Data on the geology, petrography, and geochemistry of Middle–Late-Pleistocene rocks from the Tolbachik volcanic massif (Kamchatka, Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes) are presented and compared with rocks from the neighboring Mount Povorotnaya, Klyuchevskaya group basement, and Holocene–historical Tolbachik monogenetic cones. Two volcanic series of lavas, middle-K and high-K, are found in the Tolbachik massif. The results of our data analysis and computer modeling of crystallization at different P–T–H2O–fO2 conditions allow us to reconstruct the geochemical history of the massif. The Tolbachik volcanic massif started to form earlier than 86 ka based on K–Ar dating. During the formation of the pedestal and the lower parts of the stratovolcanoes, the middle-K melts, depleted relative to NMORB, fractionated in water-rich conditions (about 3 of H2O). At the Late Pleistocene–Holocene boundary, a large fissure zone was initiated and the geodynamical regime changed. Upwelling associated with intra-arc rifting generated melting from the same mantle source that produced magmas more enriched in incompatible trace elements and subduction components; these magmas are high-K, not depleted relative to N-MORB melts with island arc signatures and rift-like characteristics. The fissure opening caused degassing during magma ascent, and the high-K melts fractionated at anhydrous conditions. These high-K rocks contributed to the formation of the upper parts of stratovolcanoes. At the beginning of Holocene, the high-K rocks became prevalent and formed cinder cones and associated lava fields along the fissure zone. However, some features, including 1975–1976 Northern Breakthrough, are represented by middle-K high-Mg rocks, suggesting that both middle-K and high-K melts still exist in the Tolbachik system. Our results show that fractional crystallization at different water conditions and a variably depleted upper mantle source are responsible for all observed variations in rocks within the Tolbachik volcanic massif. Sr–Nd isotopes are consistent with 2–4 crustal assimilation during formation of the pedestal and stratovolcanoes, while the young lava fields do not show evidence of crustal assimilation. Major and trace element data coupled with K–Ar dating provide strong evidence that Mount Povorotnaya, located in 8 km northeast of Plosky Tolbachik, is an old block of the Tolbachik massif pedestal and for the moment it is the oldest (306 ka) known object in Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes.

The numerous of national and international publications were dedicated to Plosky Tolbachik volcano eruptions and adjacent monogenetic cones, which were erupted repeatedly during Holocene, including historical time [i.e. Vlodavets, 1937; Popkov, 1946; Peep, 1946, 1954; Menyailov, 1953; Sirin and Farberov, 1963; Kirsanov et al., 1974; Ivanov and Khrenov, 1979; Fedotov, 1984; Krivenko, 1990; Kersting, 1995; Tatsumi et al., 1995; Hochstaedter et al., 1996; Kepezhinskas et al., 1997; Turner et al., 1998; Pineau et al., 1999; Volynets et al., 2000; Churikova et al., 2001; Münker et al., 2004; Portnyagin et al., 2007; Volynets et al., 2013]. However, all these data mainly relates to monogenetic cones, but the information on stratovolcanoes itself practically absent. There are only few papers on Ostry and Plosky Tolbachik stratovolcanoes focusing on geology [Ermakov and Vazheevskaya, 1973], petrography and some petrochemistry of the rocks [Ermakov, 1977; Flerov and Melekestsev, 2013]. The modern geochemical and isotope studies of the stratovolcanoes were never achieved. In this report we present geological, petrographical, petrochemical, geochemical and some K-Ar data on the rocks of Tolbachik massif. The present report based on representative collection of 154 samples from stratovolcanoes, dikes, monogenetic cones of different ages, including last 2012-2013 eruption. Additionally our study included samples separately standing edifice of Povorotnaya mount, which age according to K-Ar dating is 0.306±0.01 Ма.

Abstract We report petrography, and bulk rock, mineral and glass analyses of eruptive products of the 2012–13 eruption of Tolbachik volcano, Central Kamchatka Depression, Russia. Magmas are shoshonitic in composition, with phenocrysts of olivine and plagioclase; clinopyroxene phenocrysts are scarce. Samples collected as bombs from the active vent, from liquid lava at the active lava front, and as naturally solidified “toothpaste” lava allow us to quantify changes in porosity and crystallinity that took place during 5.25 km of lava flow and during solidification. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions from rapidly-cooled, mm-size tephra have near-constant {H2O} contents (1.19 ± 0.1 wt) over a wide range of {CO2} contents (< 900 ppm), consistent with degassing. The groundmass glasses from tephras lie at the shallow end of this degassing trend with 0.3 wt {H2O} and 50 ppm CO2. The presence of small saturation, rather than shrinkage, bubbles testifies to volatile saturation at the time of entrapment. Calculated saturation pressures are 0.3 to 1.7 kbar, in agreement with the depths of earthquake swarms during November 2012 (0.6 to 7.5 km below the volcano). Melt inclusions from slowly-cooled and hot-collected lavas have {H2O} contents that are lower by an order of magnitude than tephras, despite comparable {CO2} contents. We ascribe this to diffusive {H2O} loss through olivine host crystals during cooling. The absence of shrinkage bubbles in the inclusions accounts for the lack of reduction in dissolved {CO2} (and S and Cl). Melt inclusions from tephras experienced < 3 wt post-entrapment crystallisation. Melt inclusion entrapment temperatures are around 1080 °C. Compared to magmas erupted elsewhere in the Kluchevskoy Group, the 2012–13 Tolbachik magmas appear to derive from an unusually H2O-poor and K2O-rich basaltic parent.