Emplacement and inflation of pahoehoe sheet flows: Observations and measurements of active lava flows on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Hon, Ken; Kauahikaua, James P.; Denlinger, Roger P.; Mackay, Kevin

doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1994)106<0351:eaiops>2.3.co;2

Cited by 710 publications

(873 citation statements)

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“…The gabbroic layers were cooled from above and below, which did lead to some instability along the upper contacts, but here, again, pipelike bodies emanating upward from the underlying layers are straight and undeformed, suggesting little convection. And last, in the measured rates of thickening of the solidification fronts or crusts of Kilauea lavas, which is a direct reflection of the mode of heat transfer, Hon et al (1994) found the rates to be the same as that for much thicker lava lakes (see Fig. 21).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

On some fundamentals of igneous petrology

Marsh

2013

Contrib Mineral Petrol

134

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The age-old process of crystal fractionation leading to the diversity of the igneous rocks and Earth itself is an exceedingly well-understood chemical process in magmatism and physical chemistry. But the broader physical aspects of this and related processes have proven elusive on many fronts, especially in its relation to the spatial variations in rock composition, texture, and macroscopic features like layering. Magmatic systems, be they volcanic, dikes, sills, or plutons, are generally analyzed with a problem at hand and an end result in mind. The processes invoked to solve these problems, which are most often purely chemical, are often unique to each problem with few if any general principles emerging that are central to understanding the wider perspective of magmatic processes and problems. An attempt is made at the outset to provide a list of inviolate Magmatic First Principles that are relevant to analyzing most magmatic problems. These involve: initial conditions; critical crystallinity; solidification fronts; transport and emplacement fluxes; phenocrysts, xenocrysts, primocrysts; crystal size; layering and crystal sorting; thermal convection; magmatic processes are physical. Along with these principles, two reference magmatic systems are suggested where the initial conditions and outcome are unequivocal: the Sudbury impact melt sheet and the Hawaiian lava lakes. Sudbury formed in *5 min by superheated magma crystallized to a near uniform sequence, while the tiny lava lakes, formed of crystal-laden slurries, form a highly differentiated layered sequence. The major difference is in the initial conditions of formation, especially the nature of the input materials. The challenge is to construct and analyze magmatic systems (i.e., magma chambers, sills, dikes, and lavas) using these reference end members and the suggested principles. The Hawaiian 500,000 year volcanic record exhibits what can be expected as input materials, namely a highly varied output of magma of an overall composition reflecting the abundance of entrained olivine primocrysts. The provenance of these crystals is varied, and within any single sample, the population may be highly heterogeneous in composition from crystal to crystal, yet the overall pattern of chemical fractionation is exceedingly regular and well defined. If similar inputs go to form large intrusions, these systems will undoubtedly be dominated by crystal-rich slurries, which provide a vast set of physical processes promoting exotic layering and, at the same time, given the effects of annealing and continued crystal growth, a final chemical record adhering to all the time-honored effects of crystal fractionation. The long assumed initial condition of instantaneously emplaced crystal-free magmas cannot reasonably produce the observed rock records.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

On some fundamentals of igneous petrology

Marsh

2013

Contrib Mineral Petrol

134

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“…Holocene obsidian flows in the western US preserve evidence of a cooled surface crust in folding, crease structures and large gas cavities (Fink 1980a;Anderson and Fink 1989;Castro and Cashman 1999;Castro et al 2002;Lescinsky and Merle 2005). Crustal development increases the strength of the flow (Hon et al 1994;Griffiths and Fink 1997;Griffiths 2000;Lyman et al 2005), insulates the flow and reduces heat loss (Swanson 1973;Fink and Griffiths 1998;Keszthelyi and Self 1998;Harris and Rowland 2009;Tuffen et al 2013). When the crust fractures during lava movement, blocky lava is formed (Finch 1933;Macdonald 1953;Fink 1980a;Harris et al 2017), defined as being made up on distinct blocks without some of the key characteristics of an 'a'a flow, such as a spiny or clinker surface (Finch 1933).…”

Section: Crust Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emplacement of the Rocche Rosse rhyolite lava flow (Lipari, Aeolian Islands)

2018

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The Rocche Rosse lava flow marks the most recent rhyolitic extrusion on Lipari island (Italy), and preserves evidence for a multi-stage emplacement history. Due to the viscous nature of the advancing lava (10 8 to 10 10 Pa s), indicators of complex emplacement processes are preserved in the final flow. This study focuses on structural mapping of the flow to highlight the interplay of cooling, crust formation and underlying slope in the development of rhyolitic lavas. The flow is made up of two prominent lobes, small (< 0.2 m) to large (> 0.2 m) scale folding and a channelled geometry. Foliations dip at 2-4°over the flatter topography close to the vent, and up to 30-50°over steeper mid-flow topography. Brittle faults, tension gashes and conjugate fractures are also evident across flow. Heterogeneous deformation is evident through increasing fold asymmetry from the vent due to downflow cooling and stagnation. A steeper underlying topography mid-flow led to development of a channelled morphology, and compression at topographic breaks resulted in fold superimposition in the channel. We propose an emplacement history that involved the evolution through five stages, each associated with the following flow regimes: (1) initial extrusion, crustal development and small scale folding; (2) extensional strain, stretching lineations and channel development over steeper topography; (3) compression at topographic break, autobrecciation, lobe development and medium scale folding; (4) progressive deformation with stagnation, large-scale folding and refolding; and (5) brittle deformation following flow termination. The complex array of structural elements observed within the Rocche Rosse lava flow facilitates comparisons to be made with actively deforming rhyolitic lava flows at the Chilean volcanoes of Chaitén and Cordón Caulle, offering a fluid dynamic and structural framework within which to evaluate our data.

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“…The inflation mechanism inherent in pāhoehoe flow fields of all scales (Hon et al, 1994;Self et al, 1997; provides a thermally efficient mechanism of lava transport through insulation of the internal lava flow by a thickened and cooled crust. Significantly, this insulation remains efficient whether the inflating flow is capped by a relatively undisturbed skin-like crust (pāhoehoe-type), or if it exhibits some degree of disruption (rubbly 23 pāhoehoe).…”

Section: Flow Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compared to Laki, a single BRM flow is estimated at between 300 km 3 -1,920 km 3 , a lava field 20 -128 times larger than that erupted by Laki, and more comparable with the Roza Member, suggested to have erupted as a single 14 year event by Thordarson and Self (1998). Thordarson and Self (1998) calculated eruption duration and hence eruption rate in Columbia River based on the relationship between the thickness of a flow lobe and the conductive cooling rate (Hon et al, 1994); a simplistic model which requires a full section 28 of intact crust to measure, something not readily available in the BRM. However, Self (1993, 1998) found eruption rates of 2500 m 3 s -1 are comparable between Laki and Roza despite the differences in size and morphology between the two flows, and thus a reasonable assumption can be made for these figures to apply also to the BRM given its similarities with both.…”

Section: Flow Velocitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Giant Lavas of Kalkarindji: rubbly pāhoehoe lava in an ancient continental flood basalt province

Marshall

Widdowson

Murphy

2016

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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The Kalkarindji continental flood basalt province of northern Australia erupted in the mid Cambrian . It now consists of scattered basaltic lava fields, the most extensive being the Antrim Plateau Volcanics (APV) -a semi-continuous outcrop (c. 50,000 km 2 ) reaching a maximum thickness of 1.1 km. Cropping out predominately in the SW of the APV, close to the top of the basalt succession, lies the Blackfella Rockhole Member (BRM). Originally described as 'basaltic agglomerate' the BRM has, in recent years, been assumed to be explosive tephra of phreatomagmatic origin, thus providing a potent vehicle for volatile release to the upper atmosphere. Our detailed field investigations reveal that this basaltic agglomerate is, in reality, giant rubble collections (15 -20 m thick) forming the upper crusts of rubbly pāhoehoe lava units 25 -40 m thick; covering 18,000 -72,000 km 2 and an estimated volume of 1,500 -19,200 km 3 . These flows, rheologically but not chemically, distinct from the majority of Kalkarindji lavas, indicate a fundamental change in eruption dynamics. A low volatile content, induced high amounts of pre-eruptive degassing causing super-cooling and an increase in crystal nucleation and viscosity. A more viscous lava and a consistently faster rate of effusion (analogous to that of Laki, Iceland) created the flow dynamics necessary to disturb the lava crust to the extent seen in the BRM. Volatile release is estimated at 1.65 × 10 4 -2.11 × 10 5 Tg total CO2 at a rate of 867 Tg a -1 and 9.07 × 10 3 -1.16 × 10 5 Tg SO2 at 476.50 Tg a -1 . These masses accounted for 0.5% of Cambrian atmospheric conditions whilst limiting factors reduced the effect of volatile delivery to the atmosphere, thus any potential global impact caused by these flows alone was minimal.

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Emplacement and inflation of pahoehoe sheet flows: Observations and measurements of active lava flows on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Cited by 710 publications

References 0 publications

On some fundamentals of igneous petrology

On some fundamentals of igneous petrology

Emplacement of the Rocche Rosse rhyolite lava flow (Lipari, Aeolian Islands)

The Giant Lavas of Kalkarindji: rubbly pāhoehoe lava in an ancient continental flood basalt province

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