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Fingerprinting the Late Pleistocene tephras of Ciomadul volcano,eastern–central Europe |
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| Authors: | Szabolcs Harangi Kata Molnár Axel K Schmitt István Dunkl Ioan Seghedi Ágnes Novothny Mihály Molnár Balázs Kiss Theodoros Ntaflos Paul R D Mason Réka Lukács |
| Institution: | 1. MTA-ELTE Volcanology Research Group, Pázmány Péter Stny. 1/C, Budapest, H-1117 Hungary;2. Department of Petrology and Geochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Stny. 1/C, Budapest, H-1117 Hungary
Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, H-4026 Hungary;3. Institute of Earth Sciences, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234-236, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany;4. Sedimentology and Environmental Geology, Geoscience Centre, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, Göttingen, 37077 Germany;5. Institute of Geodynamics, Romanian Academy, 19-21 Jean-Louis Calderon Street, Bucharest, R-020032-37 Romania;6. Department of Physical Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Stny. 1/C, Budapest, H-1117 Hungary;7. Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, H-4026 Hungary;8. Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, A-1090 Austria;9. Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, Utrecht, 3584 CD, The Netherlands |
| Abstract: | Late Pleistocene tephras derived by large explosive volcanic eruptions are widespread in the Mediterranean and surrounding areas. They are important isochronous markers in stratigraphic sections and therefore it is important to constrain their sources. We report here tephrochronology results using multiple criteria to characterize the volcanic products of the Late Pleistocene Ciomadul volcano in eastern–central Europe. This dacitic volcano had an explosive eruption stage between 57 and 30 ka. The specific petrological character (ash texture, occurrence of plagioclase and amphibole phenocrysts and their compositions), the high-K calc-alkaline major element composition and particularly the distinct trace element characteristics provide a strong fingerprint of the Ciomadul volcano. This can be used for correlating tephra and cryptotephra occurrences within this timeframe. Remarkably, during this period several volcanic eruptions produced tephras with similar glass major element composition. However, they differ from Ciomadul tephras by glass trace element abundances, ratios of strongly incompatible trace elements and their mineral cargo that serve as discrimination tools. We used (U-Th)/He zircon dates combined with U-Th in situ rim dates along with luminescence and radiocarbon dating to constrain the age of the explosive eruptions of Ciomadul that yielded distal tephra layers but lack of identified proximal deposits. |
| Keywords: | Ciomadul volcano distal tephra petrochemical fingerprint tephrochronology (U-Th)/He zircon dating |