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The Miocene Kaiserstuhl volcanic complex in the Rhine graben rift is known for simultaneously exposing both intrusive and erupted (pyroclastic) calciocarbonatites. This makes Kaiserstuhl a promising candidate for studying the field and genetic relations between intrusive calciocarbonatite and its eruptive equivalent, and the processes enabling eruption of the calciocarbonatite at the surface in particular. Eruptive calciocarbonatites in Kaiserstuhl are represented by carbonatite tuff and lapillistone beds covering a debrite fan on the western flank of the volcano. The debrites are interpreted as lahar (debris flow) and possibly also debris-avalanche deposits. Based on the observed textures, the debris flows were most likely derived by water dilution from debris avalanches resulting from edifice failure, which occurred in the central part of the Kaiserstuhl volcanic complex. The edifice failure ultimately exposed the intrusive system, and the carbonatite pyroclasts (lapilli and ash) were ejected from narrow vents represented by open-framework tuff-breccias aligned along the detachment scarp. Since the Ca-carbonates break down rapidly at high temperatures and low pressures, calciocarbonatites are unlikely to form surface lavas. On the other hand, the presence of the calciocarbonatite pyroclastic deposits suggests that some geological process faster than the high-temperature breakdown of Ca-carbonate may facilitate calciocarbonatite eruption. We suggest that the sudden exposure and decompression of a suprasolidus high-level carbonatite intrusion by edifice collapse may be a suitable scenario enabling calciocarbonatite eruption. The absence of edifice failures on alkaline volcanoes, where carbonatite intrusion is either supposed or exposed, may explain the overall scarcity of erupted calciocarbonatites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Oligocene (ca 25 Ma) volcano‐sedimentary successions exposed on the western periphery of the Doupovské Hory Volcanic Complex reveal a complex sedimentation history influenced in various ways by decay of the alkali basalt volcanic edifice. Weathering of the volcanic rocks supplied abundant reactants that promoted carbonate precipitation in the peripheral palaeolakes—as evidenced by strongly non‐radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7038–0.7041). On the other hand, the sediments of the initial shallow lake became deformed by the bulldozing effect of a debris avalanche. The debris flow and avalanche deposits filled up the original depression, modified the basin morphology and shifted the peripheral lacustrine setting further away from the volcano. At this stage, surface water influx from the surrounding granites conferred a more radiogenic character (87Sr/86Sr values 0.7046–0.7049) to the calcrete deposits. Fossil assemblages as well as limestone textures suggest significant seasonal water‐level fluctuations, possibly reflecting the alternating rainy and dry‐seasons of a prevalently humid Central‐European Late Oligocene climate. The seasonal drying out of the ponds resulted in significant 18O enrichments. Although the ca 0‰ δ13C values might suggest mixing of atmospheric and volcanic CO2 during carbonate precipitation, no active volcanic conduits of relevant age are known in the close vicinity. The lower δ13C values are likely a result of mantle degassing through rift faults, a phenomenon observed in the magmatically extinct Ohře Rift until present. This paper demonstrates that limestones derived from weathered alkaline basalts are characterised by highly non‐radiogenic Sr isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr ca 0.704), suggesting a magmatic origin for the Ca within these carbonates. Contrary to the notion of carbonatites being present when highly non‐radiogenic Sr isotopes are found, these results show that Sr isotopes in carbonates formed in alkali basalt‐sourced environments only reveal the source of the Sr (and Ca) ions, not necessarily the presence of carbonatite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of pyroclastic cones is dispersed in the North Chamo Volcanic Field, i.e. in the northern surroundings of the Chamo Lake and over neighbouring part of the Nech Sar plains (southern termination of the Main Ethiopian Rift). The activity of scattered cinder cones was partly coeval with that of Tosa Sucha Volcano (Calabrian), but continued also after Tosa Sucha's extinction until Middle Pleistocene (c. 0.5 Ma). Whereas scoria cones on the Nech Sar plains displayed a rather simple Strombolian eruptive style, the cones located within the northern part of Chamo Lake were characterized by more complex evolution. Ganjulle scoria cone, with a uniform olivine basalt composition, started with a Surtseyan-style eruption, which turned into Strombolian as the volcano grew above the water level. An even more complex history was documented for the Ganta cone. Compositional zoning of pyroclastic rocks is explained by zoned-chamber exhaustion. The transition from magmatic to phreatomagmatic style of the eruption was then most likely linked to syn-eruptive subsidence of the area on the Chamo Lake banks. Subsequent transition back to Strombolian style reflected the growth of the cone above water level. The Sr--Nd--Pb isotopes, together with major-element-based thermodynamic modelling, demonstrate that magmas parental to the North Chamo alkaline volcanic rocks (alkali basalt, through trachybasalt and trachyandesite to trachyte) evolved initially by closed-system fractionation of olivine, later joined by clinopyroxene, spinel and calcic plagioclase. The subsequent stage was characterized by a substantial (c. 25% by mass) assimilation of country-rock felsic igneous material, perhaps corresponding to the Paleogene ignimbrites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing of magmatic activity of the late-Variscan Altenberg–Teplice Caldera was rather vaguely constrained. In this paper, we present five new laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) U–Pb zircon ages, which along with published data indicate ~13 Myr lifetime. Formation of the Altenberg–Teplice Caldera commenced with the emplacement of the pre-caldera pluton at ~325–319 Ma, and terminated with the intrusion of the syn-collapse ring dykes and post-collapse granites at ~312 Ma. The main ignimbrite volcanism in the area of the ATC occurred at ~318–313 Ma and peaked at ~314–313 Ma. The latter corresponds to the age of the caldera-forming eruptions, which sourced the extra-caldera pyroclastic deposits. The same age yielded the rhyolite dyke swarm that fed the ignimbrite eruptions. Some pyroclastic fall deposits preserved in adjacent Carboniferous basins indicate similar ages of ~314–312 Ma including the widespread ~314 Ma Bělka tuff, which represents the main chronostratigraphic marker of this area. Its thickness and grain size progressively degrease from the ATC towards S and SW. This, together with the isopach map distribution and the available geochronological data suggest that the Bělka tuff was sourced from the Altenberg–Teplice Caldera. The Bělka tuff distribution and its association with the extra-caldera ignimbrites of the Altenberg–Teplice Caldera imply that this tuff is a co-ignimbrite fall deposit that accompanied pyroclastic density currents sourced from the caldera. The calculated minimum volume of fallout ash-tuffs and extra-caldera ignimbrite facies contribute 30 km3 to the 350 km3 (dense rock equivalent) estimates of the total Altenberg–Teplice Caldera products. Such volumes correspond well to similar modern analogues of collapse calderas of intermediate size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Velký Roudný scoria cone represents the most prominent volcanic edifice of the Plio-Pleistocene Bruntál Volcanic Field (according to Cajz et al. 2012). Various types of volcaniclastic deposits and volcanic features were interpreted in various ways in the past. However, several features remained overlooked, and the investigated ones required critical revision. Velký Roudný is an asymmetric horseshoe-shaped cone, with a crater open towards the southeast (Fig. 1a). The lava flows emitted from this cone flew southwards and also to the east/southeast, where the lava filled a paleo-canyon of the Moravice River. In the paleo-canyon, the lava (up to 60 m thick) buried earlier fluvial sediments (Horský et al. 1972; Fig. 2). The best exposure of the lava flow is accessible in the active Bílčice quarry. The two levels of columnar jointing separated by a platy- to blocky-jointed domain represent the upper and lower colonnade of a single lava flow (Fig. 3a, b). The columnar jointing domains are interrupted by subvertically platy-jointed, piston-like features filled with breccia (Fig. 3c, d). These monomictic breccias are dominated by basaltic clasts with signs of abrupt quenching, like cauliflower structures (Fig. 3e, f). The shapes of these breccia bodies, together with signs of magma/water interactions, suggest their origin from rootless explosions. Their extension through the complete thickness of the lava, as well as their distribution in the lava flow were earlier documented by geophysical survey (Štainbruch 2019), whose results are re-interpreted in this contribution (Fig. 4). Another effect of the lava/water interaction is represented by "sunburn" decomposition (spheroidal decomposition of the rock; Fig. 5a). The development of the spheroidal cracks seems to be restricted to the glass-containing groundmass (Fig. 5b). As the sunburn decomposition develops mainly at the base, around the rootless craters, and less frequently on the top of the lava. It seems that these irregular features reflect gentle hydration of glass-containing rock, similarly to perlitic cracks in silicic lavas (e. g., McPhie et al. 1993). Subsequently to cracking, the glass tends to analcime recrystallization (Fig. 5c, d), enhancing the decomposition of the rock. Pyroclastic deposits exposed in two small abandoned quarries near Razová and Karlovec, respectively, were interpreted as tuffites (mixed volcano-sedimentary deposits) in the past. Despite that these deposits contain abundant fragments of basement greywackes, the fragments display no signs of rounding or sorting (Fig. 6). Poorlysorted clast-supported deposits well correspond to the near-vent ballistic accumulation of phreatomagmatic eruption. At Karlovec, predominance of the finer-grained facies with diagonal bedding suggests that these rocks originated by base-surge deposition. The potential source of the phreatomagmatic eruption can be found in the circular depression underneath Velký Roudný (Fig. 1b, c), as supported by a magnetic anomaly (Fig. 7). The phreatomagmatic character of the volcanic activity possibly results from an eruption through a lake dammed by the Bílčice lava of the Velký Roudný scoria cone (Fig. 8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]