Marie Detienne

Summit acid crater lakes and flank instability in composite volcanoes

Volcanic landslides, including flank and sector collapses, constitute a major hazard in many parts of the world. While composite volcanoes are innately unstable, the presence of a hydrothermal system maintained by a magmatic source at depth is recognized as a key factor increasing the risk of failure. This relates to the formation of hydrothermally altered rock masses within the core and upper flanks of the volcano which leads to heterogeneous distribution of rock strength properties and pore fluid pressures. Here an emphasis is placed on acid crater lakes perched high on active volcanoes. By acting as a trap for magmatic heat and gas flows, these lakes localize extreme acid attack on their surrounds, thereby creating a source of instability. We outline how acid crater lakes form in relation to magmatic hydrothermal systems hosted within composite volcanoes, and describe the associated hydrothermal alteration and its relationships to flank instability. The sustainability of a volcanic slope is partly governed by the degree of rock alteration, which in turn reflects the time-integrated flux of acidic gases (SO2 and HCl) released from the subsurface magmatic source. Transient or longer-term changes in pore fluid pressure linked to hydrothermal system activity also readily affect the slope stability of composite volcanoes. Such fluctuations can be initiated by both magmatic and external non-magmatic processes such as major rainfall events and regional seismicity. Kawah Ijen hyper-acid crater lake, Indonesia, is used as a case study to illustrate the cascade of effects that may ensue following slope rupture linked to hydrothermal alteration.