Thermoremanence in red sandstone clasts and emplacement temperature of a quaternary pyroclastic deposit (Catalan Volcanic Zone, ne Spain)
SummaryThe application of the progressive thermal demagnetization procedure of volcanic rock debris has been frequently used to determine the emplacement temperatures of pyroclastic deposits and thus to characterize the nature of these volcanic deposits. This debris consists of a mixture of juvenile fragments derived from the explosive fragmentation of erupting magma and an assortment of lithic clasts derived mainly from the walls of a volcanic conduit, as well as from the ground. The temperature at which the clasts were deposited can be estimated by analyzing its remanent magnetization. To do this, oriented samples of clasts are subjected to progressive thermal demagnetization and the directions of the resulting remanent vectors provide the necessary information. Clasts of basalt, andesite, limestone, pumice and homebricks have previously been used to estimate the emplacement temperatures of pyroclastic deposits. According to our data, clasts of red sandstones also seem to be good carriers of thermoremanent magnetization. We have carried out a paleomagnetic study on a Quaternary, lithic-rich, massive, pyroclastic deposit from the Puig d'Adri volcano (Catalan Volcanic Zone), which contains a large number of red sandstone clasts. It is concluded that the studied deposit cannot be considered as a lahar or as a pyroclastic surge deposit, considering both the emplacement temperature and the morphological features.