Constraints on the pre-eruptive magma storage conditions and magma evolution of the 56–30 ka explosive volcanism of Ciomadul (East Carpathians, Romania)

A detailed mineral-scale study was conducted on pumices of the latest, dominantly explosive eruption epoch (56–30 ka) of Ciomadul, the youngest, long-dormant volcano in eastern-central Europe for characterizing the magma storage system and for understanding better the changes in eruption style from effusive to explosive. The mineral cargo of dacitic pumices enables us to constrain the conditions of the pre-recharge crystal mush, the recharge magmas and the post-recharge magma prior to eruptions. A careful evaluation of the results yielded by various thermometers, barometers, oxybarometers, chemometers and hygrometers as well as direct comparison with experimental data were necessary to select the appropriate techniques and therefore to constrain the conditions for the Ciomadul magmatic system. Beneath the volcano, a felsic crystal mush body is inferred at 8–12 km depth comprising slightly oxidized (0.5–1.6 ∆NNO), low-temperature (680–750 °C), highly crystalline magma. This zone is underlain by a deep magma storage zone with less evolved, hot (> 900 °C) magma at 16–40 km depth. The dominantly explosive volcanism after the effusive eruptions (160–90 ka) can be explained by the ascent of distinct recharge magmas. They contained high-Mg (MgO > 18 wt%) amphibole, which could have crystallized from ultrahydrous (H₂O > 8 wt%) magma at near-liquidus conditions. The rates of amphibole overgrowth and microphenocryst formation require weeks to months for the magma mixing and the eruption events. The hybridized melt became more oxidized and contained dissolved water in around 5.5 wt% at temperature of 790–830 °C calculated from the re-equilibrated Fe-Ti oxides. These magma properties along with the degree of crystallinity (27–38 vol% crystals) favored rapid magma ascent and an explosive style eruption. Thus, the strongly hydrous nature of the recharge magma in addition to the crystallinity and H₂O content of the pre-eruption magma plays an important role in controlling the eruption style.