Open‐conduit conditions characterize several of the most hazardous and active volcanic systems of basaltic composition worldwide, persistently refilled by magmatic inputs. Eruptive products with ...similar bulk compositions, chemically buffered by continual mafic inputs, nevertheless exhibit heterogeneous glass compositions in response to variable magma mixing, crystallization, and differentiation processes within different parts of the plumbing system. Here, we document how multivariate statistics and magma differentiation modeling based on a large data set of glass compositions can be combined to constrain magma differentiation and plumbing system dynamics. Major and trace elements of matrix glasses erupted at Stromboli volcano (Italy) over the last 20 years provide a benchmark against which to test our integrated petrological approach. Principal component analysis, K‐means cluster analysis, and kernel density estimation reveal that trace elements define a multivariate space whose eigenvectors are more readily interpretable in terms of petrological processes than major elements, leading to improved clustering solutions. Comparison between open‐ and closed‐system differentiation models outlines that steady state magma compositions at constantly replenished and erupting magmatic systems approximate simple fractional crystallization trends, due to short magma residence times. Open‐system magma evolution is associated with magma storage crystallinities that are lower than those associated with closed‐system scenarios. Accordingly, open‐system dynamics determine the efficient crystal‐melt separation toward the top of the reservoir, where eruptible melts continuously supply the ordinary activity. Conversely, a mush‐like environment constitutes the bottom of the reservoir, where poorly evolved magmas result from mixing events between mush residual melts and primitive magmas injected from deeper crustal levels.
Plain Language Summary
Volcanoes characterized by continuous eruptive activity are typified by constant replenishment of new magma, rising from deeper regions of the crust. The volcanic glass (supercooled silicate melt), represents the residual liquid of magma crystallization, and is found as the intracrystalline matrix of eruptive products. The study of its chemical composition may provide insight into the processes occurring at depths beneath the volcanic vent, where magma compositional changes result from crystallization and mixing with new magma rising from depth. We combine statistical analyses and analytical equations based on the chemical composition of the matrix glasses from Stromboli volcano, in order to constrain the processes which produce their chemical variations, identifying different environments where magmas are stored at depth. Our results also show that when magma is stored for a short period of time, the chemical changes to which the magma is subjected in a constantly replenished system are similar to those occurring in a system which is closed to new inputs of magma.
Key Points
The combination of multivariate statistics with geochemical modeling provides new constraints on magma differentiation processes
Multivariate statistics based on trace elements allow better retrieval of petrological information than those based on major elements
Magma differentiation in open systems approximates that occurring in closed systems when magma residence timescales are short
The explosive activity of the 2021 Tajogaite eruption eludes pigeonholing into well‐defined eruption styles, with a variety of pyroclast ejection modes occurring both alternately and simultaneously ...at multiple vents. Visually, we defined four endmembers of explosive activity, referred to as fountaining, spattering, ash‐poor jets and ash‐rich jets. To capture the physical parameters of these activities, we deployed a camera array including one high‐speed camera and three high‐definition cameras in two field campaigns. Transitions between and fluctuations within activity occurred at the time scale of minutes to hours, likely driven by the same shallow conduit and vent processes controlling Strombolian activity at other volcanoes, but at higher gas and magma fluxes. From a physical standpoint, mean pyroclast rise velocity ranged 5–50 m/s, maximum ejection velocity 10–220 m/s, and sub‐second mass flux of lapilli to bomb‐sized pyroclasts at the vent 0.2–200 × 103 kg/s. The largest mass flux occurred during fountaining, which contributed by far more than other activities to cone building. All explosive activity exhibited well‐defined pyroclast ejection pulses, and we found a positive correlation between the occurrence rate of ejection pulses and maximum pyroclast ejection velocity. Despite orders of magnitude variations, physical parameters shift gradually with no boundary from one activity endmember to another. As such, attributing this explosive activity specifically to any currently defined style variations is arbitrary and potentially misleading. The highly variable explosive activity of the Tajogaite eruption recalls previous definitions of violent Strombolian eruptions, an eruption style whose pyroclast ejection dynamics, however, were so far largely undefined.
Plain Language Summary
The 2021 Tajogaite volcanic eruption offered a rare opportunity to study in detail the physical properties and the controlling factors of explosive activity driven by basaltic magmas. The activity lasted almost uninterrupted for almost 3 months and had visually different manifestations occurring simultaneously and alternating at different volcanic vents. To study the explosive activity, we used one high‐speed camera, taking short, slow motion videos, and three commercial grade high‐definition camcorders recording for many hours. We found that the activity changed in features and intensity at the time scale of minutes to hours, largely controlled by changes in the size and debris cover of the vent, magma viscosity, and magma flux and gas content. The ejection velocity of large volcanic particles ranged 5–220 m/s, with mean values around 10–50 m/s. The mass flux of particles erupted reached peaks of 200 metric tons per second. Particle ejection was never steady but always proceeded in pulses, which were more frequent if the ejection velocity was higher. Our measurements show that the current classification schemes for explosive eruptions of basaltic magmas do not adequately describe the activity of the Tajogaite eruption, which represents a type of eruption that was not yet measured in detail.
Key Points
High‐definition and high‐speed imaging record the velocity, size, and mass flux of pyroclasts
Activity shifted in location, nature and vigor at the time scale of hours and progressed in ejection pulses at the time scale of seconds
Physical parameters of explosive activity vary gradually between apparently different activity styles, without any clear boundary
A new proposal for the classification of Somma-Vesuvius (SV) explosive activity is presented, based on a critical revision of a large set of published and unpublished stratigraphic, compositional, ...and physical volcanology data on the products of the past 20,000 years of activity. The new database is used to discuss the general behaviour of the volcano in terms of frequency, magnitude and intensity of the events, as well as of the length of the repose time which preceded each eruption. Several different types of eruption are recognized, each characterised by specific physical eruptive parameters: plinian, subplinian (further subdivided in subplinian I and subplinian II), violent strombolian, ash emission events. For each eruption type, a complex scenario is described, with phases of different style, duration, magnitude and intensity occurring during the course of the eruption itself. The name given to each eruption type is derived from the style of the most representative part of the eruption (in terms of duration or volume).
On the whole, the magnitude (expressed as the volume of erupted magma) of the past SV eruptions has been roughly decreasing with time while, starting from 3900 years BP, their frequency has been increasing. The eruption intensity, expressed as the estimated magma discharge rate (MDR) continuously increases with increasing magnitude from strombolian to plinian eruptions, the most voluminous plinian events being, however, characterised by a lower MDR than the smaller ones. The length of the “apparent” repose preceding an eruption (the difference in age between one deposit and that immediately on top of it) appears clearly correlated with magnitude for the most intense eruptions (plinian and subplinian I), while this correlation is poorer for eruptions of intermediate size (from violent strombolian to subplinian II). These exhibit a large variability in magnitude, intensity and eruption style for a range of repose time varying from dozens to hundreds of years, then including the current duration of Vesuvius quiescence.
By reckoning with the whole range of possibilities that a next unrest at Vesuvius implies, the set of presented eruption scenarios can be useful both for developing a probabilistic approach to hazard assessment and depicting a range of impact scenarios. The scenario for high-intensity events had been already well defined since 1995, in order to redact the emergency plan of the National Department of Civil Defence. Conversely, it is now clear that the impact on the territory of long-lasting, although low-intensity, eruptions (subplinian II, violent strombolian, ash emission activity) can be relevant especially in terms of economic costs. A larger consideration of this type of activity at Vesuvius can be important especially for the aspects of emergency planning and risk reduction.
For a better understanding of the final solidification history of eruptions at Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy), we have investigated cation redistributions at the interface between ...sub-millimetre-sized clinopyroxene and titanomagnetite crystal rims and coexisting melts. The studied products were scoria clasts from lava fountains and rock samples from pahoehoe and aa lava flows. Our data indicate that scoria clasts from lava fountaining were rapidly quenched at the contact with the atmosphere, preserving the original crystal textures and compositions inherited during magma dynamics within the plumbing system. Kinetics and energetics of crystallization were instantaneously frozen-in and post-eruptive effects on mineral chemistry were negligible. The near-equilibrium compositions of clinopyroxene and titanomagnetite indicate that lava fountain episodes were supplied by high-temperature, H2O-rich magmas ascending with velocities of 0.01–0.31m/s. In contrast, magmas feeding lava flow eruptions underwent a more complex solidification history where the final stage of the crystal growth was mostly influenced by volatile loss and heat dissipation at syn- and post-eruptive conditions. Due to kinetic effects associated with magma undercooling, clinopyroxenes and titanomagnetites formed by crystal attachment and agglomeration mechanisms leading to intricate intergrowth textures. The final compositions of these minerals testify to closure temperatures and melt–water concentrations remarkably lower than those estimated for lava fountains. Kinetically-controlled cation redistributions at the crystal–melt interface suggest that the solidification of magma was driven by degassing and cooling processes proceeding from the uppermost part of the volcanic conduit to the surface.
•Cation redistributions have been measured in clinopyroxenes and titanomagnetites at the final stage of crystal growth.•These compositional variations reflect the cooling and thermal path of magmas ascending from the conduit to the surface.•Remarkable implications are found for the final solidification history of lava fountains and lava flows at Mt. Etna.
Since the early 1970s enhanced eruptive activity of Mount Etna has been accompanied by selective geochemical changes in erupted lavas, among which a gradual increase of alkalis whose origin is still ...debated. Here we provide further insight into the origin of this recent evolution, based on a detailed study of the chemistry and dissolved volatile content of melt inclusions trapped in olivine crystals of unusual plagioclase-poor primitive basalt that was extruded during a highly explosive flank eruption in July–August 2001. Two types of lava were erupted simultaneously along a N–S fracture system. Trachybasalts from the upper vents (2950–2700 m) were simply drained out by fracturing of the central volcanic conduit. They are identical to summit crater lavas and contain Mg-poor olivines (Fo70–72) with evolved and volatile-poor melt inclusions that represent late-stage crystallisation during shallow open conduit degassing. In contrast, plagioclase-poor basalt (80% of total) extruded through the lower vents (2550–2100 m) derived from lateral dyke intrusion of a more primitive and volatile-rich magma across the sedimentary basement. This primitive melt is best preserved in rare Fo82.4–80.5 skeletal olivines present in lapilli deposits from the most powerful activities at the 2550 m vent. Its high dissolved contents of H2O (3.4 wt.%), CO2 (0.11 to 0.41 wt.%), S (0.32 wt.%), Cl (0.16 wt.%) and F (0.094 wt.%) point to its closed system ascent from ∼400 to 250 MPa (∼12 to 6.5 km depth b.s.l.). However, the predominance of euhedral olivine phenocrysts with common reverse zoning (cores Fo76–78 and rims Fo78–80) and decrepited inclusions shows that most of the erupted basalt derived from a slightly more evolved, crystallizing body of the same magma that was invaded by the uprising primitive melt prior to erupting. The few preserved inclusions in these olivines indicate pre-eruptive storage of that magma body at about 5 km depth b.s.l., in coherence with seismic data.
We propose that the 2001 flank eruption resulted from gradual overpressuring of Etna's shallow plumbing system due to the influx of volatile-rich primitive basalt that may have begun several months in advance. We find that this basalt is much richer in alkalis (2.0 wt.% K2O) and has higher S/Cl (2.0) but lower Cl/K and Cl/F ratios than all pre-1970s Etnean lavas (1.4 wt.% K2O, S/Cl=1.5), as further exemplified by melt inclusions in entrained olivine xenocrysts. Combining these new observations with previously published data, we argue that the 2001 basalt represents a new alkali-rich basic end-member feeding Mt. Etna, only few amount of which had previously been extruded during a 1974 peripheral eruption and, more recently, during brief paroxysmal summit events. Over the last three decades this new magma has progressively mixed with and replaced the former K-poorer trachybasalts filling the plumbing system, leading to extrusion of gradually more primitive and alkali-richer lavas. Its geochemical singularities cannot result from shallow crustal contaminations. Instead, they suggest the involvement of an alkali-richer but Cl-poorer arc-type component during recent magma genesis beneath Etna.
Mt. Etna, in Sicily (Italy) is well known for frequent effusive and explosive eruptions from both its summit and flanks. South-East Crater (SE Crater), one of the four summit craters, has been the ...most active in the last 20 years and often produces episodic lava fountains over periods lasting from a few weeks to months. The most striking of such eruptive phases was in 2000. Sixty four lava fountains, separated by quiescent intervals and sometimes associated with lava overflows, occurred that year between January and June, a time period during which we consider the volcano to have been in episodic eruption. This paper presents mainly results of petrochemical investigations carried out on both tephra and lavas collected during a number of the lava fountain episodes in 2000. The new data have been integrated with volcanological and seismic information in order to correlate the features of the eruptive activity with magma-gas dynamics in the plumbing system of SE Crater. The main findings allow us to characterise the 2000 episodic eruption in the framework of the recent SE Crater activity. In particular, we infer that the onset of the 2000 eruption was triggered by the ascent of new, more primitive and volatile-rich magma that progressively intruded into the SE Crater reservoir, where it mixed with the resident, more evolved magma. Furthermore, we argue that the 2000 SE Crater lava fountains largely resulted from the instability of a foam layer accumulated at the top of the underlying reservoir and rebuilt prior to each episode, in agreement with the collapsing foam model for lava fountains.
Relationships between frequency and intensity of volcanic eruptions are actively sought by geophysicists for both monitoring and research purposes. By analyzing surveillance videos of persistent ...volcanic activity at Stromboli (Italy), we derived the frequency and jet height of >4000 explosions that occurred in 72 h‐long time windows sampled yearly from 2005 to 2009. We found a positive relationship linking explosion frequency and jet height (linked to eruption intensity) when averaging the two parameters over time intervals from hours to days, with a stronger correlation for longer intervals. We interpret this behavior as the response of the magmatic system to variable influx of magma and gas at depth, increased flux at depth causing more frequent and stronger explosions at the surface. This relationship entails concurrent control of source processes over explosion frequency and intensity, directly impacting modeling of explosion sources at persistently active volcanoes in general and hazard assessment at Stromboli in particular.
Key Points
Tracking frequency and relative intensity of Strombolian explosions at Stromboli
Frequency and intensity correlate positively when time‐averaged over hours‐days
Rising input of magma/gas at depth raises both explosion frequency and intensity
The 2001 Etna eruption was characterized by a complex temporal evolution with the opening of seven eruptive fissures, each feeding different lava flows. This work describes a method adopted to obtain ...the three‐dimensional geometry of the whole lava flow field and for the reconstruction, based on topographic data, of the temporal evolution of the largest lava flow emitted from a vent located at 2100 m a.s.l. Preeruption and posteruption Digital Elevation Models (DEM) were extracted from vector contour maps. Comparison of the two DEMs and analysis of posteruption orthophotos allowed us to estimate flow area, thickness, and bulk volume. Additionally, the two‐dimensional temporal evolution of the 2100 flow was precisely reconstructed by means of maps compiled during the eruption. These data, together with estimates of flow thickness, allowed us to evaluate emitted lava volumes and in turn the average volumetric flow rates The analysis performed in this paper provided, a total lava bulk volume of 40.1 × 106 m3 for the whole lava flow field, most of which emitted from the 2100 vent (21.4 × 106 m3). The derived effusion rate trend shows an initial period of waxing flow followed by a longer period of waning flow. This is in agreement not only with the few available effusion rate measurements performed during the eruption, but also with the theoretical model of Wadge (1981) for the temporal variation in discharge during the tapping of a pressurized source.
PDF
