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Origin and differentiation of recent basaltic magmas from Mount Etna

Herkunft und Differentiation von rezenten basaltischen Magmen des Berges Ätna

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Summary

One hundred and fifty samples of recent Na-alkalic lavas from the south-eastern flank of Mt. Etna, dating from about 5,000 years B.P. to 1886 were analyzed. They grade in time from more acid to more basic lavas, and show an overall range of variation much larger toward the more felsic end than previously known. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the least differentiated samples show LREE enrichment and HREE depletion; trace element compositions suggest that Etnean products are similar to WPB, with a weak CAB signature. Sr-isotope ratios ranging from 0.70332 to 0.70355, vary even within samples from the same eruption, and generally tend to increase with time in historic lavas.

Our data suggest that processes other than simple crystal fractionation are, in part, responsible for the variation of the analyzed sequence. In fact, RTF processes with successive influxes of mafic melts, each having distinct, slightly different geochemical and isotopic features, into reservoirs of variously differentiated magmas, may explain the overall observed data.

The source region for Recent Mongibello lavas is located in the mantle, isotopically zoned, and Rb-depleted with respect to the Bulk Earth composition. Model and experimental data conform well with a low degree (< 5%) modal melting of a garnet Iherzolite source, depleted by an earlier melting event with respect to primitive mantle composition.

Zusammenfassung

Es wurden 150 Proben von rezenten, Na-alkalischen Laven von der Südflanke des Ätna, die mit 5000 Jahren vor Christus bis 1886 datieren, analysiert. Die Laven zeigen mit der Zeit einen graduellen Übergang von sauer zu zunehmend basisch und weisen generell eine größere Variationsbreite in Richtung sauer auf als bisher angenommen. Chondrit-normalisierte REE Verteilungskurven der am geringsten differentierten Proben zeigen LREE Anreicherung und eine Verarmung der HREE. Die Spurenelement-Zusammensetzungen deuten an, daß die Ätna-Produkte Ähnlichkeit mit WPB mit einer schwachen CAB-Signatur aufweisen. Die Sr-Isotopenverhältnisse reichen von 0.70332 bis 0.70355, variieren sogar innerhalb Proben aus ein und derselben Eruption und tendieren generell zu ansteigenden Werten mit der Zeit.

Unsere Daten weisen darauf hin, daß andere Prozesse als einfache Kristallfraktionierung, zumindest teilweise, für die Variation der analysierten Sequenz verantwortlich sind. In der Tat können RTF Prozesse mit sukzessiver Zufuhr von mafischen Schmelzen, jede mit leicht unterschiedlicher Geochemie und definierten Isotopenverhältnissen, in Reservoirs von unterschiedlich differentiierten Magmen, die vorliegenden Daten erklären.

Die Herkunftsregion der rezenten Mongibello Laven ist im Mantel angesiedelt, der bezüglich der Isotopenzusammensetzung zoniert und, verglichen mit der Erdzusammensetzung, an Rb verarmt ist. Die Modell- und experimentellen Daten stehen in guter Übereinstimmung mit einem niedrigen Grad ( < 5%) der Aufschmelzung eines Granat-Lherzolites als Ausgangsmaterial, das, im Vergleich zum primitiven Mantel, durch einen früheren Aufschmelzungsvorgang verarmt ist.

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  1. Instituto di Scienze della Terra, Corso Italia, 55, I-95129, Catania, Italy

    R. A. Corsaro & R. Cristofolini

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Corsaro, R.A., Cristofolini, R. Origin and differentiation of recent basaltic magmas from Mount Etna. Mineralogy and Petrology 57, 1–21 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01161619

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