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Abstract: The Villa Senni Formation (355ka) represents the youngest mafic caldera-forming eruption of the Colli Albani Volcano (Central Italy), and one of the best exposed large mafic ignimbrite successions on Earth. The unusual Si-undersaturated and high-K composition of the magma, and corresponding low magma viscosity, raise important questions about the conditions of magma ascent, eruption, and fragmentation that led to such a large explosive eruption. We examined the juvenile clast textures – that is, the abundance, shape, size and number density of both vesicles and leucite microlites – to reconstruct the fragmentation conditions and to trace major changes in the ascent rate and vesiculation history of the magma associated with caldera collapse. The juvenile textures record two major changes in the eruption dynamics through the stratigraphy. First, the sudden depressurization of the magma chamber and the onset of the first ignimbrite-forming phase are marked by a dramatic increase in the magma ascent velocity inferred by a decrease in vesicle and leucite microlite sizes and increase in their number densities. Second, the progressive restoration of pressure within the magma reservoir as a consequence of caldera collapse is recorded by an inversion of vesicle and leucite microlite textures, which suggest a strong decrease in magma ascent rate. Complex vent conditions in this later phase of the caldera collapse are recorded by the diversity of textural features, variation in magma chemistry and the abrupt changes in the stratigraphic record (including the presence of co-ignimbrite breccias, spatter clasts and lithics). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Magma–carbonate rock interaction is investigated through a geochemical and Sr–Nd–O isotope study of granular lithic clasts (ejecta) from the Alban Hills ultrapotassic volcano, Central Italy. Some samples (Group-1) basically represent intrusive equivalents of Alban Hills magmas. A few samples (Group-2) are ultramafic, have high MgO (∼30 to 40 wt%) and δ18O‰, and originated by accumulation of mafic phases that crystallised from ultrapotassic melts during assimilation of dolomitic rocks. Group-3 ejecta consist of dominant K-feldspar, and show major element compositions similar to phonolites, which, however, are absent among the Alban Hills volcanics. Finally, another group (Group-4) contains corroded K-feldspars, surrounded by a microgranular to porphyritic matrix, made of igneous minerals (K-feldspar, foids, clinopyroxene, phlogopite) plus wollastonite, garnet, and some cuspidine. Group-4 ejecta are depleted in SiO2 and enriched in CaO with respect to Group-3. The analysed ejecta have similar 143Nd/144Nd (0.51204–0.51217) as the Alban Hills lavas, whereas 87Sr/86Sr (0.70900–0.71067) is similar to lower. Whole rocks δ18O‰ ranges from +7.0 to +13.2, reaching maximum values in ultramafic samples. A positive correlation with CaO is observed in single rock groups. Large Ion Lithophile Element (LILE) abundances and REE fractionation are generally high, and extreme values of Th, U and LREE are found in some Group-3 and Group-4 rocks. Mineralogical, petrological and geochemical data reveal extensive interaction between magma and carbonate wall rocks, involving both dolostones and limestones. These processes had dramatic effects on magma compositions, especially on phonolites, which were transformed to foidites. Evidence of such a process is found in Group-4 samples, in which K-feldspar is observed to react with a matrix that represents strongly undersaturated melts formed by interaction between silicate magma and carbonates. Trace element data also testify to a very important role for F–CO2–H2O–S fluids during magma–wall rock interaction. Fluid transfer was responsible for extreme enrichments in Th, U, and LREE especially observed in Group-3 and Group-4 rocks. Implications of these processes for potassic magma evolution in Central Italy are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eruptive scenarios associated with the possible reactivation of maar-forming events in the Quaternary, ultrapotassic Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) provides implications for volcanic hazard assessment in the densely populated area near Rome. Based on detailed stratigraphy, grain size, componentry, ash morphoscopy and petro-chemical analyses of maar eruption products, along with textural analysis of cored juvenile clasts, we attempt to reconstruct the eruptive dynamics of the Prata Porci and Albano maars, as related to pre- and syn-eruptive interactions between trachybasaltic to K-foiditic feeder magmas and carbonate–silicoclastic and subvolcanic country rocks. Magma volumes in the order of 0.5–3.1×108 m3 were erupted during the monogenetic Prata Porci maar activity and the three eruptive cycles of the Albano multiple maar, originating loose to strongly lithified, wet and dry pyroclastic surge deposits, Strombolian scoria fall horizons and lithic-rich explosion breccias. These deposits contain a wide range of accessory and accidental lithic clasts, with significant vertical stratigraphic variations in the lithic types and abundances. The two maar study cases hold a record of repeated transitions between magmatic (i.e, Strombolian fallout) and hydromagmatic (wet and dry pyroclastic surges) activity styles. Evidence of phreatic explosions, a common precursor of explosive volcanic activity, is only found at the base of the Prata Porci eruptive succession. The quantitative evaluation of the proportions of the different eruptive styles in the stratigraphic record of the two maars, based on magma vs. lithic volume estimates, reveals a prevailing magmatic character in terms of erupted magma volumes despite the hydromagmatic footprint. Different degrees of explosive magma–water interaction were apparently controlled by the different hydrogeological and geological–structural settings. In the Prata Porci case, shifts in the depth of magma fragmentation are proposed to have accompanied eruption style changes. In the Albano case, a deeply dissected geothermal aquifer in peri-caldera setting and variable mass eruption rates were the main controlling factors of repeated shifts in the eruptive style. Finally, textural evidence from cored juvenile clasts and analytical modeling of melt–solid heat transfer indicate that the interacting substrate in the Prata Porci case was at low, uniform temperature (~ 100 °C) as compared to the highly variable temperatures (up to 700–800 °C) inferred for the geothermal system beneath Albano. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigated chemical and isotopic compositions of clinopyroxene crystals from well age-constrained juvenile scoria clasts, lava flows, and hypoabyssal magmatic ejecta representative of the whole eruptive history of the Alban Hills Volcanic District. The Alban Hills is a Quaternary ultra-potassic district that was emplaced into thick limestone units along the Tyrrhenian margin of Italy. Alban Hills volcanic products, even the most differentiated, are characterised by low SiO2 content. We suggest that the low silica activity in evolving magmas can be ultimately due to a decarbonation process occurring at the magma/limestone interface. According to the liquid line of descent we propose, the differentiation process is driven by crystallisation of clinopyroxene+leucite±apatite±magnetite coupled with assimilation of a small amount of calcite and/or with interaction with crustal CO2. By combining age, chemical data, strontium and oxygen isotopic compositions, and REE content of clinopyroxene, we give insights into the evolution of primitive ultrapotassic magmas of the Alban Hills Volcanic District over an elapsed period of about 600 kyr. Geochemical features of clinopyroxene crystals, consistent with data coming from other Italian ultrapotassic magmas, indicate that Alban Hills primary magmas were generated from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle source. In addition, our study shows that the 87Sr/ 86Sr and LREE/HREE of Alban Hills magmas continuously diminished during the 600–35 ka time interval of the Alban Hills eruptive history, possibly reflecting the progressive depletion of the metasomatized mantle source of magmas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]