Petrogenesis of thundereggs in Eocene rhyolite domes of central Chubut, Patagonia

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Eugenio Aragón
Jorge A. Saadi
María Cecilia Ubaldón
Alfredo M. Kuck
Claudia E. Cavarozzi
Yolanda E. Aguilera
Alejandro Ribot
Santiago González

Abstract

Thundereggs at the glass domes of Piedra Parada Caldera are described. Their geological, petrological and geochemical characteristics suggest growth from immiscible liquid drops that devitrified as anorthoclase spherulites. The expansion of the segregated vapor phase of the devitrified immiscible drops broke the spherulites and made large vesicles lined with the broken pieces of the spherulite. Further cooling of the rest of the magma yielded a glass dome with perlitic texture. Low temperature water lixiviated the perlitic glass and spherulites, filling the cavities within the vesicles and broken spherulite with opal and/or chalcedony.

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How to Cite
Aragón, E. ., Saadi, J. A. ., Ubaldón, M. C. ., Kuck, A. M. ., Cavarozzi, C. E., Aguilera, Y. E. ., Ribot, A., & González, S. (2006). Petrogenesis of thundereggs in Eocene rhyolite domes of central Chubut, Patagonia. Revista De La Asociación Geológica Argentina, 61(3), 347-354. Retrieved from https://revista.geologica.org.ar/raga/article/view/1191
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