Pre-eruptive conditions of the phonolitic magma from the El Abrigo caldera-forming eruption (Las Cañadas caldera, Tenerife, Canary Islands)

We have performed phase equilibrium experiments to determine the pre-eruptive conditions of the largest phonolitic caldera-forming eruption (∼20 km3 of DRE) that occurred on Tenerife (Canary Islands). The Abrigo ignimbrite was erupted during the last caldera-forming episode (ca. 190 ka), from the Cañadas caldera. Comparison of the natural and experimental phase proportions and compositions indicates that the phonolite at the roof of the Abrigo magma reservoir was at 130 ± 50 MPa (corresponding to ca. 4 - 5 km below the surface), 825 ± 25 oC, with 3 ± 1 wt% dissolved H2O and fO2 at the Ni-NiO buffer ? 1 log unit. This shows that the magma that produced the largest ignimbrite on Tenerife was stored at relatively shallow depths but was water-undersaturated, and its eruption was probably triggered by input of fresh mafic magma.