Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Fuel–Coolant Interactions in Submarine Vulcanism

Abstract

MOST volcanic explosions are caused by pressure from within the Earth's crust but some marine volcanoes are more violent and have a character different from volcanoes in apparently similar circumstances on land. Volcanic eruptions in shallow water have associated “hydroexplosions” some of which belong to a wider class of events, which can also occur industrially, called fuel-coolant interactions (FCI). This has also been pointed out by Colgate and Sigurgeirsson1. Some authors use the terms “thermal interaction” and “vapour explosion” instead of FCI. Here we illustrate the circumstances under which shallow submarine vulcanism produces hydroexplosions, we indicate what characterises industrial FCI, and using a recent theoretical model we calculate the maximum depth at which hydroexplosions in the form of FCI can occur.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Colgate, S. A., and Sigurgeirsson, T., Nature, 224, 552 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Thorarinsson, S., Surtsey (Almenna Bókafélagid Reykjavik, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

  3. MacDonald, G. A., Volcanoes (Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Natn. Geog. Mag., 143, 3 (1973).

  5. Tazieff, H. K., Soc. Belg. Geol. Bull., 67, 13 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cook, M. A., The Science of High Explosives, 6 (Reinhold, New York, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Zen, M. T., and Hadikusumo, D., Bull. Volcanol., 27, 259 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Decker, R. W., and Hadikusumo, D., J. geophys. Res., 66, 3497 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sallack, J. A., Pulp and Paper Magazine of Canada, 56, 114 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Long, G., Metal Prog., 71, 107 (1957).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lipsett, S. G., Fire Technol., 2, 118 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Witte, L. C., Cox, J. E., and Bouvier, J. B., J. Metals, 22, 39 (1970).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Enger, T., Hartman, D. E., and Seymour, E. V., Proc. Cryogenic Eng. Conference (National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colorado, 1972).

  14. Yang, K., Nature, 243, 221 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. The Guardian, March 31 (1973).

  16. Buchanan, D. J., and Dullforce, T. A., Nature, 245, 32 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Judd, J. W., in The Eruption of Krakatoa and Subsequent Phenomena—Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society (edit. by Symons, G. J.), 21 (1888).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Board, S. J., Farmer, C. L., and Poole, D. H., Central Electricity Generating Board Report, RD/B/2423 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Chandrasekhar, S., Hydrodynamic and Hydromagnetic Stability (Oxford University Press, London, 1961).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Plesset, M. S., and Chapman, R. B., J. Fluid Mech., 47, 283 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ritmann, A., Vulcani, attivita e genesi (Naples, 1944).

    Google Scholar 

  22. McBirney, A. R., Bull. Volcanol., 26, 455 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Friedman, I., Proc. Int. Symp. Volcanol., 12 (Japan, 1962).

  24. Hermance, J. F., and Grillet, L. R., Phys. Earth planet Int. (in the press).

  25. Tazieff, H., Science, N. Y., 168, 1087 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

PECKOVER, R., BUCHANAN, D. & ASHBY, D. Fuel–Coolant Interactions in Submarine Vulcanism. Nature 245, 307–308 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/245307a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/245307a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing