Magmatic sulfides and oxides in volcanic rocks from the Pitcairn hotspot (South Pacific)

The Pitcairn hotspot, located about 60 km east of Pitcairn Island (South Pacific), consists of several active volcanoes < 500 m below sea level. The volcanic rocks from these seamounts are classified in four main rock-types: (1) picritic basalt containing Ti-bearing chromite (8–10 wt.% TiO₂); (2) alkali basalt (Ti-bearing chromite with 4–6 wt.% TiO₂); (3) trachyandesite containing titanomagnetite (18–22 wt.% TiO₂); and sulfides, and (4) trachyte (titanomagnetite with 19–23 wt.% TiO₂); The metallic oxides are zoned with decreasing Tîl02 contents from core to rim. Crystal fractionation (> 60%) is the main process responsible for differentiating these rock-types from an enriched source. Pyrrhotite and rare chalcopyrite grains in contact with pyrrhotite are observed only in the trachyandesite (3) in disseminated phenocryst clusters, usually in contact with large euhedral titanomagnetite phenocrysts. In addition, large euhedral pyrrhotite flakes, some with hexagonal habit, coat the walls of vesicles. All these pyrrhotite grains show a small range in Fe/S (0.90–0.99). The pyrrhotite in clusters precipitated earlier or simultaneously with titanomagnetite in a magmatic reservoir during crystal-liquid fractionation. Late precipitated vesicle pyrrhotite was formed by diffusion of Fe from the trachyandesitic liquid after the formation of the vesicles. Iron diffused from the glassy groundmass into the vesicle and reacted there with sulfur-bearing volatiles.