Do Plinian Eruptions of Mafic Magma Require Fast Ascent Rates?

Although rare, mafic magma is known to erupt explosively in Plinian fashion. Given that models for such eruptions often invoke high viscosities as pre-requisite, mafic magmas erupting explosively seems to pose a quandary. One possibility is that such magmas can erupt explosively, if they ascend towards the surface very fast, creating conditions that lead to explosive degassing and fragmentation. In order to estimate how fast mafic magma ascends in such eruptions, we are carrying out series of isothermal decompression experiments to examine groundmass textures in natural samples from such eruptions to infer ascent rates. One eruption we are examining is the 122 B.C. Plinian eruption of hawaiite from Mt Etna. Prior work suggests that this magma was stored at 1025°C and 75 MPa before erupting. We find that the groundmass has a total crystallinity of 58 vol.%, consisting of 34 vol.% pyroxene, 20 vol.% plagioclase, and 4 vol.% Fe- Ti oxides. The area number densities are on the order of 3-7 x 10-2μm-2. Thus far, we have been unable to mimic its groundmass textures with either the single-step or multi-step decompression experiments, in which pressure dropped from 75 MPa to 13 MPa at rates ranging from 0.18 to 0.001 MPa s -1. Although the slowest decompression produced the correct groundmass assemblage and total crystallinity it has twice the plagioclase and far too little pyroxene. In addition, area number densities are 1-2 orders of magnitude less. Additionally, hopper shaped plagioclase is observed in all but the slowest experiment, whereas the natural sample contains only tabular to acicular plagioclase. Our results suggest that the textures of the hawaiite scoria cannot be explained by rapid ascent alone. One possibility is that the magma stalled and slowly crystallized prior to eruption. The additional microlites would have increased the viscosity of the melt, allowing the mafic magma to erupt in a Plinian style. In order to further test the rapid ascent model for mafic Plinian eruptions, we will also perform decompression experiments on basaltic andesite from the Fontana eruption of Masyasa. Prior work suggests that this magma was colder and stored shallower than the Etna hawaiite, but interestingly the groundmass is far less crystalline with a wider range of microlite morphologies.