Back in January we applied for a Geological Society Grant to support fieldwork on the extra-ordinary range in zoned fall deposits on Ascension, and we’re excited to announce that they have awarded us significant funds to help us spend time on island mapping our their extent, and quantifying the number and range of textures found in the zoned fall units.

Zoned fall unit at North Bay and its glass compositions from EMPA showing the change in compositions.

These units are particularly exciting for us as they provide a snapshot into magmatic processes and timescales that are not preserved (or found) in single-composition fall units. By understanding how these zoned fall units were produced we will not only understand more about the controlling processes for Ascension Island volcanism, but also yield insights into how mixed-magma eruptions are produced globally.