Maar-diatreme geometry and deposits: Subsurface blast experiments with variable explosion depth

Basaltic maar-diatreme volcanoes, which have craters cut into preeruption landscapes (maars) underlain by downward-tapering bodies of fragmental material commonly cut by hypabyssal intrusions (diatremes), are produced by multiple subsurface phreatomagmatic explosions. Although many maar-diatremes have been studied, the link between explosion dynamics and the resulting deposit architecture is still poorly understood. Scaled experiments employed multiple buried explosions of known energies and depths within layered aggregates in order to assess the effects of explosion depth, and the morphology and compaction of the host on the distribution of host materials in resulting ejecta, the development of subcrater structures and deposits, and the relationships between them. Experimental craters were 1–2 m wide. Analysis of high-speed video shows that explosion jets had heights and shapes that were strongly influenced by scaled depth (physical depth scaled against explosion energy) and by the presence or absence of a crater. Jet properties in turn controlled the distribution of ejecta deposits outside the craters, and we infer that this is also reflected in the diverse range of deposit types at natural maars. Ejecta were dominated by material that originated above the explosion site, and the shallowest material was dispersed the farthest. Subcrater deposits illustrate progressive vertical mixing of host materials through successive explosions. We conclude that the progressive appearance of deeper-seated material stratigraphically upward in deposits of natural maars probably records the length and time scale for upward mixing through multiple explosions with ejection by shallow blasts, rather than progressive deepening of explosion sites in response to draw down of aquifers

Nicht-Newtonsche Eigenschaften magmatischer Schmelzen

This work presents a new method to measure model independent viscosities of inhomogeneous materials at high temperatures. Many mechanisms driving volcanic eruptions are strongly influenced by the viscous properties of the participating materials. Since an eruption takes place at temperatures at which these materials (predominantly silicate melts) are not completely molten, typically inhomogeneities, like e.g. equilibrium and non-equilibrium crystals, are present in the system. In order to incorporate such inhomogeneities into objective material parameters the viscosity measurement is based on a rotational viscometer in a wide gap Couette setup. The gap size between the two concentric cylinders was designed as large as possible in order to account for the inhomogeneities. The emerging difficulties concerning the model independent data reduction from measured values to viscosities are solved using an appropriate interpolation scheme. The method was applied to a material representative for the majority of volcanic eruptions on earth: a typical continental basaltic rock (Billstein/Rhön/Germany). The measured viscosities show a strong shear rate dependency, which surprises, because basaltic melt has been, until now, assumed to behave as a Newtonian fluid. Since a non-Newtonian material shows a very different relaxation behavior in the Couette motion compared to a Newtonian one (which, ultimately, does not show any), and a strong relaxation signal was recorded during viscosity measurements, the equations of Couette motion were investigated. The time dependent stress distribution in a material due to a quasi step-like velocity change at the inner Couette radius (i.e. the spindle) was considered. The results show that a material combining a linear shear modulus and a Newtonian viscosity -- a Maxwell material -- cannot quantify the relaxation behavior. This could be considered as a hint, that the widely used Maxwell relaxation times cannot be applied as a 1:1 mapping from microscopic considerations to macroscopic situations.Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt eine neue Methode zur modellunabhängigen Messung von Viskositäten bei hohen Temperaturen. Viele der Mechanismen, welche vulkanischer Aktivität zugrunde liegen, werden stark durch die viskosen Eigenschaften der beteiligten Materialien beeinflusst. Die eruptierten Materialien -- zum überwiegenden Teil Silikatschmelzen -- sind bei Eruptionstemperatur nicht komplett geschmolzen. Deshalb sind Gleichgewichts- und Nichtgleichgewichtskristalle in den betrachteten Systemen vorhanden. Um diese Inhomogenitäten in objektive Materialparameter einzubeziehen, basiert die vorgestellte Viskositätsmessung auf auf einem Rotationsviskosimeter in einer wide gap''-Anordnung. Die Spaltbreite zwischen den beiden konzentrischen Zylindern wurde so groß wie möglich gemacht um Inhomogenitäten zu berücksichtigen. Die aufkommenden Schwierigkeiten bezüglich der modellunabhängigen Bestimmung der Viscositäten aus den gemessenen Daten wurden mit einer geeigneten Interpolationsmethode gelöst. Mit dieser Methode wurden die Viskositäten eines, für die Mehrheit vulkanischer Eruptionen auf der Erde typisches Material gemessen: eines kontinentalen Basaltes aus Billstein (Rhön, Deutschland). Die gemessenen Viskositäten zeigen bei konstanter Temperatur eine starke Abhängigkeit von der Deformationsrate. Dies überrascht, da basaltische Schmelzen bis heute bei vergleichbaren Temperaturen als Newtonsche Flüssigkeiten betrachtet wurden. Da ein nicht-Newtonsches Material, im Vergleich mit einem Newtonschen, ein deutlich anderes Relaxationsverhalten aufweist (das Newtonsche zeigt ultimativ keine Relaxation), und da ein deutliches Relaxationssignal während der Viskositätsmessung gemessen wurde, wurden die Bewegungsgleichungen der Couette Bewegung untersucht. Die zeitabhängige Spannungeverteilung in einem Material, verursacht durch eine quasi-stufenartige Geschwindigkeitsänderung am inneren Couette-Radius (d. h. am Drehkörper des Viskosimeters) wurde betrachtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass ein Material, welches ein linear elastisches Schermodul und eine newtonsche Viskosität kombiniert -- ein Maxwell-Material -- das Relaxationverhalten quantitativ nicht beschreiben kann. Dies könnte als Hinweis betrachtet werden, dass die weitverbreiteten Maxwell-Relaxationszeiten nicht 1:1 von mikroskopischen Betrachtungen auf makroskopische Situationen angewendet werden können

Experimental interaction of magma and "dirty" coolants

International audienceThe presence of water at volcanic vents can have dramatic effects on fragmentation and eruption dynamics, but little is known about how the presence of particulate matter in external water will further alter eruptions. Volcanic edifices are inherently "dirty" places, where particulate matter of multiple origins and grainsizes typically abounds. We present the results of experiments designed to simulate non-explosive interactions between molten basalt and various "coolants," ranging from homogeneous suspensions of 0 to 30 mass% bentonite clay in pure water, to heterogeneous and/or stratified suspensions including bentonite, sand, synthetic glass beads and/or naturally-sorted pumice. Four types of data are used to characterise the interactions: (1) visual/video observations; (2) grainsize and morphology of resulting particles; (3) heat-transfer data from a network of eight thermocouples; and (4) acoustic data from three force sensors. In homogeneous coolants with ~20% sediment, heat transfer is by forced convection and conduction, and thermal granulation is less efficient, resulting in fewer blocky particles, larger grainsizes, and weaker acoustic signals. Many particles are droplet-shaped or/and "vesicular," containing bubbles filled with coolant. Both of these particle types indicate significant hydrodynamic magma-coolant mingling, and many of them are rewelded into compound particles. The addition of coarse material to heterogeneous suspensions further slows heat transfer thus reducing thermal granulation, and variable interlocking of large particles prevents efficient hydrodynamic mingling. This results primarily in rewelded melt piles and inefficient distribution of melt and heat throughout the coolant volume. Our results indicate that even modest concentrations of sediment in water will significantly limit heat transfer during non-explosive magma-water interactions. At high concentrations, the dramatic reduction in cooling efficiency and increase in mingling help to explain globular peperite, and provide information relevant to analyses of premixing associated with highly-explosive molten fuel-coolant interactions in debris-filled volcanic vents

Experiments with vertically and laterally migrating subsurface explosions with applications to the geology of phreatomagmatic and hydrothermal explosion craters and diatremes

International audienceWe present results of experiments that use small chemical explosive charges buried in layered aggregates to simulate the effects of subsurface hydrothermal and phreatomagmatic explosions at varying depths and lateral locations, extending earlier experimental results that changed explosion locations only along a vertical axis. The focus is on the resulting crater size and shape and subcrater structures. Final crater shapes tend to be roughly circular if subsurface explosion epicenters occur within each other’s footprints (defined as the plan view area of reference crater produced by a single explosion of a given energy, as predicted by an empirical relationship). Craters are elongate if an epicenter lies somewhat beyond the footprint of the previous explosion, such that their footprints overlap, but if epicenters are too far apart, the footprints do not overlap and separate craters result. Explosions beneath crater walls formed by previous blasts tend to produce inclined (laterally directed) ejecta jets, while those beneath crater centers are vertically focused. Lateral shifting of explosion sites results in mixing of subcrater materials by development of multiple subvertical domains of otherwise pure materials, which progressively break down with repeated blasts, and by ejection and fallback of deeper-seated material that had experienced net upward displacement to very shallow levels by previous explosions. A variably developed collar of material that experienced net downward displacement surrounds the subvertical domains. The results demonstrate key processes related to mixing and ejection of materials from different depths during an eruptive episode at a maar-diatreme volcano as well as at other phreatomagmatic and hydrothermal explosion sites

Updates to Concepts on Phreatomagmatic Maar-Diatremes and Their Pyroclastic Deposits

Recent work is changing our understanding of phreatomagmatic maar-diatreme eruptions and resulting deposits. In previous models, explosions were often inferred to take place only at the base of a diatreme, with progressive downward migration due to a cone of depression in the host aquifer. However, diatremes themselves contain much water that is heterogeneously distributed, and field evidence supports the existence of explosion sites at many vertical and lateral locations within them. Crater sizes have been used to estimate explosion energies, but this only works for single-explosion craters where the depth of explosion is independently known, and has limited value for multi-explosion maar-diatremes. Deep-seated lithic clasts in tephra ring beds have been taken to indicate the depth of the explosion that produced that bed. However, only relatively shallow explosions actually vent to the surface, and deep-seated lithics are gradually brought to shallow depths through step-wise mixing of multiple subsurface explosions. Grain-size of tephra-ring deposits is often inferred to indicate fragmentation efficiency. However, other factors strongly influence deposit grain size, including the scaled depth of an explosion and the interaction of an erupting jet with topography around a vent (e.g., crater), along with long recognized effects of mechanical properties of host rocks and recycling within the vent/diatreme. These insights provide a foundation for future research into this important volcano type

Experimental Multiblast Craters and Ejecta—Seismo-Acoustics, Jet Characteristics, Craters, and Ejecta Deposits and Implications for Volcanic Explosions

Blasting experiments were performed that investigate multiple explosions that occur in quick succession in unconsolidated ground and their effects on host material and atmosphere. Such processes are known to occur during phreatomagmatic eruptions at various depths, lateral locations, and energies. The experiments follow a multi-instrument approach in order to observe phenomena in the atmosphere and in the ground, and measure the respective energy partitioning. The experiments show significant coupling of atmospheric (acoustic)- and ground (seismic) signal over a large range of (scaled) distances (30–330 m, 1–10 m J−1/3). The distribution of ejected material strongly depends on the sequence of how the explosions occur. The overall crater sizes are in the expected range of a maximum size for many explosions and a minimum for one explosion at a given lateral location. As previous research showed before, peak atmospheric over-pressure decays exponentially with scaled depth. An exponential decay rate of was measured. At a scaled explosion depth of 4 × 10−3 m J−1/3 ca. 1% of the blast energy is responsible for the formation of the atmospheric pressure pulse; at a more shallow scaled depth of 2.75 × 10−3 m J−1/3 this ratio lies at ca. 5.5%–7.5%. A first order consideration of seismic energy estimates the sum of radiated airborne and seismic energy to be up to 20% of blast energy. Finally, the transient cavity formation during a blast leads to an effectively reduced explosion depth that was determined. Depth reductions of up to 65% were measured