Geochemistry of the mantle source and magma feeding system beneath Turrialba volcano, Costa Rica

For the past few years Turrialba volcano has been in a volcanic unrest phase that has included a series of explosions, the most recent of which occurred between October 2014 and May 2015. The volcano is subject to an ongoing safety alert due to the possibility of a magmatic eruption. One of the crucial questions to be addressed is the kind of eruption that can be expected, and hence what type of magma is likely to be involved. The high 3He/4He ratios (7.8-8.0 Ra) measured during 2011 at high-temperature fumaroles of Turrialba craters are comparable to those measured in fluid inclusions of basaltic andesites that erupted in 1864-1866, suggesting that the magma currently feeding the shallow plumbing system has similar geochemical characteristics to the most recently erupted magma.