Volcanic drumbeat seismicity caused by stick-slip motion and magmatic frictional melting

Abstract

During volcanic eruptions, solidifying magma ascends through the volcanic conduit, often accompanied by repetitive, drum-beat seismicity. Laboratory experiments on magma samples from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, and Mount St Helens Volcano, USA, show that viscous melt formed at the surface between the rising magma and conduit walls can temporarily halt magma ascent, accentuating the cyclical seismicity.