Paleomagnetic evidence for cold emplacement of eruption-fed density current deposits beneath an ancient summit glacier, Tongariro volcano, New Zealand

• Published in: Earth and planetary science letters 2019-09, Vol.522, p.155-165
• Main Authors: Cole, R.P., Ohneiser, C., White, J.D.L., Townsend, D.B., Leonard, G.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: deposit temperature; fragmental; meltwater drainage; subglacial; Tongariro volcano
• ISSN: 0012-821X; 1385-013X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.07.004

The thermal structures of eruption-fed, subglacial volcaniclastic deposits are poorly understood because their emplacement is hazardous to observe or obscured by the glacier. Determining deposit emplacement temperature, however, supports improved understanding of the flow dynamics and emplacement processes of volcaniclastic material beneath a glacier. Understanding the emplacement temperatures of ancient volcanic deposits is also important because they can be used, in combination with field studies, to infer the eruptive environment. Here, we use paleomagnetic techniques to quantify the emplacement temperatures of two ancient, proximal, eruption-fed density current deposits at Tongariro volcano, New Zealand. Stepwise thermal demagnetisation of lithic and recycled juvenile block-sized clasts reveal randomly orientated directions of magnetisation, suggesting that the clasts were rotated within the flow but not heated. Additional data from thermomagnetic, hysteresis, and isothermal remanent magnetisation tests indicate that the principal carrier of magnetic remanence is magnetite, and that the magnetisation directions are a primary remanence rather than post-depositional chemical remanent magnetisations. Following systematic removal of any viscous remanent magnetisation, the post-emplacement equilibrium temperatures for the deposits can be estimated at