Redalyc.Geology, Petrology and Geochemistry of the Dome Complex
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Andean Geology ISSN: 0718-7092 [email protected] Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería Chile Watt, Sebastian F.L.; Pyle, David M.; Mather, Tamsin A. Geology, petrology and geochemistry of the dome complex of Huequi volcano, southern Chile Andean Geology, vol. 38, núm. 2, julio, 2011, pp. 335-348 Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería Santiago, Chile Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=173919930005 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Andean Geology 38 (2): 335-348. July, 2011 Andean Geology formerly Revista Geológica de Chile www.andeangeology.cl Geology, petrology and geochemistry of the dome complex of Huequi volcano, southern Chile Sebastian F.L. Watt1, 2, David M. Pyle1, Tamsin A. Mather1 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, U.K. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, U.K. ABSTRACT. Huequi, a little-known volcano in the southern part of the Andean southern volcanic zone (SSVZ), shows a regionally unusual eruption style, mineralogy and geochemistry. The volcano comprises multiple highly-eroded lava domes. Past eruptions were accompanied by relatively minor explosive activity, most recently from 1890-1920. The rocks erupted by Huequi range from basaltic andesite to dacite, and are highly distinctive when compared to other vol- canoes of the SSVZ, being K-poor and Al-rich, and containing euhedral hornblende phenocrysts. Overall compositions suggest a notably water-rich magma source, evolving through high levels of fractionation and subsequent degassing to produce highly porphyritic dome-forming andesites. The ultimate causes of water-rich magmas at this point in the arc remain unclear. Keywords: Huequi volcano, Andean southern volcanic zone, Andesite, Amphibole, Lava dome. RESUMEN. Geología, petrología y geoquímica de los domos volcánicos del volcán Huequi, Chile meridional. El volcán Huequi es poco conocido, que se ubica en la provincia sur de la zona Volcánica Sur de los Andes (ZVSS). Sus tipos de erupción y características mineralógicas y geoquímicas son poco comunes a nivel regional. El volcán presenta múltiples domos poco erosionados. Las erupciones estuvieron acompañadas por una actividad explosiva secundaria, siendo las más recientes las ocurridas entre los años 1890 y 1920. Los magmas del Huequi son de composición andesítico-basáltica a dacítica. Si se las compara con rocas eruptadas por otros centros volcánicos de la ZVSS de los Andes, las del Huequi se caracterizan por ser pobres en K, ricas en Al y por presentar fenocristales euhedrales de anfíbola. Las composiciones totales sugieren una fuente magmática rica en H2O, que se desarrolla a través de niveles de cristalización fraccionada y desgasificación subsecuente, que producen domos volcánicos andesíticos altamente porfíricos. Sin embargo, la causa última que genera magmas ricos en H2O, en esta parte de los Andes, sigue aún sin explicación. Palabras clave: Volcán Huequi, Zona Volcánica Sur de los Andes, Andesita, Anfíbola, Domo volcánico. Ms.313_Watt_et_al.indd 335 13-07-2011 12:53:30 336 GeoloGy, petroloGy and Geochemistry of the dome complex of huequi volcano, southern chile. 1. Introduction The Ayacara peninsula, bounded by a fjord to the east, which forms part of the regional scale Huequi volcano (42.4°S, 72.6°W) lies in Liquiñe-Ofqui fault zone (Cembrano et al., 1996; the centre of the isolated Ayacara peninsula, in Fig. 1), and by the Gulf of Ancud to the west, southern Chile (Fig. 1). It is situated on the arc is inaccessible by road. The only settlements in front of the southern part of the Andean southern the area are small coastal villages, and access to volcanic zone (SSVZ; López-Escobar et al., Huequi volcano is most easily made by following 1995a; Stern, 2004), ~50 km south of Hornopirén the Huequi river SSE from the coast to the vol- volcano, and a similar distance north of Chaitén cano, 20 km away. and Minchinmávida (Siebert and Simkin, 2002). Fuenzalida Izquierdo (1979) described the Historical explosive eruptions are documen- geology of the Ayacara peninsula, mapping the ted from the volcano between 1890 and 1920 area as a series of fault-bounded metamorphic and (González-Ferrán, 1995) although little is known granitoid basement blocks, and also identifying about the nature or magnitude of this activity. three small volcanic centres SE of Huequi, likely to Due to its remote location, in a densely forested be of late Pleistocene age, but otherwise unknown. and sparsely populated region, the volcano has The geology of Huequi volcano itself has not been not been previously studied in any detail. The mapped previously, and its products have not been purpose of this paper is to provide an overview widely sampled. Published analyses of volcanic of the volcanic geology of Huequi, based on rocks from the area are limited to two andesitic field observations and sampling, and to place lavas from Huequi, described in the regional-scale this within a regional context. study of López-Escobar et al. (1993). Calbuco Huequi Huequi volcano Yate river topographic expression of LOFZ Hornopirén -42° Ayacara Main image Huequi Minchinmávida Chaitén Ayacara Argentina peninsula Chile Gulf of -44° Ancud Mentolat South America Cay Maca Calbuco- Hudson km -45° -15° 0 50 (left map) Hudson 285° 315° -46° -73° -72° FIG. 1. The left map shows Huequi and other volcanoes of the SSVZ. The main Landsat image (NASA Landsat Program, USGS) shows the isolated location of Huequi on the Ayacara peninsula, and the inset map of South America indicates the position of the SSVZ. Ms.313_Watt_et_al.indd 336 13-07-2011 12:53:31 Watt et al./ Andean Geology 38 (2): 335-348, 2011 337 2. Morphology and geology Huequi is topographically subdued in compa- rison with other SSVZ arc frontal volcanoes, with 2.1. Setting an unglaciated summit of just over 1,300 m, from a base at ~400 m. The edifice is deeply eroded, and Huequi is situated towards the northern end of the NW approach to the volcano is dominated by a the SSVZ, which stretches from Yate to Hudson thick sequence of collapse deposits. Rocks exposed (Fig. 1; López-Escobar et al., 1995a; Stern, 2004). in the upper portion of the edifice show that the Calbuco, immediately north of Yate, is also included volcano consists of multiple lava domes, eroded here within the studied arc segment. The SSVZ is and concealed by collapse deposits, obscuring characterised by subduction of the Nazca plate chronological relationships. The volcano lies within beneath relatively thin (~30 km) South American a depression defined by a curved structure around continental crust, and the volcanic rocks of the region its eastern and southern margins. To the east, this are, in general, subject to relatively small amounts structure appears to relate to faulting in basement of magmatic evolution, widely erupting basalts and rocks, but its morphology may also in part reflect basaltic andesites (López-Escobar et al., 1993). an early, large collapse of the volcano, potentially The results presented here are based upon field generating much of the debris accumulated to the sampling around Huequi volcano from 20th-23rd Fe- north-west, and forming a depression in which bruary 2008. Samples were collected and observations younger domes are now nested. The summit is made along the Huequi river and around the north presumed to date from the most recent activity in flank of the volcano (Fig. 2). The south side of the the early 20th century, forming a steep sided dome, volcano was inaccessible and could not be mapped. partially collapsed on the NW side, where a deep From these observations, the geological map in figure valley incises the edifice and has provided a route 2 has been constructed. Petrological and geochemical for multiple debris avalanches, accumulating on the results will be summarised in subsequent sections. fan to the west (Fig. 3). -72°37’ -72°36’ -72°35’ A Huequi B1 A Recent alluvium river 821-1 200 823-3 823-2 821-3 1253 T2 Recent tephra deposits (1890-1920). B2 T2 L5 Summit andesites 823-1 -42°22’ 821-4 821-5 L2a 822-6 L1 Colluvium, including bedded D B2 822-1 collapse deposits. 823-5 D L2b L2a 822-3 B3 L4 Grey ?andesite 800 800 822-4 B1 L2b L3 1227 L3 Red andesite, layered L3 400 822-5 Grey andesite L2 600 600 1200 1200 a:columnar, b:brecciated L4 822-4b T2 1000 L1 Grey basaltic andesite L5 T2 1318 Huequi Lithological contact volcano B3 Granite Fault Granitoids, grossly layered, B2 with doleritic enclaves and Sampling site basaltic dykes Contour intervals 100m B1 Basement metamorphics -42°23’ 0 1 km FIG. 2. Main panel: geological sketch map based on the fieldwork and results described in this paper. The edifice is surrounded by extensive debris deposits. The exposed summit comprises a series of lava domes. Dashed lines indicate geological contacts of uncertain position. Red circles with numbers indicate sampling locations. Ms.313_Watt_et_al.indd 337 13-07-2011 12:53:31 338 GeoloGy, petroloGy and Geochemistry of the dome complex of huequi volcano, southern chile. View from WNW towards summit (near site 821-1) Youngest dome (L5) Dissected Older dome (L4) dome Young scoria sequence, Columnar (L3) L3 exposed on edge of andesite cliff flank valley L2 L2 Collapse scar and debris route 200 View NW from summit area (site 822-4b) N Basement Debris Huequi river Thick collapse Debris deposits deposits Main L4 collapse 800 800 L3 scar Slope 400 deposits Huequi 600 1200 lavas 1200 1000 Collapse scar 0 1 km 1318 FIG.