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Exceptional eruptive CO2 emissions from intra-plate alkaline magmatism in the Canary volcanic archipelago
- Source :
- Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2023)
- Publication Year :
- 2023
- Publisher :
- Nature Portfolio, 2023.
-
Abstract
- Abstract Alkaline mafic magmas forming intra-plate oceanic islands are believed to be strongly enriched in CO2 due to low-degree partial melting of enriched mantle sources. However, until now, such CO2 enhancement has not been verified by measuring CO2 degassing during a subaerial eruption. Here, we provide evidence of highly CO2-rich gas emissions during the 86-day 2021 Tajogaite eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma Island, in the Canary archipelago. Our results reveal sustained high plume CO2/SO2 ratios, which, when combined with SO2 fluxes, melt inclusion volatile contents and magma production rates at explosive and effusive vents, imply a magmatic CO2 content of 4.5 ± 1.5 wt%. The amount of CO2 released during the 2021 eruptive activity was 28 ± 14 Mt CO2. Extrapolating to the volume of alkaline mafic magmas forming La Palma alone (estimated as 4000 km3 erupted over 11 Ma), we infer a maximum CO2 emission into the ocean and atmosphere of 1016 moles of CO2, equivalent to 20% of the eruptive CO2 emissions from a large igneous province eruption, suggesting that the formation of the Canary volcanic archipelago produced a CO2 emission of similar magnitude as a large igneous province.
- Subjects :
- Geology
QE1-996.5
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 26624435
- Volume :
- 4
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.4319823385d94009a011b7ec2d2076c5
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01103-x