Arzilli Unexpected Calbuco 2019
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The University of Manchester Research The unexpected explosive sub-Plinian eruption of Calbuco volcano (22–23 April 2015; southern Chile): Triggering mechanism implications DOI: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2019.04.006 Document Version Accepted author manuscript Link to publication record in Manchester Research Explorer Citation for published version (APA): Arzilli, F., Morgavi, D., Petrelli, M., Polacci, M., Burton, M., Di Genova, D., Spina, L., La Spina, G., Hartley, M. E., Romero, J. E., Fellowes, J., Diaz-alvarado, J., & Perugini, D. (2019). The unexpected explosive sub-Plinian eruption of Calbuco volcano (22–23 April 2015; southern Chile): Triggering mechanism implications. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 378, 35-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2019.04.006 Published in: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on Manchester Research Explorer is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Proof version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the Research Explorer are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Takedown policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please refer to the University of Manchester’s Takedown Procedures [http://man.ac.uk/04Y6Bo] or contact [email protected] providing relevant details, so we can investigate your claim. Download date:10. Oct. 2021 Accepted Manuscript The unexpected explosive sub-Plinian eruption of Calbuco volcano (22–23 April 2015; southern Chile): Triggering mechanism implications Fabio Arzilli, Daniele Morgavi, Maurizio Petrelli, Margherita Polacci, Mike Burton, Danilo Di Genova, Laura Spina, Giuseppe La Spina, Margaret E. Hartley, Jorge E. Romero, Jonathan Fellowes, Juan Diaz-Alvarado, Diego Perugini PII: S0377-0273(18)30560-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2019.04.006 Reference: VOLGEO 6593 To appear in: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research Received date: 12 December 2018 Revised date: 5 April 2019 Accepted date: 9 April 2019 Please cite this article as: F. Arzilli, D. Morgavi, M. Petrelli, et al., The unexpected explosive sub-Plinian eruption of Calbuco volcano (22–23 April 2015; southern Chile): Triggering mechanism implications, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2019.04.006 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT The unexpected explosive sub-Plinian eruption of Calbuco volcano (22–23 April 2015; southern Chile): triggering mechanism implications Fabio Arzillia*, Daniele Morgavib, Maurizio Petrellib, Margherita Polaccia, Mike Burtona, Danilo Di Genovac, Laura Spinad, Giuseppe La Spinaa, Margaret E. Hartleya, Jorge E. Romeroe, Jonathan Fellowesa, Juan Diaz-Alvaradoe and Diego Peruginib aSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK bDepartment of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Piazza dell'Università, 06123 Perugia, Italy cInstitute of Non-Metallic Materials, Clausthal University of Technology, Zehntner Str. 2a, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany dIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy eDepartamento de , Universidad de Atacama, Av. , Chile *Corresponding author: Dr. Fabio Arzilli Corresponding author present affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT E-mail address: [email protected] Phone: +393298429732; +447904104670 Keywords: Calbuco; Sub-Plinian eruption; Internal trigger; Crystallisation; Volcanic hazard 1 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Abstract Plinian-type eruptions are extremely hazardous, producing pyroclastic fallout and flows extending many kilometres from the vent. The most commonly invoked eruption trigger for Plinian-type eruptions is the intrusion of fresh magma, generally associated with precursory ground deformation and seismicity days/weeks before eruption. Closed-system internal triggering has also been proposed, such as protracted crystallisation of magma, which can produce a build-up of exsolved volatiles and thus pressurise the system prior to eruption. On 22-23 April 2015 Calbuco volcano, Chile, produced a sub-Plinian eruption with <3 hours seismic precursory activity and no clear deformation signals in the preceding months. Here, we show that petrological and geochemical evidence do not support a hypothesis of eruption triggering due to pre-eruptive intrusion of fresh magma, but instead are consistent with an internal trigger. We found that basaltic andesitic magma was stored at depths between 8 and 12 km (i.e. 230-320 MPa) beneath Calbuco volcano before the 2015 eruption. The stored magma had an initial temperature of 900-950 °C, was water-saturated (5.5-6.5 wt.% H2O) and formed phenocrysts of titanomagnetite, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase cores (An78-93). Gradual cooling of the magma chamber produced thermal gradients and magma convection, evidenced by plagioclase overgrowth rims (An58-77) and blocky microlites (25-250 µm). Our interpretation is that this continuing crystallisation induced second boiling and an over- pressurisation of the system, leading to the rapid onset of the 2015 eruption. Petrological and geochemical evidence therefore shows that a closed-system magma chamber can evolve into a ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT highly explosive eruption with very little precursory warning, posing a challenge for current volcano monitoring paradigms. We propose that internal triggering should be carefully considered as a mechanism for unexpected sub-Plinian eruptions, prompting a potential revision of existing hazard management strategies. 2 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 1. Introduction Plinian-type eruptions are the largest explosive volcanic events in terms of their mass discharge rate (intensity) and erupted magma volume (magnitude) (Walker, 1980). The temporal recurrence of sub-Plinian eruptions (0.1 – 1.0 km3 ejecta volume, >10 km plume height) is about every year on Earth, while Plinian eruptions (1.0 – 10.0 km3 ejecta volume, >20 km plume height) occur about every decade, and therefore together they produce significant volcanic hazards (Newhall and Self, 1982). The explosivity of Plinian-type eruptions generally requires volatile-rich and high viscosity magmas. Usually, these types of eruptions are associated with evolved calc-alkaline (andesite to rhyolite; Castro and Dingwell, 2009; Castro et al., 2013) and alkaline (trachyte to phonolite; Signorelli et al., 1999) magmas, although there are some rare exceptions of basaltic Plinian eruptions (e.g. Houghton et al., 2004; Walker et al., 1984). The triggering mechanisms for large explosive eruptions are difficult to constrain and are the subject of considerable debate (Caricchi et al., 2014; Malfait et al., 2014; Gregg et al., 2015; Gudmundsson, 2016). These can be broadly grouped into five overlapping categories: (i) Injection of volatile-rich magmas into a more evolved magma chamber, which is the most commonly invoked triggering mechanism (Blake, 1981; Williams and Self, 1983; Walker et al., 1984; Pallister et al., 1992; de Silva et al., 2008; Sigmundsson et al., 2010; Wehrmann et al., 2016; Cassidy et al., 2016); (ii) Magma mixing following mafic magma injection (Sparks et al., 1977; Leonard et al., 2002; Stock et al., 2012; Macías et al., 2017); (iii) generation of ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT overpressure due exsolution of volatiles via second boiling due to protracted crystallisation (Stock et al., 2016; Tramontano et al., 2017); (iv) perturbation of magmatic reservoirs close to a critical state by tectonic earthquakes (Linde and Sacks, 1998); (v) sector collapse of a volcanic edifice (e.g. Mount St Helens in 1980; Lipman and Mullineaux, 1981). 3 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Most volcanic eruptions are preceded by a period of volcanic unrest, marked by particular patterns of seismicity, gas emission, and ground deformation providing opportunities for eruption forecasting (Gorshkov and Dubik, 1970; Chouet et al., 1994; Chouet, 1996; Harlow et al., 1991; Sigmundsson et al., 2010; Aiuppa et al., 2010; Tarasewicz et al., 2014; White and McCausland, 2016; Riveira et al., 2017). The alert period for most eruptions is measured in weeks to months, where an increase in seismic activity may signal a greater likelihood of an eruption. The alert period can be as short as a few hours before eruption onset, leaving insufficient time to draw up actions for minimizing volcanic risk (Castro et al., 2013). Improved knowledge of the pre-eruptive conditions and triggering mechanisms of Plinian- type events is of paramount importance for volcanologists to provide better short-term forecasts of eruption onset and hence mitigate hazardous situations (Sparks,