Stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, and magnetic fabric of the Toba Tuffs: Constraints on the sources and eruptive styles

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Abstract
The Toba depression in north central Sumatra is a complex of several overlapping calderas resulting from three major ignimbrite‐forming eruptions. Within the depression, the upland masses of Samosir and northern Uluan consist of welded ignimbrite capped by coarse breccia and lacustrine sediment, hitherto interpreted to be two parts of a single resurgent dome. This study has demonstrated that the welded tuffs of Samosir and Uluan have different magnetic polarities and therefore at least two different ignimbrites are present; the Samosir/Uluan massif may consist of parts of two resurgent domes. The first ignimbrite eruption occurred at 0.84 Ma and produced a very thick (>400 m), densely welded unit having a reversed polarity. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) flow direction and lithic size data indicate that the source lies in the southern part of the Toba depression, and the thick deposit of Uluan is thought to have ponded in a 40‐km‐wide caldera. The second ignimbrite is normally magnetized. AMS flow direction data indicate two separate source vents, one to the north in the Haranggaol caldera, and another to the south. The thick deposit at Samosir is thought to have ponded in the southern caldera. Coarse sediments then accumulated over Samosir and northern Uluan and were capped by lacustrine deposits. A renewed episode of resurgence then uplifted Samosir Island and possibly the northern part of Uluan. At approximately 0.075 Ma the last and apparently largest ignimbrite eruption occurred from calderas in the north and south parts of the Toba depression. This ignimbrite is mostly nonwelded and normally magnetized. Part of the Uluan dome was destroyed by collapse of the Sibandung caldera and Latung graben and concomitant with renewed subsidence of the Haranggaol and Porsea calderas.