Thermal, radioactive and magnetic properties of the lavas of the Mt Melbourne Volcanic Field (Victoria Land, Antarctica)

• Published in: Annals of Geophysics
• Main Authors: Pasquale,, Vincenzo, Verdoya, Massimo, Chiozzi, Paolo, Armadillo, Egidio
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, INGV 2009
• Subjects: petrophysics - thermal and magnetic properties - radioactive heat production - volcanic rocks; Victoria Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/4644; https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-4644

We present the results of measurements of physical properties carried out on mafic lavas from the Mt MelbourneVolcanic Field, useful for interpretation of geophysical surveys designed to shed light on the structure of thecrust. The thermal conductivity is comparable to that of glass and shows a clear negative dependence on porosity.The volume heat capacity and the thermal diffusivity are less variable. The concentration of the thermallyimportant natural radioactive isotopes was determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. Lavas denoted a rather lowheat-production rate, and the largest concentration of heat-producing elements (potassium, uranium, thorium)was found in the trachyte samples. The magnetic susceptibility is more variable than the other physical propertiesand, among the several iron-titanium oxides, it appears primarily controlled by the ulvöspinel-magnetite solidsolution series.