Petrogenesis of dacite in an oceanic subduction environment: Raoul Island, Kermadec arc

Abstract

Raoul Volcano in the northern Kermadec arc is typical of volcanoes in oceanic subduction systems in that it is composed mainly of low-K high-Al basalts and basaltic andesite. However, during the last 4 ka Raoul Volcano has produced mainly dacite magma in pyroclastic eruptions associated with caldera formation. The rocks produced in these episodes are almost aphyric containing only sparse crystals of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and magnetite. These apparent phenocrysts have chemical compositions that suggest that they did not crystallise from melts with the chemical composition of their host rocks. Rather they are xenocrysts and only their rims show evidence for crystallisation ..