Geochemical and Isotopic Study of Central American Volcanoes

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This project by Feigenson and Carr will continue work on the volcanic rocks of Central America. Although numerous inroads have been made towards understanding arc magmagenesis, and an extensive sample set collected and analyzed, several important aspects of arc petrogenesis remain to be developed. Volcanism in Central America needs to be understood in terms of a workable geophysical model. A recent development in this area can be tested with data from this arc, and perhaps applied to convergent margin petrogenesis in general. Isotopic and trace element data collected to date have documented the important role of a subducted slab component in the source of Central American lavas. Other potential components need to be carefully characterized to understand their importance. Finally, a comprehensive suite of arc lavas analyzed for major and trace elements and radiogenic and stable isotopes will be vital in understanding intra-arc variations, as well as providing an important arc reference suite to be used by other researchers for world-wide comparisons.