Cristobalite in a rhyolitic lava dome: evolution of ash hazard

Horwell, Claire J.; Blond, Jennifer S. Le; Michnowicz, Sabina; Cressey, G.

doi:10.1007/s00445-009-0327-1

Cited by 48 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Early fallout included ~2 wt% cristobalite, within which nanofi bers were identifi ed for the fi rst time. The cristobalite content rose to 20 wt%, due to vaporphase crystallization, as a new dome grew (Reich et al 2009: Horwell et al 2010. The levels of airborne particulates with a diameter less than 10 µm exceeded safety thresholds in the Argentine town of Esquel (100 km east of Chaitén) for a month after the eruption.…”

Section: Environmental and Human Impactsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Atmospheric and Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Particulates

2010

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V olcanic emissions consist of a mixture of gases, aerosol, and silicate particles, which collectively span seven orders of magnitude in size. Airborne ash and sulfate aerosol in the lower atmosphere has shortlived atmospheric and climatic effects. Volcanic aerosol injected high into the stratosphere impacts atmospheric chemical cycles and the solar and terrestrial radiation budgets, and may infl uence climate over longer timescales than aerosol particles in the lower atmosphere. Once at the surface, the impacts on local environments can be substantial through transport of halogens, trace metals, and metalloids, and subsequent leaching in aqueous solutions. Volcanic emissions may cause disruption to travel and aviation, and may damage surface infrastructure, potentially causing large economic losses.

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Section: Environmental and Human Impactsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Atmospheric and Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Particulates

2010

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“…Even though cristobalite was reported for the products of the 2008 Chaitén eruption (Reich et al, 2009;Horwell et al, 2010), it was not detected through X-ray diffraction of CC ash (Daga et al, 2014). Wilson et al (2013) reported a low total amount of cristobalite in the CC ash deposit (0.21 ± 0.42 wt %).…”

Section: General Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronology and impact of the 2011 Cordón Caulle eruption, Chile

Elissondo

Baumann

Bonadonna

et al. 2016

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. We present a detailed chronological reconstruction of the 2011 eruption of the Cordón Caulle volcano (Chile) based on information derived from newspapers, scientific reports and satellite images. Chronology of associated volcanic processes and their local and regional effects (i.e. precursory activity, tephra fallout, lahars, pyroclastic density currents, lava flows) are also presented. The eruption had a severe impact on the ecosystem and on various economic sectors, including aviation, tourism, agriculture and fishing industry. Urban areas and critical infrastructures, such as airports, hospitals and roads, were also impacted. The concentration of PM 10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 µm) was measured during and after the eruption, showing that maximum safety threshold levels of daily and annual exposures were surpassed in several occasions. Probabilistic analyses suggest that this combination of atmospheric and eruptive conditions has a probability of occurrence of about 1 %. The management of the crisis, including evacuation of people, is discussed, as well as the comparison with the impact associated with other recent eruptions located in similar areas and having similar characteristics (i.e. Quizapu, Hudson and Chaitén volcanoes). This comparison shows that the regions downwind and very close to the erupting volcanoes suffered very similar problems, without a clear relation to the intensity of the eruption (e.g. health problems, damage to vegetation, death of animals, roof collapse, air traffic disruptions, road closure, lahars and flooding). This suggests that a detailed collection of impact data can be largely beneficial for the development of plans for the management of an eruptive crisis and the mitigation of associated risk of the Andean region.

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“…These improvements have facilitated more-rapid and, potentially, more-accurate assessment of cristobalite abundance than previously, and have been tested in ash from Soufrière Hills and other volcanoes (e.g. Merapi, Chaitén, Vesuvius, Rabaul, Eyjafjallajökull, Grímsvötn and Sakurajima) (Horwell et al 2010a(Horwell et al , b, 2013aLe Blond et al 2010;Hillman et al 2012;Damby et al 2013). This study systematically quantifies cristobalite abundance in a suite of 24 Soufrière Hills ash samples (1997 -2010), using the IAS technique of Le Blond et al (2009).…”

Section: Cristobalite Abundance In Shv Ashmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chapter 21 Controls on variations in cristobalite abundance in ash generated by the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat in the period 1997 to 2010

Horwell

Hillman

Cole

et al. 2014

Memoirs

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Abstract:The Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV) crystallizes cristobalite (crystalline silica) in its lava domes, and inhalation of cristobaliterich ash may pose a chronic respiratory hazard. We investigate the causes of variation in cristobalite abundance (measured by X-ray diffraction) in ash from dome collapses, explosions and ash venting from 1997 to 2010.Cristobalite abundance in bulk dome-collapse ash varies between 4 and 23 wt%. During periods of slow lava extrusion (,5 m 3 s 21 ), cristobalite is abundant (7-23 wt%), which we attribute to extensive devitrification in slow-cooling lava; it can also form rapidly (15 wt% in 2 months), but we find no correlation between cristobalite abundance and dome residence time (DRT). By contrast, during rapid extrusion (.5 m 3 s 21), cristobalite abundance is low (4-7 wt%, similar to that associated with Vulcanian explosions), and correlates strongly with DRT. We attribute this correlation to progressive vapour-phase mineralization or devitrification, and the lack of contamination by older lava. Cristobalite abundance is expected to be .7 wt% for collapse of slowly extruded lava, for ash venting through a dome or for incorporation of hydrothermally altered edifice during explosions; cristobalite abundance is expected to be ,7 wt% for collapse of rapidly extruded lava, for ash venting without dome incorporation and from Vulcanian explosions at SHV. Gold Open Access:This article is published under the terms of the CC-BY 3.0 license.Cristobalite is a high-temperature, low-pressure crystalline silica polymorph that may crystallize as a meta-stable phase in dome lavas, and persists at ambient conditions. In industrial settings, the silica polymorphs of quartz, cristobalite and tridymite are capable of causing silicosis, a fibrotic lung disease. Crystalline silica is also classed as a Group 1 human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC 1997). The discovery of cristobalite in the volcanic ash from the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens, USA, prompted intensive research to determine the silicosis risk from inhaling the ash (e.g. Dollberg et al. 1986), but the evidence from a series of toxicological, epidemiological and clinical studies at the time was inconclusive on this point (see Horwell & Baxter 2006 for a review). In the event, exposure was short-lived and this substantially reduced public concern. Today, the chronic pathogenicity of cristobalite in volcanic ash is still under debate .The Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat began its current eruption in July 1995. Lava dome growth started in late 1995 and has continued, intermittently, in a series of five phases (Wadge et al. 2014). Lava domes are inherently unstable, and are prone to partial or full collapses that generate pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) and associated co-PDC ash plumes. There have also been more than 100 Vulcanian explosions during the eruption. Baxter et al. (1999) observed that cristobalite is generated within the Soufrière Hills dome and is abundant in the co-P...

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Cristobalite in a rhyolitic lava dome: evolution of ash hazard

Cited by 48 publications

References 13 publications

Atmospheric and Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Particulates

Atmospheric and Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Particulates

Chronology and impact of the 2011 Cordón Caulle eruption, Chile

Chapter 21 Controls on variations in cristobalite abundance in ash generated by the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat in the period 1997 to 2010

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