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.     

Eruptive patterns for the volcano piton de la fournaise, Reunion Island

A study of the historic record of activity of Piton de la Fournaise has revealed a cyclic pattern of eruption involving effusion of oceanite lava from major-flank centers every 20–40 years. Calculated volumes of the recent lava flows and pyroclastic ejecta have established an effusion rate of 3.9 m³ s⁻¹ since 1931 and 6.2 m³ s⁻¹ since 1951. Flank eruptions outside the present caldera define a distribution maximum which is expected to correlate with the depth range of a high-level magma reservoir.A model has been constructed which requires replenishment of a high-level magma chamber at a constant rate and regular eruption from summit and minor-flank centers, acting as “safety valves” to the magma chamber; when the magma chamber reaches its maximum expansion, a major-flank outburst of oceanitic lava occurs.The fact that calculated effusion rates are not consistent with radiometric dates implies an increase in effusion volume with time for the volcano.     

Lava tubes,terraces and megatumuli on the 1614–24 pahoehoe lava flow field,Mount Etna,sicily

The 1614–1624 lava flow of Mt. Etna was formed during a long-duration flank eruption involving predominantly pahoehoe flows which produced unusual surface features including mega-tumuli (here defined) and terraces. Detailed mapping of the flow units, surface features, and associated tubes reveals a complex sequence of emplacement for the field. The stair-stepped terraces appear to have been formed as a consequence of self-damming of tube-fed flows which developed «perched» ponds of lava. Surges of lava through tubes elevated sections of crusted lava at the distal ends of the flow to generate tumuli, some as high as 130 m, as a consequence of pressure via «hydrostatic head» conditions within the tube. Although pahoehoe lavas and the related features described here are atypical of Mt. Etna, they may reflect styles of eruption and lava emplacement found on volcanoes elsewhere.     

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.     

Turbulence measurements in a submarine canyon

Profiles of velocity turbulence in Monterey Canyon, made with a recently developed expendable probe, show the existence of a very turbulent bottom boundary layer. The turbulent flow is up to 170 m thick and has peak microscale shears of 1 m s⁻¹ per meter. The rate of dissipation of kinetic energy, based on the observed shear variance, averaged over the depth of the turbulent boundary layer ranged from 70 to 500 × 10⁻⁶W m⁻³. Temperature measurements indicate that the flow was up canyon at a time of low tide. The upper bound for the vertical eddy viscosity is estimated to be17 × 10⁻⁴m²s⁻¹ and for the vertical eddy diffusivity is estimated to be 15 × 10⁻⁴m²s⁻¹. The large vertical scale and the intensity of the observed boundary layer suggest that the flow in Monterey Canyon may be important for the renewal and circulation of water over the continental shelf in the bay area.     

Construction dynamics of a lava channel

We use a kinematic GPS and laser range finder survey of a 200 m-long section of the Muliwai a Pele lava channel (Mauna Ulu, Kilauea) to examine the construction processes and flow dynamics responsible for the channel–levee structure. The levees comprise three packages. The basal package comprises an 80–150 m wide ′a′a flow in which a ∼2 m deep and ∼11 m wide channel became centred. This is capped by a second package of thin (<45 cm thick) sheets of pahoehoe extending no more than 50 m from the channel. The upper-most package comprises localised ′a′a overflows. The channel itself contains two blockages located 130 m apart and composed of levee chunks veneered with overflow lava. The channel was emplaced over 50 h, spanning 30 May–2 June, 1974, with the flow front arriving at our section (4.4 km from the vent) 8 h after the eruption began. The basal ′a′a flow thickness yields effusion rates of 35 m³ s⁻¹ for the opening phase, with the initial flow advancing across the mapped section at ∼10 m/min. Short-lived overflows of fluid pahoehoe then built the levee cap, increasing the apparent channel depth to 4.8 m. There were at least six pulses at 90–420 m³ s⁻¹, causing overflow of limited extent lasting no more than 5 min. Brim-full flow conditions were thus extremely short-lived. During a dominant period of below-bank flow, flow depth was ∼2 m with an effusion rate of ∼35 m³ s⁻¹, consistent with the mean output rate (obtained from the total flow bulk volume) of 23–54 m³ s⁻¹. During pulses, levee chunks were plucked and floated down channel to form blockages. In a final low effusion rate phase, lava ponded behind the lower blockage to form a syn-channel pond that fed ′a′a overflow. After the end of the eruption the roofed-over pond continued to drain through the lower blockage, causing the roof to founder. Drainage emplaced inflated flows on the channel floor below the lower blockage for a further ∼10 h. The complex processes involved in levee–channel construction of this short-lived case show that care must be taken when using channel dimensions to infer flow dynamics. In our case, the full channel depth is not exposed. Instead the channel floor morphology reflects late stage pond filling and drainage rather than true channel-contained flow. Components of the compound levee relate to different flow regimes operating at different times during the eruption and associated with different effusion rates, flow dynamics and time scales. For example, although high effusion rate, brim-full flow was maintained for a small fraction of the channel lifetime, it emplaced a pile of pahoehoe overflow units that account for 60% of the total levee height. We show how time-varying volume flux is an important parameter in controlling channel construction dynamics. Because the complex history of lava delivery to a channel system is recorded by the final channel morphology, time-varying flow dynamics can be determined from the channel morphology. Developing methods for quantifying detailed flux histories for effusive events from the evidence in outcrop is therefore highly valuable. We here achieve this by using high-resolution spatial data for a channel system at Kilauea. This study not only indicates those physical and dynamic characteristics that are typical for basaltic lava flows on Hawaiian volcanoes, but also a methodology that can be widely applied to effusive basaltic eruptions.     

Development of the 1990 Kalapana Flow Field,Kilauea Volcano,Hawaii

The 1990 Kalapana flow field is a complex patchwork of tube-fed pahoehoe flows erupted from the Kupaianaha vent at a low effusion rate (approximately 3.5 m³/s). These flows accumulated over an 11-month period on the coastal plain of Kilauea Volcano, where the pre-eruption slope angle was less than 2°. the composite field thickened by the addition of new flows to its surface, as well as by inflation of these flows and flows emplaced earlier. Two major flow types were identified during the development of the flow field: large primary flows and smaller breakouts that extruded from inflated primary flows. Primary flows advanced more quickly and covered new land at a much higher rate than breakouts. The cumulative area covered by breakouts exceeded that of primary flows, although breakouts frequently covered areas already buried by recent flows. Lava tubes established within primary flows were longer-lived than those formed within breakouts and were often reoccupied by lava after a brief hiatus in supply; tubes within breakouts were never reoccupied once the supply was interrupted. During intervals of steady supply from the vent, the daily areal coverage by lava in Kalapana was constant, whereas the forward advance of the flows was sporadic. This implies that planimetric area, rather than flow length, provides the best indicator of effusion rate for pahoehoe flow fields that form on lowangle slopes.     

Morphological complexities and hazards during the emplacement of channel-fed `a`ā lava flow fields: A study of the 2001 lower flow field on Etna

Long-lived basaltic eruptions often produce structurally complex, compound `a`ā flow fields. Here we reconstruct the development of a compound flow field emplaced during the 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna (Italy). Following an initial phase of cooling-limited advance, the reactivation of stationary flows by superposition of new units caused significant channel drainage. Later, blockages in the channel and effusion rate variations resulted in breaching events that produced two new major flow branches. We also examined small-scale, late-stage ‘squeeze-up’ extrusions that were widespread in the flow field. We classified these as ‘flows’, ‘tumuli’ or ‘spines’ on the basis of their morphology, which depended on the rheology, extrusion rate and cooling history of the lava. Squeeze-up flows were produced when the lava was fluid enough to drain away from the source bocca, but fragmented to produce blade-like features that differed markedly from `a`ā clinker. As activity waned, increased cooling and degassing led to lava arriving at boccas with a higher yield strength. In many cases this was unable to flow after extrusion, and laterally extensive, near-vertical sheets of lava developed. These are considered to be exogenous forms of tumuli. In the highest yield strength cases, near-solid lava was extruded from the flow core as a result of ramping, forming spines. The morphology and location of the squeeze-ups provides insight into the flow rheology at the time of their formation. Because they represent the final stages of activity of the flow, they may also help to refine estimates of the most advanced rheological states in which lava can be considered to flow. Our observations suggest that real-time monitoring of compound flow field evolution may allow complex processes such as channel breaching and bocca formation to be forecast. In addition, documenting the occurrence and morphology of squeeze-ups may allow us to determine whether there is any risk of a stalled flow front being reactivated. This will therefore enhance our ability to track and assess hazard posed by lava flow emplacement.     

Development of lava tubes in the light of observations at Mauna Ulu,Kilauea Volcano,Hawaii

During the 1969–1974 Mauna Ulu eruption on Kilauea's upper east rift zone, lava tubes were observed to develop by four principal processes: (1) flat, rooted crusts grew across streams within confined channels; (2) overflows and spatter accreted to levees to build arched roofs across streams; (3) plates of solidified crust floating downstream coalesced to form a roof; and (4) pahoehoe lobes progressively extended, fed by networks of distributaries beneath a solidified crust. Still another tube-forming process operated when pahoehoe entered the ocean; large waves would abruptly chill a crust across the entire surface of a molten stream crossing through the surf zone. These littoral lava tubes formed abruptly, in contrast to subaerial tubes, which formed gradually. All tube-forming processes were favored by low to moderate volume-rates of flow for sustained periods of time. Tubes thereby became ubiquitous within the pahoehoe flows and distributed a very large proportionof the lava that was produced during this prolonged eruption. Tubes transport lava efficiently. Once formed, the roofs of tubes insulate the active streams within, allowing the lava to retain its fluidity for a longer time than if exposed directly to ambient air temperature. Thus the flows can travel greater distances and spread over wider areas. Even though supply rates during most of 1970–1974 were moderate, ranging from 1 to 5 m³/s, large tube systems conducted lava as far as the coast, 12–13 km distant, where they fed extensive pahoehoe fields on the coastal flats. Some flows entered the sea to build lava deltas and add new land to the island. The largest and most efficient tubes developed during periods of sustained extrusion, when new lava was being supplied at nearly constant rates. Tubes can play a major role in building volcanic edifices with gentle slopes because they can deliver a substantial fraction of lava erupted at low to moderate rates to sites far down the flank of a volcano. We conclude, therefore, that the tendency of active pahoehoe flows to form lava tubes is a significant factor in producing the common shield morphology of basaltic volcanoes.     

Lengths and hazards from channel-fed lava flows on Mauna Loa, Hawai‘i, determined from thermal and downslope modeling with FLOWGO

Using the FLOWGO thermo-rheological model we have determined cooling-limited lengths of channel-fed (i.e. a) lava flows from Mauna Loa. We set up the program to run autonomously, starting lava flows from every 4th line and sample in a 30-m spatial-resolution SRTM DEM within regions corresponding to the NE and SW rift zones and the N flank of the volcano. We consider that each model run represents an effective effusion rate, which for an actual flow coincides with it reaching 90% of its total length. We ran the model at effective effusion rates ranging from 1 to 1,000 m³ s^–1, and determined the cooling-limited channel length for each. Keeping in mind that most flows extend 1–2 km beyond the end of their well-developed channels and that our results are non-probabilistic in that they give all potential vent sites an equal likelihood to erupt, lava coverage results include the following: SW rift zone flows threaten almost all of Mauna Loas SW flanks, even at effective effusion rates as low as 50 m³ s^–1 (the average effective effusion rate for SW rift zone eruptions since 1843 is close to 400 m³ s^–1). N flank eruptions, although rare in the recent geologic record, have the potential to threaten much of the coastline S of Keauhou with effective effusion rates of 50–100 m³ s^–1, and the coast near Anaehoomalu if effective effusion rates are 400–500 m³ s^–1 (the 1859 a flow reached this coast with an effective effusion rate of 400 m³ s^–1). If the NE rift zone continues to be active only at elevations >2,500 m, in order for a channel-fed flow to reach Hilo the effective effusion rate needs to be 400 m³ s^–1 (the 1984 flow by comparison, had an effective effusion rate of 200 m³ s^–1). Hilo could be threatened by NE rift zone channel-fed flows with lower effective effusion rates but only if they issue from vents at 2,000 m or lower. Populated areas on Mauna Loas SE flanks (e.g. Phala), could be threatened by SW rift zone eruptions with effective effusion rates of 100 m³ s^–1.Editorial responsibility: J Donnelly-Nolan     

The changing morphology of an open lava channel on Mt. Etna

An open channel lava flow on Mt. Etna (Sicily) was observed during May 30–31, 2001. Data collected using a forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal camera and a Minolta-Land Cyclops 300 thermal infrared thermometer showed that the bulk volume flux of lava flowing in the channel varied greatly over time. Cyclic changes in the channel's volumetric flow rate occurred over several hours, with cycle durations of 113–190 min, and discharges peaking at 0.7 m³ s⁻¹ and waning to 0.1 m³ s⁻¹. Each cycle was characterized by a relatively short, high-volume flux phase during which a pulse of lava, with a well-defined flow front, would propagate down-channel, followed by a period of waning flow during which volume flux lowered. Pulses involved lava moving at relatively high velocities (up to 0.29 m s⁻¹) and were related to some change in the flow conditions occurring up-channel, possibly at the vent. They implied either a change in the dense rock effusion rate at the source vent and/or cyclic-variation in the vesicle content of the lava changing its bulk volume flux. Pulses would generally overspill the channel to emplace pāhoehoe overflows. During periods of waning flow, velocities fell to 0.05 m s^–1. Blockages forming during such phases caused lava to back up. Occasionally backup resulted in overflows of slow moving ‘a‘ā that would advance a few tens of meters down the levee flank. Compound levees were thus a symptom of unsteady flow, where overflow levees were emplaced as relatively fast moving pāhoehoe sheets during pulses, and as slow-moving ‘a‘ā units during backup. Small, localized fluctuations in channel volume flux also occurred on timescales of minutes. Volumes of lava backed up behind blockages that formed at constrictions in the channel. Blockage collapse and/or enhanced flow under/around the blockage would then feed short-lived, wave-like, down-channel surges. Real fluctuations in channel volume flux, due to pulses and surges, can lead to significant errors in effusion rate calculations. Editorial responsibility: A. Woods     

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     

Preliminary report on the activity at Unzen Volcano (Japan), November 1990-November 1991: Dacite lava domes and pyroclastic flows

The eruption of Unzen Volcano commenced on 17 November 1990. Phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions occurred by early May 1991. No large-scale explosive eruptions preceded the extrusion of lava domes. Lava domes appeared in a summit crater on 20 May 1991, and they grew on the steep slope of Mt. Fugen at Unzen Volcano. Rockfalls from the margins of the domes frequently generated pyroclastic flows. Major pyroclastic flows occurred on 3 June, 8 June, and 15 September 1991. The 3 June pyroclastic flow killed forty-three persons. Many of the pyroclastic flows seem to have resulted from the simple rockfalls, except one flow on 8 June, which was accompanied by an explosion from the crater. Many of the rockfalls that generated pyroclastic flows were witnessed. As of November 1991. Unzen Volcano was still active with a nearly constant magma-supply rate of about 0.3 × 10⁶ m³/d. The total magma output exceeded 45 × 10⁶ m³ by the beginning of November 1991. The volume of the lava domes is more than 23 × 10⁶ m³.     

Earthen barriers to control lava flows in the 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna

Preceded by four days of intense seismicity and marked ground deformation, a new eruption of Mt. Etna started on 17 July and lasted until 9 August 2001. It produced lava emission and strombolian and phreatomagmatic activity from four different main vents located on a complex fracture system extending from the southeast summit cone for about 4.5 km southwards, from 3000 to 2100 m elevation (a.s.l.). The lava emitted from the lowest vent cut up an important road on the volcano and destroyed other rural roads and a few isolated country houses. Its front descended southwards to about 4 km distance from the villages of Nicolosi and Belpasso. A plan of intervention, including diversion and retaining barriers and possibly lava flow interruption, was prepared but not activated because the flow front stopped as a consequence of a decrease in the effusion rate. Extensive interventions were carried out in order to protect some important tourist facilities of the Sapienza and Mts. Silvestri zones (1900 m elevation) from being destroyed by the lava emitted from vents located at 2700 m and 2550 m elevation. Thirteen earthen barriers (with a maximum length of 370 m, height of 10–12 m, base width of 15 m and volume of 25 000 m³) were built to divert the lava flow away from the facilities towards a path implying considerably less damage. Most of the barriers were oriented diagonally (110–135°) to the direction of the flow. They were made of loose material excavated nearby and worked very nicely, resisting the thrust of the lava without any difficulty. After the interventions carried out on Mt. Etna in 1983 and in 1991–1992, those of 2001 confirm that earthen barriers can be very effective in controlling lava flows.     

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.     

A laboratory investigation into the effects of slope on lava flow morphology

In an attempt to model the effect of slope on the dynamics of lava flow emplacement, four distinct morphologies were repeatedly produced in a series of laboratory simulations where polyethylene glycol (PEG) was extruded at a constant rate beneath cold sucrose solution onto a uniform slope which could be varied from 1° through 60°. The lowest extrusion rates and slopes, and highest cooling rates, produced flows that rapidly crusted over and advanced through bulbous toes, or pillows (similar to subaerial “toey” pahoehoe flows and to submarine pillowed flows). As extrusion rate and slope increased, and cooling rate decreased, pillowed flows gave way to rifted flows (linear zones of liquid wax separated by plates of solid crust, similar to what is observed on the surface of convecting lava lakes), then to folded flows with surface crusts buckled transversely to the flow direction, and, at the highest extrusion rates and slopes, and lowest cooling rates, to leveed flows, which solidified only at their margins. A dimensionless parameter, Ψ, primarily controlled by effusion rate, cooling rate and flow viscosity, quantifies these flow types. Increasing the underlying slope up to 30° allows the liquid wax to advance further before solidifying, with an effect similar to that of increasing the effusion rate. For example, conditions that produce rifted flows on a 10° slope result in folded flows on a 30° slope. For underlying slopes of 40°, however, this trend reverses, slightly owing to increased gravitational forces relative to the strength of the solid wax. Because of its significant influence on heat advection and the disruption of a solid crust, slope must be incorporated into any quantitative attempt to correlate eruption parameters and lava flow morphologies. These experiments and subsequent scaling incorporate key physical parameters of both an extrusion and its environment, allowing their results to be used to interpret lava flow morphologies on land, on the sea floor, and on other planets.     

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.     

Seismicity of an andesitic volcano during block-lava effusion: Volcán de Colima, México, November 1998–January 1999

The block-lava effusion at Volcán de Colima, México began on November 20, 1998, after 12 months of seismic activity, and ended about 80 days later. Three types of seismic events were observed during the lava effusion. Volcano—tectonic earthquakes occurred mainly at the very beginning and after the termination of lava effusion. Explosion earthquakes occurred frequently during the period of the maximum rate in lava effusion. The remainder of the seismic signals were associated with pyroclastic flows and rockfalls from the lava dome. These latter signals increased sharply in number at the onset of lava effusion. The rate of occurrence remained high when the lava discharge rate decreased but gradually decreased after the termination of lava effusion. Maximum daily durations of seismic signals are proportional to the daily volumetric output of lava, indicating the dependence of the number of pyroclastic flows on the rate of lava output. A log-log plot of seismic signal duration vs. number of events with this duration displays a linear relationship. The short-period seismic signals can be divided into three categories based on duration: short events with durations less than 100 s; intermediate events with durations between 100 and 250 s; and long events with durations longer than 250 s. We infer that long events correspond to pyroclastic flows with mean deposit volume 2×10⁵ m³, and intermediate events represent pyroclastic flows with mean deposit volume 1×10³ m³.Editorial responsibility: J McPhie     

Emplacement conditions of the c. 1,600-year bp Collier Cone lava flow, Oregon: a LiDAR investigation

A long-standing question in lava flow studies has been how to infer emplacement conditions from information preserved in solidified flows. From a hazards perspective, volumetric flux (effusion rate) is the parameter of most interest for open-channel lava flows, as the effusion rate is important for estimating the final flow length, the rate of flow advance, and the eruption duration. The relationship between effusion rate, flow length, and flow advance rate is fairly well constrained for basaltic lava flows, where there are abundant recent examples for calibration. Less is known about flows of intermediate compositions (basaltic andesite to andesite), which are less frequent and where field measurements are limited by the large block sizes and the topographic relief of the flows. Here, we demonstrate ways in which high-resolution digital topography obtained using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems can provide access to terrains where field measurements are difficult or impossible to collect. We map blocky lava flow units using LiDAR-generated bare earth digital terrain models (DTMs) of the Collier Cone lava flow in the central Oregon Cascades. We also develop methods using geographic information systems to extract and quantify morphologic features such as channel width, flow width, flow thickness, and slope. Morphometric data are then analyzed to estimate both effusion rates and emplacement times for the lava flow field. Our data indicate that most of the flow outline (which comprises the earliest, and most voluminous, flow unit) can be well explained by an average volumetric flux ～14–18?m³/s; channel data suggest an average flux ～3?m³/s for a later, channel-filling, flow unit. When combined with estimates of flow volume, these data suggest that the Collier Cone lava flow was most likely emplaced over a time scale of several months. This example illustrates ways in which high-resolution DTMs can be used to extract and analyze morphologic measurements and how these measurements can be analyzed to estimate emplacement conditions for inaccessible, heavily vegetated, or extraterrestrial lava flows.     

The pit-craters and pit-crater-filling lavas of Masaya volcano

Lava flowing into a pit crater will become entrapped to form an inactive lava lake. At Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) pit filling lavas are exposed in the walls of Nindiri, Santiago and San Pedro pits. Mapping of these lavas shows that fill can involve emplacement of both ’a’a and pahoehoe, with single fill units ranging in thickness from 2 to 22 m. Thick units with columnar joints were emplaced as simple inactive lava lakes during high effusion rate episodes. Sequences of thinner units, which can form pit floor shields or compound lakes, were emplaced at lower effusion rates. Lava withdrawal caused unsupported sections of three 20-m-thick units to subside, resulting in unit flexure and faulting, and viscous peeling features reveal that subsidence occurred while at least one unit was still partially molten. Where withdrawal has not occurred, fill sequences are flat lying and symmetrically distributed around the feeder structures (cinder cones and dykes). The filled Nindiri pit holds 5 × 10⁷ m³ of lava in a 215-m-thick sequence. Partial fill of Santiago pit with 1 × 10⁷ m³ of lava has filled the pit with a 110-m-thick lava sequence, of which ∼50% has been consumed by formation of a secondary pit. Altogether, 6.4 × 10⁷ m³ of lava was erupted into Nindiri and Santiago during 1525–1965, with 94% of this volume remaining pit-contained; the remainder forms a north flank lava flow field. Pit development and filling is a dynamic and ephemeral process, having short-lived effects on volcano morphology, where pits develop and fill over hours-to-centuries. However, pits play an important role in shaping an edifice, representing lava sinks and controlling whether lavas are trapped or able to spread onto the flanks.