<Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar ages of the<Emphasis Type="Italic"> AD</Emphasis> 79 eruption of Vesuvius,Italy

The Italian volcano, Vesuvius, erupted explosively in AD 79. Sanidine from pumice collected at Casti Amanti in Pompeii and Villa Poppea in Oplontis yielded a weighted-mean ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 1925±66 years in 2004 (1σ uncertainty) from incremental-heating experiments of eight aliquants of sanidine. This is the calendar age of the eruption. Our results together with the work of Renne et al. (1997) and Renne and Min (1998) demonstrate the validity of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method to reconstruct the recent eruptive history of young, active volcanoes.     

Geochemical Changes in Spring Water Associated with the 2000 Eruption of the Miyakejima Volcano, Japan

Water was sampled from eight springs and a lake in volcanic Miyakejima Island of Japan after the 2000 eruption. Major chemical and isotopic compositions of the water were analyzed. Significant increases of sulfate ion are observed in several springs where the thickness of ejecta exceeds 32 mm. A good relationship of Cl/S mole ratios between spring water and leachate of the ejecta is observed. Sulfur isotopic compositions of the spring water become close to that of leachate of the ejecta as time elapses after the eruption. Consequently the sources of the added sulfate ion in the spring water after the eruption are interpreted to be anhydrite and adhered sulfur of the ejecta.     

Simulation of syn-eruptive floods in the circumvesuvian plain (southern Italy)

During explosive eruptions the deposition of fine-grained volcanic ash fallout reduces soil permeability, favouring runoff of meteoric water and thus increasing the occurrence of catastrophic floods. A fully dynamic, two-dimensional model was used to simulate flooding scenarios in the Vesuvian area following an explosive volcanic eruption. The highest risk occurs in the catchment area of the Acerra-Nola Plain N and NE of Vesuvius. This plain has a population of 70,000 living in low-lying areas. This catchment area is vulnerable to ash fall because it lies downwind of the dominant synoptic circulation and it lacks a natural outflow toward the sea. Our numerical simulations predict dangerous scenarios, even in quiescent periods, during extreme rain events (return periods of 200 years have been considered), and a significant increase in the extent of the flooded areas due to renewed volcanic activity. Based on these simulations a hazard zonation has been proposed. Editorial responsibility: A Woods     

Silicic lava dome growth in the 1934–1935 Showa Iwo-jima eruption, Kikai caldera, south of Kyushu, Japan

The 1934–1935 Showa Iwo-jima eruption started with a silicic lava extrusion onto the floor of the submarine Kikai caldera and ceased with the emergence of a lava dome. The central part of the emergent dome consists of lower microcrystalline rhyolite, grading upward into finely vesicular lava, overlain by coarsely vesicular lava with pumice breccia at the top. The lava surface is folded, and folds become tighter toward the marginal part of the dome. The dome margin is characterized by two zones: a fracture zone and a breccia zone. The fracture zone is composed of alternating layers of massive lava and welded oxidized breccia. The breccia zone is the outermost part of the dome, and consists of glassy breccia interpreted to be hyaloclastite. The lava dome contains lava with two slightly different chemical compositions; the marginal part being more dacitic and the central part more rhyolitic. The fold geometry and chemical compositions indicate that the marginal dacite had a slightly higher temperature, lower viscosity, and lower yield stress than the central rhyolite. The high-temperature dacite lava began to effuse in the earlier stage from the central crater. The front of the dome came in contact with seawater and formed hyaloclastite. During the later stage, low-temperature rhyolite lava effused subaerially. As lava was injected into the growing dome, the fracture zone was produced by successive fracturing, ramping, and brecciation of the moving dome front. In the marginal part, hyaloclastite was ramped above the sea surface by progressive increments of the new lava. The central part was folded, forming pumice breccia and wrinkles. Subaerial emplacement of lava was the dominant process during the growth of the Showa Iwo-jima dome.Editorial Responsibility J. McPhie     

Ar–Ar geochronology of Santo Antão, Cape Verde Islands

Santo Antão, the northernmost island of the Cape Verde Archipelago, consists entirely of silica-undersaturated volcanic products and minor intrusions. ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar incremental heating experiments have been carried out on 24 samples that cover the entire exposed chronological sequence. The oldest lavas (7.57±0.56 Ma), representing an older volcanic basement, are exposed about 620 m above mean sea level. After an interval of quiescence of up to 4.3 Ma the volcanic activity resumed and continued at low eruption rates. The older basement is unconformably overlain by a ca. 810-m-thick lava sequence that spans an age range from 2.93±0.03 to 1.18±0.01 Ma. This sequence is cut by many dykes and sills. Simultaneous volcanic activity occurred in the northeastern, central and eastern part of the island. A phonolitic pumice deposit that forms a noteworthy feature over most of the island has an estimated age of 0.20 Ma. This predates volcanic activity that formed the highest point of the island (Tope de Coroa) which has an age of 0.17±0.02 Ma. The most recent eruption on the island formed nephelinitic lavas in the Porto Novo region at 0.09±0.03 Ma. The oldest volcanism exposed on Santo Antão, which took place about 7.6 Ma ago, was simultaneous with waning activity on Maio at the eastern end of the Cape Verde Archipelago.     

The Petrology of the Rotoiti Eruption Sequence, Taupo Volcanic Zone: an Example of Fractionation and Mixing in a Rhyolitic System

The Rotoiti eruption from the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) in northernNew Zealand produced voluminous pyroclastic deposits. The ferromagnesianmineral assemblage in these dominantly consists of cummingtonite+ hornblende + orthopyroxene with uniform magnesium/iron ratios;a second assemblage of biotite + hornblende + orthopyroxene,also with uniform Fe/Mg ratios, appears midway through the eruptionsequence and, thereafter, increases in abundance. These contrastingmineral assemblages, together with pumice clast and groundmassglass compositions, provide evidence for mingling of two discretemagmas. Similarities in the chemical characteristics of thetwo magmas suggest that they developed from a similar source.The eruption initially tapped relatively homogeneous magma thatwas erupted throughout most of this phase of activity. The middlestages of the eruption included some mixed magma. The finalstages of the eruption were dominated by a second magma composition,which was probably injected into the bottom of the main magmabody as the eruption proceeded. The source that fed the eruptionwas complex, and discrete magma bodies existed and evolved separatelyprior to the eruption. We conclude that eruptions in the TVZare fed from a diffuse upper-crustal zone of partially interconnected,and at times physically separate, magma bodies rather than fromcentralized and necessarily large long-lived magma chambers. KEY WORDS: Taupo Volcanic Zone; Okataina Volcanic Centre; Rotoiti eruption; rhyolite system; magma mixing     

The Vulnerability of Canada to Volcanic Hazards

Western Canada lies in a zone of active tectonics and volcanism, but thedispersed population has witnessed few eruptions due to the remoteness of the volcanoes and their low level ofactivity. This has created a false perception that Canada's volcanoes are extinct.There are more than 200 potentially-active volcanoes in Canada, 49of which have erupted in the past 10,000 years. They occur in five belts, with origins related totectonic environment. The minimum annual probability of a Canadian volcanic eruption is approximately 1/200;for an effusive (lava) eruption the probability is about 1/220, and for a significant explosive eruptionit is about 1/3333. In-progress studies show that there have been earthquakes associated with at least 9 ofthe youngest Canadian volcanoes since 1975. A scenario of an eruption of Mt. Cayley (50.1°N,123.3°W) shows how western Canada is vulnerable to an eruption. The scenario is basedon past activity in the Garibaldi volcanic belt and involves both explosive and effusive activity.The scenario impact is largely a result of the concentration of vulnerable infrastructure in valleys.Canadian volcanoes are monitored only by a regional seismic network,that is capable of detecting a M > 2 event in all potentially-active areas.This level of monitoring is probably sufficient to alert scientistsat or near eruption onset, but probably insufficient to allow a timelyforecast of activity. Similarly the level of geological knowledge about the volcanoes is insufficient to createhazard maps. This will improve slightly in 2002 when additional monitoring is implemented in theGaribaldi volcanic belt. The eruption probabilities, possible impacts, monitoring limitations and knowledgegaps suggest that there is a need to increment the volcanic risk mitigation efforts.     

南天山中央地块的厘定与古气候事件

古气候变化与地质构造演化有着一定联系 ,构造活动的结果将引起地球表面海陆分布、陆地古纬度、火山活动、山脉形成以及地形地貌的巨大变化 ,是直接影响古气候的重要因素。根据志留—泥盆纪构造古地理再造、深部层次变形、基底时代、深部构造特征、构造混杂带研究 ,在确定南天山中央地块构造演化的基础上 ,探讨泥盆纪南天山构造火山作用与古气候及层孔虫绝灭事件的关系