Nature and velocity of pyroclastic density currents inferred from models of entrainment of substrate lithic clasts

Abstract

Deposits of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) often contain accidental lithic clasts of typical size of 0.1–1 m captured from an underlying substrate by the parent flows at distances up to several tens of kilometers from the eruptive vent. In order to gain insights into the nature of PDCs, this study investigates the conditions required for entrainment of particles from a granular substrate by a gas–particle density current, with special emphasis to ignimbrite-forming currents whose dynamics are controversial. The two types of physics of emplacement of PDCs proposed in literature are considered. The first model deals with a hydraulically rough, dilute turbulent PDC of bulk density of ∼1–10 kg/m3 and considers that entrainment through both traction and saltation is controlled by a Shield criterion at high (>104) particle Reynolds number. The second model considers entrainment by a PDC consisting of a dense basal flow of bulk density of the order of 103 kg/m3 and with high interstitial gas pore pressure. This model involves uplift of substrate particles, caused by an upward pressure gradient at the flow-substrate interface, and then transport and deposition on the aggrading basal deposit of the flow as demonstrated by recent laboratory experiments. Results show that a dilute PDC can entrain blocks of maximum size of ∼10–15 cm (for a block density of 2000–3000 kg/m3) if maximum current velocities up to ∼100 m/s are taken into account. This, in turn, suggests that larger (heavier) blocks found in deposits were captured by PDCs if these had a dense basal flow. The dense flow model predicts that PDCs have the potential to entrain metric blocks, whose maximum size (up to ∼2–5 m) decreases with decreasing atmospheric pressure (i.e. increasing altitude). Application of the model considering published data on the characteristics of accidental blocks in several well-studied ignimbrites indicates that the velocity of the parent dense PDCs was up to ∼25–30 m/s.