Abstract
The study revealed that the sequence of volcanism in Ulrung island can be classified into 5 stages, and the volcanic history is summerized as follow: 1st stage: Eruption of basaltic agglomerates, tuffs and lavas, 2nd stage: Eruption of trachytic and trachyandesitic agglomerates and tuffs, 3rd stage: Eruption of trachyte lavas and their lapilli tuffs, 4th stage: Eruption of trachyte lavas and nepheline phonolites, 5th stage: Eruption of pumice, trachytic ash and lapilli, and plutonic ejecta (fragments of alkali gabbro, monzonite and alkali feldspar syenite) and a subsequent caldera formation. Finally, a small scale eruption of leucite bearing trachyandesite lava in the caldera. Several evidences show that there have been long erosional intervals between the 1st and 2nd stages and between the 4th and 5th stages. A K-Ar age for trachybasalt lava of the 1st stage was determined to be 1.8 Ma, and a $C^{14}$ age, 9300Y. (Machida, 1981) is available for these volcanic events. Therefore, it is considered that volcanic activity of the island above sea level began at least in early Pleistocene, and continued to until 9300 years ago exploding large amount of pumice, prior to pouring out of leucite bearing trachyandesite from the inner caldera. Using solidification index (SI) of Kuno, microscopic texture and mineral composition as criteria of the classification, the volcanic rocks are classified into alkali basalt, trachybasalt, trachyandesite, trachyte and phonolite. These are mostly prophyritic in texture. Main constituent minerals of alkali basalt and trachybasalt are plagioclase, olivine, Ti-augite and magnetite. Principal minerals of trachyandesite are plagioclase, anorthoclase, clinopyroxenes, kaersutite, biotite and magnetite. Trachyte and phonolite consist mainly of anorthoclase, clinopyroxene and magnetite, showing typical trachytic texture in groundmass. In solidification index, alkali basalt ranges from 39 to 27, trachybasalt 17 to 14, trachyandesite 12 to 9 and trachyte 8.15 to 0.72. A trend of compositional variation showing a typical alkali volcanic rock series is revealed on $SiO_2$-oxides and SI-oxides diagrams. In $SiO_2$-total alkali diagram, alkali lime index and An-Ab'-Or diagram, the samples fall into the fields of potassic series of the alkali volcanic rock series, whereas in A-F-M diagram show a trend toward the alkali enrichment with a curve approaching toward the iron apex. In particular, trachybasalt lavas in this island have higher total iron contents which is comparable to alkali rocks in other areas, e. g. as Gough and Tristan volcanic islands located near the Mid-Oceanic ridge in South Atlantic Ocean.