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     

Temperatures of entering magma,formation and dimensions of magma chambers of volcanoes

A mechanism, of formation of magma chambers that feed volcanoes is discussed. Heat conditions and dimensions of magma chambers which have existed for more than several thousand years may become stable. The approximate equations of heat balance of these chambers are derived by calculating the temperatureT ₁ of the magma entering chambers and the radiia of chambers. Calculations show that the radius of the shallow « peripheral » chambers of the Avachinsky volcano is less than 3–3.5 km. Possible maximum radii of « peripheral » magma chambers were estimated for the Kamchatkan volcanoes of medial size. The temperature difference in their chambers may reach 100–200 °C. This method can be applied to the calculations of « roots » of central-type volcanoes.     

The dynamics of magma mixing in a rising magma batch

The conditions under which two magmas can become mixed within a rising magma batch are investigated by scaling analyses and fluid-dynamical experiments. The results of scaling analyses show that the fluid behaviours in a squeezed conduit are determined mainly by the dimensionless number where ₁ is the viscosity of the fluid, U is the velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity, is the density difference between the two fluids, and R is the radius of the tube. The parameter I represents a balance between the viscous effects in the uppermost magma which prevent it from being moved off the conduit walls, and the buoyancy forces which tend to keep the interface horizontal. The experiments are carried out using fluid pairs of various density and viscosity contrasts in a squeezed vinyl tube. They show that overturning of the initial density stratification and mixing occur when I>order 10^-1; the two fluids remain stratified when I 10^-3. Transitional states are observed when 10^-3<I<10^-1. These results are nearly independent of Reynolds number and viscosity ratio in the range of and Re ₁<300. Applying these results to magmas shows that silicic to intermediate magmas overlying mafic magma will be prone to mixing in a rising magma batch. This mechanism can explain some occurrences of small-volume mixed lava flows.     

Incipient magma chamber formation as a result of repetitive intrusions

An analytical solution for periodic magma intrusions in conduits was developed to study the onset of shallow magma chamber formation. The solution is based on determining when a repetitive series of intrusions can cause the wall rock of a conduit to reach its melt temperature. The results show that magma chamber formation in conduits is a strong function of the volume rate of intrusion and that magma chamber formation is likely when the intrusion rate exceeds 10^?3 km³/ yr. which agrees with observations by other investigators. Once this critical value of intrusion rate is reached, magma chambers are likely to begin forming after only a few intrusive pulses (less than ten). Results for both cylindrical conduits and dikes show cylindrical conduits are more favourable for the formation of shallow magma chambers.     

The entrainment of high-viscosity magma into low-viscosity magma in eruption conduits

We report experiments on the flow of two fluids of contrasting viscosity through a pipe in which low-viscosity fluid occupies the center of the pipe. The volume flux of the low-viscosity fluid in the pipe increased during an experiment but did not reach 100% in most cases. The transition from high- to low-viscosity-dominated outflow involved a drop in pressure gradient and an increase in flow rate due to reduced viscous resistance in the pipe. Initially, the central flow was thin and parallel-sided, but as its diameter increased the flow became unstable. A sequence of instabilities was observed during the course of each experiment, both in time and as a function of height in the pipe. In the most commonly observed instability the central flow adopted a helical geometry. The transition from parallel-sided to unstable flow first appeared at the top of the pipe and propagated downwards against the flow. Axisymmetric instabilities originating at the pipe entrance were also observed. All forms of instability exhibited entrainment of viscous fluid into the faster moving central flow. Entrainment was extensive early in the existence of the central flow, but later on the volume flux of lower-viscosity fluid in the central flow rose more rapidly than the rate of entrainment and the proportion of lower-viscosity fluid increased with time. These compositional changes determined the viscosity of the central flow which was found to control its diameter and velocity. In banded pumice deposits, silicic pumice without mafic component is commonly erupted alongside banded pumice blocks. We infer that banded pumice may correspond to the central flow in our experiments, i. e., that viscous magma has been incorporated into less viscous melt, and that pure acid pumice is derived from the outer flow. Changes in eruption style may be caused by variations in pressure gradient and flow rate due to changes in the viscosity of the melt in the conduit. Varied mafic/silicic proportions and degree of mixing in magmatic associations are controlled by the bulk volume erupted, discharge rate, initial temperature difference and aspect ratio of the conduit.     

The effect of stress on faulting and minor intrusions in the vicinity of a magma body

The stress field in the vicinity of a body of fluid of simple geometry contained within a non-homogeneously stressed solid has been calculated and the result applied to the case of a magma body within a region of the crust subject to triaxial stresses. The types of faulting and minor intrusion which result are described. The theory indicates that the regional stresses in the crust together with the magma pressure control the type of faulting, the form of the minor intrusions and the occurrence of eruptions from the magma body. The stress conditions favouring caldera formation, the intrusion of radial dykes, dyke swarms and cone sheets are described.     

The principle of coupled stress release model and its application

Coupled stress release model is proposed in the paper considering the interaction between different parts based on stress release model by Vere-Jones, and is used to historical earthquake data from North China. The results by this model are compared with the results by original stress release model using AIC criterion. The results show that coupled stress release model is better than original model.     

The principle of coupled stress release model and its application

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An experimental study on the formation of composite intrusions from zoned magma chambers

We present a model which accounts for the common, but paradoxical arrangement of composite intrusions (i.e. silicic core and mafic margins) on the basis of analogue experiments using gelatin and aqueous solutions. The present model involves simultaneous flow-out of the upper and lower magmas from a longitudinal crack along the chamber wall. Experimental results suggest that the mafic magma from the lower layer leaks from the side-wall of the chamber and travels faster than the silicic magma because of its lower viscosity, so that the mafic magma reaches the tip of the crack first. Once the mafic magma reaches the crack tip, then the rate of dyke propagation becomes determined by the viscosity of the less viscous mafic magma, and so it can advance rapidly. The viscous silicic magma can flow efficiently into the center of the dyke, being lubricated by the mafic magma margins. This model accounts for the common arrangement of composite intrusions and gives an efficient mechanism of flow of viscous silicic magmas.     

Caldera formation by magma withdrawal from a reservoir beneath a volcanic edifice

Caldera formation has been explained by magma withdrawal from a crustal reservoir, but little is known about the conditions that lead to the critical reservoir pressure for collapse. During an eruption, the reservoir pressure is constrained to lie within a finite range: it cannot exceed the threshold value for eruption, and cannot decrease below another threshold value such that feeder dykes get shut by the confining pressure, which stops the eruption. For caldera collapse to occur, the critical reservoir pressure for roof failure must therefore be within this operating range. We use an analytical elastic model to evaluate the changes of reservoir pressure that are required for failure of roof rocks above the reservoir with and without a volcanic edifice at Earth's surface. With no edifice at Earth's surface, faulting in the roof region can only occur in the initial phase of reservoir inflation and affects a very small part of the focal area. Such conditions do not allow caldera collapse. With a volcanic edifice, large tensile stresses develop in the roof region, whose magnitude increase as the reservoir deflates during an eruption. The edifice size must exceed a threshold value for failure of the roof region before the end of eruption. The largest tensile stresses are reached at Earth's surface, indicating that faulting starts there. Failure affects an area whose horizontal dimensions depend on edifice and chamber dimensions. For small and deep reservoirs, failure conditions cannot be achieved even if the edifice is very large. Quantitative predictions are consistent with observations on a number of volcanoes.     

Effect of tensile stress concentration around magma chambers on intrusion and extrusion frequencies

What controls the intrusion and extrusion frequencies associated with volcanoes is still poorly understood. I propose that for volcanoes at divergent plate boundaries, these frequencies may be largely determined by the tensile stress concentration around the magma chambers that feed them. This stress concentration is mainly a function of the applied tensile stress, associated with spreading, and the aspect (height/width) ratios of the chambers. High spreading rates and/or aspect ratios lead to high rates of tensile stress concentration around the chambers and to an increase in their intrusion frequencies. It is found that for chambers at the same depth in a volcanic zone, the one of the highest aspect ratio will normally intrude magma most frequently. Also, if the chambers are of equal aspect ratios, the one at the greatest depth will intrude magma most frequently. Because the extrusion frequency of a volcano is a fraction of its intrusion frequency, the extrusion frequency may also be largely determined by the rate of tensile stress concentration around the magma chamber that feeds the volcano. These results are applied to the divergent plate boundary in Iceland, where many of the volcanoes appear to be fed by “double chambers”, that is, shallow chambers fed by deep-seated chambers. It is found that, except when the aspect ratio of the deep-seated chamber is much less than that of the shallow chamber, the intrusion frequency of the shallow chamber is normally largely controlled by that of the deep-seated chamber. It is concluded that whereas the short-term (i.e., ≤10³ yrs) extrusion frequencies of volcanoes at the plate boundary in Iceland may be similar to the dike intrusion frequencies of the source chambers, the long-term (i.e., ≥10⁴ yrs) extrusion frequencies may be about ten times lower than the intrusion frequencies.     

岩浆驱动破裂的形态研究

轴地壳岩浆房是活动扩张中心海洋地壳结构的一个重要组成部分，轴地壳岩浆房通过深部岩浆源的补充，内部岩浆的同化熔融、结晶分异等岩浆房过程，其中的岩浆会破裂上覆的岩石层形成岩浆破裂，并沿岩浆破裂继续向上迁移。本文建立了岩浆迁移的层流模型，从理论上对岩浆迁移问题进行了探讨，并将遗传算法引入到该问题中来，用遗传算法求解了描述岩浆驱动破裂传播的积分方程。如果假设岩浆破裂在远离破裂末梢处的权限宽度为1M，则靠近末梢，破裂的宽度逐渐加大，在末梢处宽度为2m左右。并根据文献对岩浆流体的一些观测参数计算得出，岩浆破裂权限宽度不会很大，一般在1m左右的量级。     

The feeding of the eruptive activity of Etna volcano. The regional stress field as a constraint to magma uprising and eruption

An analysis of the structural lineaments, as observed on the middle and upper slopes of Etna volcano, was made with the aim of checking stress distribution within the volcanic structure. The observed features suggest that the deformation pattern of the volcanic edifice is compatible with a deviating stress field dominated by an E-W sinistral shear, with the maximum stress axes being oriented NE (σ¹) and NW (σ³) respectively. Such a framework appears to be consistent with the active regional stress field, as deduced from structural data and focal mechanism analyses. The role of the active stress field in the penetration, uprising and eruption of magma in the Etnean area is therefore discussed and some more general suggestions about the geodynamic evolution of eastern Sicily are made.     

The magma evolution of Tianchi volcano, Changbaishan

The Changbaishan Tianchi volcano is composed of the basaltic rocks at the shield-forming stage, the trachyte and pantellerite at the cone-forming stage and modern eruption. Studies on their REE, incompatible elements and Sr, Nd, Pb isotopes suggest that rocks at different stages have a common magma genesis and close evolution relationship with differentiation crystallization playing the key role. The co-eruption of basaltic trachyandesite magma and pantellerite magma indicates that there exist both crustal magma chamber and mantle magma reservoir beneath the Tianchi volcano. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49672109).     

The peculiarities of magma rise in presence of water

The viscosity of basalts (quartz and olivine tholeiite) was studied under pressure in dry conditions and in the presence of water. In dry conditions at 1400°C when pressure increases to 20 kbars the viscosity reduces by a factor of 2. In conditions of water saturation of basalt melts at 5 kbar the viscosity is smaller by a factor of ～ 50 than that in dry conditions. In the water undersaturated conditions when water content is fixed (3.3% H₂O) in melt the viscosity considerably decreases with pressure and takes intermediate value between those in dry and water saturated conditions. Experimental data recently obtained permit us to consider the peculiarities of physical properties of magma in the presence of water on a new base. Ascending magma can reach critical velocities of transition to the turbulent regime under negligible pressure drop, as a result of low viscosity. It is known at present that water influences on the viscosity of acidic melt under pressure of 1–8 kbars and at temperatures between 800–1200°C. Various authors gave physico-chemical evaluation of the dynamics of granite melts on the basis of these data. The viscosity of basalt melts and their dynamics under normal pressure is also well-known. The known new experimental data of basaltic melt viscosity under pressure in dry conditions (Kushiro et al., 1976;Khitarov et al., 1978) and in the presence of water (Khitarov et al., 1976) embrace broader intervals of physico-chemical conditions as on the pressure (up to 20–30 kbar) as well on the content of water (from 3% up to 12 %). These data permitted to evaluate on a new base the dynamics of magmatic melts under pressure.     

Space-time correlations ofb values with stress release

A total of 1503 events for a 2-month period associated with am _N 2.6 rockburst is investigated for possible space-time correlations between low magnitude (–1.1 to –0.4)b values and several estimates of stress (static stress drop, apparent stress, and dynamic stress). Spatial variations of decreasingb values were found to be well correlated with increasing stress release estimates for time intervals prior to the rockburst and following the aftershock sequence. The strongest correlation tob value was with the dynamic stress drop, having correlation coefficients of 0.87 and 0.79 for the two intervals, respectively. The rockburst was found to actually occur at the intersection of the spatial coordinates corresponding to the largest gradient inb value. Based on these correlations, we conclude that the low magnitude seismicity is an indicator of the stress state within the rock mass, and can be used to study and forecast stress patterns in the vicinity of an impending major event. Time variations, however, did not show the same clear correlations and these are discussed in terms of departure from steady state conditions. Regardless, our results favour the use ofb values in a spatial, context rather than in a time analysis approach, and we consider thatb values provide valuable information regarding the changing stress conditions within the seismogenic volume.