Depth of volcanic basalt degassing forecasted from CO2 fluid inclusions

摘要

Fluid inclusions have recorded the history of degassing in basalt. Some fluid inclusions in olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts of basalt were analyzed by micro-thermometry and Raman spectroscopy in this paper. The experimental results showed that many inclusions are present almost in a pure CO2 system. The densities of some CO2 inclusions were computed in terms of Raman spectroscopic characteristics of CO2 Fermi resonance at room temperature. Their densities change over a wide range, but mainly between 0.044 g/cm3 and 0.289 g/cm3. Their micro-thermometric measurements showed that the CO2 inclusions examined reached homogenization between 1145.5℃ and 1265℃. The mean value of homogenization temperatures of CO2 inclusions in basalts is near 1210℃. The trap pressures (depths) of inclusions were computed with the equation of state and computer program. Distribution of the trap depths makes it know that the degassing of magma can happen over a wide pressure (depth) range, but mainly at the depth of 0.48 km to 3.85 km. This implicates that basalt magma experienced intensive degassing and the CO2 gas reservoir from the basalt magma also may be formed in this range of depths. The results of this study showed that the depth of basalt magma degassing can be forecasted from CO2 fluid inclusions, and it is meaningful for understanding the process of magma degassing and constraining the inorganogenic CO2 gas reservoir.