Panama

objectives

This project focuses on subduction volcanism in Panama. Our work is divided broadly into studies of Baru volcano near the border with Costa Rica, and volcanic rocks from the Panama Canal. A picture of the summit of Baru is shown to the left.

concepts

Subduction volcanism in Panama is unusual in that rocks exhibit a geochemical signature that some researchers have suggested comes from melting of the subducting plate directly. This is a rare event as usually subduction zone magmas come from the mantle that has been enriched in fluids and melts from the plate and overlying sediments. We explore the possible origin of these and other volcanic rocks in Panama, and link them with the tectonic environment on eruption.

discoveries

We have found clumps of crystals (cumulates) in erupted magmas that suggest that some of the signatures previously attributed to melting of the subducting plate might instead be caused by the loss of these crystals out of the magma as it cools. Our work has found that the changes in magma composition correspond to changes in how the plate subducts into the trench off the Panama coast.

abstracts

1. *Hidalgo, P., and Rooney, T.O., 2009. Magma plumbing system of Baru volcano from the deep to shallow crust. EOS Trans. AGU. v.90 (52), V51A-1659.

2. *Hidalgo, P., Vogel, T.A., *Currier, R., Layer, P., and Rooney, T.O., 2009. The origin of El Hato silicic ignimbrite of El Valle volcano, Panama: Evidence of deep fractionation processes. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 41, p. 353.

3. Rooney, T. O., 2009. The relationship between amphibole cumulates and adakite magma. EOS Trans. AGU. v.90 (52), V31B-1963.

4. Rooney, T.O., 2009. Cumulates from the Panama Canal region: Squeezing the amphibole sponge. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. v. 41, p. 354.

5. *Hidalgo, P., and Rooney, T.O., 2010. Protracted storage and lower crust differentiation at Baru volcano, Panama. EOS Trans. AGU. v.91 (52), V13G-08.

6. *Hidalgo, P. J., and Rooney, T. O., 2012. Geochemical evolution of Baru volcano and the origin of the adakite signal. EOS Trans. AGU. v.93 (52), V31A-2771.

7. Rooney, T.O., Franchesci, P., and *Hidalgo, P. J., 2012. The geochemical characteristics of pumice from the Late Miocene Gatun formation within the Panama Canal: Probing the role of amphibole in El Valle volcano. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. v. 44(7), p.59.

8. *Hidalgo, P. J., and Rooney, T. O., 2012. Magmatic Evolution of the Panamanian arc Mid-Miocene to present. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. v. 44(7), p.59

9. Rooney, T.O., Hidalgo, P.H., Franceschi, P., 2013. Invited Talk: The impact of magmatic processes upon the evolution of the Panama Arc. XI Congresso de Geologia de America Central. Panama City, Panama. September 2013.

Report abuse