Evidence of submarine hydrothermal discharge to the northwest of Guadeloupe Island (Lesser Antilles island arc)

During the Soviet-French survey carried out on board of the R.V. Akademik N. Strakhov, between Guadeloupe and Montserrat island in the central Lesser Antilles, evidence of submarine hydrothermal activity was discovered on the southeastern tip of the Shoe-Rock escarpment. The latter is part of a large, 130 km long, transverse structure, the Montserrat-Marie Galante fault, which crosses the Guadeloupe archipelago. Another locus of activity, probably of subdued importance nowadays, is represented by the d'Entrecasteaux dome, a small faulted seamount, located about 25 km to the SW of the former area.The evidence for hydrothermal activity is: (a) a wide range of values of conductive heat flow (q=6–11 mW/m²) and regular vertical variation at some sites with extreme values located close to the two above-mentioned features (average regional value, q = 105 mW/m², s.d. = 32); (b) occurrence of secondary mineralizations (todorokite, nontronite, etc.) replacing locally the primary matrix of basal upper Pliocene deposits; (c) geochemical anomalies in seawater near the sea bottom, showing enrichment in mantle-derived ³He (δ³He up to 10.2%), correlated with a sharp Zn anomaly (content up to 523 ppb).Further investigations along the submerged segments of the Montserrat-Marie Galante fault should probably lead to other discoveries of hydrothermal venting and/or mineralizations.     

Sector collapse,sedimentation and clast population evolution at an active island-arc volcano: Stromboli,Italy

Sciara del Fuoco is the subaerial part of a partially filled sector-collapse scar that extends to 700 m below sea level on Stromboli volcano. The collapse occurred <5000 years ago, involved 1.81 km³ of rock and is the latest of a series of major collapses on the north-west flank of Stromboli. A north-east trending arc-axial fault system channels magmas into the volcano and has caused tilting and/or downthrow to the north-west. The slope of the partial cone constructed between the lateral walls of the collapse scar acts as a channelway to the sea for most eruptive products. From 700 m below sea level and extending to >2200 m and >10 km from the shore to the NNW, a fan-shaped mounded feature comprises debris avalanche deposits (>4 km³) from two or more sector collapses. Volcaniclastic density currents originating from Sciara del Fuoco follow the topographic margin of the debris avalanche deposits, although overbank currents and other unconfined currents widely cover the mounded feature with turbidites. Historical (recorded) eruptive activity in Sciara del Fuoco is considerably less than that which occurred earlier, and much of the partial fill may have formed from eruptions soon after the sector collapse. It is possible that a mass of eruptive products similar to that in the collapse scar is dispersed as volcanogenic sediment in deep water of the Tyrhennian basin. Evidence that the early post-collapse eruptive discharge was greater than the apparent recent flux (2kg/s) counters suggestions that a substantial part of Stromboli's growth has been endogenous. The partial fill of Sciaria del Fuoco is dominated by lava and spatter layers, rather than by the scoria and ash layers classically regarded as main constituents of Strombolian (cinder) cones. Much of the volcanic slope beneath the vents is steeper than the angle of repose of loose tephra, which is therefore rapidly transported to the sea. Delicate pyroclasts that record the magmatic explosivity are selectively destroyed and diluted during sedimentary transport, mainly in avalanches and by shoreline wave reworking, and thus the submarine deposits do not record well the extent and diversity of explosive activity and associated clast-forming processes. Considerable amounts of dense (non-vesicular) fine sand and silt grains are produced by breakage and rounding of fragments of lava and agglutinate. The submarine extension of the collapse scar, and the continuing topographic depression to >2200 m below sea level, are zones of considerable by-passing of fine sand and silt, which are transported in turbidity currents. Evidently, volcanogenic sediments dispersed around island volcanoes by density currents are unlikely to record well the true spectrum and relative importance of clast-forming processes that occurred during an eruption. Marine sedimentary evidence of magmatic explosivity is particularly susceptible to partial or complete obliteration, unless there is a high rate of discharge of pyroclastic material into the sea.     

Textures, water content and degassing of silicic andesites from recent plinian and dome-forming eruptions at Mount Pelée volcano (Martinique, Lesser Antilles arc)

Previous petrological and phase-equilibrium experimental studies on recent silicic andesites from Mount Pelée volcano have evidenced comparable pre-eruptive conditions for plinian and dome-forming (pelean herein) eruptions, implying that differences in eruptive style must be primarily controlled by differences in degassing behaviour of the Mount Pelée magmas during eruption. To further investigate the degassing conditions of plinian and pelean magmas of Mount Pelée, we study here the most recent Mount Pelée's products (P1 at 650 years B.P., 1902, and 1929 eruptions, which cover a range of plinian and pelean lithologies) for bulk-rock vesicularities, glass water contents (glass inclusions in phenocrysts and matrix glasses) and microtextures. Water contents of glass inclusions are scattered in the plinian pumices but on average compare with the experimentally-deduced pre-eruptive melt water content (i.e., 5.3–6.3 wt.%), whereas they are much lower in the dominant pelean lithologies (crystalline, poorly vesicular lithics and dome samples). This indicates that the glass inclusions of the pelean products have undergone strong leakage and do not represent pre-eruptive water contents. The water content of the pyroclast matrix glasses are thought to closely represent the residual water content in the melt at the time of fragmentation. Determination of the water contents of both the pre-eruptive melt and matrix glasses allows the estimation of the amount of water exsolved upon syn-eruptive degassing. We find the amount of water exsolved during the eruptive process to be higher in the pelean products than in the plinian ones, typically 90–100 and 65–70% of the initial water content, respectively. The vesicularities calculated from the amount of exsolved water compare with the measured vesicularities for the plinian pumices, consistent with a closed-system, near-equilibrium degassing up to fragmentation. By contrast, the low residual water contents, low groundmass vesicularities and extensive groundmass crystallization of the pelean products are direct evidence of open-system degassing. Microtextural features, including silica-bearing and silica-free voids in the pelean lithologies may represent a two-stage vesiculation.     

Mercury concentration,speciation and budget in volcanic aquifers: Italy and Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles)

Quantifying the contribution of volcanism to global mercury (Hg) emissions is important to understand the pathways and the mechanisms of Hg cycling through the Earth's geochemical reservoirs and to assess its environmental impacts. While previous studies have suggested that degassing volcanoes might contribute importantly to the atmospheric budget of mercury, little is known about the amount and behaviour of Hg in volcanic aquifers. Here we report on detailed investigations of both the content and the speciation of mercury in aquifers of active volcanoes in Italy and Guadeloupe Island (Lesser Antilles). In the studied groundwaters, total Hg (THg) concentrations range from 10 to 500 ng/l and are lower than the 1000 ng/l threshold value for human health protection fixed by the World Health Organization [WHO (1993): WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality- http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/GDWQ/index.htlm]. Positive co-variations of (THg) with sulphate indicate that Hg-SO₄-rich acid groundwaters receive a direct input of magmatic/hydrothermal gases carrying mercury as Hg⁰_(gas). Increasing THg in a volcanic aquifer could thus be a sensitive tracer of magmatic gas input prior to an eruption. Since the complex behaviour and toxicity of mercury in waters depend on its chemical speciation, we carefully determined the different aqueous forms of this element in our samples. We find that dissolved elemental Hg⁰_(aq) and particulate-bound Hg (Hg_P) widely prevail in volcanic aquifers, in proportions that highlight the efficiency of Hg adsorption onto colloidal particles. Moreover, we observe that dissolved Hg⁰_aq and Hg(II) forms coexist in comparable amount in most of the waters, in stark contrast to the results of thermodynamic equilibrium modelling. Therefore, chemical equilibrium between dissolved mercury species in volcanic waters is either prevented by natural kinetic effects or not preserved in collected waters due to sampling/storage artefacts. Finally, we provide a first quantitative comparison of the relative intensity of aqueous transport and atmospheric emissions of mercury at Mount Etna, a very active basaltic volcano.     

Modelling the impact of a hypothetical sub-Plinian eruption at La Soufrière of Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles)

This paper describes the development and application of an impact model for a future hypothetical sub-Plinian eruption of La Soufrière of Guadeloupe. The model was designed to assess the impact from either a single or multiple eruption scenarios, each defined in terms of a map of the intensity of three volcanic hazards; volcanogenic earthquake, tephra fallout and pyroclastic density currents. The impact from the three hazards can be assessed independently or alternatively the joint impact of the three hazards can be assessed. The outputs that are produced from the model are; the number of buildings with collapsed roofs, and the number of fatal and non-fatal casualties.     

Testing the suitability of frictional behaviour for pyroclastic flow simulation by comparison with a well-constrained eruption at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador)

We use a well-monitored eruption of Tungurahua volcano to test the validity of the frictional behaviour, also called Mohr–Coulomb, which is generally used in geophysical flow modelling. We show that the frictional law is not appropriate for the simulation of pyroclastic flows at Tungurahua. With this law, the longitudinal shape of the simulated flows is a thin wedge of material progressively passing, over several hundreds of metres, from an unrealistic thickness at the front (<<1 mm) to some tens of centimetres. Simulated deposits form piles which accumulate at the foot of the volcano and are more similar to sand piles than natural pyroclastic deposits. Finally, flows simulated with a frictional rheology are not channelised by the drainage system, but affect all the flanks of the volcano. In addition, their velocity can exceed 150 m s⁻¹, allowing pyroclastic flows to cross interfluves at bends in the valley, affecting areas that would not have been affected in reality and leaving clear downstream areas that would be covered in reality. Instead, a simple empirical law, a constant retarding stress (i.e. a yield strength), involving only one free parameter, appears to be much better adapted for modelling pyroclastic flows. A similar conclusion was drawn for the Socompa debris avalanche simulation (Kelfoun and Druitt, J Geophys Res 110:B12202, 2005).     

Chemical variations in assemblages including epidote and/or chlorite in the fossil hydrothermal system of Saint Martin (Lesser Antilles)

Epidote and/or chlorite are common minerals in the roots of the fossil geothermal system of Saint Martin (Lesser Antilles). They appear in four distinct assemblages: (1) epidote+actinolite+quartz±magnetite near the contact between the tuffaceous host rocks (andesitic modal composition) and the quartz-diorite intrusion of Philipsburg; (2) epidote+chlorite+quartz in host rocks as far as a lateral distance of about 3 km from the intrusion; (3) epidote+chlorite+haematite+quartz locally in iron and manganese rich host rocks; (4) chlorite±phengite±magnetite appearing as late sealing of porosity in fracture-controlled quartz veins with strongly phengitized wall rocks. All these assemblages constitute a large alteration grading from propylitic alteration to thermal metamorphism (actinolite-bearing assemblage).Detailed microprobe studies of epidotes replacing plagioclases and of chlorites replacing glass and mafic minerals reveal notable compositional variations which have been studied with respect to temperature paleogradients (estimated from fluid inclusions study), distance from the thermal source and f_o2 conditions. The mean Ps+Pm [100 × (Fe³⁺ + Mn³⁺)/(Al³⁺ + Fe³⁺ + Mn³⁺)] of epidotes vary from 21 in the presence of magnetite near the intrusion to 32 in haematite-bearing iron and/or manganese volcanic and sedimentary formations. The intra-grain chemical scattering of epidotes increases with increasing distance of the pluton and decreasing temperature of crystallization. All the chlorites coexisting with epidote are Mg-rich (X_Fe<0.50). Their main compositional variation consists in a significant enrichment in magnesium (toward the chlinochlore end member) in presence of haematite. The intra-grain chemical scattering of chlorite (expressed by the aluminium content in the structural formula) increases with increasing distance of the pluton and decreasing temperature of crystallization. Chlorites associated with phengite and magnetite in vein alteration are Fe- and Al-rich. The Mössbauer spectra indicate that the Fe³⁺ content of chlorite varies between 25 and 32% of total Fe in the presence of epidote; the higher content being attained in the presence of haematite. The Fe³⁺ content of chlorite associated with magnetite and phengite is 16% of total Fe. The compositional variations of epidote and/or chlorite of the four distinct assemblages observed at Saint Martin result from the combined effects of f_O2, temperature, and time of heating. The effect of f_O2 is particularly perceptible in the control of the epidote Ps content, of the chlorite X_Fe ratio of Fe³⁺ distribution between coexisting epidotes and chlorites. Despite the fact that it may be partially canceled out by the effect of f_O2, the variation of compositional ranges of both epidotes and chlorites, which increases toward the outer part of the geothermal system in response to the combination of decreasing temperatures and decreasing time of heating of the rocks, suggests that chemical equilibrium has not been attained in the assemblages bearing epidotes and chlorites.     

Late Pleistocene flank collapse of Zempoala volcano (Central Mexico) and the role of fault reactivation

Zempoala is an extinct Pleistocene (∼ 0.7–0.8 Ma) stratovolcano that together with La Corona volcano (∼ 0.9 Ma) forms the southern end of the Sierra de las Cruces volcanic range, Central Mexico. The volcano consists of andesitic and dacitic lava flows and domes, as well as pyroclastic and epiclastic sequences, and has had a complex history with several flank collapses. One of these collapses occurred during the late Pleistocene on the S–SE flank of the volcano and produced the Zempoala debris avalanche deposit. This collapse could have been triggered by the reactivation of two normal fault systems (E–W and NE–SW), although magmatic activity cannot be absolutely excluded. The debris avalanche traveled 60 km to the south, covers an area of 600 km² and has a total volume of 6 km³, with a calculated Heim coefficient (H/L) of 0.03. Based on the textural characteristics of the deposit we recognized three zones: proximal, axial, and lateral distal zone. The proximal zone consists of debris avalanche blocks that develop a hummocky topography; the axial zone corresponds with the main debris avalanche deposit made of large clasts set in a sandy matrix, which transformed to a debris flow in the lateral distal portion. The deposit is heterolithologic in composition, with dacitic and andesitic fragments from the old edifice that decrease in volume as bulking of exotic clasts from the substratum increase. Several cities (Cuernavaca, Jojutla de Juárez, Alpuyeca) with associated industrial, agricultural, and tourism activities have been built on the deposit, which pose in evidence the possible impact in case of a new event with such characteristics, since the area is still tectonically active.     

Contribution of ambient vibration recordings (free-field and buildings) for post-seismic analysis: The case of the Mw 7.3 Martinique (French Lesser Antilles) earthquake,November 29, 2007

Following the Mw 7.3 Martinique earthquake, November 29^th, 2007, a post-seismic survey was conducted by the Bureau Central Sismologique Français (BCSF) for macroseismic intensities assessment. In addition to the inventories, ambient vibration recordings were performed close to the particularly damaged zones in the free-field and the buildings. The objective of the paper is to show the relevancy of performing ambient vibration recordings for post-earthquake surveys. The analyses of the recordings aim at explaining the variability of the damages through site effects, structure vulnerability or resonance phenomena and to help the characterization of the post-seismic building integrity. In three sites prone to site effects, we suspect damage to be related to a concordance between soil fundamental frequency and building resonance frequency. Besides, the recordings of ambient vibrations at La Trinité hospital before and after the earthquake allow us to quantify the damage due to earthquake in terms of stiffness loss.     

Volume estimation of the 1998 flank collapse at Casita volcano,Nicaragua: a comparison of photogrammetric and conventional techniques

In October 1998 a precipitation‐triggered flank collapse occurred at Casita volcano, Nicaragua, leading to a devastating lahar. In this paper the failure volume was calculated using a range of methods. Several pre‐ and post‐failure digital elevation models (DEMs) were created, based on photogrammetric, cartometric and surveying data. The wide range in resulting volumes prompted an assessment of the accuracies and potential problems associated with each of the datasets and techniques used. The best estimate for the failure volume is 1·6 × 10⁶ m³. It is based on a vegetation‐corrected pre‐failure DEM, generated using automated digital photogrammetry, and a post‐failure surface based on a field survey carried out with a Total Station. The volume figure is approximately an order of magnitude higher than values reported in previous publications, all of which are based solely on field estimates. This demonstrates that values reported in the literature, if they are not based on rigorous quantitative analysis, must be regarded with caution. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The 1982 eruptions of El Chichon volcano,Mexico (2): Observations and numerical modelling of tephra-fall distribution

Tephra fallout from the A-1 (March 29, 0532 UT), B (April 4, 0135 UT), and C (April 4, 1122 UT) 1982 explosive eruptions of El Chichon produced three tephra fall deposits over southeastern Mexico. Bidirectional spreading of eruption plumes, as documented by satellite images, was due to a combination of tropospheric and stratospheric transport, with heaviest deposition of tephra from the ENE tropospheric lobes. Maximum column heights for the eruptions of 27, 32, and 29 km, respectively, have been determined by comparing maximum lithic-clast dispersal in the deposits with predicted lithic isopleths based on a theoretical model of pyroclast fallout from eruption columns. These column heights suggest peak mass eruption rates of 1.1 × 10⁸, 1.9 × 10⁸, and 1.3 × 10⁸ kg/s. Maximum column heights and mass eruption rates occured early in each event based on the normal size grading of the fall deposits. Sequential satellite images of plume transport and the production of a large stratospheric aerosol plume indicate that the eruption columns were sustained at stratospheric altitudes for a significant portion of their duration. New estimates of tephra fall volume based on integration of isopach area and thickness yield a total volume of 2.19 km³ (1.09 km³ DRE, dense rock equivalent) or roughly twice the amount of the deposit mapped on the ground. Up to one-half of the erupted mass was therefore deposited elsewhere as highly dispersed tephra.     

Andesitic magma degassing investigated through H2O vapour–melt partitioning of halogens at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat (Lesser Antilles)

Magma degassing at Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV) is characterised by an almost permanent SO₂ flux and a HCl production rate which mainly depends on dome growth rate. Degassing processes have been studied through textural, H₂O and halogen analyses of clasts collected between 1995 and 2006 on the dome and in pyroclastic flows and vulcanian eruption deposits. Cl, Br and I are strongly depleted in melts during H₂O degassing with no significant Cl–Br–I fractionation, whereas F is almost unaffected. All magmas erupted at SHV have followed a multi-step degassing path from the magma chamber up to a shallow depth ( 1 km, P  20 MPa). From that depth, however, effusive and explosive paths are distinct; vulcanian eruptions are the result of closed system degassing (CSD), while effusive dome growth is the result of CSD up to a very shallow depth (≤ 200 m, P  5–2 MPa) followed by open system degassing (OSD). CSD is modelled using the H₂O solubility law, the perfect gas law and partition coefficients of halogens between a rhyolitic melt and H₂O vapour (d_v − lⁱ). Gas loss characteristic of OSD is modelled using a Rayleigh law. Degassing induced crystallisation is introduced through the ratio of crystallisation and degassing rates, which ranges from 150–500. d_v − l^Cl for OSD ranges between 50–300, increasing with melt Cl content. For CSD, the lower effective d_v − l^Cl ( 20) is attributed to kinetic effects.

Dome forming activity has a greater impact on atmospheric chemistry than vulcanian eruptions because OSD is much more efficient at extracting halogens. The model shows that HCl flux is a good proxy for the dome forming eruption rate. Comparison between model and measured gas compositions suggests a high HBr–BrO conversion rate (BrO/Total Br  1/3) in the SHV gas plume.

The degassing behaviour of Cl, Br and I implies similar Cl/Br ( 160) and Br/I ( 90) in initial melts, volcanic clasts and high temperature gases. The low Cl/Br at SHV compared to other island arcs ( 250–300) is attributed to a shallow, pre-eruptive Br enrichment. The almost permanent dome extrusion at SHV since 1995 has likely had a significant regional atmospheric impact because of the very efficient effusive degassing and the high conversion rate of halogens into reactive species within the gas plume.     

Fumarolic gases at Mombacho volcano (Nicaragua): presence of magmatic gas species and implications for volcanic surveillance

Mombacho is a deeply dissected volcano belonging to the Quaternary volcanic chain of Nicaragua. The southern, historic collapse crater (El Crater) currently hosts a fumarolic field with a maximum temperature of 121°C. Chemical and isotopic data from five gas-sampling field campaigns carried out in 2002, 2003 and 2005 highlight the presence of high-temperature gas components (e.g. SO₂, HCl and HF), which indicate a significant contribution of juvenile magmatic fluids to the hydrothermal system feeding the gas discharges. This is strongly supported by the mantle-derived helium and carbon isotopic signatures, although the latter is partly masked by either a sedimentary subduction-related or a shallow carbonate component. The observed chemical and isotopic composition of the Mombacho fluids seems to indicate that this volcanic system, although it has not experienced eruptive events during the last centuries, can be considered active and possibly dangerous, in agreement with the geophysical data recorded in the region. Systematic geochemical monitoring of the fumarolic gas discharges, coupled with a seismic and ground deformation network, is highly recommended in order to monitor a possible new eruptive phase.     

Classification of seismic signals at Villarrica volcano (Chile) using neural networks and genetic algorithms

Each volcano has its own unique seismic activity. The aim of this work is to construct a system able to classify seismic signals for the Villarrica volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in South America. Since seismic signals are the result of particular processes inside the volcano's structure, they can be used to forecast volcanic activity. This paper describes the different kinds of seismic signals recorded at the Villarrica volcano and their significance. Three kind of signals were considered as most representative of this volcano's activity: the long-period, the tremor, and the energetic tremor signals. A classifier is implemented to read the seismic registers at 30-second intervals, extract the most relevant features of each interval, and classify them into one of the three kinds of signals considered as most representative of this particular volcano. To do so, 1033 different kinds of 30-s signals were extracted and classified by a human expert. A feature extraction process was applied to obtain the main characteristics of each of them. This process was developed using criteria which have been shown by others to effectively classify seismic signals, based on the experience of a human expert. The classifier was implemented with a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network whose architecture and training process were optimized by means of a genetic algorithm. This technique searched for the most adequate MLP configuration to improve the classification performance, optimizing the number of hidden neurons, the transfer functions of the neurons, and the training algorithm. The optimization process also performed a feature selection to reduce the number of signal features, optimizing the number of network inputs. The results show that the optimized classifier reaches more than 93% exactitude. identifying the signals of each kind. The amplitude of the signals is the most important feature for its classification, followed by its frequency content. The described methodology can be used to classify more seismic signals to improve the study of the activity of this volcano or to extend the study to other active volcanoes of the region.     

Late Holocene phases of dome growth and Plinian activity at Guagua Pichincha volcano (Ecuador)

Since the eruption which affected Quito in AD 1660, Guagua Pichincha has been considered a hazardous volcano. Based on field studies and twenty ¹⁴C dates, this paper discusses the eruptive activity of this volcano, especially that of the last 2000 years. Three major Plinian eruptions with substantial pumice discharge occurred in the 1st century, the 10th century, and in AD 1660. The ages of organic paleosols and charcoal from block-and-ash flow and fallout deposits indicate that these eruptions occurred near the end of 100 to 200 year-long cycles of discontinuous activity which was comprised of dome growth episodes and minor pumice fallouts. The first cycle took place from ~ AD 1 to 140. The second one developed during the 9th and 10th centuries, lasted 150–180 yr, and included the largest Plinian event, with a VEI of 5. The third, historic cycle, about 200 yr in duration, includes pyroclastic episodes around AD 1450 and AD 1500, explosive activity between AD 1566 and AD 1582, possible precursors of the 1660 eruption in the early decades of the 17th century, and finally the 1660 eruption (VEI 4). A fourth event probably occurred around AD 500, but its authenticity requires confirmation. The Plinian events occurred at the end of these cycles which were separated by repose periods of at least 300 yr. Older volcanic activity of similar type occurred between ~ 4000 and ~ 3000 yr BP.     

Detection and identification of seismic signals recorded at Krakatau volcano (Indonesia) using artificial neural networks

The Anak Krakatau volcano (Indonesia) has been monitored by a multi-parametric system since 2005. A variety of signal types can be observed in the records of the seismic stations installed on the island volcano. These include volcano-induced signals such as LP, VT, and tremor-type events as well as signals not originating from the volcano such as regional tectonic earthquakes and transient noise signals. The work presented here aims at the realization of a system that automatically detects and identifies the signals in order to estimate and monitor current activity states of the volcano. An artificial neural network approach was chosen for the identification task. A set of parameters was defined, describing waveform and spectrogram properties of events detected by an amplitude-ratio-based (STA/LTA) algorithm. The parameters are fed into a neural network which is, after a training phase, able to generalize input data and identify corresponding event types. The success of the identification depends on the network architecture and training strategy. Several tests have been performed in order to determine appropriate network layout and training for the given problem. The performance of the final system is found to be well suited to get an overview of the seismic activity recorded at the volcano. The reliability of the network classifier, as well as general drawbacks of the methods used, are discussed.     

Time variability of low-temperature fumaroles at Stromboli island (Italy) and its application to volcano monitoring

The constant and mild activity of Stromboli volcano (Italy) is occasionally interrupted by effusive events and/or more energetic explosions, referred to as major explosions and paroxysms, which are potentially dangerous for the human community. Although several premonitory signals for effusive phases have been identified, precursors of major explosions and paroxysms still remain poorly understood. With the aim of contributing to the identification of possible precursors of energetic events, this work discusses soil temperature data acquired in low-temperature fumaroles at Stromboli in the period 2006–2010. Data analysis revealed that short-term anomalies recorded in the thermal signal are potentially useful in predicting state changes of the volcano. In particular, sudden changes in fumarole temperatures and their hourly gradients were observed from several days to a few hours prior to fracturing and paroxysmal events, heralded by peculiar waveforms of the recorded signals. The qualitative interpretation is supported by a quantitative, theoretical treatment that uses circuit theory to explain the time dependence of the short-period temperature variations, showing a good agreement between theoretical and observational data.     

Origin, characteristics, and behaviour of lahars following the 1990 eruption of Kelud volcano, eastern Java (Indonesia)

 In contrast to most twentieth-century eruptions of Kelud volcano (eastern Java), the 10 February 1990 plinian eruption was not accompanied by lake-outburst lahars. However, at least 33 post-eruption lahars occurred between 15 February and 28 March 1990. They swept down 11 drainage systems and travelled as far as 24 km at an estimated mean peak velocity in the range of 4–11 m s^–1. The deposits (volume ≥30 000 000 m³) were approximately 7 m thick 2 km from vent, and 3 m thick 10 km from vent, on the volcaniclastic apron surrounding the volcano. Subtle but significant sedimentological differences in the deposits relate to four flow types: (a) Early, massive deposits are coarse, poorly sorted, slightly cohesive, and commonly inversely graded. They are inferred to record hot lahars that incorporated pumice and scoria from pyroclastic-flow deposits, probably by rapid remobilization of hot proximal pyroclastic flow deposits by rainfall runoff. Sedimentary features, such as clasts subparallel to bedding and thick, reversely to ungraded beds, suggest that these flows were laminar. (b) Abundant, very poorly sorted deposits include non-cohesive, clast-supported, inversely graded beds and ungraded, finer-grained, and cohesive matrix-supported beds. These beds display layering and vertical segregation/density stratification, suggesting unsteady properties of pulsing debris flows. They are interpreted as deposited from segments of flow waves at a middle distance downstream that incorporated pre-eruption sediments. Sedimentological evidence suggests unsteady flow properties during progressive aggradation. (c) Fine-grained, poorly sorted and ungraded deposits are interpreted as recording late hyperconcentrated streamflows that formed in the waning stage of an overflow and transformed downcurrent into streamflows. (d) Ungraded, crudely stratified deposits were emplaced by flows transitional between hyperconcentrated flows and streamflows that traveled farther downvalley (as far as 27 km from the vent). At Kelud, the transformation of flow and behavior occurs within only 10 km of the source, at the apex of the alluvial fans. The rapid change of flow behavior is attributed to the low fines content and to the unsteady flow regime, which may be due to: (a) the rapid deposition of bedload, owing to the break in channel gradient close to the vent and to changes in channel cross-section and roughness; and (b) the very low silt+clay content in the non-cohesive deposits. These deposits mix with water to produce streamflows. Received: 27 June 1997 / Accepted: 5 January 1998