Caldera Rim Research Articles

New observations of volcanic features on Mars from the THEMIS instrument

Images obtained by the THEMIS instrument on Mars Odyssey permit the identification of many new volcanic features on Mars. Several new types of vent systems, including fissure vents within the Tharsis region, flank vents on Olympus Mons and Ascraeus Mons, and lava shields on the floor of Arsia Mons have been found. The valley networks on Hecates Tholus are seen to be more complex than previously believed. Extending from the caldera rim to the base of Hecates Tholus volcano, individual valleys change width and depth in apparent response to local topography. Valley formation spanned the time period during which lava flows from Elysium Mons embayed the southern flank of Hecates Tholus, as demonstrated by the burial of some valleys by the lava flows and the formation of sediment fans on top of adjacent parts of the flows. THEMIS images now allow new constraints to be placed on the dynamics of lava flow emplacement, with the identification of flows with well‐defined lava channels on the northern flank of Ascraeus Mons, as well as an enigmatic braided lava channel. Three previously unreported collapse events (3.7 to 4.3 km in diameter) are identified within the caldera of Ascraeus Mons. Details of the mode of formation of parts of the Olympus Mons aureole can also be identified, supporting the idea that the aureole had a landslide origin. THEMIS images show that parts of the aureole have been modified by water discharged to the east of Olympus Mons.

Magmatic unrest beneath Mammoth Mountain, California

Mammoth Mountain, which stands on the southwest rim of Long Valley caldera in eastern California, last erupted ∼57,000 years BP. Episodic volcanic unrest detected beneath the mountain since late 1979, however, emphasizes that the underlying volcanic system is still active and capable of producing future volcanic eruptions. The unrest symptoms include swarms of small ( M ≤ 3) earthquakes, spasmodic bursts (rapid-fire sequences of brittle-failure earthquakes with overlapping coda), long-period (LP) and very-long-period (VLP) volcanic earthquakes, ground deformation, diffuse emission of magmatic CO 2, and fumarole gases with elevated 3He/ 4He ratios. Spatial-temporal relations defined by the multi-parameter monitoring data together with earthquake source mechanisms suggest that this Mammoth Mountain unrest is driven by the episodic release of a volume of CO 2-rich hydrous magmatic fluid derived from the upper reaches of a plexus of basaltic dikes and sills at mid-crustal depths (10–20 km). As the mobilized fluid ascends through the brittle–plastic transition zone and into overlying brittle crust, it triggers earthquake swarm activity and, in the case of the prolonged, 11-month-long earthquake swarm of 1989, crustal deformation and the onset of diffuse CO 2 emissions. Future volcanic activity from this system would most likely involve steam explosions or small-volume, basaltic, strombolian or Hawaiaan style eruptions. The impact of such an event would depend critically on vent location and season.

The Hudson Volcano and surrounding monogenetic centres (Chilean Patagonia): An example of volcanism associated with ridge–trench collision environment

Hudson Volcano (45°54′S, 72°58′W) represents the southernmost central volcano of the South Andean Volcanic Zone (SVZ). It lies about 280 km east of Nazca–Antarctic–South American Plate Triple Junction, where the Chile spreading ridge enters the Chile Trench. Hudson is located on the border of a volcanic gap separating the Southern from the Austral Volcanic Zone (AVZ), which is commonly interpreted as linked to a slab window. The volcano is characterised by a volcano-tectonic depression about 10 km wide, set in a morphological high of the Patagonian Batholith. The scarce pre-caldera products are made up of mafic lavas interbedded with hyaloclastite. The majority of the volcanic products out from the caldera rims consist of thick deposits of lahars or hyaloclastitic breccias, subordinate lava flows and pyroclastic deposits linked to historical large explosive eruptions. Rough volume calculations on pre-caldera and post-caldera products suggest that the caldera formed in steps in the lifetime of the volcano and that it is mainly linked to a volcano-tectonic collapse during partial emptying of the magma chamber. The monogenetic cones surrounding Hudson (Río Ibanez and Murta) erupted primitive basalts that gave important clues on magma sources. The volcanic products of Hudson, with composition ranging from basalts to dacites, have a calc-alkaline signature. Nevertheless, they have distinctly higher K 2O, TiO 2, Na 2O, LILE, HFSE and REE than the calc-alkaline rocks of SVZ. The basaltic lavas from the monogenetic cones show La/Nb, Ba/Nb and Th/Ta significantly lower than the calc-alkaline lavas. Furthermore, they have some ratios as Th/Yb and La/Yb remarkably low, with values approaching those of MORB-like basalts. All the geochemical characteristics of Río Ibanez and Murta cones are very similar to those of the basalts dredged in the Chile Ridge. Geochemical modeling suggests that the Hudson basalts may derive from the basalts erupted at the Río Ibanez centre through an assimilation plus fractional crystallisation process. On the basis of these data, we propose a geodynamical model. In correspondence to the monogenetic centres, close to the border of the incipient opening of the slab window, the magma features are still those of the depleted asthenosphere under the subducting ridge. In this zone, remnant fragments of subducted oceanic crust undergo partial melting processes, while the mantle wedge is deeply modified by subduction-related components. In correspondence to Hudson and the nearby monogenetic centres, the MORB-type primary source component is modified by altered oceanic crust and variably mixed with andesitic magmas having a calc-alkaline signature. A contribution from partial melting of the continental lithosphere may be present in the complex source mixing process at the border of the slab window.

Three‐dimensional seismic tomography from P wave and S wave microearthquake travel times and rock physics characterization of the Campi Flegrei Caldera

The Campi Flegrei (CF) Caldera experiences dramatic ground deformations unsurpassed anywhere in the world. The source responsible for this phenomenon is still debated. With the aim of exploring the structure of the caldera as well as the role of hydrothermal fluids on velocity changes, a multidisciplinary approach dealing with three‐dimensional delay time tomography and rock physics characterization has been followed. Selected seismic data were modeled by using a tomographic method based on an accurate finite difference travel time computation which simultaneously inverts P wave and S wave first‐arrival times for both velocity model parameters and hypocenter locations. The retrieved P wave and S wave velocity images as well as the deduced Vp/Vs images were interpreted by using experimental measurements of rock physical properties on CF samples to take into account steam/water phase transition mechanisms affecting P wave and S wave velocities. Also, modeling of petrophysical properties for site‐relevant rocks constrains the role of overpressured fluids on velocity. A flat and low Vp/Vs anomaly lies at 4 km depth under the city of Pozzuoli. Earthquakes are located at the top of this anomaly. This anomaly implies the presence of fractured overpressured gas‐bearing formations and excludes the presence of melted rocks. At shallow depth, a high Vp/Vs anomaly located at 1 km suggests the presence of rocks containing fluids in the liquid phase. Finally, maps of the Vp*Vs product show a high Vp*Vs horseshoe‐shaped anomaly located at 2 km depth. It is consistent with gravity data and well data and might constitute the on‐land remainder of the caldera rim, detected below sea level by tomography using active source seismic data.

Large-scale failures on domes and stratocones situated on caldera ring faults: sand-box modeling of natural examples from Kamchatka, Russia

Edifices of stratocones and domes are often situated eccentrically above shallow silicic magma reservoirs. Evacuation of such reservoirs forms collapse calderas commonly surrounded by remnants of one or several volcanic cones that appear variously affected and destabilized. We studied morphologies of six calderas in Kamchatka, Russia, with diameters of 4 to 12 km. Edifices affected by caldera subsidence have residual heights of 250–800 m, and typical amphitheater-like depressions opening toward the calderas. The amphitheaters closely resemble horseshoe-shaped craters formed by large-scale flank failures of volcanoes with development of debris avalanches. Where caldera boundaries intersect such cones, the caldera margins have notable outward embayments. We therefore hypothesize that in the process of caldera formation, these eccentrically situated edifices were partly displaced and destabilized, causing large-scale landslides. The landslide masses are then transformed into debris avalanches and emplaced inside the developing caldera basins. To test this hypothesis, we carried out sand-box analogue experiments, in which caldera formation (modeled by evacuation of a rubber balloon) was simulated. The deformation of volcanic cones was studied by placing sand-cones in the vicinity of the expected “caldera” rim. At the initial stage of the modeled subsidence, the propagating ring fault of the caldera bifurcates within the affected cone into two faults, the outermost of which is notably curved outward off the caldera center. The two faults dissect the cone into three parts: (1) a stable outer part, (2) a highly unstable and subsiding intracaldera part, and (3) a subsiding graben structure between parts (1) and (2). Further progression of the caldera subsidence is likely to cause failure of parts (2) and (3) with failed material sliding into the caldera basin and with formation of an amphitheater-like depression oriented toward the developing caldera. The mass of material which is liable to slide into the caldera basin, and the shape of the resulted amphitheater are a function of the relative position of the caldera ring fault and the base of the cone. A cone situated mostly outside the ring fault is affected to a minor degree by caldera subsidence and collapses with formation of a narrow amphitheater deeply incised into the cone, having a small opening angle. Accordingly, the caldera exhibits a prominent outward embayment. By contrast, collapse of a cone initially situated mostly inside the caldera results in a broad amphitheater with a large opening angle, i.e. the embayment of the caldera rim is negligible. The relationships between the relative position of an edifice above the caldera fault and the opening angle of the formed amphitheater are similar for the modeled and the natural cases of caldera/cone interactions. Thus, our experiments support the hypothesis that volcanic edifices affected by caldera subsidence can experience large-scale failures with formation of indicative amphitheaters oriented toward the caldera basins. More generally, the scalloped appearance of boundaries of calderas in contact with pre-caldera topographic highs can be explained by the gravitational influence of topography on the process of caldera formation.

Surface deformation caused by shallow magmatic activity at Okmok volcano, Alaska, detected by GPS campaigns 2000–2002

Annual GPS campaigns were carried out at Okmok volcano in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, between 2000 and 2002. Surface deformation detected by these measurements reveals that Okmok volcano has been inflating over these 3 years at a variable inflation rate. The horizontal displacements show a radial outward pattern, and there has been significant uplift of the caldera center. The uplift of the caldera center relative to the caldera rim was ∼2.1 cm during 2000–2001, and ∼6.7 cm during 2001–2002. The latter rate is quite consistent with that deduced from InSAR measurements spanning 1997–2000, but the deformation rate during 2000–2001 was much slower than during the preceding and succeeding periods. Shallow pressure source was inferred at a depth of ∼3.1 km beneath the approximate center of the caldera. The location of the source, ∼5 km laterally from the active vent, is consistent with that inferred from InSAR data during 1997–1998. The total increase in volume during 2000–2002 of the inferred source is ∼0.44 × 10 7 m 3 , which is 3–8% of the amount of volume erupted in 1997. The GPS and InSAR data show that magma accumulation beneath Okmok was steady in rate and location during 1997–2002,

Microtremor Analyses at Teide Volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): Assessment of Natural Frequencies of Vibration Using Time-dependent Horizontal-to-vertical Spectral Ratios

We use time-dependent horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) of microtremors to determine the dominant frequencies of vibration of the geological structures beneath several recording sites in the vicinity of Teide volcano (Canary Islands, Spain). In the microtremors, the time-dependent HVSRs (ratiograms) are a useful tool to discriminate between the presence of real dominant frequencies linked to resonances of the subsurface structure and the spurious appearance of peaks due to local transients. We verified that the results are repeatable, in the sense that microtremors recorded at the same site but at different times yield a very similar HVSR function. Two types of results are found: (1) sites where there is no resonance of the propagating microtremors, and therefore no value of a dominant frequency can be assessed; and (2) sites where a stationary peak in the HVSR is found and a dominant frequency related to resonance of the shallow structure can be estimated. These resonant frequencies show substantial spatial variations even for nearby sites, which reflects the complexity of the shallow velocity structure in the Las Canadas area. Large dominant frequencies occur near the caldera walls and also at a few locations that coincide with the intersections of the inferred rims of the three calderas forming Las Canadas. Small dominant frequencies also occur near the caldera rim, and may be due to discontinuities in the caldera wall and/or to local velocity anomalies. Intermediate frequencies are mostly found in the eastern part of the caldera, where a tentative profile of the basement depth has been obtained. Intermediate frequencies have also been measured south of Ucanca and south of Montana Blanca. In view of the present results, we conclude that the use of ratiograms constitutes an improvement of the HVSR method and provides an appropriate tool to investigate the shallow velocity structure of a volcanic region.

3-D Modelling of Campi Flegrei Ground Deformations: Role of Caldera Boundary Discontinuities

Campi Flegrei is a caldera complex located west of Naples, Italy. The last eruption occurred in 1538, although the volcano has produced unrest episodes since then, involving rapid and large ground movements (up to 2 m vertical in two years), accompanied by intense seismic activity. Surface ground displacements detected by various techniques (mainly InSAR and levelling) for the 1970 to 1996 period can be modelled by a shallow point source in an elastic half-space, however the source depth is not compatible with seismic and drill hole observations, which suggest a magma chamber just below 4 km depth. This apparent paradox has been explained by the presence of boundary fractures marking the caldera collapse. We present here the first full 3-D modelling for the unrest of 1982–1985 including the effect of caldera bordering fractures and the topography. To model the presence of topography and of the complex caldera rim discontinuities, we used a mixed boundary elements method. The a priori caldera geometry is determined initially from gravimetric modelling results and refined by inversion. The presence of the caldera discontinuities allows a fit to the 1982–1985 levelling data as good as, or better than, in the continuous half-space case, with quite a different source depth which fits the actual magma chamber position as seen from seismic waves. These results show the importance of volcanic structures, and mainly of caldera collapses, in ground deformation episodes.

Complex spatter- and pumice-rich pyroclastic deposits from an andesitic caldera-forming eruption: the Siwi pyroclastic sequence, Tanna, Vanuatu

The small- to moderate-volume, Quaternary, Siwi pyroclastic sequence was erupted during formation of a 4 km-wide caldera on the eastern margin of Tanna, an island arc volcano in southern Vanuatu. This high-potassium, andesitic eruption followed a period of effusive basaltic andesite volcanism and represents the most felsic magma erupted from the volcano. The sequence is up to 13 m thick and can be traced in near-continuous outcrop over 11 km. Facies grade laterally from lithic-rich, partly welded spatter agglomerate along the caldera rim to two medial, pumiceous, non-welded ignimbrites that are separated by a layer of lithic-rich, spatter agglomerate. Juvenile clasts comprise a wide range of densities and grain sizes. They vary between black, incipiently vesicular, highly elongate spatter clasts that have breadcrusted pumiceous rinds and reach several metres across to silky, grey pumice lapilli. The pumice lapilli range from highly vesicular clasts with tube or coalesced spherical vesicles to denser finely vesicular clasts that include lithic fragments.

Interaction between particles transported by fallout and surge in the deposits of the Agnano–Monte Spina eruption (Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy)

The Agnano–Monte Spina Tephra (AMST) is a complex sequence of beds generated by contrasting fragmentation and transportation dynamics. The 4.1 ka eruption was accompanied by a volcano-tectonic collapse, part of which is the present Agnano plain. The pyroclastic sequence is subdivided into members and submembers, each characterized by different lithological and sedimentological features. Plinian/subplinian fallout deposits frequently alternate with base-surge beds of phreatomagmatic origin. Analysis of lateral facies variations and vertical facies associations of correlated layers of submembers B2, D2 and E2 reveals that during some eruption phases the contrasting eruptive dynamics were almost contemporaneous. Base-surge deposits of submember B2 formed during the declining stage of a plinian column. They resulted from highly energetic and steady pyroclastic density currents that traveled long distances from the vent area and surmounted topographic obstacles such as the Posillipo hill (∼150 m) and the northern sector of the Camaldoli hill (∼250 m). Submember D2 pyroclastic density currents formed when contemporaneous fallout from an eruptive column was present. Coarse particles from the column settled throughout the pyroclastic density current, determining a significant increase of the solid load of the base surge. The consequent increase of supply rate from the transportation to the depositional zone of the base surge led to the formation of unsteady flows that could not efficiently transport the solid load and did not have the ability to travel long distances. Base-surge deposits of submember E2 were fed by a pulsating phreatomagmatic activity, which was punctuated by a short-lived fallout phase. Fallout material, which was incorporated as an additional load to the base surges, was partially transported by low-energy, steady pyroclastic density currents that traveled over the Agnano plain but did not surmount either the Camaldoli or the Posillipo hills. Only the very fine material, in continuous suspension in the upper, no-shearing part of the base-surge cloud, was dispersed higher in the atmosphere and quietly settled over a large area outside the caldera rim. The phreatomagmatic origin of base surges, which contrasts with the magmatic origin of fallout activity, suggests that the pyroclastic density currents of the Agnano–Monte Spina eruption did not result from eruption column collapses. They were most likely related to radially spreading clouds which were contemporaneous with fallout activity but issued from distinct zones in the vent area. The turbulent nature and the high expansion of base surges made them capable, under certain conditions, of passing over high topographic obstacles, with hazardous effects in distal areas.

Lahar in Glass Creek and Owens River during the Inyo eruption, Mono–Inyo Craters, California

Nested fluvial and lahar terraces are inset in a volcanic surface where Glass Creek has created an embayment in the Sierran range front, on the north rim of Long Valley caldera, California. The geomorphic and stratigraphic relationships among these terraces indicate that they record events at the time of the pre-1472 AD Inyo eruption. The volcanic surface records the deposition of the Inyo pyroclastic materials over pre-existing landforms. Somewhat younger terraces contain volcanic beds at depth, overlain by alluvium. The youngest, lowest terraces comprise lahar deposits overlying alluvium and the pyroclastic debris. Downstream from the embayment, in the canyon of Glass Creek, levees line the walls to a maximum height of 35 m above the present stream level. The canyon opens onto a lahar fan, the surface of which is covered with cobbles and pebbles of Inyo pumice. Further downstream, in the floodplain of the Owens River, an abandoned meander belt is filled with graded debris containing large amounts of Inyo pumice. At the distal end of the floodplain, 30 km from the embayment, coarse pumiceous debris occupies low mounds scattered in the abandoned meander belt. The deposits that comprise the mounds are massive-bedded muds and sandy muds. These features record the excavation of ∼1.9×10 5 m 3 of material from the Glass Creek embayment, and perhaps an additional amount up- and downstream, which was transported in a non-cohesive lahar down the Glass Creek and Owens River drainage to a distance of at least 30 km from the source region. Lahars are a previously uncharacterized volcanic hazard in the Long Valley caldera region. It may be important to consider them in any future assessment of hazards in this restless system.

Triggered Deformation and Seismic Activity under Mammoth Mountain in Long Valley Caldera by the 3 November 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake

The 3 November 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake triggered defor- mational offsets and microseismicity under Mammoth Mountain (MM) on the rim of Long Valley caldera, California, some 3460 km from the earthquake. Such strain offsets and microseismicity were not recorded at other borehole strain sites along the San Andreas fault system in California. The Long Valley offsets were recorded on borehole strainmeters at three sites around the western part of the caldera that includes Mammoth Mountain—a young volcano on the southwestern rim of the caldera. The largest recorded strain offsets were 0.1 microstrain at PO on the west side of MM, 0.05 microstrain at MX to the southeast of MM, and 0.025 microstrain at BS to the northeast of MM with negative strain extensional. High sample rate strain data show initial triggering of the offsets began at 22:30 UTC during the arrival of the first Rayleigh waves from the Alaskan earthquake with peak-to-peak dynamic strain amplitudes of about 2 microstrain corresponding to a stress amplitude of about 0.06 MPa. The strain offsets grew to their final values in the next 10 min. The associated triggered seismicity occurred beneath the south flank of MM and also began at 22:30 UTC and died away over the next 15 min. This relatively weak seismicity burst included some 60 small events with magnitude all less than M 1. While poorly constrained, these strain observations are consistent with triggered slip and intrusive opening on a north-striking normal fault centered at a depth of 8 km with a moment of 10 16 N m, or the equivalent of a M 4.3 earthquake. The cumulative seismic moment for the associated seismicity burst was more than three orders of magnitude smaller. These observations and this model resemble those for the triggered deformation and slip that occurred beneath the north side of MM following the 16 October 1999 M 7.1 Hector Mine, California, earthquake. However, in this case, we see little post-event slip decay reflected in the strain data after the Rayleigh-wave arrivals from the Denali fault earthquake and onset of triggered seismicity did not lag the triggered defor- mation by 20 min. These observations are also distinctly different from the more widespread and energetic seismicity and deformation triggered by the 1992 M 7.3 Landers earthquake in the Long Valley caldera. Thus, each of the three instances of remotely triggered unrest in Long Valley caldera recorded to date differ. In each case, however, the deformation moment inferred from the strain meter data was more than an order of magnitude larger than the cumulative moment for the associated triggered seismicity.

Radon and helium in soil gases at Cañadas caldera, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

The spatial distribution of soil radon was investigated at Cañadas caldera, Tenerife, in two surveys carried out in the summers of 1992 and 1995 by using α-particle-sensitive cellulose nitrate films (Track-Etch) and emanometry, respectively. Soil helium was studied at several transects crossing different structural features of the area. Radon concentration measured by Track-Etch ranged from 1.0 to 1990 pCi/l while that measured by emanometry ranged from 0.1 to 618 pCi/l. Soil helium concentration varied from 5250 to 15 560 ppb with an average value of 6197 ppb. The spatial distribution of soil radon correlates quite closely with structural features (fractures, emission centers, etc.), where the main geothermal manifestations (fumaroles, steam ground and high subsurface temperature and gas contents) also occur. Areas showing high soil Rn concentrations occur at the summit of Teide, Roques de Garcı́a, caldera rim and south and east off side of the caldera. High soil helium anomalies correlate well spatially with those of radon, especially at the summit of Teide where relatively high 3He/ 4He isotopic ratios occur, suggesting a deep contribution for these emanations. Data indicate that radon and helium are supplied mostly from a deep source, with a minor contribution from U- and Th-rich shallow rocks and soils.

Pollen Dispersal and Deposition on the Ice Cap of Volćan Parinacota, Southwestern Bolivia

Pollen, a regular component of tropical ice cores, has been shown to have great potential as a sensitive paleoenvironmental proxy in ice-core research. However, questions remain as to the modern dispersal and depositional patterns of pollen on high-alpine tropical ice caps. This information is vital to the accurate interpretation of the environmental reconstructions being derived from fossil pollen. In this study, 11 surface snow samples were collected around the caldera rim at the summit of Mt. Parinacota along the Bolivian-Chilean border. Results show that pollen concentration and assemblage are uniform in samples taken from the southwestern quadrant and the entire eastern half of the mountain. However, the pollen signatures are significantly different in the northwestern quadrant, probably due to long-distance transport of xerophytic Compositae shrub pollen from the prevailing winds. The sections of the mountain not directly impacted by the prevailing northwesterlies reflect a more locally influenced pollen assemblage dominated by grasses. These results are consistent with previous findings from the Quelccaya Ice Cap and confirm the importance of the prevailing winds in the dispersal and deposition of pollen on these high-alpine tropical ice caps.

Dynamics of active magmatic and hydrothermal systems at Taal Volcano, Philippines, from continuous GPS measurements

A dense network of continuous single‐ and dual‐frequency GPS receivers at Taal Volcano, Philippines, reveals four major stages of volcanogenic deformation: deflation, from installation in June 1998 to December 1998; inflation, from January to March 1999; deflation, from April 1999 to February 2000; and inflation, from February to November 2000. The largest displacements occurred during the February–November 2000 period of inflation, which was characterized by ∼120 mm of uplift of the center of Volcano Island relative to the northern caldera rim at average rates up to 216 mm/yr. Deformation sources were modeled using a constrained least squares inversion algorithm. The source of 1999 deflation and inflation in 2000 were modeled as contractional and dilatational Mogi point sources centered at 4.2 and 5.2 km depth, respectively, beneath Volcano Island. The locations of the inflationary and deflationary sources are indistinguishable within the 95% confidence estimates. Modeling using a running 4‐month time window from June 1999 to March 2001 reveals little evidence for source migration. We suggest that the two periods of inflation observed at Taal result from episodic intrusions of magma into a shallow reservoir centered beneath Volcano Island. Subsequent deflation may result from exsolution of magmatic fluids and/or gases into an overlying, unconfined hydrothermal system.

Recent unrest and magma movements at Eyjafjallajökull and Katla volcanoes, Iceland

Katla and Eyjafjallajökull volcanoes are situated 25 km apart at the southern tip of the Eastern Volcanic Zone in Iceland. Both have been active in historic time (last 1100 years) and have a history of simultaneous activity. The much more active Katla volcano has erupted at least 20 times, and Eyjafjallajökull's two eruptions were contemporaneous with Katla eruptions. Following a quiet period of several decades, the seismicity beneath Eyjafjallajökull was high in 1994 and again in 1999. The activity culminated in July 1999 when a flash flood occurred from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap covering Katla, associated with changes in seismicity, bursts of volcanic tremor, and the formation and deepening of ice cauldrons. We report here results of deformation observations of these events, both by GPS geodesy and tilt measurements. The 1999 increase in seismicity at Eyjafjallajökull was associated with significant inflation of the volcano. The deformation data are modeled by a point pressure source at 3.5 km depth beneath the flank of the volcano, about 4 km south of the summit crater. Maximum uplift of the model is 0.35 m. A similar model also explains deformation associated with the 1994 seismic crisis. The deformation field of the Katla volcano is more difficult to ascertain due to the extensive glacier coverage. Movements of points on nunataks on and near the caldera rim indicate inflation and magma movements at shallow level beneath the caldera in connection with the events of July 1999.

Rabaul volcano, Papua New Guinea: seismic tomographic imaging of an active caldera

The recently active Rabaul volcano on the island of New Britain in eastern Papua New Guinea is associated with a subduction zone located near the triple junction formed by the Pacific, South Bismarck and Solomon lithospheric plates. Analysis of our 1997 seismic tomography survey of the Rabaul caldera reveals the P-wave velocity structure to a depth of about 12 km using both explosive and earthquake seismic sources. The Rabaul volcanic complex is formed by a series of caldera collapse structures and a group of basalt–andesite volcanic centres with two currently active dacitic intra-caldera cones, Tavurvur and Vulcan. The 1994 eruption of these intra-caldera cones caused major infrastructure damage and required the evacuation of Rabaul township. Ongoing minor activity of Tavurvur continues to the present. The 1997 three-dimensional seismic tomography imaging identifies a 30–35 km 3 low-velocity region (?magma reservoir) at 3–6 km depth beneath the central Rabaul caldera, and gives an insight into the geological features of the caldera ‘plumbing’ system on scales of a few kilometres. The seismic survey highlights the heterogeneity in P-wave velocity both laterally and vertically within the Rabaul caldera, indicating significant complexity within quite a small area. The structural complexity is consistent with that observed in outcrop of Palaeozoic eroded calderas in other parts of the world. The low-velocity region at Rabaul (<5.0 km/s) is identified with the part of the caldera under Rabaul harbour thought to be associated with the current magma injection system. There are also high-velocity (>6.0 km/s) rock units around the caldera rims that are interpreted to indicate large volumes of mafic intrusive rock at shallow (<4 km) depths. In the St. Georges Channel just north of Rabaul, the Tavui caldera, although a spectacular bathymetric feature, does not have a prominent low-velocity zone at depth and is therefore regarded as inactive.

Geological history and potential hazards of the late-Pleistocene to Recent Plat Pays volcanic complex, Dominica, Lesser Antilles

During 1998–2000, the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles experienced a major volcanic earthquake swarm spatially associated with volcanic centres in the south of the island. This swarm provided the motivation for a major re-assessment of geologic history and volcanic hazards in this region. This has led to a re-interpretation of the south-western-most corner of the island as a large volcanic complex, termed the Plat Pays volcanic complex, which has exhibited a wide range of past eruptive activity and which, in the Quaternary, experienced a major caldera collapse triggered by a voluminous pyroclastic eruption. Stratigraphy and new 14C age determinations reveal a complicated history of development. The earliest activity is represented by the formation of the Plat Pays stratovolcano and associated parasitic domes. A major explosive eruption ~ 39,000 years B.P. produced the Grand Bay ignimbrite and triggered a major caldera collapse of the summit and south-western flank of the Plat Pays stratovolcano. Following the major eruption, re-injection of Plat Pays magma resulted in the extrusion of approximately 12 lava domes both within and outside the resulting depression. Caldera collapse was followed by at least one catastrophic flank collapse, but it is unclear whether or not this was triggered by caldera formation. The only on-shore evidence of flank collapse is the breach of the caldera rim and truncation of post-caldera deposits emplaced on or near the caldera rim; we find no evidence of on-shore large-magnitude rock avalanche deposits within the stratigraphic framework of the Plat Pays volcanic complex. Frequent seismic swarms of volcanic earthquakes and vigorous geothermal activity indicate that south Dominica is still underlain by an active magma reservoir system. Our new geological observations, combined with an interpretation of recent seismic swarm activity, suggest that an eruption (probably dome-forming) from the Plat Pays volcanic complex is probable within the next 100 years.

Deformation of Grímsvötn volcano, Iceland: 1998 eruption and subsequent inflation

Grímsvötn is a subglacial volcano, under the Vatnajökull ice cap at the center of the Icelandic hotspot. This highly active volcano erupted in December 1998. GPS measurements at a single station on a nunatak at the caldera rim were made 7 times during 1992–2001. The measurements prior to the 1998 eruption reveal pre‐eruption inflation, but subsidence of more than 15 cm was measured during the eruption. Following the eruption, re‐inflation occurred initially, at a rate of 20 mm/month, then declined to 5 mm/month. Measurements were fitted to a Mogi model, assuming that the source was located under the center of the Grímsvötn caldera complex. Results indicate a source depth of at least 1.6‐km. The calculated amount of magma outflow during the eruption is comparable to field estimates of the erupted volume. Grímsvötn continues to inflate, but has not reached its 1998 pre‐eruption level.

西南北海道，赤井川カルデラの火山層序とカルデラ形成史

Late Pliocene-Pleistocene Akaigawa Caldera, 6-7 km in diameter, is located in southwest Hokkaido. It mainly consists of felsic caldera-forming welded tuffs, somma lavas, and lacustrine deposits in order of decreasing age. Caldera-forming pyroclastic flows of the Nagasawa Volcanics were erupted at the southwestern caldera rim and are characterized by high SiO2 content (76-79%). Contrary to this, the subsequent somma lavas were erupted from multiple vents along ring fractures and have variable SiO2 contents ranging from basaltic andesite to dacite (56.6-66.7%).The whole rock K-Ar age of the lower member of the welded tuffs is 2.06±0.57, whereas the age of the middle member 1.62±0.14 Ma. The Maruyama Lava and the Daikokuyama Lava from the somma lavas give ages of 1.65±0.07 Ma and 1.55±0.06 Ma, respectively. The age of the middle member of the welded tuffs coincides within measurement errors with ages determined for the somma lavas. The age and geological structures of the lower member of the welded tuffs suggest that the pre-Akaigawa, outer Yoichigawa Caldera formation began before 2 Ma. On the basis of petrography and geochemistry, the somma lavas are divided into three units; the eastern somma lavas, the western somma lavas, and the post-caldera central cone. The lithologies of eastern somma lavas range from olivine basaltic andesite to andesite, and the western somma lavas range from quartz andesite to dacite, indicating a similar geochemical trend to that of the eastern somma lavas. The post-caldera central cone is composed of andesite to dacite, and has a different geochemical signature from that of the somma lavas. The volcanic structure, topography, eruption volume, and petrography indicate that the Akaigawa Caldera-collapse took place after eruptions of both welded tuffs and somma lavas, and that the western side of the caldera is characterized by a higher eruption rate of felsic to intermediate magma and more extensive subsidence compared with the eastern side. This may indicate the existence of a heterogeneous magma chamber beneath the Akaigawa Caldera.