New viscosity experiments at superliquidus temperatures and during cooling at a rate of 10 K/hr have been performed at different shear rates on a synthetic pyroxenite melt. Results revealed that this melt is extremely fluid at temperature between 1646 and 1530 K and measured viscosities are between 2.2 and 7.8 Pa·s. Such very low viscosities allow the lava to flow in turbulent regime as confirmed by the high Reynolds numbers, which are always >2,000. As a consequence, very long distance could be covered by the lava flow. If we consider this studied composition as proxy for Mars lava flows coupled with very high effusion rates, our results might explain the presence of extraordinary large volcanic channels, as recently hypothesized for the Kasei Valles on Mars, even considering that the gravity is approximately one third that of Earth. Few literature data tracking viscosity during cooling are available, and they reported shear thinning effect on different compositions. Our experiments performed at 0.1 and 1 s−1 have shown complex variation in the apparent viscosity, confirming that nonequilibrium rheology represents a still unexplored field of investigation useful to better understand the real geological scenarios occurring in magmatic and volcanic systems.

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Emissivity and reflectance spectra have been investigated on two series of silicate glasses, having compositions belonging to alkaline and subalkaline series, covering the most common terrestrial igneous rocks. Glasses were synthesized starting from natural end-members outcropping at Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and on Snake River Plain (USA). Results show that the shift of the spectra, by taking Christiansen feature (CF) as a reference point, is correlated with SiO2 content, the SCFM factor and/or the degree of polymerization state via the NBO/T and temperature. The more evolved is the composition, the more polymerized the structure, the shorter the wavelength at which CF is observable. CF shift is also dependent on temperature. The shape of the spectra discriminates alkaline character, and it is related to the evolution of Qn structural units. Vulcano alkaline series show larger amount of Q4 and Q3 species even for mafic samples compared to the subalkaline Snake River Plain series. Our results provide new and robust insights for the geochemical characterization of volcanic rocks by remote sensing, with the outlook to infer origin of magmas both on Earth as well as on terrestrial planets or rocky bodies, from emissivity and reflectance spectra.

Villarrica or Rukapillan (35.9°S; 2,847 m a.s.l.) is one of the most active volcanoes in South America and is the highest-risk volcano in Chile. It has an open conduit with a persistent lava lake. On the 3 March 2015, Strombolian activity rapidly progressed into a 1.5-km-high lava fountain, erupting at least ∼ 2.4 × 106 m3 of tephra. Soon after, the activity returned to mild Strombolian “background” explosions, which lasted until early 2017. Understanding the pre-eruptive conditions of such paroxysmal events is fundamental for volcanic hazard assessment. We present major and trace element geochemistry for glass and crystalline phases of basaltic andesite paroxysm pyroclasts (52–56 wt.% SiO2), and for the subsequent Strombolian “background” activity through February 2017 (54–56 wt.% SiO2). The lava fountain source magma was initially stored in a deeper and hotter region (9.4–16.3 km; ca. 1140 °C) and was then resident in a shallow (≤ 0.8 km) storage zone pre-eruption. During storage, crystallising phases comprised plagioclase (An66–86), olivine (Fo75–78) and augite (En46–47). Equilibrium crystallisation occurred during upper-crustal magmatic ascent. During storage in the shallower region, magma reached H2O saturation, promoting volatile exsolution and over-pressurization, which triggered the eruption. In contrast, subsequent “background” explosions involving basaltic-andesite were sourced from a depth of ≤ 5.3 km (ca. 1110 °C). Pre-eruptive conditions for the 2015 lava fountain contrast with historical twentieth-century eruptions at Villarrica, which were likely driven by magma that underwent a longer period of mixing to feed both effusive and explosive activity. The rapid transition to lava-fountaining activity in 2015 represents a challenging condition in terms of volcano monitoring and eruption forecasting. However, our petrological study of the pyroclastic materials that erupted in 2015 offers significant insights into eruptive processes involving this type of eruption. This aids in deciphering the mechanisms behind sudden eruptions at open conduit systems.

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