Ruohan Gao

Monogenetic vents are small volcanoes that often occur in clusters and are active for a single eruption or short-lived eruptive cycle (months to decades). Monogenetic vent fields represent a significant volcanic hazard in many regions of the world (e.g., Auckland, Mexico City). An improved understanding of the mechanisms of melt generation and in particular melt storage within monogenetic vent fields will allow better assessment of volcanic hazards associated with monogenetic vents.

 

Many monogenetic vents display significant chemical and isotopic variations during a single eruptive cycle. These geochemical variations may provide important constraints on the processes of melt generation and transport, which also allows better assessment of potential crustal contamination and more accurate interpretation of mantle source evolution.

 

I examined the crystal cargo of the Papoose Canyon monogenetic vent sequence from the Big Pine Volcanic Field, California, a well-documented monogenetic vent with clear temporal–compositional trends, to test crust versus mantle origins for the observed trends and to infer the magma storage and transportation processes of monogenetic vents.

Gao, R., Lassiter, J. C., Ramirez, G. E. (2017). “Origin of Temporal Compositional Trends in Monogenetic Vent Eruptions: Insights from the Crystal Cargo in the Papoose Canyon Sequence, Big Pine Volcanic Field, CA.” Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 457, 227-237.