A Late Paleozoic Snake River-type ignimbrite (Planitz vitrophyre) in the Chemnitz Basin, Germany: Textural and compositional evidence for complex magma evolution in an intraplate setting

An Early Permian >VEI 6 eruption (ca. 42 km3) deposited an ash flow tuff into the Chemnitz Basin (southeastern Germany), which exhibits typical characteristics of a Snake River-type ignimbrite. The peculiarity of the Planitz ignimbrite are well-preserved vitroclastic domains with fresh minerals, which provide a unique opportunity for investigation of a relatively crystal-poor (~20 vol% crystals) magmatic system of Late Paleozoic Central Europe. Combined textural and chemical analyses on whole rock, glass shards and mineral phases were acquired to unravel the physical characteristics of the vitrophyre and the pre-eruptive evolution of its multistage magma system.