Quantifying magmatic processes of pantellerites from Mayor Island (Tuhua), Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

Mayor island is a Quaternary island of New Zealand found westwards of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The island exhibits a wide range of eruption styles and sizes, including catastrophic behaviour such as Plinian eruptions and caldera forming events.

This research project aims to quantify the pressure-temperature conditions of the pantellerite magma genesis and ascent that occurs beneath Mayor Island. A range of methods will be employed to investigate this aim, including, field observations, laboratory studies and modelling. Fieldwork will include detailed and targeted analysis due to the newly created geological map of the island allowing for the overall geology of the island to be clearly understood without the need for widescale mapping.

Laboratory work will include petrological and textural analysis, both static and dynamic high P-T experiments, and rheological experiments. Once this work has been done, the results can be applied to model the flow properties of magma and explore the underlying controls on the transition between explosive and effusive phases.

The outcome of this work will result in an overall model for Mayor Island. This will subsequently become locally important as it will help to constrain future monitoring efforts in the case of future volcanic unrest, which is considered to be fairly likely due to the last Plinian eruption being ~6300-years ago despite an average repose period of 4000-years.

Furthermore, the outcomes may have global importance because the improved understanding of this island could be applied to the poorly understood pantellerite islands throughout the world.