Metal-residence sites in lavas and tuffs from Volcan Popocatepetl, Mexico: Implications for metal mobility in the environment
Por:
Larocque A.C.L., Stimac J.A., Siebe C.
Publicada:
1 ene 1998
Resumen:
Volcan Popocatepetl is a Quaternary stratovolcano located 60 km southeast of Mexico City. The summit crater is the site of recent ash eruptions, excess degassing, and dacite dome growth. The modern cone comprises mainly pyroclastic flow deposits, airfall tephras, debris flows, and reworked deposits of andesitic composition; it is flanked by more mafic monogenetic vents. In least-degassed fallout tuffs and mafic scoria, transition metals are concentrated in phases formed before eruption, during eruption, and after eruption. Preeruptive minerals occur in both lavas and tephra, and include oxides and sulfides in glass and phenocrysts. The magmatic oxides consist of magnetite, ilmenite, and chromite; the sulfides consist of both (Fe,Ni)(1-x)S (MSS) and Cu-Fe sulfide (ISS). Syn- and posteruptive phases occur in vesicles in both lavas and tephra, and on surfaces of ash and along fractures. The mineral assemblages in lavas include Cu-Fe sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide in vesicles, and Fe sulfide and Cu-Fe sulfide in segregation vesicles. Assemblages in vesicles in scoria include Fe-Ti oxide and rare Fe-Cu-Sn sulfide. Vesicle fillings of Fe-Ti oxide, Ni-rich chromite, Fe sulfide, Cu sulfide, and barite are common to two pumice samples. The most coarse-grained of the vesicle fillings are Cu-Fe sulfide and Cu sulfide, which are as large as 50 ? in diameter. The youngest Plinian pumice also contains Zn(Fe) sulfide, as well as rare Ag-Cu sulfide, Ag-Fe sulfide, Ag bromide, Ag chloride, and Au-Cu telluride. The assemblage is similar to those typically observed in high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization. The fine-grained nature and abundance of syn- and/or posteruptive phases in porous rocks makes metals susceptible to mobilization by percolating fluids. The abundance of metal compounds in vesicles indicates that volatile exsolution prior to and/or during eruption played an important role in releasing metals to the atmosphere.
Filiaciones:
Larocque A.C.L.:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man., R3T 2N2, Canada
Stimac J.A.:
Unocal Geothermal, P. O. Box 6854, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, United States
Siebe C.:
Instituto de Geofisica, Univ. Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, C. P. 04510, Coyoacan, Mexico, D. F, Mexico
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