Age of the Lava Creek supereruption and magma chamber assembly at Yellowstone based on ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and U‐Pb dating of sanidine and zircon crystals

Abstract

U date of 659.8 6 5.5 ka, and reveal reverse and/or oscillatory zoning of trace element concentrations, with many crystals containing high U concentration cores that likely grew from highly evolved melt. The occurrence of distal Lava Creek tephra in stratigraphic sequences marking the Marine Isotope Stage 16-15 transition supports the apparent eruption age of 631 ka. The combined results reveal that Lava Creek zircons record episodic heating, renewed crystallization, and an overall up-temperature evolution for Yellowstone's subvolcanic reservoir in the 10 3 210 4 year interval before eruption.

Magma Chamber Growth During Intercaldera Periods: Insights From Thermo‐Mechanical Modeling With Applications to Laguna del Maule, Campi Flegrei, Santorini, and Aso

“…The growth of crustal magma chambers largely governs the frequency and size of volcanic eruptions and plays a critical role in the thermal and chemical evolution of the planet. Field studies of plutons (C. F. Miller et al, ; R. B. Miller & Paterson, ; Paterson & Miller, ; Wiebe, ; Wiebe & Collins, ) and eruptive deposits (Chamberlain et al, ; Charlier et al, ; Matthews et al, ), analogue experiments (Snyder & Tait, ), and numerical models (Annen, ; Jellinek & DePaolo, ; Karlstrom et al, ) have illuminated the physical processes by which magma chambers are assembled, typically by the episodic injection of magma via dikes ascending from deeper reservoirs. However, we do not yet understand what determines the proportion of magma that ultimately remains in the crust relative to the amount erupted (Black & Manga, ; White et al, ) and how this relates to the long‐term growth of eruptible portions of the reservoir, referred to here as magma chambers.…”

Illuminating Faulting Complexity of the 2017 Yellowstone Maple Creek Earthquake Swarm

“…The Yellowstone Caldera and surrounding volcanic field, United States, is another notable region, hosting major swarms in 1985 (Waite & Smith, ), 2008–2009 (Farrell et al, ), and 2010 (Shelly et al, ; Figure ) and frequent smaller swarms. Despite long periods of eruptive quiescence (the last caldera‐forming eruption occurred ~631 ka (Matthews et al, ), and the last magmatic eruption ~70 ka (Christiansen, )), Yellowstone Caldera and surroundings remain dynamic, with intense hydrothermal activity, ground deformation, and seismicity (Smith et al, ) underlain by a large magma body (Farrell et al, ).…”

Reappraisal of Los Humeros Volcanic Complex by New U/Th Zircon and 40Ar/39Ar Dating: Implications for Greater Geothermal Potential

“…Furthermore, the excellent correspondence between the majority of the zircon U/Th ages and the plagioclase Ar‐Ar ages (meaning time between crystallization and eruption) suggests that the time for the assembly of the magma before the eruption of the Xaltipan ignimbrite was likely short, probably around 5 ka, possibly due to relatively high magma flux. Although large caldera‐forming eruptions apparently involve long times required for compaction‐driven melt extraction (Bachmann & Bergantz, ; Bachmann et al, ), such short time frames (5 ka) estimated for LHVC are in agreement with similar occurrences elsewhere (e.g., Bishop [Wark et al, ]; Oruanui [Allan et al, ]; Wakamaru [Saunders et al, ]; Yellowstone [Bindeman et al, ; Matthews et al, ; Rivera et al, ; Wotzlaw et al, ]), indicating very fast magma storage and extraction rates from parent crystal mushes.…”