Evolving shallow conduit revealed by tremor and vent activity observations during episodic lava fountaining of the 2021 Geldingadalir eruption, Iceland

Abstract

Cyclic behaviour is observed in volcanic phenomena ranging from caldera collapses to explosions, spattering or lava fountaining. The repeating processes can define irregular, regular or systematically changing patterns. These patterns yield information about the subsurface structure, which often is not considered in detail. We analyse the pattern of 7058 lava fountaining episodes that occur between 2 May and 14 June 2021 during the Geldingadalir eruption, Iceland. Our seismometer records the lava fountaining episodes as tremor episodes. We analyse the seismic tremor amplitude, the episode duration, the repose time and the sum of episode duration and repose time (cycle duration). We define six periods characterised by different patterns: Three periods feature long episodes that exponentially shorten with time. One period features coexisting long and short episodes in a haphazard sequence. One period shows a stable pulsing duration but increasing repose time, and one period has stable, short episodes and repose times. We conclude that the episodic fountaining starts because a shallow-conduit container forms on 2 May shifting the magma degassing from sustained continuous to an episodic state. This situation evolves until 11 May when a semi-stable state is reached. The length of the repose times is most likely influenced by the amount of outgassed magma present in the uppermost part of the shallow conduit. Finally, we suggest that the vent is mechanically eroded and widens with time causing increasing seismic tremor amplitudes. However, the trends are frequently punctuated by partial crater wall collapses that temporarily disrupt the system.