Constraints on climate forcing by sulphate aerosols from seasonal changes in Earth's spin

Angular momentum exchanges between atmosphere and solid Earth are strongly modulated by variations in global atmospheric circulation. Geodetically determined length-of-day (LOD) fluctuations provide an independent resource to investigate climate changes. Here, I evaluate the effects of volcanic and anthropogenic sulphate aerosols on Earth’s rotational energy variations. The period analysed, 1980–2002, shows that the strongest seasonal LOD variations are related to sulphate peak concentrations from the El-Chichon 1982, and Pinatubo and Cerro ´ Hudson 1991 volcanic eruptions. The Earth’s rotational energy budget implies that radiative forcing alone cannot produce the observed LOD anomalies. Rather, the required amount of atmospheric kinetic energy can be explained only by a strong influence of sulphate aerosols on energy partitioning into the atmosphere, for example, as sulphate aerosols affect latent heat release and transport during condensation–evaporation–freezing cycles. Overall, the effects of sulphate aerosols on Earth’s spin changes are faster than those produced by greenhouse gases

Volcanic eruptions from ghost magma chambers

Recent studies have proposed that magma reservoirs crystallized to a virtually rigid crystal-mush can be partially remelted by diffusion of hot fluids. We show that for a crystal mush with the composition of a K-trachyte from the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) Eruption, remelting can occur without a significant increase of the magma temperature, but simply by diffusion of H2O by the magmatic gases feeding the system. The CI origin is not the issue here, but rather the chemical and physical behavior of an almost solidified magma mass left over in a reservoir after a major eruption. To test our hypothesis, we run high pressure/high temperature laboratory experiments to study the kinetics of water diffusion, together with thermodynamics and fluid diffusion modelling. For small diffusivities, or large diffusion time, the remelting mechanism proposed above needs to be replaced by other processes as gas percolation or intrusion of a magmatic mass

Earth's rotation variability triggers explosive eruptions in subduction zones

The uneven Earth’s spinning has been reported to affect geological processes, i.e. tectonism, seismicity and volcanism, on a planetary scale. Here, we show that changes of the length of day (LOD) influence eruptive activity at subduction margins. Statistical analysis indicates that eruptions with volcanic explosivity index (VEI) ≥3 alternate along oppositely directed subduction zones as a function of whether the LOD increases or decreases. In particular, eruptions in volcanic arcs along contractional subduction zones, which are mostly E- or NE-directed, occur when LOD increases, whereas they are more frequent when LOD decreases along the opposite W- or SW-directed subduction zones that are rather characterized by upper plate extension and back-arc spreading. We find that the LOD variability determines a modulation of the horizontal shear stresses acting on the crust up to 0.4 MPa. An increase of the horizontal maximum stress in compressive regimes during LOD increment may favour the rupture of the magma feeder system wall rocks. Similarly, a decrease of the minimum horizontal stress in extensional settings during LOD lowering generates a larger differential stress, which may enhance failure of the magma-confining rocks. This asymmetric behaviour of magmatism sheds new light on the role of astronomical forces in the dynamics of the solid Earth

Maars to calderas. End-members on a spectrum of explosive volcanic depressions

We discuss maar-diatremes and calderas as end-members on a spectrum of negative volcanic landforms (depressions) produced by explosive eruptions (note—we focus on calderas formed during explosive eruptions, recognizing that some caldera types are not related to such activity). The former are dominated by ejection of material during numerous discrete phreatomagmatic explosions, brecciation, and subsidence of diatreme fill, while the latter are dominated by subsidence over a partly evacuated magma chamber during sustained, magmatic volatile-driven discharge. Many examples share characteristics of both, including landforms that are identified as maars but preserve deposits from non-phreatomagmatic explosive activity, and ambiguous structures that appear to be coalesced maars but that also produced sustained explosive eruptions with likely magma reservoir subsidence. A convergence of research directions on issues related to magma-water interaction and shallow reservoir mechanics is an important avenue toward developing a unified picture of the maar-diatreme-caldera spectrum

CO2-crystal wettability in potassic magmas. Implications for eruptive dynamics in light of experimental evidence for heterogeneous nucleation.

The volatile content in magmas is fundamental for the triggering and style of volcanic eruptions. Carbon dioxide, the second most abundant volatile component in magmas after H2O, is the first to reach saturation upon ascent and depressurization. We investigate experimentally CO2-bubble nucleation in trachybasalt and trachyte melts at high temperature and high pressure (HT and HP) through wetting-angle measurements on different (sialic, mafic or oxide) phenocryst phases. The presence of crystals lowers the supersaturation required for CO2- bubble nucleation up to 37 per cent (heterogeneous nucleation, HeN), with a minor role of mineral chemistry. Different from H2O-rich systems, feldspar crystals are effective in reducing required supersaturation for bubble nucleation. Our data suggest that leucite, the dominant liquidus phase in ultrapotassic systems at shallow depth (i.e. <100 MPa), facilitates late-stage, extensive magma vesiculation through CO2 HeN, which may explain the shifting of CO2-rich eruptive systems towards an apparently anomalous explosive behaviour

Geological constraints for a conceptual evolutionary model of the slope deformations affecting Mt. Nuovo at Ischia (Italy)

ischia island was the scenario of several Holocene slope in- stability events occurred at different scales, from shallow mass movements, triggered by meteo-climatic forcing, up to massive rock slope failures such as large debris avalanches these last ones related to the volcano-tectonic dynamics of a resurgent caldera. the present study focuses on the gravitational deformation that in- volves Mt. nuovo, located in the western portion of Mt. epomeo resurgent block. a high-resolution engineering-geological model was reconstructed according to a multi-modelling approach sup- ported by field geo-structural evidences and constrained by pas- sive seismic investigations. it revealed a complex morpho-struc- tural setting and led to the identification of a multiple compound mechanism, involving a rock mass volume of about 190 million of cubic meters. the obtained geological model shows a partial structural control of the pre-existing tectonic pattern on slope deformation mechanisms, highlighting geometric and volumetric similarities between the Mt. nuovo ongoing deformation and an already oc- curred rock avalanche. the defined conceptual evolutionary mod- el allows to hypothesize the role of inner pressures constraining the shear zone initiation and propagation and making reliable a future scenario of generalized collapse. Starting from these new field and laboratory data, numerical models will be reconstructed in order to depict the evolution of the gravitational slope deformation, evaluate its sensitivity and constrain future evolutionary instability scenarios

SiO2 nanoparticles as new repairing treatments toward the Pietraforte sandstone in Florence renaissance buildings

In this work, the consolidation efficiency of SiO2 nanoparticles (synthesized in the Chemistry laboratories at the Tor Vergata University of Roma) was tested on Pietraforte sandstone surfaces belonging to the bell tower of San Lorenzo (Florence, Italy) and was fully investigated. Nanoparticles (synthesized in large-scale mass production) have been characterized by XRD—X-Ray Diffraction; Raman and FTIR—Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy; SEM—Scanning Electron Microscopy; while the Pietraforte sandstone morphology was examined by Porosimetry, capillary absorption test, surface hardness test, drilling resistance and tensile strength. The colorimetric measurements were also performed to characterize the optical modification exhibited by Pietraforte sandstones, especially after the SiO2 treatments. Our results show that applying to the Pietraforte, the new consolidating agent based on SiO2 nanoparticles, has several advantages, as they are more resistant to perforation, wear, and abrasion even long range (for long times of exposure and consolidating exercise against Florentine sandstone), compared to the CaCO3 nanoparticles (tested in our previous paper), which instead show excellent performance but only close to their first application. This means that over time, their resistance to drilling decreases, they wear much more easily (compared to SiO2 -treated sandstone), and tend to exhibit quite a significant surface abrasion phenomena. The experimental results highlight that the SiO2 consolidation efficiency on this kind of Florentine Pietraforte sandstone (having low porosity and a specific calcitic texture) seems to be higher in terms of water penetration protection, superficial cohesion forces, and an increase in surface resistance. Comparing the performance of SiO2 nanoparticles with commercial consolidants in solvents such as Estel 1000 (tested here), we demonstrate that: (A) the restorative effects are obtained with a consolidation time over one week, significantly shorter when compared to the times of Estel 1000, exceeding 21 days; (B) SiO2 nanoparticles perform better than Estel 1000 in terms of cohesion forces, also ensuring excellent preservation of the optical and color properties of the parent rock (without altering it after application)

The italian quaternary volcanism

The peninsular and insular Italy are punctuated by Quaternary volcanoes and their rocks constitute an important aliquot of the Italian Quaternary sedimentary successions. Also away from volcanoes themselves, volcanic ash layers are a common and frequent feature of the Quaternary records, which provide us with potential relevant stratigraphic and chronological markers at service of a wide array of the Quaternary science issues. In this paper, a broad representation of the Italian volcano logical community has joined to provide an updated comprehensive state of art of the Italian Quaternary volcanism. The eruptive history, style and dynamics and, in some cases, the hazard assessment of about thirty Quaternary volcanoes, from the north ernmost Mt. Amiata, in Tuscany, to the southernmost Pantelleria and Linosa, in Sicily Channel, are here reviewed in the light of the substantial improving of the methodological approaches and the overall knowledge achieved in the last decades in the vol canological field study. We hope that the present review can represent a useful and agile document summarising the knowledege on the Italian volcanism at the service of the Quaternary community operating in central Mediterranean area

Tidal modulation of eruptive activity at open-vent volcanoes: evidence from Stromboli, Italy

Terra Nova, 24, 233237, 2012 Abstract The role of Earth tides as a relevant controlling factor of a variety of geological processes, including seismicity and volcanism, is widely debated. Stromboli Volcano, Italy, is well known for its persistent explosive activity and represents an ideal setting to investigate tidal effects on the energy release and eruptive behaviour of volcanoes. Herein, we report new evidence that tidal stresses may modulate the timing of eruptive activity at volcanoes in an open-vent state. We report statistically significant correlations of the peak eruption frequencies to fortnightly tidal maxima (i.e. full and new moon) during a 17-month-long period of activity in 20102011: in fact, the number of explosive events per hour increases by >85% during tidal maxima with respect to the average values. We suggest that tidally induced cycles of compressiondecompression of country rocks controls fluctuating magma supply rate from the shallow plumbing system and, thus, eruption frequency

On the space-time distribution of major explosive volcanic eruptions on Earth

Explosive volcanic activity on Earth is typically discontinuous in space and time. The occurrence of spatial/temporal eruption clusters due to mutual cause-and-effect relationships or external triggers (e. g., tectonic and/or tidal forcing) is still debated. To detect possible clustering of major explosive eruptions, we test the distribution of eruptions with Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) >= 4 from 1750 to present. The 143 documented VEI >= 4 events display a markedly non-uniform frequency distribution, with the highest relative probability of eruption recurrence within 500 km distance from the preceding event. The analogous frequency pattern obtained from randomized data series of the same catalogue suggests that the observed eruption pattern is primarily imparted by the geodynamic distribution of volcanoes (mostly located along tectonically active linear belts), with no evidence of mutual or external influence. Our results highlight a counter-intuitive array of major eruption loci as a consequence of the intrinsic worldwide asymmetry of explosive volcanism, with implications on hazard assessment. Citation: Palladino, D. M., and G. Sottili (2012), On the space-time distribution ofmajor explosive volcanic eruptions on Earth, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L12308, doi: 10.1029/2012GL052541