Magmatic activity within the Northern Caucasus in the Early Neopleistocene: Active volcanoes of the Elbrus center, chronology, and character of eruptions

Forecast of possible scenarios of eruptive activityfor volcanic centers and individual volcanoes as well asthe type and character of their future eruptions is animportant aspect of investigations of modern (Quaternary) magmatism of the Earth. Prognostic reconstructions of this type are impossible without analysis oftendencies in the development of volcanic centers anddetermination of the main time characteristics ofmagmatic activity occurred inside them. The Northern Caucasus is the only region in European Russiawhere modern magmatism was manifested, althoughonly to a small extent. Magmatic activity in the Anthropogene occurred there exclusively within the Elbrusneovolcanic center in the southern part of which theElbrus, one of the largest Quaternary volcanoes of theNorthern Eurasia, was formed lesser than 250 ka [1–3].Quaternary volcanism of the Elbrus center started~950–900 ka [4] with eruptions of three lava volcanoes (Tyzyl, Tashlysyrt, and Syltran) located withinthe linear submeridional zone at the Baksan andMalka interfluves. The regular decrease of SiO