8/12/2023 0 Comments High viscosity magma![]() "We were able to show that with robust monitoring we can relate pressure and stress in a volcano's plumbing system to the underground movement of more viscous magma," Roman explained. When geologic stresses cause these faults to move against each other, geoscientists measure the 3-D orientation and movement of the faults using seismic instruments.īy studying what happened in Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone in 2018, Roman and her colleagues determined that the direction of the fault movements in the lower East Rift Zone before and during the volcanic eruption could be used to estimate the viscosity of rising magma during periods of precursory unrest. Tectonic and volcanic activity causes fractures, called faults, to form in the rock that makes up the Earth's crust. ![]() The event provided a wealth of simultaneous data about the behavior of both high- and low-viscosity magma, as well as about the pre-eruption stresses in the solid rock underlying Kīlauea. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This situation provided unprecedented access to information for many researchers, including Roman and her colleagues - Arianna Soldati and Don Dingwell of Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Bruce Houghton of University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and Brian Shiro of the U.S. The first of 24 fissures opened in early May, and the eruption continued for exactly three months. The 2018 event included the first eruptive activity in Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone since 1960. This could help scientists and emergency managers understand possible patterns of future eruptions. She led new work identifying an indicator of magma viscosity that can be measured before an eruption. "So, we are always trying to identify early indications of magma viscosity that could help forecast a volcano's eruption style." "But magma viscosity is usually only quantified well after an eruption, not in advance," explained Carnegie's Diana Roman. ![]() On the other hand, extrusion of more viscous magma results in slower-moving lava flows. Very viscous magmas are linked with more powerful explosions because they can block gas from escaping through vents, allowing pressure to build up inside the volcano's plumbing system. In particular, the viscosity of this molten rock is a major factor in influencing how hazardous an eruption could be for nearby communities. The properties of the magma inside a volcano affect how an eruption will play out.
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