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Eruption and fountaining dynamics of selected 1985-1986 high fountaining episodes at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i, from quantitative vesicle microtexture analysis
Citation
Holt, SJ and Carey, RJ and Houghton, BF and Orr, T and McPhie, J and Feig, S, Eruption and fountaining dynamics of selected 1985-1986 high fountaining episodes at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i, from quantitative vesicle microtexture analysis, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 369 pp. 21-34. ISSN 0377-0273 (2018) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V.
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.11.011
Abstract
Tephra from the early Hawaiian fountaining episodes of the ongoing eruption of Pu'u 'Ō'ō in the East Rift Zone (ERZ) of Kīlauea provides an opportunity to study the vesicle microtextures of pyroclasts erupted from a single vent over a prolonged period of time. We report the results of microtextural analysis of pyroclasts from five of Pu'u 'Ō'ō's high (>200 m) Hawaiian fountaining episodes (episodes 32, 37, 40, 44 and 45) erupted during 1985-1986. This analysis was carried out to constrain the parameters that led to large variations in fountain height at Pu'u 'Ō'o, and the extent to which pyroclast residence times in the fountain modified microtextures. Our results confirm the finding of Stovall et al., 2011, Stovall et al., 2012 that pyroclasts from a single Hawaiian fountain can vary greatly in texture (from bubbly to foamy), and have vesicle volume densities (Nmv) and vesicle to melt ratios (VG/VL) that vary by an order of magnitude. This range in vesicle texture and population is due to extensive growth and coalescence of vesicles within the fountain after fragmentation. Only one pyroclast from four of five episodes was found to have textures interpreted as indicative of the vesicle population near the moment of fragmentation: bubbly texture, high density (typically >500 kg m−3), high Nmv (2.2 × 106 to 4.4 × 106), and low VG/VL of 2.06 to 4.65. We demonstrate a linear correlation between Δ(VG/VL) and peak fountain height across a range of Hawaiian fountains from Kilauea. This correlation could be used to infer peak heights of unobserved Hawaiian fountaining eruptions after further testing using well-recorded events.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Hawaii, eruption, volcano, Kilauea, Hawaiian fountaining, Pu'u 'O'o, vesicle microtexture |
| Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
| Research Group: | Geology |
| Research Field: | Volcanology |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences |
| UTAS Author: | Holt, SJ (Mr Samuel Holt) |
| UTAS Author: | Carey, RJ (Associate Professor Rebecca Carey) |
| UTAS Author: | McPhie, J (Professor Jocelyn McPhie) |
| UTAS Author: | Feig, S (Dr Sandrin Feig) |
| ID Code: | 129398 |
| Year Published: | 2018 |
| Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (DE150101190) |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 4 |
| Deposited By: | CODES ARC |
| Deposited On: | 2018-11-28 |
| Last Modified: | 2020-06-02 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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