Dr. Corin Jorgensen - Research Presentation - HSH 336 1PM
A petrologists tool belt: data driven tools to understand explosive mafic volcanoes.
Dr. Corin Jorgensen
Huggins Science Hall 336 - 1PM - 2PM
Volcanic eruptions have the potential to severely impact local communities and global climate (Mani et al. 2023), thus understanding eruptive processes is crucial for informed volcano monitoring. This is especially true for volcanoes that do not fit the standard relationship between melt chemistry and eruption style. This includes mafic (low in SiO2) volcanoes which erupt explosively, even though these magmas are commonly associated with effusive eruptions. Here I present two data driven petrologic tools that advance our understanding of volcanic eruptions on a global scale.
Firstly, machine learning clinopyroxene thermobarometry, a novel approach to thermobarometry, provides robust pressure and temperature estimates of clinopyroxene crystallization (Jorgenson et al., 2022). This model offers insight into the pre-eruptive growth history of a crystal and thus the magma reservoir, while benefiting from enhanced versatility and accuracy. When applied to the large volume-explosive eruptions at Colli Albani (Italy), a mafic caldera complex, it reveals distinct stages of progressive growth and heating of the upper crustal reservoir (839 to 1200 °C) at shallow pressures (2-5 kbar; Jorgenson et al., 2024).
Secondly, high resolution X-ray computed tomography (XCT) offers novel insights into both mineral and whole rock textures. I present a dataset of 3D scans of melt inclusions from Colli Albani, which reveals inclusions with substantial vapor bubble volume fraction (up to 0.78; Jorgenson et al., in press). These findings suggest a bubble bearing reservoir during crystallization and magma accumulation, a process likely critical for the accumulation of such large volumes of magma in the upper crust. Furthermore, this method enables a reassessment of volcanic textures in mafic explosive materials, providing an unprecedented view of conduit dynamics during eruptions. When combined with traditional petrologic methods, these tools offer a data driven and petrologically sound framework to better understand mafic explosive eruptions worldwide.
