Dynamics of explosive volcanism at Unzen volcano: an experimental contribution

Knowledge of the dynamics of magma fragmentation is necessary for a better understanding of the explosive behaviour of silicic volcanoes. Here we have measured the fragmentation speed and the fragmentation threshold of five dacitic samples (6.7–53.5 vol% open porosity) from Unzen volcano, Kyushu, Japan. The measurements were carried out using a shock-tube-based fragmentation apparatus modified after Alidibirov and Dingwell (1996a,b). The results of the experimental work confirm the dominant influence of porosity on fragmentation dynamics. The velocity of the fragmentation front increases and the value of the fragmentation threshold decreases with increasing porosity. Further, we observe that the fragmentation speed is strongly influenced by the initial pressure difference and the texture of the dacite. At an initial pressure difference of 30 MPa, the fragmentation speed varies from 34 m/s for the least porous sample to 100 m/s for the most porous sample. These results are evaluated by applying them to the 1990–1995 eruptive activity of Unzen volcano. Emplacements of layered lava dome lobes, Merapi-type pyroclastic flows and minor explosive events dominated this eruption. The influence of the fragmentation dynamics on dome collapse and Vulcanian events is discussed.     

Experimental constraints on degassing and permeability in volcanic conduit flow

This study assesses the effect of decompression rate on two processes that directly influence the behavior of volcanic eruptions: degassing and permeability in magmas. We studied the degassing of magma with experiments on hydrated natural rhyolitic glass at high pressure and temperature. From the data collected, we defined and characterized one degassing regime in equilibrium and two regimes in disequilibrium. Equilibrium bubble growth occurs when the decompression rate is slower than 0.1 MPa s^–1, while higher rates cause porosity to deviate rapidly from equilibrium, defining the first disequilibrium regime of degassing. If the deviation is large enough, a critical threshold of super-saturation is reached and bubble growth accelerates, defining the second disequilibrium regime. We studied permeability and bubble coalescence in magma with experiments using the same rhyolitic melt in open degassing conditions. Under these open conditions, we observed that bubbles start to coalesce at ~43 vol% porosity, regardless of decompression rate. Coalescence profoundly affects bubble texture and size distributions, and induces the melt to become permeable. We determined coalescence to occur on a time scale (~180 s) independent of decompression rate. We parameterized and incorporated our experimental results into a 1D conduit flow model to explore the implications of our findings on eruptive behavior of rhyolitic melts with low crystal contents stored in the upper crust. Compared to previous models that assume equilibrium degassing of the melt during ascent, the introduction of disequilibrium degassing reduces the deviation from lithostatic pressure by ~25%, the acceleration at high porosities (>50 vol%) by a factor 5, and the associated decompression rate by an order of magnitude. The integration of the time scale of coalescence to the model shows that the transition between explosive and effusive eruptive regimes is sensitive to small variations of the initial magma ascent speed, and that flow conditions near fragmentation may significantly be affected by bubble coalescence and gas escape.Editorial responsibility: D. Dingwell     

Laboratory measurement of compaction-induced permeability change in porous rocks: Implications for the generation and maintenance of pore pressure excess in the crust

Permeability exerts significant control over the development of pore pressure excess in the crust, and it is a physical quantity sensitively dependent on the pore structure and stress state. In many applications, the relation between permeability and effective mean stress is assumed to be exponential and that between permeability and porosity is assumed to be a power law, so that the pressure sensitivity of permeability is characterized by the coefficient and the porosity sensitivity by the exponent . In this study, we investigate experimentally the dependence of permeability on pressure and porosity in five sandstones with porosities ranging from 14% to 35% and we review published experimental data on intact rocks, unconsolidated materials and rock fractures. The laboratory data show that the pressure and porosity sensitivities differ significantly for different compaction mechanisms, but for a given compaction mechanism, the data can often be approximated by the empirical relations. The permeabilities of tight rocks and rock joints show relatively high pressure sensitivity and low porosity sensitivity. A wide range of values for and have been observed in relation to the mechanical compaction of porous rocks, sand and fault gouge, whereas the porosity sensitivity for chemical compaction processes is often observed to be given by 3. We show that since the ratio / corresponds to the pore compressibility, the different dependences of permeability on porosity and pressure are related to the pore structure and its compressibility. Guided by the laboratory data, we conduct numerical simulations on the development of pore pressure in crustal tectonic settings according to the models ofWalder andNur (1984) andRice (1992). Laboratory data suggest that the pressure sensitivity of fault gouge is relatively low, and to maintain pore pressure at close to the lithostatic value in the Rice model, a relatively high influx of fluid from below the seismogenic layer is necessary. The fluid may be injected as vertically propagating pressure pulses into the seismogenic system, andRice's (1992) critical condition for the existence of solitary wave is shown to be equivalent to >1, which is satisfied by most geologic materials in the laboratory. Laboratory data suggest that the porosity sensitivity is relatively high when the permeability is reduced by a coupled mechanical and chemical compaction process. This implies that in a crustal layer, pore pressure may be generated more efficiently than cases studied byWalder andNur (1984) who assumed a relatively low porosity sensitivity of =2.     

Fractal analysis of experimentally generated pyroclasts: A tool for volcanic hazard assessment

Rapid decompression experiments on natural volcanic rocks mimick explosive eruptions. Fragment size distributions (FSD) of such experimentally generated pyroclasts are investigated using fractal geometry. The fractal dimension of fragmentation, D, of FSD is measured for samples from Unzen (Japan) and Popocatépetl (Mexico) volcanoes.Results show that: (i) FSD are fractal and can be quantified by measuring D values; (ii) D increases linearly with potential energy for fragmentation (PEF) and, thus, with increasing applied pressure; (iii) the rate of increase of D with PEF depends on open porosity: the higher the open porosity, the lower the increase of D with PEF; (iv) at comparable open porosity, samples display a similar behavior for any rock composition.The method proposed here has the potential to become a standard routine to estimate eruptive energy of past and recent eruptions using values of D and open porosity, providing an important step towards volcanic hazard assessment.     

A fragmentation criterion for highly viscous bubbly magmas estimated from shock tube experiments

When a highly viscous bubbly magma is sufficiently decompressed, layer-by-layer fracturing propagates through the magma at a certain speed (fragmentation speed). On the basis of a recent shock tube theory by Koyaguchi and Mitani [Koyaguchi, T., Mitani, N. K., 2005. A theoretical model for fragmentation of viscous bubbly magmas in shock tubes. Journal of Geophysical Research 110 (B10), B10202. doi:10.1029/2004JB003513.], gas overpressures at the fragmentation surface are estimated from experimental data on fragmentation speed in shock tube experiments for natural volcanic rocks with various porosities. The results show that gas overpressure at the fragmentation surface increases as initial sample pressure increases and sample porosity decreases. We propose a new fragmentation criterion to explain the relationship between the gas overpressure at the fragmentation surface, the initial pressure and the porosity. Our criterion is based on the idea that total fragmentation of highly viscous bubbly magmas occurs when the tensile stress at the midpoint between bubbles exceeds a critical value. We obtain satisfactory agreement between our simulation and experiment when we assume that the critical value is inversely proportional to the square root of bubble wall thickness. This fragmentation criterion suggests that long micro-cracks or equivalent flaws (e.g., irregular-shaped bubbles) that reach the midpoints between bubbles are a dominant factor to determine the bulk strength of the bubbly magma.     

A model for viscous magma fragmentation during volcanic blasts

Fragmentation of magma containing gas bubbles is of great interest in connection with developing models for the formation of pyroclastics and for volcanic blasts (explosions). This paper considers the problem of fragmentation of highly viscous (>10⁸ Pa s) or solidified magma containing bubbles with excess gas pressure. It is suggested that the fragmentation of magma be considered on the basis of the fragmentation wave theory proposed by Nikolsky and Khristianovich, which is generally applicable to gas-dynamic phenomena occurring in mines. Then it becomes possible to derive the equations of conservation for the fragmentation wave front which moves into a body of magma from its free surface. As a result, the velocity, N, of magma fragmentation, and the velocity, u, of the movement of the gas-pyroclastic mixture behind the fragmentation wave front, are determined. Calculations show that N can reach 5 m/s. Therefore the duration of the fragmentation of the magma body (blast duration) proves to be long. The suggested model explains the possibility of several explosions during the blast as a result of the fragmentation wave stopping, and accounts for the angular shape of pyroclasts by the brittle disruption of interbubble partitions during fragmentation wave propagation through the porous magma body. The initiation and cessation of fragmentation are defined by magma porosity, magma tensile strength, and the pressure differential between gas pressure in pores and the atmospheric pressure. The physical model of magma fragmentation developed explains the mechanism of energy release during volcanic blasts of the Vulcanian or Pelean types.     

Stochastic inversion of pneumatic cross-hole tests and barometric pressure fluctuations in heterogeneous unsaturated formations

The distributions of permeability and porosity are key factors that control airflow and gas phase transport in unsaturated formations. To understand the behavior of flow and transport in such formations, characterization procedure is a typical approach that has been widely applied to laboratories and fields. As is recognized by most investigations, this approach relies on accurate measurements, and more importantly, an adequate tool to interpret those measurements from experiments. This study presents a pneumatic inverse model that is capable to estimate the distributions of permeability (k) and porosity () with high resolution in heterogeneous unsaturated formations. Based on the concept of sequential successive linear estimator (SSLE), the developed model accounts for compressibility and density of air and estimates the geologic parameters using air pressure measurements from sequential cross-hole pneumatic pumping or injection tests. Four synthetic examples, including a one-dimensional well-posed, a horizontally two-dimensional, and two three-dimensional problems, are used to evaluate the developed model in estimating the distributions of permeability and porosity in unsaturated formations. Results of the numerical experiments are promising. The developed pneumatic inverse model can reconstruct the property (i.e., permeability and porosity) fields if the well-defined conditions are met. With a relatively small number of available measurements, the proposed model can accurately capture the patterns and the magnitudes of estimated properties for unsaturated formations. Results of two complex three-dimensional examples show that the proposed model can map the fracture connectivity using a small number of subsurface pressure measurements and estimate k and in shallow soil layers using spatial variations of barometric pressure.     

Gas transport and bubble collapse in rhyolitic magma: an experimental approach

A series of experiments was conducted to test concepts of porous flow degassing of rhyolitic magma during ascent and of the subsequent collapse of vesicles in degassed magma to form obsidian. Dense, synthetically hydrated, natural glasses were pressurized under water-saturated conditions and then decompressed to achieve a range of porosities in the presence of a tracer vapor, D₂O. Rapid isotopic exchange indicative of vapor transport rather than of simple diffusion occurred at a porosity >60 vol.%, in accord with earlier gas permeability measurements on cold natural samples. In another series of experiments, natural and synthetic pumices, vesiculated by degassing to atmospheric pressure, rapidly collapsed to dense glass on repressurization to the modest pressures prevailing in lava flows. No relict bubble textures remained. These results support the hypothesis that effusive eruptions result from the syneruptive escape of gas from permeable magmatic foam, and that a process analogous to welding yields dense lavas when such foams are extruded.     

Transport properties and microstructural characteristics of a thermally cracked mylonite

An experimental study was carried out on a granitic mylonite (La Bresse, France) to analyze the influence of pore microstructure on transport properties. Different crack networks were obtained by a controlled thermal treatment. Microstructures were analyzed by means of gas adsorption and mercury porosimetry. Transport properties have been investigated by measuring gas permeability and electrical conductivity. The dependence of permeability on confining pressure shows an exponential decrease, characteristic of a porosity made of cracks. Correlations between measured parameters have been analyzed by comparing them with relations deduced from theoretical models. Linking the formation factor to the porosity leads to a rather low tortuosity value (about 2.4), characterizing a medium with a well connected porosity. Correlation between permeabilityk and formation factorF leads to a power-law relationk F ^–n wheren2.9, which is consistent with a crack model describing the behavior of the thermally treated rock.     

Permeability development in vesiculating magmas: implications for fragmentation

 Fragmentation, or the "coming apart" of magma during a plinian eruption, remains one of the least understood processes in volcanology, although assumptions about the timing and mechanisms of fragmentation are key parameters in all existing eruption models. Despite evidence to the contrary, most models assume that fragmentation occurs at a critical vesicularity (volume percent vesicles) of 75–83%. We propose instead that the degree to which magma is fragmented is determined by factors controlling bubble coalescence: magma viscosity, temperature, bubble size distribution, bubble shapes, and time. Bubble coalescence in vesiculating magmas creates permeability which serves to connect the dispersed gas phase. When sufficiently developed, permeability allows subsequent exsolved and expanded gas to escape, thus preserving a sufficiently interconnected region of vesicular magma as a pumice clast, rather than fully fragmenting it to ash. For this reason pumice is likely to preserve information about (a) how permeability develops and (b) the critical permeability needed to insure clast preservation. We present measurements and calculations that constrain the conditions (vesicularity, bubble size distribution, time, pressure difference, viscosity) necessary for adequate permeability to develop. We suggest that magma fragments explosively to ash when and where, in a heterogeneously vesiculating magma, these conditions are not met. Both the development of permeability by bubble wall thinning and rupture and the loss of gas through a permeable network of bubbles require time, consistent with the observation that degree of fragmentation (i.e., amount of ash) increases with increasing eruption rate. Received: 5 July 1995 / Accepted: 27 December 1995     

A note on upper limits for hypothetic variation in the Newtonian constant of gravitation

Summary It has been demonstrated on the basis of recent astronomical, satellite and LLR data that the variations in the Newtonian constant of gravitation, if any, do not exceed5××10 ^–15 cy^–1 of its relative value.

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¶rt;a amuu u nmu a¶rt;u u a auu naa, m auauuaumau nm, u u um, n¶rt;m5×10 ^–15 mmu ^–1 mum au.

     

Estimation of Permeability from NMR Logs Based on Formation Classification Method in Tight Gas Sands

The Schlumberger Doll Research (SDR) model and cross plot of porosity versus permeability cannot be directly used in tight gas sands. In this study, the HFU approach is introduced to classify rocks, and determine the involved parameters in the SDR model. Based on the difference of FZI, 87 core samples, drilled from tight gas sandstones reservoirs of E basin in northwest China and applied for laboratory NMR measurements, were classified into three types, and the involved parameters in the SDR model are calibrated separately. Meanwhile, relationships of porosity versus permeability are also established. The statistical model is used to calculate consecutive FZI from conventional logs. Field examples illustrate that the calibrated SDR models are applicable in permeability estimation; models established from routine core analyzed results are effective in reservoirs with permeability lower than 0.3 mD, while the unified SDR model is only valid in reservoirs with permeability ranges from 0.1 to 0.3 mD.     

Permeability measurements of natural and experimental volcanic materials with a simple permeameter: Toward an understanding of magmatic degassing processes

Permeability measurement of quenched volcanic porous materials is an important approach to understand permeability development and degassing of vesicular silicic magmas. In this study, we developed a gas permeameter to measure permeability of natural samples and experimental products. The permeameter has broad measurement ranges of pressure difference (10¹–10⁵ Pa) and gas-flow rate (10^− 9–10^− 5 m³/s). These ranges enable us to measure viscous permeability in the range of 10^− 17–10^− 9 m² for 1 centimeter-scale samples, using the Forchheimer equation, which includes the inertial effect of gas flow permeating through the samples. In addition, we improved the procedure for performing permeability measurements of mm-sized products of decompression experiments. Although a previous study reported the first permeability data for vesicular silicic glass products of decompression experiments, we found an overestimation in their permeability data due to problems in sample preparation, especially for very low permeability samples. Our improved measurements give lower permeability values than those of Takeuchi et al. (2005)(Takeuchi, S., Nakashima, S., Tomiya, A., Shinohara, H., 2005. Experimental constraints on the low gas permeability of vesicular magma during decompression. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L10312 doi:10.1029/2005GL022491).     

Modeling and interpretation of Q logs in carbonate rock using a double porosity model and well logs

Attenuation data extracted from full waveform sonic logs is sensitive to vuggy and matrix porosities in a carbonate aquifer. This is consistent with the synthetic attenuation (1 / Q) as a function of depth at the borehole-sonic source-peak frequency of 10 kHz. We use velocity and densities versus porosity relationships based on core and well log data to determine the matrix, secondary, and effective bulk moduli. The attenuation model requires the bulk modulus of the primary and secondary porosities. We use a double porosity model that allows us to investigate attenuation at the mesoscopic scale. Thus, the secondary and primary porosities in the aquifer should respond with different changes in fluid pressure. The results show a high permeability region with a Q that varies from 25 to 50 and correlates with the stiffer part of the carbonate formation. This pore structure permits water to flow between the interconnected vugs and the matrix. In this region the double porosity model predicts a decrease in the attenuation at lower frequencies that is associated with fluid flowing from the more compliant high-pressure regions (interconnected vug space) to the relatively stiff, low-pressure regions (matrix). The chalky limestone with a low Q of 17 is formed by a muddy porous matrix with soft pores. This low permeability region correlates with the low matrix bulk modulus. A low Q of 18 characterizes the soft sandy carbonate rock above the vuggy carbonate.This paper demonstrates the use of attenuation logs for discriminating between lithology and provides information on the pore structure when integrated with cores and other well logs. In addition, the paper demonstrates the practical application of a new double porosity model to interpret the attenuation at sonic frequencies by achieving a good match between measured and modeled attenuation.     

Permeability Evolution During Non-linear Viscous Creep of Calcite Rocks

Permeability, storage capacity and volumetric strain were measured in situ during deformation of hot-pressed calcite aggregates containing 10, 20, and 30 wt% quartz. Both isostatic and conventional triaxial loading conditions were used. The tests were performed at confining pressure of 300 MPa, pore pressures between 50 to 290 MPa, temperatures from 673 to 873 K and strain rates of 3 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹. Argon gas was used as the pore fluid. The initial porosities of the starting samples varied from 5% to 9%, with higher porosity correlated to higher quartz content. Microstructural observations after the experiment indicate two kinds of pores are present: 1) Angular, crack-like pores along boundaries between quartz grains or between quartz and calcite grains and 2) equant and tubular voids within the calcite matrix. Under isostatic loading conditions, the compaction rate covaries with porosity and increases with increasing effective pressure. Most of the permeability reduction induced during compaction is irreversible and probably owes to plastic processes. As has been found in previous studies on hot-pressed calcite aggregates, permeability, k, is nonlinearly related to porosity, ϕ. Over small changes in porosity, the two parameters are approximately related as k ∝ ϕⁿ. The exponent n strongly increases as porosity decreases to a finite value (from about 4 to 6% depending on quartz content), suggesting a porosity percolation threshold. When subjected to triaxial deformation, the calcite-quartz aggregates exhibit shear-enhanced compaction, but permeability does not decrease as rapidly as it does under isostatic conditions. During triaxial compaction the exponent n only varies between 2 and 3. Non-isostatic deformation seems to reduce the percolation threshold, and, in fact, enhances the permeability relative to that at the same porosity during isostatic compaction. Our data provide constraints on the governing parameters of the compaction theory which describes fluid flow through a viscous matrix, and may have important implications for expulsion of sedimentary fluids, for fluid flow during deformation and metamorphism, and melt extraction from partially molten rocks.     

Inversion of river-bottom sediment parameters using mechanically sampled specimens and subbottom profiling data

The study of river dynamics requires knowledge of physical parameters, such as porosity, permeability, and wave propagation velocity, of river-bottom sediments. To do so, sediment properties are determined on mechanically sampled specimens and from subbottom profiling. However, mechanical sampling introduces disturbances that affect test results, with the exception of grain-size distribution. In this study, we perform inversion of acoustic data using the grain-size distribution of mechanically sampled specimens and the relation between porosity and permeability from the Kozeny–Carman equation as prior information. The wave reflection coefficient of the water–silt interface is extracted from the raw subbottom profile. Based on the effective density fluid model, we combine the Kozeny–Carman equation and the wave reflection coefficient. We use experimental data from two Yellow River reservoirs to obtain the wave velocity and density of multiple sections and their spatial variations, and find that the inversion and testing results are in good agreement.     

Structure and physical characteristics of pumice from the climactic eruption of Mount Mazama (Crater Lake), Oregon

The vesicularity, permeability, and structure of pumice clasts provide insight into conditions of vesiculation and fragmentation during Plinian fall and pyroclastic flow-producing phases of the ~7,700 cal. year B.P. climactic eruption of Mount Mazama (Crater Lake), Oregon. We show that bulk properties (vesicularity and permeability) can be correlated with internal textures and that the clast structure can be related to inferred changes in eruption conditions. The vesicularity of all pumice clasts is 75-88%, with >90% interconnected pore volume. However, pumice clasts from the Plinian fall deposits exhibit a wider vesicularity range and higher volume percentage of interconnected vesicles than do clasts from pyroclastic-flow deposits. Pumice permeabilities also differ between the two clast types, with pumice from the fall deposit having higher minimum permeabilities (~5᎒^-13 m²) and a narrower permeability range (5-50᎒^-13 m²) than clasts from pyroclastic-flow deposits (0.2-330᎒^-13 m²). The observed permeability can be modeled to estimate average vesicle aperture radii of 1-5 µm for the fall deposit clasts and 0.25-1 µm for clasts from the pyroclastic flows. High vesicle number densities (~10⁹ cm^-3) in all clasts suggest that bubble nucleation occurred rapidly and at high supersaturations. Post-nucleation modifications to bubble populations include both bubble growth and coalescence. A single stage of bubble nucleation and growth can account for 35-60% of the vesicle population in clasts from the fall deposits, and 65-80% in pumice from pyroclastic flows. Large vesicles form a separate population which defines a power law distribution with fractal dimension D=3.3 (range 3.0-3.5). The large D value, coupled with textural evidence, suggests that the large vesicles formed primarily by coalescence. When viewed together, the bulk properties (vesicularity, permeability) and textural characteristics of all clasts indicate rapid bubble nucleation followed by bubble growth, coalescence and permeability development. This sequence of events is best explained by nucleation in response to a downward-propagating decompression wave, followed by rapid bubble growth and coalescence prior to magma disruption by fragmentation. The heterogeneity of vesicle sizes and shapes, and the absence of differential expansion across individual clasts, suggest that post-fragmentation expansion played a limited role in the development of pumice structure. The higher vesicle number densities and lower permeabilities of pyroclastic-flow clasts indicate limited coalescence and suggest that fragmentation occurred shortly after decompression. Either increased eruption velocities or increased depth of fragmentation accompanying caldera collapse could explain compression of the pre-fragmentation vesiculation interval.     

In-Situ Electrical Conductivity and Permeability of Mid-Crustal Rocks from the Ktb Drilling: Consequences for High Conductive Layers in the Earth Crust

Freshly cored samples from a microprofile (7011–7013m in depth) of the German Continental Deep Drilling Project (KTB) were taken to measure the complex electrical conductivity (1 kHz up to 1 MHz), porosity, BET-surface, permeability and density. The porosity ranged about 1 vol%, while the permeability k varied from 16.05 µD to > 0.01 µD for in-situ pressure conditions. The permeability decreased about 2 orders in magnitude up to pressures of 200 MPa. Conductivity was measured in the same pressure range on 1 M NaCl saturated samples. Thin sections and SEM analysis revealed an enrichment of carbon and ilmenite (about 1 vol%) on inner cleavage cracks of mica, thus causing an unusual high (ranging from 4.2 × 10^-3 S/m to 67 × 10^-3 S/m) being orders of magnitude higher than normally measured on such types of rocks (about 300 × 10^-6 S/m). An inverse pressure dependence of was detected on some of the samples. Electronic conduction was confirmed by least-squares-fits of model data to the frequency dispersion of the conductivity and by measuring the time dependence of the volume conductivity and its frequency dispersion. Thus the dominating role of the reconnected network of carbon and ilmenite on the enhanced volume conductivity was proved. An increase of the conductivity due to hydrofracturing by high pore fluid pressures plays a less important role.     

Developing a new form of permeability and Kozeny–Carman constant for homogeneous porous media by means of fractal geometry

The semi-empirical Kozeny–Carman (KC) equation is the most famous permeability–porosity relation, which is widely used in the field of flow in porous media and is the starting point for many other permeability models. However, this relation has many limitations from its inception, and the KC constant is an empirical parameter which was proved to be not a constant. In this paper, we briefly reviewed the KC equation, its modifications and various models for the KC constant. We then derived an analytical expression for the permeability in homogeneous porous media based on the fractal characters of porous media and capillary model. The proposed model is expressed as a function of fractal dimensions, porosity and maximum pore size. The analytical KC constant with no empirical constant is obtained from the assumption of square geometrical model. Furthermore, a distinct linear scaling law between the dimensionless permeability and porosity is found. It is also shown that our analytical permeability is more closely related to the microstructures (fractal dimensions, porosity and maximum pore size), compared to those obtained from conventional methods and models.