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A history of violence: magma incubation, timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera, Guatemala)
- Source :
- Journal of Quaternary Science. 36:169-179
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The climactic Los Chocoyos (LCY) eruption from Atitlán caldera (Guatemala) is a key chronostratigraphic marker for the Quaternary period given the extensive distribution of its deposits that reached both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Despite LCY tephra being an important marker horizon, a radioisotopic age for this eruption has remained elusive. Using zircon (U–Th)/He geochronology, we present the first radioisotopically determined eruption age for the LCY of 75 ± 2 ka. Additionally, the youngest zircon crystallization 238U–230Th rim ages in their respective samples constrain eruption age maxima for two other tephra units that erupted from Atitlán caldera, W‐Fall (130 +16/−14 ka) and I‐Fall eruptions (56 +8.2/−7.7 ka), which under‐ and overlie LCY tephra, respectively. Moreover, rim and interior zircon dating and glass chemistry suggest that before eruption silicic magma was stored for >80 kyr, with magma accumulation peaking within ca. 35 kyr before the LCY eruption during which the system may have developed into a vertically zoned magma chamber. Based on an updated distribution of LCY pyroclastic deposits, a new conservatively estimated volume of ~1220 ± 150 km3 is obtained (volcanic explosivity index VEI > 8), which confirms the LCY eruption as the first‐ever recognized supereruption in Central America.<br />Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SCH 2521/6‐1
- Subjects :
- 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
551.701
geochronology
Geochemistry
Paleontology
zircon
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
01 natural sciences
238U–230Th disequilibrium
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Geochronology
Magma
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Caldera
Tephra
Tephrochronology
Incubation
tephrochronology
Geology
(U–Th)/He
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Zircon
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10991417 and 02678179
- Volume :
- 36
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Quaternary Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9a230fb796e976bd7b7131fcd660b576