Lava and Ice Interaction at Stratovolcanoes: Use of Characteristic Features to Determine Past Glacial Extents and Future Volcanic Hazards
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Portland State University PDXScholar Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations Geology 10-10-2000 Lava and Ice Interaction at Stratovolcanoes: Use of Characteristic Features to Determine Past Glacial Extents and Future Volcanic Hazards David T. Lescinsky Arizona State University Jonathan H. Fink Portland State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geology_fac Part of the Geology Commons, and the Volcanology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Lescinsky, D. T., & Fink, J. H. (2000). Lava and ice interaction at stratovolcanoes: use of characteristic features to determine past glacial extents and future volcanic hazards. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (1978–2012), 105(B10), 23711-23726. This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICALRESEARCH, VOL. 105,NO. B10,PAGES 23,711-23,726, OCTOBER 10, 2000 Lava and ice interaction at stratovolcanoes: Use of characteristic features to determine past glacialextents and future volcanichazards DavidT. LescinskyI and Jonathan H. Fink Departmentof Geology,Arizona State University, Tempe Abstract. Structuresresulting from lava and ice interactionare common at glaciated stratovolcanoes.During summit eruptions at stratovolcanoes,meltwater is producedand travelsfreely down steep slopes and thin permeable valley glaciers, eroding the ice and enlargingpreexisting glacial drainages. As a result,eruptions in thisenvironment have producedfew catastrophicfloods. Lava flowing into the open channels and voids in the glaciersbecomes confined and grows thicker, filling the availablespace and producing steep- sidedbodies with smooth,bulbous contact surfaces. Quenching of lava againstice or by waterforms small-scale features such as tensional fractures and glass. As the amountof meltwaterin contactwith the lava increases,the type and abundance of smaller-scalefeatures becomesimilar to thoseproduced during subglacial eruptions into meltwaterlakes. Identificationof large-and small-scale lava-ice contact features in the field canbe usedto reconstructpaleoglacial extent and, combined with geochronologyof lavas,to determinepast paleoclimate.An understandingof lava-iceinteraction allows us to betterassess the hazards posedby futureeruptions at glaciatedvolcanoes. 1. Introduction In this studywe examinelava-ice interaction as it relatesto Suddenmelting of glaciersduring volcanic eruptionscan stratovolcanoeslike Mount Rainierthat havealpine glaciers producelarge debrisflows and floodsthat placeneighboring (ice thicknesses<150 m). First,we synthesizeobservations of populationsat risk. Mount Rainier,Washington is a glaciated historicaleruptions to identify the dominantprocesses and hazards of lava-ice interaction on stratovolcanoes. We then stratovolcanothat is closeto the greaterTacoma-Seattle area (2,600,000 residents)and has a high probabilityof a future presentfield studiesof older lava flows, characterizing eruption [National Research Council, 1994]. Due to the fractureand landformmorphologies produced during lava-ice hazards it poses, this volcano was designateda "Decade interaction.These features are then used,along with insight Volcano" by InternationalAssociation of Volcanologyand gained from eruption observations,to reconstruct two Chemistryof the Earth's Interior(IAVCEI) duringthe 1990s examplesof eruptionswith lava-iceinteraction and to predict -the United Nations' International Decade for Natural theprobable course and hazards of a futurelava flow eruption at Mount Rainier. Hazard Reduction [National Research Council, 1994]. Mount Rainier has producedlava flows and small explosive events[Sisson, 1995; Sissonand Lanphere,1997]. Thus it is 2. Eruption Observations likely that lava will erupt onto one of the summit's many Much of our knowledgeof lava-iceinteraction comes from glaciersin the future. observationsof historicaleruptions and thermal events at Surficial lava flows at glaciatedvolcanoes, unlike other glaciatedvolcanoes. Below we synthesizeobservations from styles of eruption, rarely initiate debris flows or floods 18 eruptionsto highlight the important processesand because the rate of meltwater production is low and a recurring phenomenaduring lava-ice interaction(detailed mechanismfor meltwater ponding is often lacking [Major summariescan be foundin AppendicesA andB of Lescinsky and Newhall, 1989]. At stratovolcanoes,meltwater can drain [1999]). Theseevents occurred primarily at stratovolcanoes throughrelatively thin alpineglaciers (up to 100-150 m thick) that were dominantlymafic. becausethe ice is permeable[Smellie, 2000]. In contrast, Most lava flows onto glaciatedvolcanoes follow a brief largevolumes of water may be trappedby thick ice capsand period of increasedheat output and/or explosiveactivity. ice sheets(>>150 m thick) that have an impermeablebasal Conductiveheat flow and fumarolicactivity may cause layer. As a result, lava eruptionsunder thick layers of ice gradualmelting and glacialsubsidence over periods of weeks oftenproduce outburst floods (jOkulhlaups). to years (1960s-1970s Mount Wrangell, Alaska, and 1975 Mount Baker, Washington[Easterbrook, 1975; Bensonand lNow at Departmentof EarthSciences, University of Western Motyka, 1978]). With the start of explosiveactivity, hot Ontario, London, Canada pyroclasticdebris and spattermay quicklymelt snowand ice (both referredto as "ice" below) [e.g., Walder, 1999] or Copyright2000 by the American Geophysical Union. shatterice and increasepermeability. Floods have been Papernumber 2000JB900214. producedduring this earlyphase of eruption(1971 Villarrica, 0148-0227/00/2000JB900214509.00 Chile, and 1991 Mount Hudson, Chile [Gonzdlez-Ferran, 23,711 23,712 LESCINSKY AND FINK: LAVA AND ICE INTERACTION AT STRATOVOLCANOES associatedwith thick ice (1991 Hudson and 1983-1984 and 1993-1994 Veniaminof [Yountet al., 1985; McClelland et al., 1989; Naranjo et al., 1993; SmithsonianInstitution, 1993, 1994b]). Lavas erupted into this pondedmeltwater likely behaveas submarinelavas [e.g., Batiza and White,2000]. When lava is eruptedperiglacially (in proximityto, but not in contactwith, ice) and intersectsa glacier,it will eitherflow onto the glacial surface(1983, 1993, and 1994 Kliuchevskoi [Khrenov et al., 1988; Vinogradovand Murav'ev, 1988; Smithsonian Institution, 1994a; Belousov, 1996; Zharinov et al., 1996] or be deflectedand flow alongthe glaciermargins (1945 Okmok, Alaska [Byerset al., 1947]). Lava traveling over ice causeslimited and gradual melting that resultsin localized subsidence of the flow (1983 Kliuchevskoi [Vinogradov and Murav'ev, 1988]). Such lava flows are proneto instabilityand collapse,particularly on steepslopes FigureI. Lavaflow visible in a •50-m-deeptrench melted and during periods of increased effusion rate and basal throughsummit glacier on L!aima volcano, Chile, during its melting (1984-1985 Villarrica and 1994 Kliuchevskoi [ May1994 eruption. Main summit of volcanois outsideof McClelland et al., 1989; Smithsonian Institution, 1994a; phototo the left. Belousov,1996]). Lava flow collapsescan producevolcanic "mixed" avalanchesof broken rock and ice, which scour the glacierand can form floodsand/or debris flows [Piersonand danda, 1994]. 1973; Naranjo et al., 1993]). Pyroclasticflows that travel over glaciers may abrade and melt ice and/or trigger avalanches,resulting in largedebris flows [e.g., Waitt, 1989; 3. Lava Flow Structure and Morphology Pierson et al., 1990; Trabant et al., 1994; Meyer and Lava flow featuresformed during historicaleruptions of Trabant, !995]. glaciatedvolcanoes are difficult to study due to their rapid As ice melts, water not convertedto steamtravels freely burial by ice. Therefore studiesof lava flow structureand down slopethrough the existingdrainage system. Flowing morphologywere conductedin the North AmericanCascades water erodesice mechanicallyby scouringand thermallyby Range and at Mount Redoubt, Alaska, where glacial retreat friction. Frictional erosion is accentuatedon steep slopes has exposed lava flows that have interacted with ice. where flow velocitiesare high and may accountfor a large Mathews [1951] first proposedthat glassylava marginswith portion of channelerosion into glaciers(50 to 75% of the total erosionfor water near 0øC [Marston, 1983]). Ratesof subhorizontalpolygonal joints or "columns"indicate lava quenching against glacial ice. We have used these basic erosion are greatly increasedfor flows of warm meltwater criteria and knowledge of previous glacial distributionsto associatedwith volcanicactivity. I/inogradovand Murav'ev [1988]observed glacial incision rates of 275-550x10-6 m/s identify a wide varietyof lava structuresthat can be attributed to lava-ice interaction. (1-2 m/h) by the 50øC meltwater runoff during the 1983 K!iuchevskoieruption. In sum,the flow of warm meltwater 3.1. Glassy Margins and Fracture Types on steepstratovolcanoes may rapidly enlargeglacial tunnels and/orCUt trenches through a glacierto bedrock. Lava flows that have cooled next to ice typically have a Lava flows follow the newly modified glacial topography glassyouter shell around a crystallineflow interior(Figure 2) and are frequentlyconstrained by ice, either within trenches [Lescinskyand Sisson,1998]. Fracturemorphologies found (1983-1984 Veniaminof,