Carbon dioxide in ultrapotassic silicate melts: mechanisms and rates of magma degassing and their influence on the intensity and style of volcanic eruptions.

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Some of the most dangerous active volcanic areas in the world are characterized by magmatic plumbing systems emplaced within carbonate substrata: e.g. Mt. Etna, Mt. Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Colli Albani (Italy); Popocatépetl and Colima (Mexico); Merapi (Indonesia). The magma-carbonate interaction during contact metamorphic reactions results in a significant presence of carbon dioxide in those systems. So far, experimental data on magma properties of CO2 dominated magmas are missing. Determining the role of CO2 in the dynamics of magma ascent is a pre-condition for understanding and modeling of degassing and fragmentation processes not only at CO2 dominated volcanic systems but also at depth, where the relatively insoluble CO2 may play an important role beside water. Furthermore, this information are crucial to unambiguously define the role played by different volatiles in the silicate melts.This work will be performed on ultrapotassic magma suites (e.g. foiditic and phonolitic melts), characteristic of volcanic systems emplaced in carbonate-rich crust. CO2-H2O solubility experiments and CO2 diffusion experiments will be carried out in high pressure-high temperature apparatus to investigate magma properties at near equilibrium conditions. The acquired information will be useful to understand and describe long-term processes at depth (i.e. in the magma chamber) such as crystallization, magma differentiation or wall rock assimilation. In addition, decompression experiments in high pressure-high temperature apparatus able to perform a controlled decompression will be performed to study the kinetics of short to intermediate term processes such as CO2 bubble nucleation and growth. Phase relation and degassing processes may significantly influence rheological magma properties and thus fragmentation and eruptive style of volcanoes. The obtained experimental data will be compared with the information recorded in the textural patterns and in the chemistry of the natural samples from Colli Albani and Mt. Vesuvius volcanoes.Our experimental data will provide useful constrain for volcanic hazard assessment at high risk volcanic areas.