The age of Earth’s largest volcano: Tamu Massif on Shatsky Rise (northwest Pacific Ocean)

This study presents laser step-heating 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age determinations of basaltic lava samples from Tamu Massif, the oldest and largest edifice of the submarine Shatsky Rise in the northwest Pacific and Earth’s proposed largest volcano. The rocks were recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Prog...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of earth sciences : Geologische Rundschau 2014-11, Vol.103 (8), p.2351-2357
Main Authors: Geldmacher, Jörg, van den Bogaard, Paul, Heydolph, Ken, Hoernle, Kaj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cretaceous
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Geochemistry
Geology
Geophysics/Geodesy
Jurassic
Lava
Mineral Resources
Sedimentology
Short Note
Stratigraphy
Structural Geology
Volcanoes
Volcanology
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Summary:This study presents laser step-heating 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age determinations of basaltic lava samples from Tamu Massif, the oldest and largest edifice of the submarine Shatsky Rise in the northwest Pacific and Earth’s proposed largest volcano. The rocks were recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 324, which cored 160 m into the igneous basement near the summit of Tamu Massif. The analyzed lavas cover all three major stratigraphic groups penetrated at this site and confirm a Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous age for the onset of Shatsky Rise volcanism. Lavas analyzed from the lower and middle section of the hole yield plateau ages between 144.4 ± 1.0 and 143.1 ± 3.3 Ma with overlapping analytical errors (2σ), whereas a sample from the uppermost lava group produced a significantly younger age of 133.9 ± 2.3 Ma suggesting a late or rejuvenated phase of volcanism. The new geochronological data infer minimum (average) melt production rates of 0.63–0.84 km 3 /a over a time interval of 3–4 million years consistent with the presence of a mantle plume.
ISSN:1437-3254
1437-3262
DOI:10.1007/s00531-014-1078-6