Magma flow instability and cyclic activity at Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, British West Indies

Voight, B., Sparks, RSJ, Miller, AD, Stewart, RC, Hoblitt, R.P, Clarke, A, Ewart, J, Aspinall, WP, Baptie, B, Calder, ES, Cole, P, Druitt, TH, Hartford, C, Herd, Richard, Jackson, P, Lejeune, AM, Lockhart, AB, Loughlin, SC, Luckett, R, Lynch, L, Norton, GE, Robertson, R, Watson, IM, Watts, R and Young, SR (1999) Magma flow instability and cyclic activity at Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, British West Indies. Science, 283 (5405). pp. 1138-1142. ISSN 0036-8075

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Abstract

Dome growth at the Soufriere Hills volcano (1996 to 1998) was frequently accompanied by repetitive cycles of earthquakes, ground deformation, degassing, and explosive eruptions. The cycles reflected unsteady conduit flow of volatile-charged magma resulting from gas exsolution, rheological stiffening, and pressurization. The cycles, over hours to days, initiated when degassed stiff magma retarded flow in the upper conduit. Conduit pressure built with gas exsolution, causing shallow seismicity and edifice inflation. Magma and gas were then expelled and the edifice deflated. The repeat time-scale is controlled by magma ascent rates, degassing, and microlite crystallization kinetics. Cyclic behavior allows short-term forecasting of timing, and of eruption style related to explosivity potential.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Geosciences
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Volcanoes@UEA (former - to 2018)
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Geosciences and Natural Hazards (former - to 2017)
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 01 Apr 2016 23:03
Last Modified: 21 Oct 2022 04:33
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/58097
DOI: 10.1126/science.283.5405.1138

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