The ~3.22 Ga Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB), South Africa, provides a unique window into Archaean sedimentary, magmatic and ecological processes. In the central BGB, a regional mafic complex, consisting of a genetically related major mafic sill, a peperitic dyke stockwork, and extensive basaltic lava flows affected thick quartzose sandstones of the Moodies Group. We argue that epithermal hydrothermalism associated with this magmatic event occurred, at least in part, syndepositionally and in places destroyed, in other places preserved the abundant benthic microbial mats in terrestrial- and coastal-facies sandstone of this unit. We differentiate four principal types of hydrothermal alteration: (1) Sericitization resulted from ubiquitous feldspar breakdown; (2) iron-oxide alteration replaced the original matrix by fine-grained iron oxide; (3) silicification replaced matrix and most non-silica grains by microcrystalline silica and locally preserved kerogenous microbial mats; and (4) hydraulic fracturing at shallow depth brecciated consolidated Moodies Group sandstone and created closely spaced, randomly oriented fractures and quartz-filled veins. Because stockwork intrusion locally interacted with unconsolidated water-saturated sediment and because the dykes connect the sill with the mafic lava but also follow zones of structural weakness, we suggest that hydrothermalism associated with this magmatic event occurred syndepositionally but was also – within the resolution of radiometric age data – contemporaneous with tight regional folding. We conclude that microbial organisms in Paleoarchaean coastal (tidal, estuarine) environments may have been formerly widespread, possibly even abundant, but are nearly nowhere preserved because they were easily degradable. Preservation of Early Archaean microbial mats in a thermal aureole in the central BGB was controlled by the “just right” degree of heating and very early hydrothermal silicification.

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<p>The depth at which magma chamber processes take place below magmatic arcs and the parameters controlling them are highly debated. These questions are fundamental for our understanding of the global magma differentiation as well as the formation of the continental crust at convergent margins, but also for evaluating the risks associated with volcanic eruptions.</p><p>In the Central Southern Volcanic Zone (Central-SVZ) of the Chilean Andes, a thin continental crust (30-40 km) and the occurrence of a major fault zone (Linquiñe-Ofqui) likely favor rapid magma ascent. This segment of the arc is as a consequence one of the most active in Chile with several recent eruptions (e.g. Llaima 2009, Cordon Caulle 2011, Calbuco 2015, Villarrica 2015 & 2019). The Central-SVZ is characterized by dominant mafic lavas (basalts, basaltic andesites), few rhyodacitic lavas, a noticeable compositional (Daly) gap in the intermediate compositions (andesites). Noteworthy, amphibole is usually absent, except in a few volcanoes (e.g. Calbuco) or only occurs as microliths in enclaves, which suggests rather low water contents. These observations contrast sharply with the Northern-SVZ where andesitic lavas are dominant and hydrous phases common.</p><p>We focused our research on the eruptive products of Osorno volcano (41°S, CSVZ) located between two volcanoes (Calbuco and Cordon Caulle) which recently showed very explosive eruptions and partly overlies an older Pleistocene eroded volcanic edifice (La Picada). A large series of samples were collected in four units spanning 200 kyr. They define a differentiation trend ranging from tholeiitic basalts to calk-alkaline dacites with a Daly Gap between 58 wt. % and 63 wt. % SiO<sub>2</sub>. Plagioclase and olivine are dominant before the gap while plagioclase and clino- and orthopyroxene dominate afterwards.</p><p>The use of recent thermobarometric models revealed two main storage regions: (1) at the MOHO interface (1-1.2GPa) and (2), at the upper/lower crust interface with rather low pressures (likely ≤0.3 Gpa). While at (1) primary magmas differentiate, (2) is interpreted as the depth of major differentiation and volatile exsolution. Thermodynamic simulations (Gualda et al., 2012; Ghiorso & Gualda, 2015) support these (2) depth estimates and reproduce the main paragenesis by simple fractional crystallization at 0.1-0.2 GPa. Our results may explain the recent seismic unrest below Osorno (from 2015 to 2019) with earthquakes mostly taking place between 0.1-0.3 GPa (4-10km below the summit). We suggest that Osorno is an important target to perform a comprehensive petrological study aiming at characterizing the Central-SVZ magmatic arc and the magmatic storage depths.</p>

<p>Magmatic arcs are usually considered to be major sites of new continental crust formation. However, the detailed differentiation processes that produce the characteristic calc-alkaline trends are still controversial. More particularly, the depth of differentiation in the arc crustal column and possible changes during the lifespan of a volcano are current subject of discussion.</p><p>The Central Southern Volcanic Zone (CSVZ) in Chile is characterized by a thin crust (~ 35 km; Hickey-Vargas et al., 2016) and by the presence of a major dextral transpressional crustal scaled structure (Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone), two features that favor a rapid ascent of magmas from the mantle wedge to the surface. Recent petrological data acquired on volcanoes of the CSZV further indicate that most of the differentiation takes place at about 0.2 GPa, a depth corresponding to a major intracrustal discontinuity. However, for Villarrica stratovolcano (VR; 39.3°S, 71.6°W), estimates suggest two depths of differentiation, respectively at 0.8 and 0.2 GPa (Morgado et al. 2015, 2017).</p><p>VR is one of the most active volcanoes in the Andean Cordilleras. Since the mid 80’s, it has been constantly degasing through an open conduit filled by a summit lava lake. Several Holocene, monogenetic small eruptive centers (SECs) surround VR which forms together with Quetrupillán and Lanin stratovolcanoes a NW-SE oriented chain. It gives thus a perfect opportunity to study how the mentioned features influence the differentiation processes, their corresponding depth and the observed differentiation trends. VR is mainly composed of basaltic andesites and basaltic lavas and pyroclasts with less andesitic lavas and minor dacitic – rhyodacitic domes, while rocks from Quetrupillán and Lanin are compositionally more evolved (e.g. Hickey-Vargas et al., 1989).</p><p>Here we present mineral compositions (plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene) and whole-rock (lavas, pyroclasts) geochemical data for different units of VR as well as for some nearby SECs (Los Nevados, Chaillupén, San Jorge). The WR data combined with published analyses define a single differentiation trend extending from ~50 – 71 wt.% SiO<sub>2</sub>, with a compositional “Daly” gap between 58 – 62 wt.% SiO<sub>2</sub>. Moreover, a few VR samples have high Mg# up to 62 (SiO<sub>2</sub> 50.3-52.6, MgO 7.98 wt.%) and a tholeiitic affinity (e.g. AFM, K<sub>2</sub>O/Yb vs. Ta/Yb). The most mafic, tholeiitic basalts found in the area where produced by the proximate San Jorge SEC (Mg# 69, SiO<sub>2</sub> 50.6, MgO 9.5 wt.%) and interpreted by McGee et al. (2019) as reflecting a deep, melt-exhausted region of the mantle wedge. Major- and trace elements data together with supportive mass balance modelling and thermodynamic simulations with rhyolite-MELTS imply fractional crystallization as a major differentiation process.</p>