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.     

Directed blasts and blast-generated pyroclastic density currents: a comparison of the Bezymianny 1956, Mount St Helens 1980, and Soufrière Hills,Montserrat 1997 eruptions and deposits

We compare eruptive dynamics, effects and deposits of the Bezymianny 1956 (BZ), Mount St Helens 1980 (MSH), and Soufrière Hills volcano, Montserrat 1997 (SHV) eruptions, the key events of which included powerful directed blasts. Each blast subsequently generated a high-energy stratified pyroclastic density current (PDC) with a high speed at onset. The blasts were triggered by rapid unloading of an extruding or intruding shallow magma body (lava dome and/or cryptodome) of andesitic or dacitic composition. The unloading was caused by sector failures of the volcanic edifices, with respective volumes for BZ, MSH, and SHV c. 0.5, 2.5, and 0.05 km³. The blasts devastated approximately elliptical areas, axial directions of which coincided with the directions of sector failures. We separate the transient directed blast phenomenon into three main parts, the burst phase, the collapse phase, and the PDC phase. In the burst phase the pressurized mixture is driven by initial kinetic energy and expands rapidly into the atmosphere, with much of the expansion having an initially lateral component. The erupted material fails to mix with sufficient air to form a buoyant column, but in the collapse phase, falls beyond the source as an inclined fountain, and thereafter generates a PDC moving parallel to the ground surface. It is possible for the burst phase to comprise an overpressured jet, which requires injection of momentum from an orifice; however some exploding sources may have different geometry and a jet is not necessarily formed. A major unresolved question is whether the preponderance of strong damage observed in the volcanic blasts should be attributed to shock waves within an overpressured jet, or alternatively to dynamic pressures and shocks within the energetic collapse and PDC phases. Internal shock structures related to unsteady flow and compressibility effects can occur in each phase. We withhold judgment about published shock models as a primary explanation for the damage sustained at MSH until modern 3D numerical modeling is accomplished, but argue that much of the damage observed in directed blasts can be reasonably interpreted to have been caused by high dynamic pressures and clast impact loading by an inclined collapsing fountain and stratified PDC. This view is reinforced by recent modeling cited for SHV. In distal and peripheral regions, solids concentration, maximum particle size, current speed, and dynamic pressure are diminished, resulting in lesser damage and enhanced influence by local topography on the PDC. Despite the different scales of the blasts (devastated areas were respectively 500, 600, and >10 km² for BZ, MSH, and SHV), and some complexity involving retrogressive slide blocks and clusters of explosions, their pyroclastic deposits demonstrate strong similarity. Juvenile material composes >50% of the deposits, implying for the blasts a dominantly magmatic mechanism although hydrothermal explosions also occurred. The character of the magma fragmented by explosions (highly viscous, phenocryst-rich, variable microlite content) determined the bimodal distributions of juvenile clast density and vesicularity. Thickness of the deposits fluctuates in proximal areas but in general decreases with distance from the crater, and laterally from the axial region. The proximal stratigraphy of the blast deposits comprises four layers named A, B, C, D from bottom to top. Layer A is represented by very poorly sorted debris with admixtures of vegetation and soil, with a strongly erosive ground contact; its appearance varies at different sites due to different ground conditions at the time of the blasts. The layer reflects intense turbulent boundary shear between the basal part of the energetic head of the PDC and the substrate. Layer B exhibits relatively well-sorted fines-depleted debris with some charred plant fragments; its deposition occurred by rapid suspension sedimentation in rapidly waning, high-concentration conditions. Layer C is mainly a poorly sorted massive layer enriched by fines with its uppermost part laminated, created by rapid sedimentation under moderate-concentration, weakly tractive conditions, with the uppermost laminated part reflecting a dilute depositional regime with grain-by-grain traction deposition. By analogy to laboratory experiments, mixing at the flow head of the PDC created a turbulent dilute wake above the body of a gravity current, with layer B deposited by the flow body and layer C by the wake. The uppermost layer D of fines and accretionary lapilli is an ash fallout deposit of the finest particles from the high-rising buoyant thermal plume derived from the sediment-depleted pyroclastic density current. The strong similarity among these eruptions and their deposits suggests that these cases represent similar source, transport and depositional phenomena.     

神奇的火山洞穴

洞穴是一种重要的地质地貌现象和地貌类型,也是人类文明的摇篮.火山洞穴主要是指火山熔岩型洞穴,除此之外,还有构造-差异风化洞穴和火山侵入岩崩塌堆叠型洞穴.它们在我国分布范围较广,各具不同的成因机理,旅游及科研价值巨大,极具开发潜力.     

爆破事件自动监测报警系统的研制

通过对数字地震波形开展周期-频度谱分析,利用波形不规则指数和卓越周期等小爆破的识别判据,开发研制了实时监测的爆破事件自动监测报警系统。该系统具有对小爆破事件进行自动识别、自动定位和自动E-mail报警的功能。     

Electrification of volcanic plumes

Volcanic lightning, perhaps the most spectacular consequence of the electrification of volcanic plumes, has been implicated in the origin of life on Earth, and may also exist in other planetary atmospheres. Recent years have seen volcanic lightning detection used as part of a portfolio of developing techniques to monitor volcanic eruptions. Remote sensing measurement techniques have been used to monitor volcanic lightning, but surface observations of the atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) and the charge carried on volcanic ash also show that many volcanic plumes, whilst not sufficiently electrified to produce lightning, have detectable electrification exceeding that of their surrounding environment. Electrification has only been observed associated with ash-rich explosive plumes, but there is little evidence that the composition of the ash is critical to its occurrence. Different conceptual theories for charge generation and separation in volcanic plumes have been developed to explain the disparate observations obtained, but the ash fragmentation mechanism appears to be a key parameter. It is unclear which mechanisms or combinations of electrification mechanisms dominate in different circumstances. Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the dry fall-out of ash from a volcanic plume. Beyond the local electrification of plumes, the higher stratospheric particle concentrations following a large explosive eruption may affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit. It is possible that this might present another, if minor, way by which large volcanic eruptions affect global climate. The direct hazard of volcanic lightning to communities is generally low compared to other aspects of volcanic activity.     

Lateral blasts at Mount St. Helens and hazard zonation

Lateral blasts at andesitic and dacitic volcanoes can produce a variety of direct hazards, including ballistic projectiles which can be thrown to distances of at least 10 km and pyroclastic density flows which can travel at high speed to distances of more than 30 km. Indirect effect that may accompany such explosions include wind-borne ash, pyroclastic flows formed by the remobilization of rock debris thrown onto sloping ground, and lahars.Two lateral blasts occurred at a lava dome on the north flank of Mount St. Helens about 1200 years ago; the more energetic of these threw rock debris northeastward across a sector of about 30° to a distance of at least 10 km. The ballistic debris fell onto an area estimated to be 50 km², and wind-transported ash and lapilli derived from the lateral-blast cloud fell on an additional lobate area of at least 200 km². In contrast, the vastly larger lateral blast of May 18, 1980, created a devastating pyroclastic density flow that covered a sector of as much as 180°, reached a maximum distance of 28 km, and within a few minutes directly affected an area of about 550 km². The May 18 lateral blast resulted from the sudden, landslide-induced depressurization of a dacite cryptodome and the hydrothermal system that surrounded it within the volcano.We propose that lateral-blast hazard assessments for lava domes include an adjoining hazard zone with a radius of at least 10 km. Although a lateral blast can occur on any side of a dome, the sector directly affected by any one blast probably will be less than 180°. Nevertheless, a circular hazard zone centered on the dome is suggested because of the difficulty of predicting the direction of a lateral blast.For the purpose of long-term land-use planning, a hazard assessment for lateral blasts caused by explosions of magma bodies or pressurized hydrothermal systems within a symmetrical volcano could designate a circular potential hazard area with a radius of 35 km centered on the volcano. For short-term hazard assessments, if seismicity and deformation indicate that magma is moving toward the flank of a volcano, it should be recognized that a landslide could lead to the sudden unloading of a magmatic or hydrothermal system and thereby cause a catastrophic lateral blast. A hazard assessment should assume that a lateral blast could directly affect an area at least 180° wide to a distance of 35 km from the site of the explosion, irrespective of topography.     

Diffuse volcanic degassing and thermal energy release from Hengill volcanic system, Iceland

We report the first detailed study of spatial variations on the diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from Hengill volcanic system, Iceland. Soil CO₂ and H₂S efflux measurements were performed at 752 sampling sites and ranged from nondetectable to 17,666 and 722?g?m^?2?day^?1, respectively. The soil temperature was measured at each sampling site and used to evaluate the heat flow. The chemical composition of soil gases sampled at selected sampling sites during this study shows they result from a mixing process between deep volcanic/hydrothermal component and air. Most of the diffuse CO₂ degassing is observed close to areas where active thermal manifestations occur, northeast flank of the Hengill central volcano close to the Nesjavellir power plant, suggesting a diffuse degassing structure with a SSW?CNNE trend, overlapping main fissure zone and indicating a structural control of the degassing process. On the other hand, H₂S efflux values are in general very low or negligible along the study area, except those observed at the northeast flank of the Hengill central volcano, where anomalously high CO₂ efflux and soil temperatures were also measured. The total diffuse CO₂ emission estimated for this volcanic system was about 1,526?±?160?t?day^?1 of which 453?t?day^?1 (29.7?%) are of volcanic/hydrothermal origin. To calculate the steam discharge associated with the volcanic/hydrothermal CO₂ output, we used the average H₂O/CO₂ mass ratio from 12 fumarole samples equal to 88.6 (range, 9.4?C240.2) as a representative value of the H₂O/CO₂ mass ratios for Hengill fumarole steam. The resulting estimate of the steam flow associated with the gas flux is equal to 40,154?t?day^?1. The condensation of this steam results in thermal energy release for Helgill volcanic system of 1.07?×?10¹⁴?J?day^?1 or to a total heat flow of 1,237?MW_t.     

Estimating the number of blasts in the Dushanbe-Vakhsh earthquake catalog

The daily periodicity in four regions of the Dushanbe–Vakhsh area is analyzed. The study considers representative, nonrepresentative, and intermediate-energy earthquakes. Analysis of the specific features of the shape of the diurnal variation on workdays and weekends make it possible (1) to reliably conclude that the anomalous daily variation on workdays in medium-energy earthquake samplings is of technogenic origin and (2) suggest similarities in samplings of the weakest and strongest earthquakes. Apparently, the catalog includes a large number of industrial blasts. The number of blasts in earthquake samplings of various epochs and energies is estimated.     

地震记录中小爆破的识别与判据研究

主要研究小当量爆破(即矿山爆破)与小震级地震事件的识别与判据。我们利用北京遥测地震台网的短周期模拟记录资料作过一些研究(傅等,1997),取得了一定的进展,在此基础上,又利用北京遥测地震台网的DAPS(模拟信号台网中心数字化地震记录)系统进行了较为深入、定量的研究。主要根据两者在波形记录特征、ML与MD震级差别、频谱分析中卓越周期与拐角频率方面的不同,使得地震与爆破的识别取得了较高的概率。     

Summary of recent volcanic activity

Summary of recent volcanic activitySmithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Network     

Summary of recent volcanic activity

Summary of recent volcanic activitySmithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Network