The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis
The growth of Mount Etna volcano reflects the superimposition of various eruptive centers, the most voluminous of which is the Ellittico, whose stratigraphic sequence is well exposed on the steep walls of Valle del Bove. The uppermost levels of the sequence have been sampled and investigated through...
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/333 |
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| author | Gabriele Lanzafame Federico Casetta Pier Paolo Giacomoni Massimo Coltorti Carmelo Ferlito |
| author_facet | Gabriele Lanzafame Federico Casetta Pier Paolo Giacomoni Massimo Coltorti Carmelo Ferlito |
| author_sort | Gabriele Lanzafame |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growth of Mount Etna volcano reflects the superimposition of various eruptive centers, the most voluminous of which is the Ellittico, whose stratigraphic sequence is well exposed on the steep walls of Valle del Bove. The uppermost levels of the sequence have been sampled and investigated through a new set of geochemical data on mineral phases and bulk rock. Sampled rocks display a marked bimodality with aphyric banded trachyandesites, which are some of the most evolved and rare products of the entire Etnean succession (SiO<sub>2</sub> 58–60 wt.%), intercalated in plagioclase rich porphyritic mugearites (SiO<sub>2</sub> 49–50 wt.%, P.I. 35–40). In this paper, we provide a detailed textural, mineralogical, and chemical characterization of these products, providing a new interpretative model for their genesis and significance in the context of the Etnean system. Our approach discusses, in a critical way, the “classic” fractional crystallization model of magmas, not supported by field evidence, and proposes a novel hypothesis in which the aphyric-banded trachyandesites represent be the primary products of a gas-induced partial melting of hypabyssal sills and dykes. This hypothesis represents a step towards a comprehensive description of igneous systems that takes into account not exclusively the evolution of basaltic melts, but also the role of volatile contributions in governing volcanic behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:58:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0308d5a1f1048ceaca1b0cd0034646e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:58:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0308d5a1f1048ceaca1b0cd0034646e2023-11-21T11:43:35ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2021-03-0111333310.3390/min11030333The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma GenesisGabriele Lanzafame0Federico Casetta1Pier Paolo Giacomoni2Massimo Coltorti3Carmelo Ferlito4Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95129 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Earth Scinces, University of Ferrara, 40400 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Earth Scinces, University of Ferrara, 40400 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Earth Scinces, University of Ferrara, 40400 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95129 Catania, ItalyThe growth of Mount Etna volcano reflects the superimposition of various eruptive centers, the most voluminous of which is the Ellittico, whose stratigraphic sequence is well exposed on the steep walls of Valle del Bove. The uppermost levels of the sequence have been sampled and investigated through a new set of geochemical data on mineral phases and bulk rock. Sampled rocks display a marked bimodality with aphyric banded trachyandesites, which are some of the most evolved and rare products of the entire Etnean succession (SiO<sub>2</sub> 58–60 wt.%), intercalated in plagioclase rich porphyritic mugearites (SiO<sub>2</sub> 49–50 wt.%, P.I. 35–40). In this paper, we provide a detailed textural, mineralogical, and chemical characterization of these products, providing a new interpretative model for their genesis and significance in the context of the Etnean system. Our approach discusses, in a critical way, the “classic” fractional crystallization model of magmas, not supported by field evidence, and proposes a novel hypothesis in which the aphyric-banded trachyandesites represent be the primary products of a gas-induced partial melting of hypabyssal sills and dykes. This hypothesis represents a step towards a comprehensive description of igneous systems that takes into account not exclusively the evolution of basaltic melts, but also the role of volatile contributions in governing volcanic behavior.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/333Mount Etnapartial meltingvolatile migrationtrachyandesitesbanded lavas |
| spellingShingle | Gabriele Lanzafame Federico Casetta Pier Paolo Giacomoni Massimo Coltorti Carmelo Ferlito The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis Minerals Mount Etna partial melting volatile migration trachyandesites banded lavas |
| title | The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis |
| title_full | The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis |
| title_fullStr | The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis |
| title_short | The Rare Trachyandesitic Lavas at Mount Etna: A Case Study to Investigate Eruptive Process and Propose a New Interpretation for Magma Genesis |
| title_sort | rare trachyandesitic lavas at mount etna a case study to investigate eruptive process and propose a new interpretation for magma genesis |
| topic | Mount Etna partial melting volatile migration trachyandesites banded lavas |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/333 |
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