Work

Eruptive history of Mt Huangzuei, Eastern Tatun Volcano Group, Taiwan, resolved by 40Ar/39Ar and zircon double-dating of lava flows

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The Tatun Volcano Group (TVG) in northern Taiwan is part of the Northern Taiwan Volcanic Zone (NTVZ), formed in an extensional back-arc setting at the western end of the Ryukyu subduction system. Recent studies have shown that the TVG is much younger than previously thought, though reliable eruption ages are still scarce, complicating the reconstruction of its eruptive history. In this study, we used high-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of plagioclase and groundmass, along with U-Th disequilibrium and U-Th/He dating of zircons (Zircon Double Dating, or ZDD), from andesitic lava flows to constrain eruption ages at Mt. Huangzuei in the eastern TVG. Our results, combined with previous data, propose five eruptive phases at Mt. Huangzuei: Stage I (~380 ka), Stage II (~141ka), Stage III (~107 ka), Stage IV (~90 ka), and Stage V (less than ~70 ka). Additionally, zircon U-Th crystallization age populations that overlap with eruption stages suggest a common magma source and reveal possible undocumented stages. These findings provide new insights into the volcanic history of the TVG, refining the eruptive timeline and offering constraints for future volcanic models in the region.

Source: Geoscience Letters

DOI: 10.1186/s40562-025-00432-3