Volatiles in glasses from Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawai’i: implications for magma degassing and contamination, and growth of Hawaiian volcanoes

Glasses from Mauna Loa pillow basalts, recent subaerial vents, and inclusions in olivine were analyzed for S, Cl, F, and major elements by electron microprobe. Select submarine glasses were also analyzed for H2O and CO2 by infrared spectroscopy. The compositional variation of these tholeiitic glasses is dominantly controlled by crystal fractionation and they indicate quenching temperatures of 1,115–1,196 C. Submarine rift zone glasses have higher volatile abundances (except F) than nearly all other submarine and subaerial glasses with the maximum concentrations increasing with water depth. The overwhelming dominance of degassed glasses on the submarine flanks of Mauna Loa implies that much of volcano’s recent submarine growth involved subaerially erupted lava that reached great water depths (up to 3.1 km) via lava tubes. Anomalously high F and Cl in some submarine glasses and glass inclusions indicate contamination possibly by fumarolic deposits in ephemeral rift zone magma chambers. The relatively high CO2 but variable H2O/ K2O and S/K2O in some submarine rift zone glasses indicates pre-eruptive mixing between degassed and undegassed magma within Mauna Loa’s rift system. Volatile compositions for Mauna Loa magmas are similar to other active Hawaiian volcanoes in S and F, but are less Cl-rich than L o’ihi glasses. However, Cl/K2O ratios are similar. Mauna Loa and L o’ihi magmas have comparable, but lower H2O than those from Kilauea. Thus, Kilauea’s source may be more H2O-rich. The dissimilar volatile distribution in glasses from active Hawaiian volcanoes is inconsistent with predictions for a simple, concentrically zoned plume model.