Estimation of the heat stored by the magma chamber of El’brus Volcano in the host rocks and how it can be extracted

The results of geological and geophysical studies are analyzed to throw light on the presence of an unsolidified magma chamber beneath El’brus Volcano in the Caucasus, as well as its depth and approximate dimensions. We provide an upper and a lower bound on the estimates of the heat stored by the chamber in the host rocks, which were heated by the volcano’s magma chamber from its origination until now, incorporating the variation in the dimensions of the magma chamber during its evolution and the heat storage in it. We examine the geological and geophysical conditions that favor the use of thermal energy in the hot rocks that surround the magma chamber of El’brus Volcano.     

On the heat and mass transfer from an ascending magma

The maximum heat transfer possible from a sphere of magma ascending through a viscous lithosphere is estimated using a Nusselt number formulation. An upper bound is found for the Nusselt number by using the characteristics of a potential flow which, it is argued, is similar in the limit to a non-isothermal Stokes-flow in which the fluid (wall rock) viscosity is sensitive to temperature. A set of cooling curves are calculated for a magma ascending at a constant velocity beneath an island arc. If the magma is to arrive at the surface without solidifying its ascent velocity must be greater than about 5.8 × 10^?3 cm s^?1, for a magma radius of 1 km, and greater than about 2.7 × 10^?5 cm s^?1, for a magma radius of 6 km. If the magma begins its ascent crystal free it will generally become superheated over most of its ascent. Using essentially the same formulation as for heat transfer the mass transfer to or from a spherical body of magma ascending at these velocities is given approximately by ΔC ? ΔW/10, where ΔC is the change in weight percent of a component in the magma during ascent and ΔW is the compositional contrast of that component between the magma and its wall rock.     

A heat pipe model for vertical, magma-filled conduits

A 5-m radius magma-filled conduit will solidify in much less than one year if heat losses to the conduit wall are not offset by some form of forced or free convection of magma from some source body through the conduit. If the forced convection of magma from a source through the conduit is either too weak or is prevented by closure of the conduit at the end nearest the surface, only free convective circulations between the source chamber and conduit are available to balance the wall heat loss. Using an integral approach, the efficiency of free convection is investigated for conduits emplaced in both conductive and hydrothermally convective host rock environments. The results of the model strongly suggest that free circulations within conduits of large aspect ratio provide an efficient mechanism for offsetting heat losses to the conduit wall. The model provides a possible explanation for the occurrence of periodic eruptions from a conduit when the periodicity greatly exceeds the time scale for the cooling of a quiescent conduit by heat loss through the wall.     

Some thermal problems associated with magma migration

The mechanisms by which magma migrates from the point in the earth's interior where melting occurs to the earth's surface are poorly understood. In this paper several aspects of this problem are examined. Magma can migrate upward due to its differential buoyancy on the scale of crystalline grains or as large dispairs. Magma transport is an effective means of heat transport. Magma transport at a rate of 0.15 cm/yr is equivalent to a heat flow of 10^-6 cal/cm² s. If magma encounters country rock witha lower melting point the original magma is likely to solidify while melting the country rock. This would be an effective mechanism of purging silicic rocks and incomparable elements from the lower crust. Under some circumstances magma must penetrate up to 100 km or more of cold lithospheric rock. In order for this magma to reach the surface without solidification a heated path must be provided. The heating of this path requires the solidification of some magma. It is estimated that magma penetrates the lithosphere in about 5000 years and that the crack is lined by several hundred meters of frozen basalt.     

Eruptive versus non-eruptive behaviour of large calderas: the example of Campi Flegrei caldera (southern Italy)

Caldera eruptions are among the most hazardous of natural phenomena. Many calderas around the world are active and are characterised by recurrent uplift and subsidence periods due to the dynamics of their magma reservoirs. These periods of unrest are, in some cases, accompanied by eruptions. At Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc), which is an area characterised by very high volcanic risk, the recurrence of this behaviour has stimulated the study of the rock rheology around the magma chamber, in order to estimate the likelihood of an eruption. This study considers different scenarios of shallow crustal behaviour, taking into account the earlier models of CFc ground deformation and caldera eruptions, and including recent geophysical investigations of the area. A semi-quantitative evaluation of the different factors that lead to magma storage or to its eruption (such as magma chamber size, wall-rock viscosity, temperature, and regional tectonic strain rate) is reported here for elastic and viscoelastic conditions. Considering the large magmatic sources of the CFc ignimbrite eruptions (400–2,000 km³) and a wall-rock viscosity between 10¹⁸ and 10²⁰ Pa s, the conditions for eruptive failure are difficult to attain. Smaller source dimensions (a few cubic kilometres) promote the condition for fracture (eruption) rather than for the flow of wall rock. We also analyse the influence of the regional extensional stress regime on magma storage and eruptions, and the thermal stress as a possible source of caldera uplift. The present study also emphasises the difficulty of distinguishing eruption and non-eruption scenarios at CFc, since an unambiguous model that accounts for the rock rheology, magma-source dimensions and locations and regional stress field influences is still lacking.     

Steady-state operation of Stromboli volcano,Italy: constraints on the feeding system

Stromboli volcano has been in continuous eruption for several thousand years without major changes in the geometry and feeding system. The thermal structure of its upper part is therefore expected to be close to steady state. In order to mantaim explosive activity, magma must release both gas and heat. It is shown that the thermal and gas budgets of the volcano lead to consistent conclusions. The thermal budget of the volcano is studied by means of a finite-element numerical model under the assumption of conduction heat transfer. It is found that the heat loss through the walls of an eruption conduit is weakly sensitive to the dimensions of underlying magma reservoirs and depends mostly on the radius and length of the conduit. In steady state, this heat loss must be balanced by the cooling of magma which flows through the system. For the magma flux of about 1 kg s^-1 corresponding to normal Strombolian activity, this requires that the conduits are a few meters wide and not deeper than a few hundred meters. This implies the existence of a magma chamber at shallow depth within the volcanic edifice. This conclusion is shown to be consistent with considerations on the thermal effects of degassing. In a Strombolian explosion, the mass ratio of gas to lava is very large, commonly exceeding two, which implies that the thermal evolution of the erupting mixture is dominated by that of the gas phase. The large energy loss due to decompression of the gas phase leads to decreased eruption temperatures. The fact that lava is molten upon eruption implies that the mixture does not rise from more than about 200 m depth. To sustain the magmatic and volcanic activity of Stromboli, a mass flux of magma of a few hundred kilograms per second must be supplied to the upper parts of the edifice. This represents either the rate of magma production from the mantle source feeding the volcano or the rate of magma overturn in the interior of a large chamber.     

Modeling of heat and mass transfer in the hydrothermal system of the Akademii Nauk caldera

Supposing a leading role of free heat convection in the hydrothermal system above the magma chamber, a model of the hydrothermal system of the Akademii Nauk caldera in Kamchatka is suggested. The model is based on available geological, hydrogeological and geothermal data for the area. Three possible variants of the model are discussed. Based on temperature distribution data, the variant best corresponding to the natural conditions has been chosen. The period of hydrothermal system stabilization for all the variants is close to 7000–8000 years.     

The role of magma chamber-fault interaction in caldera forming eruptions

This paper examines the role of the position and orientation of a regional fault in the roof of a magma chamber on stress distribution, mechanical failure, and dyking using 2D finite element numerical simulations. The study pertains to the magma chamber behavior in the relatively short time intervals of several hundreds to thousand of years. The magma chamber is represented as an elliptical inclusion (eccentricity, a/b = 0.12) at a relative depth, H/a, of 0.9. The fault has a 45° dip and is represented by a frictionless fracture. The temperature field in the host rock is calculated assuming a quasisteady-state thermal regime that develops through periodic episodes of magma supply. The rheology of the surrounding rocks is treated using viscoelasticity with temperature activated strain-rate dependent viscosity. Strain weakening of the rocks in the ductile zone is described within the frame of the Dynamic Power Law model . The magma pressure is coupled with the deformation of the rock mass hosting the chamber, including the fault. The variation of magma pressure in response to magma supply and chamber deformation is calculated in the elastic and viscoelastic regimes. The latter corresponds to slow filling, while the former represents a filling time much less than the viscous relaxation time scale. The resulting “equation of state” for the magma chamber couples the magma pressure with the chamber volume in the elastic regime, and with the filling rate for the viscoelastic regime. Analysis of stresses is used to predict dyke propagation conditions, and the mechanical failure of the chamber roof for different fault positions and magma overpressures. Results show that an outward dipping fault located on the periphery of the chamber roof hinders the propagation of dykes to the surface, causing magma to accumulate under the footwall of the fault. At high to moderate overpressures (30–40 MPa), the fault causes localized shear failure and chamber roof collapse that might lead to the first stage of a caldera-forming eruption.     

Incipient magma chamber formation as a result of repetitive intrusions

An analytical solution for periodic magma intrusions in conduits was developed to study the onset of shallow magma chamber formation. The solution is based on determining when a repetitive series of intrusions can cause the wall rock of a conduit to reach its melt temperature. The results show that magma chamber formation in conduits is a strong function of the volume rate of intrusion and that magma chamber formation is likely when the intrusion rate exceeds 10^?3 km³/ yr. which agrees with observations by other investigators. Once this critical value of intrusion rate is reached, magma chambers are likely to begin forming after only a few intrusive pulses (less than ten). Results for both cylindrical conduits and dikes show cylindrical conduits are more favourable for the formation of shallow magma chambers.     

A nonstationary model of the thermal regime of axial zones of mid-ocean ridges: Formation of crustal and mantle magma chambers

A nonstationary model of spreading with periodic intrusions of a molten material into an axial zone of a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) is applied to numerical analysis of the thermal state in MOR axial zones and the formation of crustal and mantle magma chambers in them. The model satisfactorily explains the positions, dimensions, and shapes of magma chambers, as well as variations in these parameters depending on the spreading rate, temperature, and composition of crustal and mantle rocks. The release and absorption of the latent heat of rock melting, hydrothermal heating of the crust, and variations in the solidus and liquidus temperatures of crustal and mantle rocks as a function of their composition are factors controlling the shape and position of crustal magma chambers.     

Studying the Deep Structure of Elbrus Volcano by Microseismic Sounding

This paper presents results from a study of the deep structure of the Elbrus edifice and adjacent areas using geophysical techniques. We confirmed the existence of a shallow magma chamber, derived a more accurate location of the chamber in the host rocks and its characteristic dimensions, and compared new results with known studies. More accurate estimates have been obtained for the temperature at the top of the magma chamber and new evidence is adduced concerning the deep structure of the fluid magmatic systems in the Elbrus volcanic area.     

The extraction of heat from magmas based on heat transfer mechanisms

Analytical heat transfer calculations are used to relate geological surface evidence to conditions that should exist in magma chambers for the purpose of improving estimates of possible commercial heat extraction rates. These calculations indicate that an upward-melting magma system necessarily is approximately equidimensional and that injected magmas with very high aspect (L/D) ratios are likely formed by a forced intrusion process which involves little if any melting or natural convection. Calculations along with surface heat flow measurements suggest that steady-state heat extraction rates for emplaced heat exchangers in currently suspected shallow magma chambers will probably be below 10 kW m⁻², a value that is low by engineering standards.     

Modelling of surface ground deformations in the Phlegraean Fields volcanic area,Italy

A preliminary finite elements model of the ground deformations observed at Phlegraean Fields is proposed. The model assumes an oblate-spheroid magma chamber at the depth of 5.4 km with major semiaxis of 1.5 km and minor semiaxis of 0.75 km. The dimensions of the magma chamber have been evaluated by using a thermal model based on the assumptions that a progressively cooling huge magmatic body is responsible for the volcanic activity at Phlegraean Fields in the last 35,000 years. Surface deformations caused by an over-pressure of 30 MPa in the magma chamber have been calculated. Constant, and temperature-dependent elastic parameters of the surrounding medium have been considered. Vertical displacements of the order of those presently observed at Phlegraean Fields can be obtained only with temperature-dependent elastic properties of the medium.     

Heat diffusion and size reduction of a spherical magma chamber

An analytical solution is derived for the size reduction of a spherical magma chamber cooling by conduction. The use of moving boundary conditions and the constraint of a spherical symmetry allow one to ignore the details of the heat redistribution processes which take place within the magma chamber. The dependence of the solution on the initial conditions is investigated. A simple solution is found for short time, which is shown to be valid for times long enough to make it useful in the volcanological context. Moreover, the general solution confirms that the hydrothermal contribution to heat transfer in Phlegraean Fields cannot be extremely important.     

Caldera resurgence during magma replenishment and rejuvenation at Valles and Lake City calderas

A key question in volcanology is the driving mechanisms of resurgence at active, recently active, and ancient calderas. Valles caldera in New Mexico and Lake City caldera in Colorado are well-studied resurgent structures which provide three crucial clues for understanding the resurgence process. (1) Within the limits of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating techniques, resurgence and hydrothermal alteration at both calderas occurred very quickly after the caldera-forming eruptions (tens of thousands of years or less). (2) Immediately before and during resurgence, dacite magma was intruded and/or erupted into each system; this magma is chemically distinct from rhyolite magma which was resident in each system. (3) At least 1?km of structural uplift occurred along regional and subsidence faults which were closely associated with shallow intrusions or lava domes of dacite magma. These observations demonstrate that resurgence at these two volcanoes is temporally linked to caldera subsidence, with the upward migration of dacite magma as the driver of resurgence. Recharge of dacite magma occurs as a response to loss of lithostatic load during the caldera-forming eruption. Flow of dacite into the shallow magmatic system is facilitated by regional fault systems which provide pathways for magma ascent. Once the dacite enters the system, it is able to heat, remobilize, and mingle with residual crystal-rich rhyolite remaining in the shallow magma chamber. Dacite and remobilized rhyolite rise buoyantly to form laccoliths by lifting the chamber roof and producing surface resurgent uplift. The resurgent deformation caused by magma ascent fractures the chamber roof, increasing its structural permeability and allowing both rhyolite and dacite magmas to intrude and/or erupt together. This sequence of events also promotes the development of magmatic–hydrothermal systems and ore deposits. Injection of dacite magma into the shallow rhyolite magma chamber provides a source of heat and magmatic volatiles, while resurgent deformation and fracturing increase the permeability of the system. These changes allow magmatic volatiles to rise and meteoric fluids to percolate downward, favouring the development of hydrothermal convection cells which are driven by hot magma. The end result is a vigorous hydrothermal system which is driven by magma recharge.     

S-wave shadows in the Krafla Caldera in NE-Iceland,evidence for a magma chamber in the crust

During the present tectonic activity in the volcanic rift zone in NE-Iceland it has become apparent that the attenuation of seismic waves is highly variable in the central region of the Krafla volcano. Earthquakes associated with the inflation of the volcano have been used to delineate two regions of high attenuation of S-waves within the caldera. These areas are located near the center of inflation have horizontal dimensions of 1–2 km and are interpreted as the expression of a magma chamber. The top of the chamber is constrained by hypocentral locations and ray paths to be at about 3 km depth. Small pockets of magma may exist at shallower levels. The bottom of the chamber is not well constrained, but appears to be above 7 km depth. Generally S-waves propagate without any anomalous aftenuation through laver 3 (v_p=0.5 km sec^?1) across the volcanic rift zone in NE-Iceland. The rift zone therefore does not appear to be underlain by an estensive magma chamber at crustal levels. The Krafla magma chamber is a localized feature of the Krafla central volcano.     

Role of precursory less-viscous mixed magma in the eruption of phenocryst-rich magma: evidence from the Hokkaido-Komagatake 1929 eruption

During the 1929 activity of Hokkaido-Komagatake volcano, the Plinian eruption of a phenocryst-rich andesite was preceded by a small eruption of more mafic magma formed by magma mixing. A similar eruption sequence has been reported for some other eruptions (Pallister et al. 1996; Venezky and Rutherford 1997), suggesting that eruption of a mixed magma is a precursor of phenocryst-rich magmas. For the purpose of understanding the tapping processes of the phenocryst-rich magma chamber, we investigated the temporal variation in the erupted magma and estimated the viscosity and density of the end-member and mixed magmas with constraints drawn from petrography. For the precursory mixed magma we estimate 33dž vol.% phenocrysts, andesitic-dacitic melt composition, 3 wt.% H₂O content, and temperature of 1040°C. In comparison, for the climactic, silicic end-member magma we estimate 48Dž vol.% phenocryst, high-silica rhyolitic melt, 3 wt.% H₂O, and temperature of 950°C, respectively. The mafic end-member magma, which was not erupted, is thought to be an almost aphyric basaltic-andesitic magma, based on mass balance calculation of the phenocryst content. The proportion of the mafic end-member magma component in the mixed magma was calculated to be 20-40 wt.%. On the basis of these data, we estimate magma viscosities of 10^3.9, 10^6.9, and 10^2.0 Pa s for the mixed, silicic end-member, and mafic end-member magmas, respectively. The calculated density differences among these magmas are inconsequential when possible errors are considered. We calculate the minimum excess pressure required for dike propagation to be 31 MPa for the silicic end-member magma and 8 MPa for the mixed magma, using the estimated viscosity and dike propagation model of Rubin (1995). If we assume that excess pressure is limited by the wall rock strength of the magma chamber, excess pressure retainable in the magma chamber is less than ca. 20 MPa. This suggests that the mixed magma was able to ascend to the surface without freezing, whereas the viscous silicic end-member magma could not. The formation and precursory eruption of the mixed magma are, therefore, effective and necessary initiation processes for the phenocryst-rich, viscous magma eruption.     

The abundance of rock types on tenerife,canary islands,and its petrogenetic significance

Although the frequency distribution of rock types on Tenerife shows an excess of salic over intermediate products, caution should be applied in interpreting this simply in terms of fractional crystallisation in the descent basalt-trachyte-phonolite. Field relations indicate that the volumetric relations are more meaningfully interpreted in terms of the substructure of the volcano, and the effect this has on the composition of the magma on eruption. The availability of magma for eruption should also be considered, as well as eruptions that may only sample part of a magma chamber. The length of time over which the sub-aerial volcano has grown is also an important factor.     

Isotopic constraints on open system evolution of the Laacher See magma chamber (Eifel,West Germany)

The Laacher See phonolite tephra sequence (11,000 years B.P.) of the Quaternary East Eifel volcanic field (West Germany) represents an inverted, chemically zoned magma column. Mafic and differentiated phonolites, respectively, represent the lowermost and uppermost erupted portion of the Laacher See magma chamber. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of whole rocks, matrices and phenocrysts have been analyzed in order to provide constraints for open versus closed system evolution of the Laacher See magma chamber. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios of mafic phonolites and their phenocrysts are slightly more radiogenic than parental East Eifel basanite magmas. Bulk rock samples show a drastic increase in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from mafic towards the most differentiated compositions that were erupted from the top of the magma chamber. Glass matrix separates show a parallel, but less pronounced, increase in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Phenocrysts, in contrast, show a narrow range in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr with a slight, but significant, increase towards the top of the magma chamber. Phenocrysts from the uppermost portion of the magma column were not in isotopic (or chemical) equilibrium with their host matrices.¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotope ratios for whole rocks, matrices, and phenocrysts fall within a restricted range similar to that of East Eifel mafic magmas. A representative suite of crustal rocks (lower crustal granulites, quartzo-feldspathic gneisses, mica schists, Devonian slates and graywacke) was also analyzed in order to permit an evaluation of possible assimilation models.Our results are consistent with chemical evolution of the zoned Laacher See magma chamber mainly through crystal fractionation accompanied by minor amounts of assimilation. Slight contamination of the magma system may have involved (a) the assimilation of gneisses (?) and mica schists during the initial stage of magma chamber evolution (basanite-mafic phonolite), (b) combined assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) concurrent with the second differentiation stage (mafic phonolite-zoned phonolite), and (c) post-crystallization assimilation of the most fractionated volatile-rich melts of the top magma layers during a late, liquid-state (?) differentiation stage. The latter possibly involved fluid transport and/or exchange with the surrounding (partially molten) country rocks. Open system evolution of the Laacher See magma chamber is further indicated by magma mixing, as confirmed by our isotope data, leakage of volatiles from the cupola and metasomatism of wall rocks.     

The nature and significance of magma chamber margins in ophiolites: examples from the Norwegian Caledonides

Large-scale intrusive contacts with associated marginal series have been encountered within Norwegian ophiolite complexes at Karmøy, Solund and Leka. The contacts limit individual magma chambers and are found at different structural levels of the plutonic suites. Examples of magma chamber margins adjacent to interlayered ultramafic and gabbroic rocks, modally-layered gabbros, high-level gabbros and sheeted dykes, are described. The nature of the intrusive boundaries and the presence of partially resorbed xenoliths in the vicinity of the intrusive margins suggest that stoping and assimilation have been important mechanisms during the development of the magma chambers.Characteristic marginal series are developed along the intrusive boundaries. The thicknesses and appearance of these series vary with depth in the complexes. Whereas the marginal series are well developed within the uppermost levels of the plutonic complexes (exhibiting rock types such as microgabbro, massive gabbro and magnetite gabbro), the marginal series observed at lower levels are thinner and also devoid of chilled facies rocks and magnetite gabbros.The marginal series may be subdivided into border and roof series. The latter are characterized by an intimate relationship with sheeted dykes, which comprise dyke swarms formed both prior to, during, and subsequent to crystallization of the roof series. Based on these relationships the dykes can be subdivided into rooted and rootless dykes.A multiple magma chamber model, with magma chambers migrating from a low to a high level within the oceanic crust, is proposed on the basis of the observed features.