Petrogenesis of andesites and dacites of white island volcano, bay of plenty, new zealand, in the light of new geochemical and isotopic data

Abstract

White Island volcano comprises three main lava types: (1) silicic andesite, forming Western Cone and a tholoid at Troup Head, (2) dacite forming the Central Cone, and (3) mafic‐silicic andesite erupted in March 1977 from the currently active crater. All lavas are calc‐alkalic and medium‐K orogenic types. The older andesites of Western Cone and Troup Head were probably formed from chemically dissimilar parental magmas by processes of assimilation and fractional crystallisation (AFC). Andesite blocks and bombs ejected during phreatomagmatic activity in March 1977 are geo‐chemically primitive having high Mg‐numbers, high Cr and Ni contents, and containing forsteritic olivine. They cannot be derived from magmatic compositions similar to known basaltic lavas of Taupo Volcanic Zone, and it is possible that the blocks are hybrid magmas resulting from mixing of a high‐Mg basalt parent and Central Cone dacite. The bombs appear to be fractionated derivatives. Central Cone dacites may also be AFC derivatives of a common parent to the 1977 lavas, in which substantial chemical diffusion has occurred. Their earlier eruption might represent unloading of a zoned magma chamber. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.