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Geology topics

J. B. Lowenstern

Publications and source records attributed to J. B. Lowenstern.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2012

Generation and evolution of hydrothermal fluids at Yellowstone: Insights from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin

We sampled fumaroles and hot springs from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin (HLGB), measured water and gas discharge, and estimated heat and mass flux from this geothermal area in 2009. The combined data set reveals that diverse fluids share an origin by mixing of deep solute-rich parent water with dilute heated meteoric water, accompanied by subsequent boiling. A variety of chemical and isotopic geothermometers are consistent with a parent water that equilibrates with rocks at 205°C ± 10°C and then undergoes 21% ± 2% adiabatic boiling. Measured diffuse CO 2 flux and fumarole compositions are consistent with an initial dissolved CO 2 concentration of 21 ± 7 mmol upon arrival at the caldera boundary and prior to southeast flow, boiling, and discharge along the Witch Creek drainage. The calculated advective flow from the basin is 78 ± 16 L s −1 of parent thermal water, corresponding to 68 ± 14 MW, or –1% of the estimated thermal flux from Yellowstone. Helium and carbon isotopes reveal minor addition of locally derived crustal, biogenic, and meteoric gases as this fluid boils and degasses, reducing the He isotope ratio (Rc/Ra) from 2.91 to 1.09. The HLGB is one of the few thermal areas at Yellowstone that approaches a closed system, where a series of progressively boiled waters can be sampled along with related steam and noncondensable gas. At other Yellowstone locations, steam and gas are found without associated neutral Cl waters (e.g., Hot Spring Basin) or Cl-rich waters emerge without significant associated steam and gas (Upper Geyser Basin).

Wyoming↗
USGS2012

Carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide degassing and cryptic thermal input to Brimstone Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Brimstone Basin, a remote area of intense hydrothermal alteration a few km east of the Yellowstone Caldera, is rarely studied and has long been considered to be a cold remnant of an ancient hydrothermal system. A field campaign in 2008 confirmed that gas emissions from the few small vents were cold and that soil temperatures in the altered area were at background levels. Geochemical and isotopic evidence from gas samples ( 3 He/ 4 He ~ 3R A , δ 13 C-CO 2 ~ − 3‰) however, indicate continuing magmatic gas input to the system. Accumulation chamber measurements revealed a surprisingly large diffuse flux of CO 2 (~ 277 t d -1 ) and H 2 S (0.6 t d -1 ). The flux of CO 2 reduces the 18 O content of the overlying cold groundwater and related stream waters relative to normal meteoric waters. Simple isotopic modeling reveals that the CO 2 likely originates from geothermal water at a temperature of 93 ± 19 °C. These results and the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons (C1:C2 ~ 100 and δ 13 C-CH 4 = − 46.4 to − 42.8‰) in gases require some heat source at depth and refute the assumption that this is a “fossil” hydrothermal system.

Wyoming↗
USGS2010

River solute fluxes reflecting active hydrothermal chemical weathering of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, USA

In the past few decades numerous studies have quantified the load of dissolved solids in large rivers to determine chemical weathering rates in orogenic belts and volcanic areas, mainly motivated by the notion that over timescales greater than ~100kyr, silicate hydrolysis may be the dominant sink for atmospheric CO2, thus creating a feedback between climate and weathering. Here, we report the results of a detailed study during water year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) in the major rivers of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field (YPVF) which hosts Earth's largest "restless" caldera and over 10,000 thermal features. The chemical compositions of rivers that drain thermal areas in the YPVF differ significantly from the compositions of rivers that drain non-thermal areas. There are large seasonal variations in river chemistry and solute flux, which increases with increasing water discharge. The river chemistry and discharge data collected periodically over an entire year allow us to constrain the annual solute fluxes and to distinguish between low-temperature weathering and hydrothermal flux components. The TDS flux from Yellowstone Caldera in water year 2007 was 93t/km2/year. Extensive magma degassing and hydrothermal interaction with rocks accounts for at least 82% of this TDS flux, 83% of the cation flux and 72% of the HCO3- flux. The low-temperature chemical weathering rate (17t/km2/year), calculated on the assumption that all the Cl- is of thermal origin, could include a component from low-temperature hydrolysis reactions induced by CO2 ascending from depth rather than by atmospheric CO2. Although this uncertainty remains, the calculated low-temperature weathering rate of the young rhyolitic rocks in the Yellowstone Caldera is comparable to the world average of large watersheds that drain also more soluble carbonates and evaporates but is slightly lower than calculated rates in other, less-silicic volcanic regions. Long-term average fluxes at Yellowstone are likely ~20% higher than those in the abnormally dry water year 2007, but the protocol used in this study can be easily adaptable to track future changes in low-temperature weathering and hydrothermal flux components, which could provide better monitoring of magmatic unrest. ?? 2010.

Chemical Geology↗
USGS2008

Monitoring a supervolcano in repose: Heat and volatile flux at the yellostone caldera

Although giant calderas ("supervolcanoes") may slumber for tens of thousands of years between eruptions, their abundant earthquakes and crustal deformation reveal the potential for future upheaval. Any eventual supereruption could devastate global human populations, so these systems must be carefully scrutinized. Insight into dormant but restless calderas can be gained by monitoring their output of heat and gas. At Yellowstone, the large thermal and CO2 fluxes require massive input of basaltic magma, which continues to invade the lower to mid-crust, sustains the overlying high-silica magma reservoir, and may result in volcanic hazard for millennia to come. The high flux of CO2 may contribute to the measured deformation of the caldera floor and can also modify the pressure, thermal, and chemical signals emitted from the magma. In order to recognize precursors to eruption, we must scrutinize the varied signals emerging from restless calderas with the goal of discriminating magmatic, hydrothermal, and hybrid phenomena.

Elements↗
USGS2007

Zircon crystallization and recycling in the magma chamber of the rhyolitic Kos Plateau Tuff (Aegean arc)

In contrast to most large-volume silicic magmas in continental arcs, which are thought to evolve as open systems with significant assimilation of preexisting crust, the Kos Plateau Tuff magma formed dominantly by crystal fractionation of mafic parents. Deposits from this ∼60 km 3 pyroclastic eruption (the largest known in the Aegean arc) lack xenocrystic zircons [secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb ages on zircon cores never older than 500 ka] and display Sr-Nd whole-rock isotopic ratios within the range of European mantle in an area with exposed Paleozoic and Tertiary continental crust; this evidence implies a nearly closed-system chemical differentiation. Consequently, the age range provided by zircon SIMS U-Th-Pb dating is a reliable indicator of the duration of assembly and longevity of the silicic magma body above its solidus. The age distribution from 160 ka (age of eruption by sanidine 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating; Smith et al., 1996 ) to ca. 500 ka combined with textural characteristics (high crystal content, corrosion of most anhydrous phenocrysts, but stability of hydrous phases) suggest (1) a protracted residence in the crust as a crystal mush and (2) rejuvenation (reduced crystallization and even partial resorption of minerals) prior to eruption probably induced by new influx of heat (and volatiles). This extended evolution chemically isolated from the surrounding crust is a likely consequence of the regional geodynamics because the thinned Aegean microplate acts as a refractory container for magmas in the dying Aegean subduction zone (continent-continent subduction).

Geology↗
USGS2005

The ubiquitous nature of accessory calcite in granitoid rocks: Implications for weathering, solute evolution, and petrogenesis

Calcite is frequently cited as a source of excess Ca, Sr and alkalinity in solutes discharging from silicate terrains yet, no previous effort has been made to assess systematically the overall abundance, composition and petrogenesis of accessory calcite in granitoid rocks. This study addresses this issue by analyzing a worldwide distribution of more than 100 granitoid rocks. Calcite is found to be universally present in a concentration range between 0.028 to 18.8 g kg −1 (mean = 2.52 g kg −1 ). Calcite occurrences include small to large isolated anhedral grains, fracture and cavity infillings, and sericitized cores of plagioclase. No correlation exists between the amount of calcite present and major rock oxide compositions, including CaO. Ion microprobe analyses of in situ calcite grains indicate relatively low Sr (120 to 660 ppm), negligible Rb and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios equal to or higher than those of coexisting plagioclase. Solutes, including Ca and alkalinity produced by batch leaching of the granitoid rocks (5% CO 2 in DI water for 75 d at 25°C), are dominated by the dissolution of calcite relative to silicate minerals. The correlation of these parameters with higher calcite concentrations decreases as leachates approach thermodynamic saturation. In longer term column experiments (1.5 yr), reactive calcite becomes exhausted, solute Ca and Sr become controlled by feldspar dissolution and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr by biotite oxidation. Some accessory calcite in granitoid rocks is related to intrusion into carbonate wall rock or produced by later hydrothermal alteration. However, the ubiquitous occurrence of calcite also suggests formation during late stage (subsolidus) magmatic processes. This conclusion is supported by petrographic observations and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analyses. A review of thermodynamic data indicates that at moderate pressures and reasonable CO 2 fugacities, calcite is a stable phase at temperatures of 400 to 700°C.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗
USGS2004

Magma generation at a large, hyperactive silicic volcano (Taupo, New Zealand) revealed by U-Th and U-Pb systematics in zircons

Young (<∼65 ka) explosive silicic volcanism at Taupo volcano, New Zealand, has involved the development and evacuation of several crustal magmatic systems. Up to and including the 26·5 ka 530 km 3 Oruanui eruption, magmatic systems were contemporaneous but geographically separated. Subsequently they have been separated in time and have vented from geographically overlapping areas. Single-crystal (secondary ionization mass spectrometry) and multiple-crystal (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) zircon model-age data are presented from nine representative eruption deposits from ∼45 to ∼3·5 ka. Zircon yields vary by three orders of magnitude, correlating with the degrees of zircon saturation in the magmas, and influencing the spectra of model ages. Two adjacent magma systems active up to 26·5 ka show wholly contrasting model-age spectra. The smaller system shows a simple unimodal distribution. The larger system, using data from three eruptions, shows bimodal model-age spectra. An older ∼100 ka peak is interpreted to represent zircons (antecrysts) derived from older silicic mush or plutonic rocks, and a younger peak to represent zircons (phenocrysts) that grew in the magma body immediately prior to eruption. Post-26·5 ka magma batches show contrasting age spectra, consistent with a mixture of antecrysts, phenocrysts and, in two examples, xenocrysts from Quaternary plutonic and Mesozoic–Palaeozoic metasedimentary rocks. The model-age spectra, coupled with zircon-dissolution modelling, highlight contrasts between short-term silicic magma generation at Taupo, by bulk remobilization of crystal mush and assimilation of metasediment and/or silicic plutonic basement rocks, and the longer-term processes of fractionation from crustally contaminated mafic melts. Contrasts between adjacent or successive magma systems are attributed to differences in positions of the source and root zones within contrasting domains in the quartzo-feldspathic (<15 km deep) crust below the volcano.

Taupo volcano↗
USGS2003

Melt inclusions come of age: Volatiles, volcanoes, and sorby's legacy

Despite nearly forty years of modern research on silicate melt inclusions (MI), only within the past 10-15 years have volcanologists and petrologists come to regularly accept their utility for characterizing magmatic systems. Their relatively slow acceptance was likely due to a number of factors including: 1) Lack of reliable analytical techniques, 2) Concern that MI represent anomalous boundary-layer melts or are altered by leakage or post-entrapment crystallization, 3) Data sets indicative of heterogeneous melts and, 4) Homogenization temperatures greater than those calculated by other techniques. With improvements in analytical methods and careful studies of MI systematics, workers are increasingly convinced of the utility of these features to unravel the complexities of volcanic systems: melt inclusions have "come of age." Recent studies provide compelling evidence for the compositions of dissolved and exsolved volatiles in magma reservoirs. Evidence for immiscibility of gases, hydrosaline brines and pegmatitic fluids demonstrate that magmatic phase relations are often more complicated than can be inferred by inspection of crystalline phases alone. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developments in Volcanology↗
USGS2002

VOLATILECALC: A silicate melt-H2O-CO2 solution model written in Visual Basic for excel

We present solution models for the rhyolite-H2O-CO2 and basalt-H2O-CO2 systems at magmatic temperatures and pressures below ~ 5000 bar. The models are coded as macros written in Visual Basic for Applications, for use within MicrosoftR Excel (Office'98 and 2000). The series of macros, entitled VOLATILECALC, can calculate the following: (1) Saturation pressures for silicate melt of known dissolved H2O and CO2 concentrations and the corresponding equilibrium vapor composition; (2) open- and closed-system degassing paths (melt and vapor composition) for depressurizing rhyolitic and basaltic melts; (3) isobaric solubility curves for rhyolitic and basaltic melts; (4) isoplethic solubility curves (constant vapor composition) for rhyolitic and basaltic melts; (5) polybaric solubility curves for the two end members and (6) end member fugacities of H2O and CO2 vapors at magmatic temperatures. The basalt-H2O-CO2 macros in VOLATILECALC are capable of calculating melt-vapor solubility over a range of silicate-melt compositions by using the relationships provided by Dixon (American Mineralogist 82 (1997) 368). The output agrees well with the published solution models and experimental data for silicate melt-vapor systems for pressures below 5000 bar. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computers & Geosciences↗
USGS2000

Bathymetric, geophysical and geologic sample data from Medicine Lake, Siskiyou County, northern California

In September, 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired high-resolution bathymetry, seismic reflection profiles, and geologic sample data from Medicine Lake, a high altitude (2,036 m) lake located within the summit caldera/basin at Medicine Lake volcano (MLV), a dormant Quaternary shield volcano located in the Cascade Range, 50 km northeast of Mt. Shasta. It last erupted less than 1000 years ago.The purpose of this work was to assess whether sediments in the lake might provide a high-resolution record of the climate, volcanic and geochemical (particularly mercury) history of the region. We are still working with our data to assess whether the sediments are appropriate for further study. This report provides a summary of what we have learned to date.

California↗
USGS1999

A geochemical reconnaissance of the Alid volcanic center and geothermal system, Danakil depression, Eritrea

Geological and geochemical studies indicate that a high-temperature geothermal system underlies the Alid volcanic center in the northern Danakil depression of Eritrea. Alid is a very late-Pleistocene structural dome formed by shallow intrusion of rhyolitic magma, some of which vented as lavas and pyroclastic flows. Fumaroles and boiling pools distributed widely over an area of ~10 km2 on the northern half of Alid suggest that an active hydrothermal system underlies much of that part of the mountain. Geothermometers indicate that the fumarolic gases are derived from a geothermal system with temperatures >225??C. The isotopic composition of condensed fumarolic steam is consistent with these temperatures and implies that the source water is derived primarily from either lowland meteoric waters or fossil Red Sea water, or both. Some gases vented from the system (CO2, H2S and He) are largely magmatic in origin. Permeability beneath the volcanic center may be high, given the amount of intrusion-related deformation and the active normal faulting within the Danakil depression.Geological and geochemical studies indicate that a high-temperature geothermal system underlies the Alid volcanic center in the northern Danakil depression of Eritrea. Alid is a very late-Pleistocene structural dome formed by shallow intrusion of rhyolitic magma, some of which vented as lavas and pyroclastic flows. Fumaroles and boiling pools distributed widely over an area of approx. 10 km2 on the northern half of Alid suggest that an active hydrothermal system underlies much of that part of the mountain. Geothermometers indicate that the fumarolic gases are derived from a geothermal system with temperatures >225??C. The isotopic composition of condensed fumarolic steam is consistent with these temperatures and implies that the source water is derived primarily from either lowland meteoric waters or fossil Red Sea water, or both. Some gases vented from the system (CO2, H2S and He) are largely magmatic in origin. Permeability beneath the volcanic center may be high, given the amount of intrusion-related deformation and the active normal faulting within the Danakil depression.

Geothermics↗
USGS1997

Comagmatic A-type granophyre and rhyolite from the Alid volcanic center, eritrea, northeast Africa

Granophyric blocks within late-Pleistocene pyroclastic flow ejecta from the Alid volcanic center, northeast Africa, are the rapidly crystallized, intrusive equivalent of pumice from the pyroclastic flow. Phenocryst compositions and geochemical characteristics of the pumice and granophyre are virtually identical. Silicate melt inclusions and other geochemical and geological constraints reveal those processes leading to development of the granophyric texture. Rhyolitic (A-type) magma with ∼2.6 wt % dissolved H 2 O and a temperature near 870°C was intruded to within 2–4 km of the surface, causing deformation and structural doming of shallow marine and subaerial strata. Eruptions of crystal-poor rhyolite from this shallow magma chamber caused degassing, which forced undercooling and consequent granophyric crystallization of some of the magma remaining in the intrusion. The most recent eruption from Alid excavated the crystallized granitic wall of the magma chamber, bringing the granophyric clasts to the surface.

Journal of Petrology↗
USGS1994

Dissolved volatile concentrations in an ore-forming magma

Infrared spectroscopic measurements of glass inclusions within quartz phenocrysts from the Plinian fallout of the 22 Ma tuff of Pine Grove show that the trapped silicate melt contained high concentrations of H2O and CO2. Intrusive porphyries from the Pine Grove system are nearly identical in age, composition, and mineralogy to the tephra, and some contain high-grade Mo mineralization. Assuming that the porphyry magmas originally contained similar abundances of volatile components as the erupted rocks, they would have been saturated with fluid at pressures far greater than those at which the porphyries were emplaced and mineralized. The data are consistent with formation of Climax-type Mo porphyry deposits by prolonged fluid flux from a large volume of relatively Mo-poor (1-5 ppm) magma. -from Author

Geology↗