Georges Boudon

Hydrothermal circulation beneath Mount Pelée inferred by self potential surveying. Structural and tectonic implications

Abstract Self-potential (SP) surveys were made on Mount Pelee volcano (Martinique Island, French West Indies) in 1991 and 1992 in order to recognize its hydrothermal system, the associated groundwater channeling and the main superficial structures of the massif. Almost 70 km of profiles were carried out with an average sample spacing of 50 m. Measurements essentially reveal negative SP anomalies, down to −1700 mV, with high gradients (−1.83 mV/m) due to the infiltration of meteoric water into the massif. Rims of summit calderas Morne Macouba and Etang-Sec present sharp negative SP anomalies on the western, northern, and eastern flanks. Negative SP anomalies indicate no upward water flow beneath Mount Pelee summit. On the southwestern volcano flank, a 3.5×6 km horseshoe-shaped structure corresponding to a southwest flank collapse event, older than 25,000 years BP, is clearly identified by the SP mapping. High gradients border the inner southern rim from Morne Calebasse to St Pierre town and the Caribbean Sea. Along the northern rim of the horseshoe-shaped structure the negative SP anomalies give place to a positive SP anomaly, up to 200 mV, of SW–NE trend. This zone covers the area of two active hot springs (Sources Chaudes and Puits Chaud: 40–65°C). Marine magnetic surveys and bathymetry show that the horseshoe-shaped structure spreads into the Caribbean Sea up to about 10 km from the coast. Buried structural discontinuities are evidenced inside the flank collapse structure. The upper one deviates the groundwater flow coming from the summit toward the south flank where the flow finds an indentation to expand again downwards. This discontinuity is either an old hypothetical caldera rim partly destroyed by the collapse of the south–southwestern flank and covered by recent pyroclastic deposits, or more probably the trace of a bulge landslide. A circulation model of the hydrothermal waters is proposed. Rainfall (5–6 m/year) is partly drained inside the summital calderas and the flank collapse zone through pyroclastic flows down to an impermeable basement. There the groundwater constitutes perched aquifers at the contact of the bulge landslide, or of the hypothetical old caldera rim. Along the inner northern border of the flank collapse structure the phreatic water is reheated. Warm groundwater flows along the northern avalanche structure rim and discharges near the coast in ground and marine outcrops, of medium temperature. Finally, the main part of the meteoric water is channeled along the old caldera rim, or along the bulge landslide towards the south flank of Mount Pelee, where some gaps in the rim exist. There the groundwater finds again a subhorizontal gravitational circulation along Mount Pelee slopes into the Caribbean Sea.

U-series disequilibrium in arc magmas induced by water-magma interaction

Abstract Volcanic rocks from subduction zones are widely believed to originate by partial melting of mantle lherzolite modified by the addition of a fluid or melt extracted from the down-going slab. U-series disequilibrium in such magmas is commonly attributed to this particular melting process. A detailed study of U-series isotopes in the 650 y. B.P. eruptive sequence of Mt. Pelee (Martinique) shows that plinian products are in radioactive equilibrium, whereas dome-forming products of the same eruption are characterized by 238U-230Th disequilibrium. The same features apply to other plinian and dome-forming products of this volcano and systematically correspond to different eruptive styles. We attribute these characteristics to variable superficial interaction of magmas with the hydrothermal system during the final stages of eruption rather than to deep magma genesis processes. This conclusion might be generally applicable to arc magmas.

The hydrothermal system at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat (West Indies): Characterization and role in the on‐going eruption

Mineralogical, microtextural and geochemical studies have been performed on altered volcanic products from active hydrothermal areas, on phreatic tephra from the 1995 activity and on fragments from older Castle Peak dome and the present (1995–97) dome. The mineral assemblages of the hydrothermal system (primarily silica-polymorphs) are typical of the upper alteration zone of a high sulfidation system. Volatile and mobile elements chemistry show no evidence of interaction between the hydrothermal system and erupting magmas. These results suggest that the on-going eruption conduits are isolated from the hydrothermal system due to precipitation of vapor transported silica which drastically reduces the magma degassing through country rocks.

Submarine record of volcanic island construction and collapse in the Lesser Antilles arc: First scientific drilling of submarine volcanic island landslides by IODP Expedition 340

IODP Expedition 340 successfully drilled a series of sites offshore Montserrat, Martinique and Dominica in the Lesser Antilles from March to April 2012. These are among the few drill sites gathered around volcanic islands, and the first scientific drilling of large and likely tsunamigenic volcanic island-arc landslide deposits. These cores provide evidence and tests of previous hypotheses for the composition and origin of those deposits. Sites U1394, U1399, and U1400 that penetrated landslide deposits recovered exclusively seafloor sediment, comprising mainly turbidites and hemipelagic deposits, and lacked debris avalanche deposits. This supports the concepts that i/ volcanic debris avalanches tend to stop at the slope break, and ii/ widespread and voluminous failures of preexisting low-gradient seafloor sediment can be triggered by initial emplacement of material from the volcano. Offshore Martinique (U1399 and 1400), the landslide deposits comprised blocks of parallel strata that were tilted or microfaulted, sometimes separated by intervals of homogenized sediment (intense shearing), while Site U1394 offshore Montserrat penetrated a flat-lying block of intact strata. The most likely mechanism for generating these large-scale seafloor sediment failures appears to be propagation of a decollement from proximal areas loaded and incised by a volcanic debris avalanche. These results have implications for the magnitude of tsunami generation. Under some conditions, volcanic island landslide deposits composed of mainly seafloor sediment will tend to form smaller magnitude tsunamis than equivalent volumes of subaerial block-rich mass flows rapidly entering water. Expedition 340 also successfully drilled sites to access the undisturbed record of eruption fallout layers intercalated with marine sediment which provide an outstanding high-resolution data set to analyze eruption and landslides cycles, improve understanding of magmatic evolution as well as offshore sedimentation processes.

Observations, stratigraphy and eruptive processes of the 1990 eruption of Kelut volcano, Indonesia

Abstract The February 10, 1990 eruption of Kelut volcano (eastern Java) reportedly began with seven discrete, short-lived explosions between 11.41 and 12.35 local times. Deposits of this initial, phreatomagmatic stage include a basal ash-fall layer (unit A1), widespread pumice surge deposits (unit S) and related pisolitic ash layer (unit A2). The main, plinian phase of the eruption lasted about 4 hours from 12.35 and produced pumice-flow deposits (unit PF) overlain by a pumice fallout layer distributed mainly to the southwest (unit P), and intra-plinian scoria-flow deposits (unit SF). Uppermost scoria-rich ash fall layers (unit A3) likely relate to late, discrete eruptive pulses. A few small explosions resumed on February 11 and 12 leaving no recognizable deposit. An embryonic lava dome had formed in the crater bottom by April, then was submerged by the new crater lake. Destruction of the summit area resulted from emplacement of the pre-plinian pumice surge up to 4–5 km on the south and west flanks, and of the early plinian pumice flows up to 1–2 km radially from the crater, before these were channelized in the main valleys to further travel 3 km. Most of the 32 human deaths resulted from roof collapse under the load of fallout tephra beyond the devastated area, which had been evacuated before the eruption began. The eruption produced 0.13 km 3 of tephra, of which 0.12 km 3 represent the products of the plinian phase. The average eruptive rate of the plinian phase is estimated to have been ∼7.5×10 6 kg/s magma DRE. The pumice flows are interpreted to have been formed due to unsteadiness and low velocity of the eruptive column at the beginning of the plinian phase. The intra-plinian scoria flows incorporate either more degassed or colder juvenile magma; they were presumably erupted at the edge of the column, due to fluctuations in the mass flux and in pressure in the conduit.

Chlorine as a geobarometer for alkaline magmas: Evidence from a systematic study of the eruptions of Mount Somma-Vesuvius

Defining the magma storage conditions of a volcanic system is a major goal in modern volcanology due to its direct implications for the style of a possible eruption, and thus on the associated risk of any crisis and the necessary management and mitigation strategies. Below 200u2009MPa and at equivalent depths, the strongly non-ideal behaviour of the H-C-O-S-Cl-F system in the silicate melt causes unmixing of the fluid phase to form an H2O-rich vapour and a hydrosaline phase in equilibrium with the silicate melt, both responsible for buffering the chlorine (Cl) concentration. Following this equilibrium, the Cl concentration in melts may be used as a geobarometer for alkaline magmas. Systematic application of this method to the main explosive eruptions of Mount Somma-Vesuvius highlights two main magma ponding zones, at ~180–200 and ~100u2009MPa. At these pressures, the maximum pre-eruptive H2O contents for the different magma compositions can be estimated; the results obtained, largely in agreement with the current literature, therefore confirm the validity of the method. The Cl geobarometer may help scientists to define the variation of the magmatic reservoir location through time and thus provide strong constraints on pre-eruptive conditions, which are of utmost importance for volcanic crisis management.

Geomechanical Characterization of Submarine Volcano-Flank Sediments, Martinique, Lesser Antilles Arc

Onshore-offshore geophysical studies conducted on Martinique have identified major flank collapse events of Montagne Pelee that generated large submarine mass wasting deposits. Here, we evaluate the preconditioning factors involved in the deformation and failure of marine sediments related to volcano-flank collapse events. We use core logging, sedimentological and geotechnical data of the upper 200 m of core at sites U1397, U1398, U1399 and U1400 drilled during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 340, west of Martinique. We find that the low hydraulic conductivity of hemipelagic sediment causes low rates of dewatering of turbidites and tephra layers allowing excess pore fluid pressures to persist at depth. Overpressure generation was likely enhanced during major flank collapses, leading to low shear strength and subsequent deformation of large volumes of marine sediments, as found at Site U1400.