Solubility of H2O and CO2 in ultrapotassic melts at 1200 and 1250  C and pressure from 50 to 500 MPa

The solubility of H 2 O-CO 2 fluids in a synthetic analogue of a phono-tephritic lava composition from Alban Hills (Central Italy) was experimentally determined from 50 to 500 MPa, at 1200 and 1250 °C. Contents of H 2 O and CO 2 in experimental glasses were determined by bulk-analytical methods and FTIR spectroscopy. For the quantification of volatile concentrations by IR spectroscopy, we calibrated the absorption coefficients of water-related and carbon-related bands for phono-tephritic compositions. The determined absorption coefficients are 0.62 ± 0.06 L/(mol·cm) for the band at ~4500 cm -1 (OH groups) and 1.02 ± 0.03 L/(mol·cm) for the band at ~5200 cm -1 (H 2 O molecules). The coefficient for the fundamental OH-stretching vibration at 3550 cm -1 is 63.9 ± 5.4 L/(mol·cm). CO 2 is bound in the phono-tephritic glass as CO 3 2- exclusively; its concentration was quantified by the peak height of the doublet near the 1500 cm -1 band with the calibrated absorption coefficient of 308 ± 110 L/(mol·cm). Quench crystals were observed in glasses with water contents exceeding 6 wt% even when using a rapid-quench device, limiting the application of IR spectroscopy for water-rich glasses. H 2 O solubility in the ultrapotassic melts (7.52 wt% K 2 O) as a function of pressure is similar to the solubility in basaltic melts up to 400 MPa (~8 wt%) but is higher at 500 MPa (up to 10.71 wt%). At 500 MPa and 1200 °C, the CO 2 capacity of the phono-tephritic melt is about 0.82 wt%. The high CO 2 capacity is probably related to the high K 2 O content of the melt. At both 200 and 500 MPa, the H 2 O solubility shows a non linear dependence on X f H₂ O in the whole X f H₂O range. The variation of CO 2 solubility with X f CO₂ displays a pronounced convex shape especially at 500 MPa, implying that dissolved H₂O promotes the solubility of CO 2 . Our experimental data on CO 2 solubility indicate that the interaction between phono-tephritic magma and carbonate rocks occurring in the Alban Hills magmatic system may result in partial dissolution of CO 2 from limestone into the magma. However, although the CO 2 solubility in phono-tephritic melts is relatively high compared to that in silicic to basaltic melts, the capacity for assimilation of limestone without degassing is nevertheless limited to <1 wt% at the P-T conditions of the magma chamber below Alban Hills.