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40Ar/39Ar constraints on the temporal evolution of Graciosa Island, Azores (Portugal)

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Abstract

Lava flows spanning the eruptive record of Graciosa Island (Azores archipelago) and a gabbro xenolith were dated by 40Ar/39Ar in order to constrain the Pleistocene and Holocene volcanic evolution of the island. The results range from 1.05 Ma to 3.9 ka, whereas prior published K–Ar and 14C ages range from 620 to 2 ka. The formation of the Serra das Fontes shield volcano started at minimum 1.05 Ma, and the magmatic system was active for ca. 600 ky, as suggested by the formation of the gabbro xenolith by magmatic differentiation. Evolved magmas making up the Serra das Fontes–Serra Branca composite volcano were generated at ca. 450 ka. After a period of ca. 110 ky of volcanic inactivity and erosion of volcanic edifices, volcanism was reactivated with the formation of the Vitória Unit NW platform. Later, the development of the Vulcão Central Unit started with the formation of monogenetic cones located to the south of the Serra das Fontes–Serra Branca–Vitória Unit. This volcanism became progressively more evolved and was concentrated in a main eruptive center, forming the Vulcão Central stratovolcano with an age older than 50 ka. The caldera related to this stratovolcano is older than 47 ka and was followed by effusion of basaltic magmas into the caldera, resulting in the formation of a lava lake, which ultimately spilled over the caldera rim at ca. 11 ka. The most recent eruptions on Graciosa formed two small pyroclastic cones within the caldera and the Pico do Timão cone within the Vitória Unit at ca 3.9 ka.

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Acknowledgments

This contribution is included in the scope of the pre-doctoral grant B023/10 to P. Larrea (Gobierno de Aragón). We acknowledge the Universidade de Aveiro, the Universidade dos Açores, the Gobierno de Aragón, supporting the research group Geotransfer, and the DGA (CONAID)—CAI which provided additional funding for Patricia Larrea (CB29/11 and CB12/12 grants) to make two research-stays at the Vrije Universiteit (VU University) Amsterdam for mineral separation and Ar dating. This work was supported by the project CGL2011-27477 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain) and the Fundação Luso Americana (FLAD) [Identificação dos perigos vulcánicos do archipelago dos Açores através da caractericação geoquímica das lavas emitidas pelos respectivos vulcões]. Patricia Larrea warmly thanks Roel Van Elsas, Christel Bontje, Bertram Uunk, and Klaudia Kuiper (VU University Amsterdam) for help, advice, and assistance during mineral separation and 39Ar/40Ar dating. We are indebted to O. Masatoshi and V. H. Forjaz (Observatório Vulcanológico e Geotérmico dos Açores) for their help during fieldwork. Editor Jim Gardner is warmly thanked for comments, suggestions, and editorial handling; two anonymous reviewers are thankfully acknowledged for their constructive reviews.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Patricia Larrea & Jan R. Wijbrans

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Patricia Larrea, Carlos Galé, Teresa Ubide & Marceliano Lago

  3. Geosciences Department, Azores University, São Miguel, 9501-801, Portugal

    Zilda França

  4. Observatório Vulcanológico e Geotérmico dos Açores, Atalhada, 9560, São Miguel, Portugal

    Zilda França

  5. Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Elisabeth Widom

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  1. Patricia Larrea
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Larrea, P., Wijbrans, J.R., Galé, C. et al. 40Ar/39Ar constraints on the temporal evolution of Graciosa Island, Azores (Portugal). Bull Volcanol 76, 796 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-014-0796-8

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