Trans-crustal structural control of CO2-rich extensional magmatic systems revealed at Mount Erebus Antarctica

Hill, G. J.; Wannamaker, P. E.; Maris, V.; Stodt, J. A.; Kordy, M.; Unsworth, M. J.; Bedrosian, P. A.; Wallin, E. L.; Uhlmann, D. F.; Ogawa, Y.; Kyle, P.

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-30627-7

Trans-crustal structural control of CO₂-rich extensional magmatic systems revealed at Mount Erebus Antarctica

Journal Article · Mon May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30627-7· OSTI ID:1904804

^[1]; ^[2]; Maris, V. ^[2]; Stodt, J. A. ^[3]; Kordy, M. ^[2]; Unsworth, M. J. ^[4]; Bedrosian, P. A. ^[5]; Wallin, E. L. ^[6]; ^[7]; ^[8]; ^[9]

Univ. of Canterbury, Christchurch (New Zealand); Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), Prague (Czech Republic); Univ. of Canterbury, Christchurch (New Zealand)
Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Numeric Resources LLC, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
US Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States)
First Light Mountain Guides (France); University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)

Erebus volcano, Antarctica, with its persistent phonolite lava lake, is a classic example of an evolved, CO₂-rich rift volcano. Seismic studies provide limited images of the magmatic system. Here we show using magnetotelluric data that a steep, melt-related conduit of low electrical resistivity originating in the upper mantle undergoes pronounced lateral re-orientation in the deep crust before reaching shallower magmatic storage and the summit lava lake. The lateral turn represents a structural fault-valve controlling episodic flow of magma and CO₂ vapour, which replenish and heat the high level phonolite differentiation zone. This magmatic valve lies within an inferred, east-west structural trend forming part of an accommodation zone across the southern termination of the Terror Rift, providing a dilatant magma pathway. Unlike H₂O-rich subduction arc volcanoes, CO₂-dominated Erebus geophysically shows continuous magmatic structure to shallow crustal depths of < 1 km, as the melt does not experience decompression-related volatile supersaturation and viscous stalling.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0002750

OSTI ID:: 1904804

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 13; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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