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Granular disruption during explosive volcanic eruptions

Abstract

Explosive volcanic eruptions are among the most energetic events on Earth. The hazard to surrounding populations and aviation is controlled by the concentration and size of particles that exit the volcanic vent. The size distribution of volcanic particles is thought to be determined by the initial fragmentation process1,2,3,4, where bubbly magmatic mixtures transition to gas-particle flows. Here we show that collisional processes in the volcanic conduit after initial fragmentation can change the grain-size distribution of particles that leave the volcanic vent. We use experimental analysis of the breakup of natural volcanic rocks during collisions, as well as numerical simulations, to estimate the probability that particles pass through the volcanic conduit and survive intact. We find that breakup in the conduit is strongly controlled by the initial particle size and the location of the initial fragmentation: particles that measure more than 1 cm in diameter and those fragmented at great depths break up most frequently. Abundant large pumice clasts in volcanic deposits therefore imply shallow fragmentation that may be transient. In contrast, fragmentation events at depth will lead to enhanced ash production and greater atmospheric loading of long-residence, fine-grained ash.

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Figure 1: Summary of pumice collision and breakup experiments.
Figure 2: Analytical model results.
Figure 3: Numerical simulation of particle breakup in the conduit.
Figure 4: Lagrangian analysis of disruptive collisions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NSF grants 0809321 (J.D.) and 0809564 (M.M.). We thank K. Russell for comments on this manuscript.

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Contributions

J.D. developed the analysis and numerical model and A.P. and M.M. carried out most of the experiments. All authors contributed to the ideas presented in the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Josef Dufek.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Dufek, J., Manga, M. & Patel, A. Granular disruption during explosive volcanic eruptions. Nature Geosci 5, 561–564 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1524

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