Chlorine variations in the magma of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat: Insights from Cl in hornblende and melt inclusions

Abstract

The Soufrie`re Hills Volcano in Montserrat erupts a Cl-rich, porphyritic andesite. HCl degassing accompanies eruption and is dependent on the growth rate of the lava dome. The magma contains hornblende phenocrysts that show repetitive zoning in most elements, including Cl. On the basis of the zoning data, (Cl/OH) ratios in the melt, calculated from partitioning data, increase rimward through each zone, indicating that the phenocrysts formed under conditions of varying (Cl/OH)m. An empirical relationship between A-site occupancy in the hornblende and temperature implies that crystallisation of each zone is also accompanied by increasing temperature. Each zone ends at a resorption horizon, and crystallisation recommences at lower temperature and (Cl/OH)m. Melt inclusion H2O and Cl contents for the 8th January 2007 explosive eruption can be explained by closed-system degassing with DClfl-m between 5 and 30, or by open-system degassing accompanied by a small amount of crystallisation