetti, E.W., Grunder, A.L. Volcanic evolution of Volcán Aucanquilcha: a long-lived dacite volcano in the Central Andes of northern Chile. Bull Volcanol 70, 633–650 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-007-0158-x

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