Insights into the applicability of the X-Ray phase quantification supported by SEM for the rock-forming silicates minerals in the basaltic lava flows

Abstract

The authors present their results obtained from the study of the magmatic rock-forming mineral phase-relations. In the study a number of standard and modern instruments were used for sample analyses. These include the X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-Ray microprobe analysis and laser-granulometry analytic method. A combination of these instruments is considered very robust in the study of magmatic mineral-phases. The dataset obtained through the use of X-Ray Diffraction in combination with a corrected calibration on the mono-mineral fractions plays a critical role in comparing series of volcanic basalts. This approach was chosen for comparison studies of the volcanics due to its optical precision in determining modes and petrographic characteristics of the basaltic rocks. This study has used basaltic rocks from the modern volcanic eruptions of the Tolbachik region in the Russian Federation. Studies of other additional basaltic rocks were conducted from 10 samples which represents the Etna eruption which occurred in 2001. This enabled us to constrain the diversity in the nature of basaltic rocks of these two events.