The 2008–2010 subsidence of dallol volcano on the spreading erta ale ridge: Insar observations and source models

In this work, we study the subsidence of Dallol, an explosive crater and hydrothermal area along the spreading Erta Ale ridge of Afar (Ethiopia). No volcanic products exist at the surface. However, a diking episode in 2004, accompanied by dike-induced faulting, indicates that Dallol is an active volcanic area. The 2004 diking episode was followed by quiescence until subsidence started in 2008. We use InSAR to measure the deformation, and inverse, thermoelastic and poroe-lastic modelling to understand the possible causes of the subsidence. Analysis of InSAR data from 2004–2010 shows that subsidence, centered at Dallol, initiated in October 2008, and continued at least until February 2010 at an approximately regular rate of up to 10 cm/year. The inversion of InSAR average velocities finds that the source causing the subsidence is shallow (depth between 0.5 and 1.5 km), located under Dallol and with a volume decrease between −0.63 and −0.26 × 106 km3/year. The most likely explanation for the subsidence of Dallol volcano is a combination of out-gassing (depressurization), cooling and contraction of the roof of a shallow crustal magma chamber or of the hydrothermal system

Evidence of Fluid Induced Earthquake Swarms From High Resolution Earthquake Relocation in the Main Ethiopian Rift

Fluid overpressure and fluid migration are known to be able to trigger or induce fault slip. However, relatively little is known about the role of fluids on generating earthquakes in some of the major continental rifts. To address this, we investigate the interaction between fluids and faults in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) using a large seismicity catalog that covers both the rift axis and rift margin. We performed cross-correlation analysis on four major earthquake clusters (three within the rift and one on the rift margin) in order to significantly improve accuracy of the earthquake relative relocations and to quantify families of earthquakes in which waveforms are similar. We also analyzed variation of seismicity rate and seismic moment release through time for the four clusters. The major results are that for all four clusters the earthquake relocations are 5–15 km deep, aligned to clear N-NNE striking, steeply (>60°) dipping planes. For the three clusters within the rift, the cross-correlation analysis identifies earthquake families that occur in short swarms during which seismic rate and moment release increases. Together, this space and time pattern of the seismicity strongly points toward them being fluid induced, with fluid likely sourced from depth such as mantle derived CO2. In contrast, the seismicity on the rift margin lacks earthquake families, with occurrence of earthquakes more continuous in nature, which we interpret as pointing toward tectonic stress-driven microseismic creep. Overall, our results suggest that deep sourced fluid migration within the rift is an important driver of earthquake activity

Editorial: InSAR for volcanoes and tectonics

Abstract not availabl

Effects of present-day deglaciation in Iceland on mantle melt production rates

Ongoing deglaciation in Iceland not only causes uplift at the surface but also increases magma production at depth due to decompression of the mantle. Here we study glacially induced decompression melting using 3‐D models of glacial isostatic adjustment in Iceland since 1890. We find that the mean glacially induced pressure rate of change in the mantle increases melt production rates by 100–135%, or an additional 0.21–0.23 km3 of magma per year beneath Iceland. Approximately 50% of this melt is produced underneath central Iceland. The greatest volumetric increase is found directly beneath Iceland's largest ice cap, Vatnajökull, colocated with the most productive volcanoes. Our models of the effect of deglaciation on mantle melting predict a significantly larger volumetric response than previous models which only considered the effect of deglaciation of Vatnajökull, and only mantle melting directly below Vatnajökull. Although the ongoing deglaciation significantly increases the melt production rate, the increase in melt supply rate at the base of the lithosphere is delayed and depends on the melt ascent velocity through the mantle. Assuming that 25% of the melt reaches the surface, the upper limit on our deglaciation‐induced melt estimates for central Iceland would be equivalent to an eruption the size of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull summit eruption every seventh year

Does the lava lake of Erta ‘Ale volcano respond to regional magmatic and tectonic events? An investigation using Earth Observation data

Erta ‘Ale volcano lies at the centre of the Erta ‘Ale rift segment in northern Afar, Ethiopia and hosts one of the few persistent lava lakes found on Earth in its summit caldera. Previous studies have reported anecdotal evidence of a correlation between lake activity and magmatic and tectonic events in the broader region. We investigated this hypothesis for the period 2000–15 by comparing a catalogue of regional events with changes in lake activity reconstructed from Earth Observation data. The lava lake underwent dramatic changes during the study period, exhibiting an overall rise in height with concomitant changes in geometry consistent with a change in heat energy balance. Numerous paroxysms occurred in the lake and in the north pit; a significant dyke intrusion with subsequent re-intrusions indicated a role for dykes in maintaining the lake. However, despite some coincidences between the paroxysms and regional events, we did not find any statistically significant relationship between the two on a timescale of days to weeks. Nevertheless, changes in lake activity have preceded the broad increase in regional activity since 2005 and we cannot rule out a relationship on a decadal scale

Multiple effects of ice load changes and associated stress change on magmatic systems

Ice retreat on volcanoes reduces pressure at the surface of the Earth and induces stress changes in magmatic systems. The consequences can include increased generation of magma at depth, increased magma capture in the crust, and modification of failure conditions of magma chambers. We review the methodology to evaluate each of these effects, and consider the influence of ongoing ice retreat on volcanoes at the Mid-Atlantic divergent plate boundary in Iceland. Evaluation of each of these effects requires a series of assumptions regarding the rheology of the crust and mantle, and the nature of magmatic systems, contributing to relatively large uncertainty in response of a magmatic system to climate warming and associated ice retreat. Pressure release melting due to ice cap retreat in Iceland may at present times generate a similar amount of magma as plate tectonic processes; larger than realized previously. However, new modelling shows that part of this magma may be captured in the crust, rather than being erupted. Gradual retreat of ice caps do steadily modify failure conditions at magma chambers, which is highly dependent on their geometry and depth, as well as the details of ice load variations. A model is presented where long-term ice retreat at Katla volcano decreases the likelihood of eruption, as more magma is needed in the magma chamber to cause failure than in the absence of the ice retreat

Lower Crustal Earthquakes in the March 2018 Sequence Along the Western Margin of Afar

During the evolution of continental rift systems, extension is thought to progressively focus in-rift to the future breakup boundary while faults along the rift margins progressively deactivate. However, observational constraints on how strain is partitioned between rift axis and rift margins are still lacking. The Afar rift records the latest stages of rifting and incipient continental breakup. Here, we analyzed the recent M W 5.2 earthquake on the Western Afar Margin on March 24, 2018 and the associated seismic sequence of &gt;500 earthquakes using 24 temporary seismic stations deployed during 2017–2018. We show seismicity occurring at lower crustal depths, from ∼15 to ∼30 km, with focal mechanisms and relocated earthquakes highlighting both west-dipping and east-dipping normal faults. We tested earthquake depth using InSAR by processing six independent interferograms using Sentinel-1 data acquired from both ascending and descending tracks. None of them shows evidence of surface deformation. We tested possible ranges of depth by producing forward models for a fault located at progressively increasing depths. Models show that surface deformation is not significant for fault slip at depths greater than 15 km, in agreement with the hypocentral depth of 19 km derived from seismic data for the largest earthquake. Due to the localized nature of deep earthquakes near hot springs coupled with subsurface evidence for magmatism, we favor an interpretation of seismicity induced by migrating fluids such as magma or CO 2. We suggest that deep fluid migration can occur at the rifted-margin influencing seismicity during incipient continental rupture. </p

Lower Crustal Earthquakes in the March 2018 Sequence Along the Western Margin of Afar

During the evolution of continental rift systems, extension is thought to progressively focus in-rift to the future breakup boundary while faults along the rift margins progressively deactivate. However, observational constraints on how strain is partitioned between rift axis and rift margins are still lacking. The Afar rift records the latest stages of rifting and incipient continental breakup. Here, we analyzed the recent MW 5.2 earthquake on the Western Afar Margin on March 24, 2018 and the associated seismic sequence of &gt;500 earthquakes using 24 temporary seismic stations deployed during 2017–2018. We show seismicity occurring at lower crustal depths, from ∼15 to ∼30&nbsp;km, with focal mechanisms and relocated earthquakes highlighting both west-dipping and east-dipping normal faults. We tested earthquake depth using InSAR by processing six independent interferograms using Sentinel-1 data acquired from both ascending and descending tracks. None of them shows evidence of surface deformation. We tested possible ranges of depth by producing forward models for a fault located at progressively increasing depths. Models show that surface deformation is not significant for fault slip at depths greater than 15&nbsp;km, in agreement with the hypocentral depth of 19&nbsp;km derived from seismic data for the largest earthquake. Due to the localized nature of deep earthquakes near hot springs coupled with subsurface evidence for magmatism, we favor an interpretation of seismicity induced by migrating fluids such as magma or CO2. We suggest that deep fluid migration can occur at the rifted-margin influencing seismicity during incipient continental rupture

Plate-Boundary Kinematics of the Afrera Linkage Zone (Afar) From InSAR and Seismicity

International audienceStudying the mechanisms of interaction between rift segments is key to understanding the kinematics of plate boundaries in continental rifts. However, the spatial and temporal evolution of deformation at rift linkage zones is rarely observed directly. Here, we combine InSAR data spanning 2005–2010 and 2014–2019 from ENVISAT and Sentinel-1 satellites, respectively, with local seismicity from the Afar rift to investigate the plate-boundary kinematics of the Afrera linkage zone, the junction between the Erta Ale and Tat Ali magmatic segments in Northern Afar (Ethiopia). We obtain time-series of cumulative InSAR Line-Of-Sight (LOS) displacements that show deformation is accommodated by a series of active en-echelon faults striking ∼NS and characterized by normal slip associated with a left-lateral strike-slip component. Additionally, we observe spatial variation in fault behavior with stick-slip and creep. The faults in the center of the linkage zone behave primarily in a stick-slip mode (with abrupt fault displacements up to ∼40 mm) and fault motions are associated with earthquakes of ML > 5. Conversely, faults at the edge of the linkage zone, near the magmatic segments, show creep and some stick-slip behavior (with cumulative LOS displacement up to ∼30–40 mm over a ∼5-year period) accompanied by low-level seismicity. Some of the creeping faults are also spatially associated with hydrothermal springs. We interpret that the temporal behavior of the faults in the linkage zone is controlled by the interplay between tectonic extension, high heat flows, and fluid circulation near the magmatic segments where creeping of some faults is favored

Growth of a sinkhole in a seismic zone of the northern Apennines (Italy)

Sinkhole collapse is a major hazard causing substantial social and economic losses. However, the surface deformations and sinkhole evolution are rarely recorded, as these sites are known mainly after a collapse, making the assessment of sinkhole-related hazard challenging. Furthermore, more than 40% of the sinkholes of Italy are in seismically hazardous zones; it remains unclear whether seismicity may trigger sinkhole collapse. Here we use a multidisciplinary data set of InSAR, surface mapping and historical records of sinkhole activity to show that the Prà di Lama lake is a long-lived sinkhole that was formed in an active fault zone and grew through several events of unrest characterized by episodic subsidence and lake-level changes. Moreover, InSAR shows that continuous aseismic subsidence at rates of up to 7.1mmyr-1occurred during 2003-2008, between events of unrest. Earthquakes on the major faults near the sinkhole do not trigger sinkhole activity but low-magnitude earthquakes at 4-12 km depth occurred during sinkhole unrest in 1996 and 2016. We interpret our observations as evidence of seismic creep at depth causing fracturing and ultimately leading to the formation and growth of the Prà di Lama sinkhole