The magma budget of Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica from 1968 to 1980

The volume of magma emitted by Volcan Arenal from July 1968 to March 1980 has been calculated to be 304 × 10⁶ m³ (dense rock equivalent). Most of this magma has been emplaced as block lava flows on the western flanks of the volcano following the initial explosive eruptions in 1968. From 1968 to 1973 the volumetric discharge rate of magma decreased from about 3-2 m³ s⁻¹ to about 1 m³ s⁻¹. During a break in activity in late 1973 the site of effusion moved from Crater A to Crater C about 400 m higher. Subsequent effusion was at a lower rate (0.3 m³ s⁻¹) which remained constant for the next six years. Comparison of dry-tilt measurements during this latter period of steady-state effusion with numerical finite-element models of Arenal's elastic response to the evacuation of magma from an underlying reservoir favor a very shallow reservoir (< 2 km depth) to explain the data. However, the constraints imposed by the measured volumes of magma are not compatible with such a reservoir. Instead, it is argued that the steady downward tilting of the volcano's summit was caused by the loading of the western side of the volcano by about 19 × 10⁶ m³ of lava. Surface loading by lava flows may be an important deformational effect at other volcanoes. A system of magma supply involving open conduits (pipes) for the uppermost one kilometer and transitory conduits (cracks) to a crustal reservoir is proposed. This crustal reservoir initially contained a compositionally graded magma which was evacuated from 1968 to 1973. The subsequent abrupt decrease in effusion rate is compatible with the increased magmatic head required to reach Crater C. The constancy of magma composition and effusion rate from 1974 to 1980 implies a homogeneous magma reservoir.     

The 1975 sub-terminal lavas, mount etna: a case history of the formation of a compound lava field

The 1975 sub-terminal activity was characterised by low effusion rates (0.3–0.5 m³ s⁻¹) and the formation of a compound lava field composed of many thousands of flow units. Several boccas were active simultaneously and effusion rates from individual boccas varied from about 10⁻⁴ to 0.25 m³s⁻¹. The morphology of lava flows was determined by effusion rate (E): aa flows with well-developed channels and levees formed when E > 2 × 10⁻³ m³ s⁻¹, small pahoehoe flows formed when 2 × 10⁻³ m³ s⁻¹ >E > 5 > 10⁻⁴ m³ s⁻¹ and pahoehoe toes formed when E < 5 × 10⁻⁴ m³ s⁻¹. There was very little variation with time in the effusion temperature, composition or phenocryst content of the lava.New boccas were commonly formed at the fronts of mature lava flows which had either ceased to flow or were moving slowly. These secondary boccas developed when fluid lava in the interior of mature aa flows either found a weakness in the flow front or was exposed by avalanching of the moving flow front. The resulting release of fluid lava was accompanied by either partial drainage of the mature flow or by the formation of a lava tube in the parent flow. The temperature of the lava forming the new bocca decreased with increasing distance from the source bocca (0.035°C m⁻¹). It is demonstrated from the rate of temperature decrease and from theoretical considerations that many of the Etna lavas still contained a substantial proportion of uncooled material in their interior as they came to rest. The formation of secondary boccas is postulated to be one reason why direct measurements of effusion rates tend, in general, to overestimate the total effusion rates of sub-terminal Etna lava fields.     

Volumetric characteristics of lava flows from interferometric radar and multispectral satellite data: the 1995 Fernandina and 1998 Cerro Azul eruptions in the western Galápagos

We have used a suite of remotely sensed data, numerical lava flow modeling, and field observations to determine quantitative characteristics of the 1995 Fernandina and 1998 Cerro Azul eruptions in the western Galápagos Islands. Flank lava flow areas, volumes, instantaneous effusion rates, and average effusion rates were all determined for these two eruptions, for which only limited syn-eruptive field observations are available. Using data from SPOT, TOPSAR, ERS-1, and ERS-2, we determined that the 1995 Fernandina flow covers a subaerial area of 6.5×10⁶ m² and has a subaerial dense rock equivalent (DRE) volume of 42×10⁶ m³. Field observations, ATSR satellite data, and the FLOWGO numerical model allow us to determine that the effusion rate declined exponentially from a high of ~60–200 m³ s^-1 during the first few hours to <5 m³ s^-1 prior to ceasing after 73 days, with a mean effusion rate of 4–16 m³ s^-1. Integrating the ATSR-derived, exponentially declining effusion rate over the eruption duration produces a total (subaerial + submarine) DRE volume of between 27 and 100×10⁶ m³, the range in values being due to differing assumptions about heat loss characteristics; only values in the higher part of this range are consistent with the independently derived subaerial volume. Using SPOT, TOPSAR, ERS-1, and ERS-2 data, we determine that the 1998 Cerro Azul flow is 16 km long, covers 16 km², and has a DRE volume of 54×10⁶ m³. FLOWGO produces at-vent velocity and effusion rate values of 11 m s^-1 and ~600 m³ s^-1, respectively. The velocity value agrees well with the 12 m s^-1 estimated in the field. The mean effusion rate (total DRE volume/duration) was 7–47 m³ s^-1. Dike dimensions, fissure lengths, and pressure gradients along the conduit based on magma chamber depth estimates of 3–5 km produce mean effusion rates for the two eruptions that range over nearly four orders of magnitude, the range being due to uncertainty in the magma viscosity, dike dimensions, and pressure gradient between magma chamber and vent. Although somewhat consistent with mean effusion rates from other techniques, their wide range makes them less useful. The exponentially declining effusion rates during both eruptions are consistent with release of elastic strain being the driving mechanism of the eruptions. Our results provide independent input parameters for previously published theoretical relationships between magma chamber pressurization and eruption rates that constrain chamber volumes and increases in volume prior to eruption, as well as time constants of exponential decay during the eruption. The results and theoretical relationships combine to indicate that at both volcanoes probably 25–30% of the volumetric increase in the magma chamber erupted as lava onto the surface. In both eruptions the lava flow volumes are less than 1% of the magma chamber volume.     

The 1991 eruption of Hekla,Iceland

The eruption that started in the Hekla volcano in South Iceland on 17 January 1991, and came to an end on 11 March, produced mainly andesitic lava. This lava covers 23 km² and has an estimated volume of 0.15 km³. This is the third eruption in only 20 years, whereas the average repose period since 1104 is 55 years. Earthquakes, as well as a strain pulse recorded by borehole strainmeters, occurred less than half an hour before the start of the eruption. The initial plinian phase was very short-lived, producing a total of only 0.02 km³ of tephra. The eruption cloud attained 11.5 km in height in only 10 min, but it became detached from the volcano a few hours later. Several fissures were active during the first day of the eruption, including a part of the summit fissure. By the second day, however, the activity was already essentially limited to that segment of the principal fissure where the main crater subsequently formed. The average effusion rate during the first two days of the eruption was about 800 m³ s^–1. After this peak, the effusion rate declined rapidly to 10–20 m³ s^–1, then more slowly to 1 m³ s^–1, and remained at 1–12 m³ s^–1 until the end of the eruption. Site observations near the main crater suggest that the intensity of the volcanic tremor varied directly with the force of the eruption. A notable rise in the fluorine concentration of riverwater in the vicinity of the eruptive fissures occurred on the 5th day of the eruption, but it levelled off on the 6th day and then remained essentially constant. The volume and initial silica content of the lava and tephra, the explosivity and effusion rate during the earliest stage of the eruption, as well as the magnitude attained by the associated earthquakes, support earlier suggestions that these parameters are positively related to the length of the preceeding repose period. The chemical difference between the eruptive material of Hekla itself and the lavas erupted in its vicinity can be explained in terms of a density-stratified magma reservoir located at the bottom of the crust. We propose that the shape of this reservoir, its location at the west margin of a propagating rift, and its association with a crustal weakness, all contribute to the high eruption frequency of Hekla.     

Persistent activity and violent strombolian eruptions at Vesuvius between 1631 and 1944

During the period 1631–1944, Vesuvius was in persistent activity with alternating mild strombolian explosions, quiet effusive eruptions, and violent strombolian eruptions. The major difference between the predominant style of activity and the violent strombolian stages is the effusion rate. The lava effusion rate during major eruptions was in the range 20–100 m³/s, higher than during mild activity and quiet effusion (0.1–1 m³/s). The products erupted during the mild activity and major paroxysms have different degree of crystallization. Highly porphyritic lava flows are slowly erupted during years-long period of mild activity. This activity is fed by a magma accumulating at shallow depth within the volcanic edifice. Conversely, during the major paroxysms, a fast lava flow precedes the eruption of a volatile-rich, crystal-poor magma. We show that the more energetic eruptions are fed by episodic, multiple arrival of discrete batches of magma rising faster and not degassing during the ascent. The rapidly ascending magma pushes up the liquid residing in the shallow reservoir and eventually reaches the surface with its full complement of volatiles, producing kilometer-high lava fountains. Rapid drainage of the shallow reservoir occasionally caused small caldera collapses. The major eruptions act to unplug the upper part of the feeding system, erupting the cooling and crystallizing magma. This pattern of activity lasted for 313 y, but with a progressive decrease in the number of more energetic eruptions. As a consequence, a cooling plug blocked the volcano until it eventually prevented the eruption of new magma. The yearly probability of having at least one violent strombolian eruption has decreased from 0.12 to 0.10 from 1944 to 2007, but episodic seismic crises since 1979 may be indicative of new episodic intrusions of magma batches.     

Eruptive history of Mount Mazama and Crater Lake Caldera, Cascade Range, U.S.A.

New investigations of the geology of Crater Lake National Park necessitate a reinterpretation of the eruptive history of Mount Mazama and of the formation of Crater Lake caldera. Mount Mazama consisted of a glaciated complex of overlapping shields and stratovolcanoes, each of which was probably active for a comparatively short interval. All the Mazama magmas apparently evolved within thermally and compositionally zoned crustal magma reservoirs, which reached their maximum volume and degree of differentiation in the climactic magma chamber 7000 yr B.P.The history displayed in the caldera walls begins with construction of the andesitic Phantom Cone 400,000 yr B.P. Subsequently, at least 6 major centers erupted combinations of mafic andesite, andesite, or dacite before initiation of the Wisconsin Glaciation 75,000 yr B.P. Eruption of andesitic and dacitic lavas from 5 or more discrete centers, as well as an episode of dacitic pyroclastic activity, occurred until 50,000 yr B.P.; by that time, intermediate lava had been erupted at several short-lived vents. Concurrently, and probably during much of the Pleistocene, basaltic to mafic andesitic monogenetic vents built cinder cones and erupted local lava flows low on the flanks of Mount Mazama. Basaltic magma from one of these vents, Forgotten Crater, intercepted the margin of the zoned intermediate to silicic magmatic system and caused eruption of commingled andesitic and dacitic lava along a radial trend sometime between 22,000 and 30,000 yr B.P. Dacitic deposits between 22,000 and 50,000 yr old appear to record emplacement of domes high on the south slope. A line of silicic domes that may be between 22,000 and 30,000 yr old, northeast of and radial to the caldera, and a single dome on the north wall were probably fed by the same developing magma chamber as the dacitic lavas of the Forgotten Crater complex. The dacitic Palisade flow on the northeast wall is 25,000 yr old. These relatively silicic lavas commonly contain traces of hornblende and record early stages in the development of the climatic magma chamber.Some 15,000 to 40,000 yr were apparently needed for development of the climactic magma chamber, which had begun to leak rhyodacitic magma by 7015 ± 45 yr B.P. Four rhyodacitic lava flows and associated tephras were emplaced from an arcuate array of vents north of the summit of Mount Mazama, during a period of 200 yr before the climactic eruption. The climactic eruption began 6845 ± 50 yr B.P. with voluminous airfall deposition from a high column, perhaps because ejection of 4−12 km³ of magma to form the lava flows and tephras depressurized the top of the system to the point where vesiculation at depth could sustain a Plinian column. Ejecta of this phase issued from a single vent north of the main Mazama edifice but within the area in which the caldera later formed. The Wineglass Welded Tuff of Williams (1942) is the proximal featheredge of thicker ash-flow deposits downslope to the north, northeast, and east of Mount Mazama and was deposited during the single-vent phase, after collapse of the high column, by ash flows that followed topographic depressions. Approximately 30 km³ of rhyodacitic magma were expelled before collapse of the roof of the magma chamber and inception of caldera formation ended the single-vent phase. Ash flows of the ensuing ring-vent phase erupted from multiple vents as the caldera collapsed. These ash flows surmounted virtually all topographic barriers, caused significant erosion, and produced voluminous deposits zoned from rhyodacite to mafic andesite. The entire climactic eruption and caldera formation were over before the youngest rhyodacitic lava flow had cooled completely, because all the climactic deposits are cut by fumaroles that originated within the underlying lava, and part of the flow oozed down the caldera wall.A total of 51−59 km³ of magma was ejected in the precursory and climactic eruptions, and 40−52 km³ of Mount Mazama was lost by caldera formation. The spectacular compositional zonation shown by the climactic ejecta — rhyodacite followed by subordinate andesite and mafic andesite — reflects partial emptying of a zoned system, halted when the crystal-rich magma became too viscous for explosive fragmentation. This zonation was probably brought about by convective separation of low-density, evolved magma from underlying mafic magma. Confinement of postclimactic eruptive activity to the caldera attests to continuing existence of the Mazama magmatic system.     

Magma supply, magma discharge and readjustment of the feeding system of mount St. Helens during 1980

The landslide and cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 triggered a sequence of explosive eruptions over the following five months. The volume of explosive products from each of these eruptions decreased uniformly over this period, and the character for each eruption progressed from a fairly continuous eruption lasting more than eight hours on May 18 to a series of short bursts, some of which were spaced 12 hours apart, on October 16–18. The transition in the character of these eruption sequences can be explained by a difference between the magma supply rate and the magma discharge rate from a shallow reservoir.The magma supply rate (MSR) is the rate with which magma is supplied to the level where disruption due to vesiculation occurs. It is determined by dividing the dense-rock-equivalent volume of eruptive products by the total duration of each eruption sequence. The magma discharge rate (MDR) is the rate with which the disrupted magma is discharged through the vent. It is determined by dividing the volume of erupted products by the duration of each explosive burst. The relative magnitude of these two quantities controls the temporal evolution of an explosive event. When MDRMSR the explosive phase of the eruption lasts for several hours as a single continuous event. When MDR>MSR, an eruption is characterized by a series of short explosive bursts at intervals of several minutes to several days. The MSR of the eruptions of 1980 decreased with time from 5500 m' s⁻¹ on May 18 to 7 m³ s⁻² on October 16–18 and approximately fits an exponential decay. The MDR for the same events remained approximately constant at 2000 m³ s⁻¹. Each explosive event has been followed by an aftershock-like series of earthquakes located beneath the volcano at depth mostly between 7 and 14 km. The seismic energy released during each of these series is proportional to the corresponding volume of erupted magma. Deformation data between June and November, 1980 indicate a subsidence of the volcanic structure which can be modeled by a volume collapse of 0.25 km³ located at 9 km depth.We propose a model in which magma is supplied from depths of 7–14 km through a narrow conduit during each eruption. It erupts to the surface at a uniform rate during each eruption. The deep seismic activity following each eruption is related to a readjustment and volume decrease in the deep feeding system. The decrease of the MSR over time is explained by an increase in the viscosity of a progressively water-depleted magma. The amount of water necessary to explain the observed decrease of the MSR is of the order of 4.6%.     

Lava effusion rates from hand-held thermal infrared imagery: an example from the June 2003 effusive activity at Stromboli

A safe, easy and rapid method to calculate lava effusion rates using hand-held thermal image data was developed during June 2003 at Stromboli Volcano (Italy). We used a Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer (FLIR) to obtain images of the active lava flow field on a daily basis between May 31 and June 16, 2003. During this time the flow field geometry and size (where flows typically a few hundred meters long were emplaced on a steep slope) meant that near-vertical images of the whole flow field could be captured in a single image obtained from a helicopter hovering, at an altitude of 750 m and ∼1 km off shore. We used these images to adapt a thermally based effusion rate method, previously applied to low and high spatial resolution satellite data, to allow automated extraction of effusion rates from the hand-held thermal infrared imagery. A comparison between a thermally-derived (0.23–0.87 m³ s⁻¹) and dimensionally-derived effusion rate (0.56 m³ s⁻¹) showed that the thermally-derived range was centered on the expected value. Over the measurement period, the mean effusion rate was 0.38±0.25 m³ s⁻¹, which is similar to that obtained during the 1985–86 effusive eruption and the time-averaged supply rate calculated for normal (non-effusive) Strombolian activity. A short effusive pulse, reaching a peak of ∼1.2 m³ s⁻¹, was recorded on June 3, 2003. One explanation of such a peak would be an increase in driving pressure due to an increase in the height of the magma contained in the central column. We estimate that this pulse would require the magma column to attain a height of ∼190 m above the effusive vent, which is approximately the elevation difference between the vent and the floor of the NE crater. Our approach gives an easy-to-apply method that has the potential to provide effusion rate time series with a high temporal resolution.Editorial responsibility: M. Carroll     

Behavioral patterns of Fuego volcano, Guatemala

The times of activity at Fuego (one of the most active volcanoes in the world) since 1800 correlate with the activity of other Central American volcanoes. Approximately 0.7 km³ of olivine-bearing, high-Al₂O₃ basalt has been erupted since 1932, and about 1.7 km³ has been produced during 450 years of historic records. A minimum of 13,000 years and a maximum of 100,000 years were required to build Fuego's cone of 50 km³. Within the recent cluster of activity since 1932, rates of magma production have increased to 0.5 m³/s and the trend has been toward more eruptions (shorter reposes) of progressively more mafic basalt. 47% of the eruptions occurred within 2 days of the fortnightly tidal maximum and 56% occurred within 2 hours of the semi-diurnal minimum of the vertical tidal gravity acceleration. Thus the maximum compressional component of the tidal cycles can trigger an eruption at Fuego. Eruptions with higher effusion rates produce larger volumes of materials, although they only last a few hours. The 20–70 year clusters of activity beginning at 80–170-year intervals are interpreted as reflecting the ascent of primary batches of magma. A deeper (8–16 km), larger (> 1 km³) primary chamber and a shallower (2–5 km), smaller (0.1 km³), dike-like secondary chamber best explain Fuego's behavioral pattern.     

The millennium eruption of Hekla in February 2000

The 18th historic eruption of Hekla started on 26 February, 2000. It was a short-lived but intense event, emitting basaltic andesitic (55.5 wt% SiO₂) pyroclastic fragments and lava. During the course of the eruption, monitoring was done by both instruments and direct observations, together providing unique insight into the current activity of Hekla. During the 12-day eruption, a total of 0.189 km³ DRE of magma was emitted. The eruptive fissure split into five segments. The segments at the highest altitude were active during the first hours, while the segments at lower altitude continued throughout the eruption. The eruption started in a highly explosive manner giving rise to a Subplinian eruptive column and consequent basaltic pyroclastic flows fed by column collapses. After the explosive phase reached its maximum, the eruption went through three more phases, namely fire-fountaining, Strombolian bursts and lava effusion. In this paper, we describe the course of events of the eruption of Hekla and the origin of its magma, and then show that the discharge rate can be linked to different style of eruptive activity, which are controlled by fissure geometry. We also show that the eruption phases observed at Hekla can be linked with inferred magma chamber overpressure prior to the eruption.     

Magma eruption rates of Merapi volcano,Central Java,Indonesia during one century (1890–1992)

The magma eruption rates of Merapi volcano form 1890 to 1992 are re-examined chronologically. For this volcano, movements of extruded lavas and domes as well as their extrusions are important because they control the modes of the subsequent activities and cause nuées ardentes and lahars. The monthly eruption rates varied widely, but the cumulative volume of lavas has increased linearly and is expressed as 0.1x10⁶ m³/month. The magma production rate of this volcano may have been constant for these 100 years. Recurrent excessive effusion of lavas is tentatively interpreted by assuming a magma reservoir. The averaged eruption rate is small in comparison with other volcanoes such as Nyramuragia, Kilauea and Vesuvio. However, it is remarkable that the activity has been continuous for these 100 years and the total amount of lava discharged during this period reached more than 10⁸ m³. A simple model for the formation of the 1992 lava dome is presented. The viscosity of the lavas is probably between 10⁶ and 10⁷ P and the length of the magma conduit is probably less than 10 km.     

Ukinrek Maars, Alaska, II. Deposits and formation of the 1977 craters

The initial phase of the eruption forming Ukinrek Maars during March and April 1977 were explosions from the site of West Maar. These were mainly phreatomagmatic and initially transitional to strombolian. Activity at West Maar ceased after three days upon the initiation of the East Maar. The crater quickly grew by strong phreatomagmatic explosions. During the first phases of phreatomagmatic activity at East Maar, large exotic blocks derived from a subsurface till were ejected. Ballistic studies indicate muzzle velocities for these blocks of 80–90 m s⁻¹.Phreatomagmatic explosions ejected both juvenile and non-juvenile material which formed a low rim of ejecta (< 26 mhigh) around the crater and a localized, coarse, wellsorted (σ_φ = 1−1.5) juvenile and lithic fall deposit. Other fine ash beds, interstratified with the coarse beds, are more poorly sorted (σ_φ = 2−3) and are interpreted as fallout of wet, cohesive ash from probably milder phases of activity in the crater. Minor base surge activity damaged trees and deposited fine ash, including layers plastered on vertical surfaces. Viscous basalt lava appeared in the center of the East Maar crater almost immediately and a lava dome gradually grew in the crater despite phreatomagmatic eruptions adjacent to it.The development of these maars appears to be mainly controlled by gradual collapse of crater and conduit walls, and blasting-out of the slumped debris by phreatomagmatic explosions when rising magma contacted groundwater beneath the regional water table and a local perched aquifer.Ballistic analysis on the ejected blocks indicates a maximum muzzle velocity of 100–150 m s^-1, values similar to those obtained from other ballistic studies on maar ejecta.     

The emplacement of an obsidian dyke through thin ice: Hrafntinnuhryggur, Krafla Iceland

An eruption along a 2.5 km-long rhyolitic dyke at Krafla volcano, northern Iceland during the last glacial period formed a ridge of obsidian (Hrafntinnuhryggur). The ridge rises up to 80 m above the surrounding land and is composed of a number of small-volume lava bodies with minor fragmental material. The total volume is < 0.05 km³. The lava bodies are flow- or dome-like in morphology and many display columnar-jointed sides typical of magma–ice interaction, quench-fragmented lower margins indicative of interaction with meltwater and pumiceous upper surfaces typical of subaerial obsidian flows. The fragmental material compromises poorly-sorted perlitic quench hyaloclastites and poorly-exposed pumiceous tuffs. Lava bodies on the western ridge flanks are columnar jointed and extensively hydrothermally altered. At the southern end of the ridge the feeder dyke is exposed at an elevation  95 m beneath the ridge crest and flares upwards into a lava body.Using the distribution of lithofacies, we interpret that the eruption melted through ice only 35–55 m thick, which is likely to have been dominated by firn. Hrafntinnuhryggur is therefore the first documented example of a rhyolitic fissure eruption beneath thin ice/firn. The eruption breached the ice, leading to subaerial but ice/firn-contact lava effusion, and only minor explosive activity occurred. The ridge appears to have been well-drained during the eruption, aided by the high permeability of the thin ice/firn, which appears not to have greatly affected the eruption mechanisms. We estimate that the eruption lasted between 2 and 20 months and would not have generated a significant jökulhlaup (< 70 m³ s^− 1).     

Pahoehoe and aa in Hawaii: volumetric flow rate controls the lava structure

The historical records of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes reveal that the rough-surfaced variety of basalt lava called aa forms when lava flows at a high volumetric rate (>5–10 m³/s), and the smooth-surfaced variety called pahoehoe forms at a low volumetric rate (<5–10 m³/s). This relationship is well illustrated by the 1983–1990 and 1969–1974 eruptions of Kilauea and the recent eruptions of Mauna Loa. It is also illustrated by the eruptions that produced the remarkable paired flows of Mauna Loa, in which aa formed during an initial short period of high discharge rate (associated with high fountaining) and was followed by the eruption of pahoehoe over a sustained period at a low discharge rate (with little or no fountaining). The finest examples of paired lava flows are those of 1859 and 1880–1881. We attribute aa formation to rapid and concentrated flow in open channels. There, rapid heat loss causes an increase in viscosity to a threshold value (that varies depending on the actual flow velocity) at which, when surface crust is torn by differential flow, the underlying lava is unable to move sufficiently fast to heal the tear. We attribute pahoehoe formation to the flowage of lava at a low volumetric rate, commonly in tubes that minimize heat loss. Flow units of pahoehoe are small (usually <1 m thick), move slowly, develop a chilled skin, and become virtually static before the viscosity has risen, to the threshold value. We infer that the high-discharge-rate eruptions that generate aa flows result from the rapid emptying of major or subsidiary magma chambers. Rapid near-surface vesiculation of gas-rich magma leads to eruptions with high discharge rates, high lava fountains, and fast-moving channelized flows. We also infer that long periods of sustained flow at a low discharge rate, which favor pahoehoe, result from the development of a free and unimpeded pathway from the deep plumbing system of the volcano and the separation of gases from the magma before eruption. Achievement of this condition requires one or more episodes of rapid magma excursion through the rift zone to establish a stable magma pathway.     

The storage and release of magma on Mount Etna

The eruptive history of Etna during the past 450 years provides data on effusion rates, volumes of magma involved, and the nature of the eruptive conduits. These data are interpreted in terms of a two-part intravolcanic magma reservoir which feeds the flank eruptions through dike-like conduits. The structural framework of the volcano which controls the spatial distribution of eruptive sites is partly inherited from the basement and partly controlled by the central magma column and the surrounding caldera boundary faults. Hydraulic fracturing theory predicts that the central magma column will fail at depths below 1 km if the tensile strength of the conduit rocks is about 100 bars and that a peak fracturing capability will be reached between 1 and 2 km depth. This inference agrees well with the peak of flank eruptive activity at 1.4 km below the summit observed in the data on the loci of eruptions. The average flank-eruption feeding dike is defined and shown to be capable of the observed maximum effusion rates (20–100 m³ s⁻¹) from magmatic pressure differences of 30–150 bars     

Water contents, temperatures and diversity of the magmas of the catastrophic eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, November 13, 1985

The petrology of the highly phyric two-pyroxene andesitic to dacitic pyroclastic rocks of the November 13, 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, reveals evidence of: (1) increasingly fractionated bulk compositions with time; (2) tapping of a small magma chamber marginally zoned in regard to H₂O contents (1 to 4%), temperature (960–1090°C), and amount of residual melt (35 to 65%); (3) partial melting and assimilation of degassed zones in the hotter less dense interior of the magma chamber; (4) probable heating, thermal disruption and mineralogic and compositional contamination of the magma body by basaltic magma “underplating”; and (5) crustal contamination of the magmas during ascent and within the magma chamber. Near-crater fall-back or “spill-over” emitted in the middle of the eruptive sequence produced a small pyroclastic flow that became welded in its central and basal portions because of ponding and thus heat conservation on the flat glaciated summit near the Arenas crater. The heterogeneity of Ruiz magmas may be related to the comparatively small volume (0.03 km³) of the eruption, nearly ten times less than the 0.2 km³ of the Plinian phase of Mount St. Helens, and probable steep thermal and P_H2O gradients of a small source magma chamber, estimated at 300 m long and 100 m wide for an assumed ellipsoidal shape.     

Overview of the 1990–1995 eruption at Unzen Volcano

Following 198 years of dormancy, a small phreatic eruption started at the summit of Unzen Volcano (Mt. Fugen) in November 1990. A swarm of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes had begun below the western flank of the volcano a year before this eruption, and isolated tremor occurred below the summit shortly before it. The focus of VT events had migrated eastward to the summit and became shallower. Following a period of phreatic activity, phreatomagmatic eruptions began in February 1991, became larger with time, and developed into a dacite dome eruption in May 1991 that lasted approximately 4 years. The emergence of the dome followed inflation, demagnetization and a swarm of high-frequency (HF) earthquakes in the crater area. After the dome appeared, activity of the VT earthquakes and the summit HF events was replaced largely by low-frequency (LF) earthquakes. Magma was discharged nearly continuously through the period of dome growth, and the rate decreased roughly with time. The lava dome grew in an unstable form on the shoulder of Mt. Fugen, with repeating partial collapses. The growth was exogenous when the lava effusion rate was high, and endogenous when low. A total of 13 lobes grew as a result of exogenous growth. Vigorous swarms of LF earthquakes occurred just prior to each lobe extrusion. Endogenous growth was accompanied by strong deformation of the crater floor and HF and LF earthquakes. By repeated exogenous and endogenous growth, a large dome was formed over the crater. Pyroclastic flows frequently descended to the northeast, east, and southeast, and their deposits extensively covered the eastern slope and flank of Mt. Fugen. Major pyroclastic flows took place when the lava effusion rate was high. Small vulcanian explosions were limited in the initial stage of dome growth. One of them occurred following collapse of the dome. The total volume of magma erupted was 2.1×10⁸ m³ (dense-rock-equivalent); about a half of this volume remained as a lava dome at the summit (1.2 km long, 0.8 km wide and 230–540 m high). The eruption finished with extrusion of a spine at the endogenous dome top. Several monitoring results convinced us that the eruption had come to an end: the minimal levels of both seismicity and rockfalls, no discharge of magma, the minimal SO₂ flux, and cessation of subsidence of the western flank of the volcano. The dome started slow deformation and cooling after the halt of magma effusion in February 1995.     

The December 4, 1983 to February 18, 1984 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (La Reunion, Indian Ocean): Description and interpretation

On December 4, 1983 an eruption started at vents located 1.5 km southwest of the summit of Piton de la Fournaise at the base of the central cone. After 31 months of quiescence this was one of the longest repose period in the last fifty years. The eruption had two phases: December 4 to January 18 and January 18 to February 18. Phase 1 produced about 8 × 10⁶ m³ of lava and Phase II about 9 × 10⁶ m³. The erupted lava is an aphyric basalt whose mineralogical and geochemical composition is close to that of other lavas emitted since 1977.The precursors of the December 4 outbreak were limited to two-week shallow (1.5–3 km) seismic crisis of fewer than 50 events. No long-term increase was noted in the local seismicity which is very quiet during repose periods and no long-term ground inflation preceded the eruption. Outbreaks of Phases I and II were preceded by short (2.5 hours and 1.5 hours) seismic swarms corresponding to the rise of magma toward the surface from a shallow reservoir. Large ground deformation explained by the emplacement of the shallow intrusions, was recorded during the seismic swarms. A summit inflation was observed in early January, before the phase II outbreak, while the phase I eruption was still continuing.Piton de la Fournaise volcanological observatory was installed in 1980. Seismic and ground deformation data now available for a period of 4 years including the 1981 and the 1983–1984 eruptions, allow us to describe the physical behavior of the volcano during this period. These observations lead us to propose that the magma transfer from deep levels to the shallow magma reservoir is not a continuous process but a periodic one and that the shallow magma reservoir was not resupplied before the 1981 and 1983–1984 eruptions. Considerations on the eruptive history and the composition of recent lavas indicate that the reservoir was refilled in 1977.     

Voluminous lava-like precursor to a major ash-flow tuff: low-column pyroclastic eruption of the Pagosa Peak Dacite, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado

The Pagosa Peak Dacite is an unusual pyroclastic deposit that immediately predated eruption of the enormous Fish Canyon Tuff (5000 km³) from the La Garita caldera at 28 Ma. The Pagosa Peak Dacite is thick (to 1 km), voluminous (>200 km³), and has a high aspect ratio (1:50) similar to those of silicic lava flows. It contains a high proportion (40–60%) of juvenile clasts (to 3–4 m) emplaced as viscous magma that was less vesiculated than typical pumice. Accidental lithic fragments are absent above the basal 5–10% of the unit. Thick densely welded proximal deposits flowed rheomorphically due to gravitational spreading, despite the very high viscosity of the crystal-rich magma, resulting in a macroscopic appearance similar to flow-layered silicic lava. Although it is a separate depositional unit, the Pagosa Peak Dacite is indistinguishable from the overlying Fish Canyon Tuff in bulk-rock chemistry, phenocryst compositions, and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age.The unusual characteristics of this deposit are interpreted as consequences of eruption by low-column pyroclastic fountaining and lateral transport as dense, poorly inflated pyroclastic flows. The inferred eruptive style may be in part related to synchronous disruption of the southern margin of the Fish Canyon magma chamber by block faulting. The Pagosa Peak eruptive sources are apparently buried in the southern La Garita caldera, where northerly extensions of observed syneruptive faults served as fissure vents. Cumulative vent cross-sections were large, leading to relatively low emission velocities for a given discharge rate. Many successive pyroclastic flows accumulated sufficiently rapidly to weld densely as a cooling unit up to 1000 m thick and to retain heat adequately to permit rheomorphic flow. Explosive potential of the magma may have been reduced by degassing during ascent through fissure conduits, leading to fracture-dominated magma fragmentation at low vesicularity. Subsequent collapse of the 75×35 km² La Garita caldera and eruption of the Fish Canyon Tuff were probably triggered by destabilization of the chamber roof as magma was withdrawn during the Pagosa Peak eruption.     

The 1983 Etna eruption: Event chronology and morphological evolution of the lava flow

The event chronology of the 1983 Etna eruption is summarized, and the development of a compound lava field at different time intervals during the eruption is described as observed from aerial photographs.The morphological evolution of the lava fronts has been compared with effusion rate and principal modifications occurring in the main channel, and it has been inferred that the development of the lava flow units is related to the formation of lava tunnels and particularly of lava channels. The total volume of lava emitted has been estimated to be 100±20×10⁶ m³ according to two different methods. Finally, the comparison with previous historical eruptive activity shows a good correlation to other quiet eruptions.