Characterization of tephras dispersed by the recent eruptions of volcanoes Calbuco (1961), Chaitén (2008) and Cordón Caulle Complex (1960 and 2011), in Northern Patagonia

Abstract

Pyroclastic materials dispersed in recent volcanic eruptions in Northern Patagonia were analysed in order to characterize the volcanic provenance by the geochemical fingerprint. The volcanic products studied were dispersed by eruptions of volcanoes Calbuco in 1961, Chaitén in 2008, and Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex (CCVC) in 1960 and 2011. The geochemical characterization was based on the determination of 35 major and trace elements by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, including geochemical tracer such as Rare Earth Elements (REE). The study of the pyroclastic products also included the morphological analysis by petrographic and scanning electron microscopy, and the mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction.Geochemical tracers determined in the glass fraction of the dispersed pyroclastic materials allowed a clear discrimination of the three volcanoes that gave origin to the tephras, the three of them with different evolution degree. Tephras from 1960 and 2011 CCVC eruptions showed the same geochemical signature. The geochemical parameters providing the differential characterization are the normalized REE and multi-element patterns, the Eu anomaly, the heavy to light and medium to light REE normalized ratios, and the Cs, Sc, Rb, Ta and Th concentrations. The bulk glassy fraction showed the same composition for each volcanic eruption in samples collected even in distant sites (from 100 to 220km in Chaitén, 2008, and from 80 to 650km in CCVC 2011), attesting to be the most reliable material for correlation purposes.According to the mineralogy, cristobalite was found in volcano Chaitén tephra as an indicator of such origin. Arsenic, an element of environmental interest, exhibited concentrations ranging from 6 to 16μgg-1, with the highest values corresponding to Puyehue-Cordón Caulle and Chaitén products.