Benoit Taisne

Eruption versus intrusion? : arrest of propagation of constant volume, buoyant, liquid-filled cracks in an elastic, brittle host.

Received 9 January 2009; revised 31 March 2009; accepted 3 April 2009; published 5 June 2009. [1] When a volume of magma is released from a source at depth, one key question is whether or not this will culminate in an eruption or in the emplacement of a shallow intrusion. We address some of the physics behind this question by describing and interpreting laboratory experiments on the propagation of cracks filled with fixed volumes of buoyant liquid in a brittle, elastic host. Experiments were isothermal, and the liquid was incompressible. The cracks propagated vertically because of liquid buoyancy but were then found to come to a halt at a configuration of static mechanical equilibrium, a result that is inconsistent with the prediction of the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics in two dimensions. We interpret this result as due to a three-dimensional effect. At the curved crack front, horizontal cracking is necessary in order for vertical propagation to take place. As the crack elongates and thins, the former becomes progressively harder and, in the end, impossible to fracture. We present a scaling law for the final length and breadth of cracks as a function of a governing dimensionless parameter, constructed from the liquid volume, the buoyancy, and host fracture toughness. An important implication of this result is that a minimum volume of magma is required for a volcanic eruption to occur for a given depth of magma reservoir.

On depressurization of volcanic magma reservoirs by passive degassing

Many active volcanoes around the world alternate episodes of unrest and mildly explosive eruptions with quiescent periods dominated by abundant but passive gas emissions. These are the so-called persistently degassing volcanoes, and well-known examples are Mayon (Philippines) and Etna (Italy). Here, we develop a new lumped-parameter model to investigate by how much the gas released during quiescence can decrease the pressure within persistently degassing volcanoes. Our model is driven by the gas fluxes measured with monitoring systems and takes into account the size of the conduit and reservoir, the viscoelastic response of the crust, the magma density change, the bubble exsolution and expansion at depth, and the hydraulic connectivity between reservoirs and deeper magma sources. A key new finding is that, for a vast majority of scenarios, passive degassing reduces the pressure of shallow magma reservoirs by several MPa in only a few months or years, that is, within the intereruptive timescales of persistently degassing volcanoes. Degassing-induced depressurization could be responsible for the subsidence observed at some volcanoes during quiescence (e.g., at Satsuma-Iwojima and Asama, in Japan; Masaya, in Nicaragua; and Llaima, in Chile), and could play a crucial role in the onset and development of the physical processes which may in turn culminate in new unrest episodes and eruptions. For example, degassing-induced depressurization could promote magma replenishment, induce massive and sudden gas exsolution at depth, and trigger the collapse of the crater floor and reservoir roof.

On the use of remote infrasound and seismic stations to constrain the eruptive sequence and intensity for the 2014 Kelud eruption

The February 2014 eruption of Kelud volcano (Indonesia) destroyed most of the instruments near it. We use remote seismic and infrasound sensors to reconstruct the eruptive sequence. The first explosions were relatively weak seismic and infrasound events. A major stratospheric ash injection occurred a few minutes later and produced long-lasting atmospheric and ground-coupled acoustic waves that were detected as far as 11,000 km by infrasound sensors and up to 2300 km away on seismometers. A seismic event followed similar to 12 minutes later and was recorded 7000 km away by seismometers. We estimate a volcanic intensity around 10.9, placing the 2014 Kelud eruption between the 1980 Mount St. Helens and 1991 Pinatubo eruptions intensities. We demonstrate how remote infrasound and seismic sensors are critical for the early detection of volcanic explosions, and how they can help to constrain and understand eruptive sequences.

Toward continuous quantification of lava extrusion rate: Results from the multidisciplinary analysis of the 2 January 2010 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion

The dynamics of the 2–12 January 2010 effusive eruption at Piton de la Fournaise volcano were examined through seismic and infrasound records, time-lapse photography, SO2 flux measurements, deformation data, and direct observations. Digital elevation models were constructed for four periods of the eruption, thus providing an assessment of the temporal evolution of the morphology, the volume and the extrusion rate of the lava flow. These data were compared to the continuous recording of the seismic and infrasonic waves, and a linear relationship was found between the seismic energy of the tremor and the lava extrusion rate. This relationship is supported by data from three other summit eruptions of Piton de la Fournaise and gives total volume and average lava extrusion rate in good agreement with previous studies. We can therefore provide an estimate of the lava extrusion rate for the January 2010 eruption with a very high temporal resolution. We found an average lava extrusion rate of 2.4 m3s−1 with a peak of 106.6 m3s−1 during the initial lava fountaining phase. We use the inferred average lava extrusion rate during the lava fountaining phase (30.23 m3s−1) to estimate the value of the initial overpressure in the magma reservoir, which we found to range from 3.7×106 Pa to 5.9×106 Pa. Finally, based on the estimated initial overpressure, the volume of magma expelled during the lava fountaining phase and geodetic data, we inferred the volume of the magma reservoir using a simple Mogi model, between 0.25 km3 and 0.54 km3, which is in good agreement with previous studies.

Seismic anisotropy and its precursory change before eruptions at Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion

The Piton de la Fournaise volcano exhibits frequent eruptions preceded by seismic swarms and is a good target to test hypotheses about magmatically induced variations in seismic wave properties. We use a permanent station network and a portable broadband network to compare seismic anisotropy measured via shear wave splitting with geodetic displacements, ratios of compressional to shear velocity (Vp/Vs), earthquake focal mechanisms, and ambient noise correlation analysis of surface wave velocities and to examine velocity and stress changes from 2000 through 2012. Fast directions align radially to the central cone and parallel to surface cracks and fissures, suggesting stress-controlled cracks. High Vp/Vs ratios under the summit compared with low ratios under the flank suggest spatial variations in the proportion of fluid-filled versus gas-filled cracks. Secular variations of fast directions (ϕ) and delay times (dt) between split shear waves are interpreted to sense changing crack densities and pressure. Delay times tend to increase while surface wave velocity decreases before eruptions. Rotations of ϕ may be caused by changes in either stress direction or fluid pressure. These changes usually correlate with GPS baseline changes. Changes in shear wave splitting measurements made on multiplets yield several populations with characteristic delay times, measured incoming polarizations, and fast directions, which change their proportion as a function of time. An eruption sequence on 14 October 2010 yielded over 2000 shear wave splitting measurements in a 14 h period, allowing high time resolution measurements to characterize the sequence. Stress directions from a propagating dike model qualitatively fit the temporal change in splitting.

Infrasound and seismic detections associated with the 7 September 2015 Bangkok fireball

A bright fireball was reported at 01:43:35 UTC on September 7, 2015 at a height of

Magma Transport in Dikes

\sim

Acoustic surveillance of hazardous volcanic eruptions (ASHE) in Asia

∼30 km above 14.5