Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of ashes from an early phase of the explosive September 2007 eruption of Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania)

Ashes from Oldoinyo Lengai were collected four days after the onset of the recent explosive episode (i.e., on September 7th 2007). The ash is composed of poorly-vesicular natrocarbonatite droplets, vesicular microcrystalline nephelinite shards, and a mixed variety containing both silicate and carbonate minerals in variable proportions. Simple mixing calculations show that the whole-rock composition of the ashes can be explained by mixing natrocarbonatite and nephelinite magmas with a ratio of 4:1. The dominant silicate minerals are clinopyroxene, nepheline, Ti-andradite, wollastonite and alumoåkermanite. Ti-magnetite is the most common oxide mineral. This mineral assemblage is similar to that present in the 1966 eruption products. In contrast to the 1966–1967 explosive eruption where clinopyroxene is resorbed and corroded, the ashfall from September 7th contains a large amount of euhedral clinopyroxene crystals, suggesting that magma mixing was heterogeneous and incomplete in this initial stage of the eruption. This is also supported by the petrography of the ashes. The composition of the dominant carbonate minerals (i.e., gregoryite and nyerereite) and the fluidal textures of the natrocarbonatite droplets suggest mixing of higher-viscosity nephelinite and low-viscosity natrocarbonatite magmas. Characteristic carbonate minerals produced by alteration cannot be found in the ashes. This suggests limited interaction with the older, pre-existing, natrocarbonatites inside the summit crater of the volcano. The carbonate minerals show textural evidence of being partially resorbed into the hotter nephelinitic magma. At least part of this decomposition of carbonate phases (releasing CO2 and contributing to increased explosivity) must have occurred within the volcanic edifice such that the released gas is allowed to expand during decompression.