Magmatic Processes at Snæfell Volcano, Iceland, Constrained by Zircon Ages, Isotopes, and Trace Elements

• Published in: Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems : G3 geophysics, geosystems : G3, 2021-03, Vol.22 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Banik, Tenley J., Carley, Tamara L., Coble, Matthew A., Hanchar, John M., Dodd, Justin P., Casale, Gabriele M., McGuire, Sean P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basalt; Crystallization; Geochronology; Geochronometry; Hf isotopes; Isotope composition; Isotopes; Lava; Longevity; Magma; O isotopes; Petrogenesis; Rhyolites; Snæfell; Trace elements; U‐Pb geochronology; Volcanoes; Zircon
• ISSN: 1525-2027; 1525-2027
• DOI: 10.1029/2020GC009255

We present the first zircon‐based U‐Pb geochronology, trace element concentrations, and O and Hf isotope compositions for Snæfell, an off‐rift volcano in eastern Iceland. These data provide constraints on the longevity and petrogenetic conditions of the Snæfell magmatic system. U‐Pb zircon ages range from 545 ± 59 to 266 ± 16 ka (2SE), but differences between grain core and mantle ages within each sample reveal zircon residence times of 100–200 kyr—far longer than observed at other Neovolcanic systems in Iceland. Zircon δ18O is restricted to ∼3.5–4‰, and zircon εHf ranges ∼+13 to ∼+17, which is substantially more radiogenic than Snæfell basalts. This combined O and Hf isotopic perspective suggests rhyolite petrogenesis at Snæfell can be attributed to fractional crystallization of mantle‐derived basaltic magmas with limited influence of pre‐existing crustal material. Trace element evidence further characterizes the magmatic source material: Sc/Yb