Origin of xenoliths in the trachyte at Puu Waawaa, Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
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Abstract

Rare dunite and 2-pyroxene gabbro xenoliths occur in banded trachyte at Puu Waawaa on Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii. Mineral compositions suggest that these xenoliths formed as cumulates of tholeiitic basalt at shallow depth in a subcaldera magma reservoir. Subsequently, the minerals in the xenoliths underwent subsolidus reequilibration that particularly affected chromite compositions by decreasing their Mg numbers. In addition, olivine lost CaO and plagioclase lost MgO and Fe2O3 during subsolidus reequilibration. The xenoliths also reacted with the host trachyte to form secondary mica, amphibole, and orthopyroxene, and to further modify the compositions of some olivine, clinopyroxene, and spinel grains. The reaction products indicate that the host trachyte melt was hydrous. Clinopyroxene in one dunite sample and olivine in most dunite samples have undergone partial melting, apparently in response to addition of water to the xenolith. These xenoliths do not contain CO2 fluid inclusions, so common in xenoliths from other localities on Hualalai, which suggests that CO2 was introduced from alkalic basalt magma between the time CO2-inclusion-free xenoliths erupted at 106??6 ka and the time CO2-inclusion-rich xenoliths erupted within the last 15 ka.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Origin of xenoliths in the trachyte at Puu Waawaa, Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii
Series title Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
DOI 10.1007/BF00303448
Volume 108
Issue 4
Year Published 1991
Language English
Publisher Springer
Description 14 p.
First page 439
Last page 452
Country United States
State Hawaii
Other Geospatial Hualalai Volcano
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