Collaborative Research: Using Trace and Ore Elements to Track Volatile Behavior and Fluid Migration within Intermediate-silicic Magma Chambers

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The release and movement of magmatic volatile components, including water, carbon dioxide, sulfur, and chlorine, exert significant control on the conditions of volcanic eruptions and on the transport and deposition of potential ore metals. Many of the parameters critical for understanding these processes are invisible to direct observations because they occur up to several kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. Researchers have suggested that other trace elements both in the magma and in crystals forming within it may be used as a proxy for interpreting volatile behavior in magma and fluids. However many of the basic variables which describe how these elements are incorporated into crystals are unknown or are in question. This study builds off observations about enrichment in different trace elements analyzed in crystals from the recent eruption (2004) of Mount St. Helens by 1) conducting hydrothermal experiments at various conditions to try to better constrain many of these questionable variables and 2) expand on the work at Mount St. Helens to look for similar elemental variations at other volcanoes, including Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines; Augustine volcano, Alaska; and Mt. Guardia, Lipari. Specifically, this work will focus on an experimental and analytical study of the elements, Li, Cu, Zn, Pb, W, and Mo. These elements are of particular interest as prior studies have suggested they are likely to be transported by volatiles (such as water, CO2, etc). The experimental results will be integrated with observations from multiple volcanic centers to fully understand the origins of these element enrichments and how this relates to the movement of volatiles in silicic magma systems and how volatile transfer influences processes of eruption and mineral deposit formation.