Developments in the study of volcanic and igneous plumbing systems: outstanding problems and new opportunities

Abstract

Prior to and during eruptions, magma is stored and transported within volcanic and igneous plumbing systems (VIPS) that comprise a network of magma reservoirs and sheet intrusions. The study of these VIPS requires the combination of knowledge from the fields of igneous petrology, geochemistry, thermodynamic modelling, structural geology, volcano geodesy, and geophysics, which express the physical, chemical, and thermal complexity of the processes involved, and how these processes change spatially and temporally. In this contribution, we review the development of the discipline of plumbing system studies in the past two decades considering three angles: (1) the conceptual models of VIPS and paradigm changes, (2) methodological advances, and (3) the diversity of the scientific community involved in VIPS research. We also discuss future opportunities and challenges related to these three topics.