Mauna Ulu Research Articles

Metabolic versatility of Caldarchaeales from geothermal features of Hawai'i and Chile as revealed by five metagenome-assembled genomes.

Members of the archaeal order Caldarchaeales (previously the phylum Aigarchaeota) are poorly sampled and are represented in public databases by relatively few genomes. Additional representative genomes will help resolve their placement among all known members of Archaea and provide insights into their roles in the environment. In this study, we analyzed 16S rRNA gene amplicons belonging to the Caldarchaeales that are available in public databases, which demonstrated that archaea of the order Caldarchaeales are diverse, widespread, and most abundant in geothermal habitats. We also constructed five metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Caldarchaeales from two geothermal features to investigate their metabolic potential and phylogenomic position in the domain Archaea. Two of the MAGs were assembled from microbial community DNA extracted from fumarolic lava rocks from Mauna Ulu, Hawai'i, and three were assembled from DNA obtained from hot spring sinters from the El Tatio geothermal field in Chile. MAGs from Hawai'i are high quality bins with completeness >95% and contamination <1%, and one likely belongs to a novel species in a new genus recently discovered at a submarine volcano off New Zealand. MAGs from Chile have lower completeness levels ranging from 27 to 70%. Gene content of the MAGs revealed that these members of Caldarchaeales are likely metabolically versatile and exhibit the potential for both chemoorganotrophic and chemolithotrophic lifestyles. The wide array of metabolic capabilities exhibited by these members of Caldarchaeales might help them thrive under diverse harsh environmental conditions. All the MAGs except one from Chile harbor putative prophage regions encoding several auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) that may confer a fitness advantage on their Caldarchaeales hosts by increasing their metabolic potential and make them better adapted to new environmental conditions. Phylogenomic analysis of the five MAGs and over 3,000 representative archaeal genomes showed the order Caldarchaeales forms a monophyletic group that is sister to the clade comprising the orders Geothermarchaeales (previously Candidatus Geothermarchaeota), Conexivisphaerales and Nitrososphaerales (formerly known as Thaumarchaeota), supporting the status of Caldarchaeales members as a clade distinct from the Thaumarchaeota.

Reexamining the Potential to Classify Lava Flows From the Fractality of Their Margins

AbstractCan fractal analysis of a lava flow's margin enable classification of the lava's morphologic type (e.g., pāhoehoe)? Such classifications would provide insights into the rheology and dynamics of the flow when it was emplaced. The potential to classify lava flows from remotely‐sensed data would particularly benefit the analysis of flows that are inaccessible, including flows on other planetary bodies. The technique's current interpretive framework depends on three assumptions: (1) measured margin fractality is scale‐invariant; (2) morphologic types can be uniquely distinguished based on measured margin fractality; and (3) modification of margin fractality by topography, including substrate slope and confinement, would be minimal or independently recognizable. We critically evaluate these assumptions at meter scales (1–10 m) using 15 field‐collected flow margin intervals from a wide variety of morphologic types in Hawaiʻi, Iceland, and Idaho. Among the 12 margin intervals that satisfy the current framework's suitability criteria (e.g., geomorphic freshness, shallowly‐sloped substrates), we show that five exhibit notably scale‐dependent fractality and all five from lava types other than ‘a‘ā or pāhoehoe would be classified as one or both of those types at some scales. Additionally, an ‘a‘ā flow on a 15° slope (Mauna Ulu, Hawaiʻi) and a spiny pāhoehoe flow confined by a stream bank (Holuhraun, Iceland) exhibit significantly depressed fractalities but lack diagnostic signatures for these modifications. We therefore conclude that all three assumptions of the current framework are invalid at meter scales and propose a new framework to leverage the potential of the underlying fractal technique while acknowledging these complexities.

Basaltic Terrains in Idaho and Hawai'i as Planetary Analogs for Mars Geology and Astrobiology.

Field research target regions within two basaltic geologic provinces are described as Earth analogs to Mars. Regions within the eastern Snake River Plain of Idaho and the Big Island of Hawai‘i, the United States, provinces that represent analogs of present-day and early Mars, respectively, were evaluated on the basis of geologic settings, rock lithology and geochemistry, rock alteration, and climate. Each of these factors provides rationale for the selection of specific targets for field research in five analog target regions: (1) Big Craters and (2) Highway lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho, and (3) Mauna Ulu low shield, (4) Kīlauea Iki lava lake, and (5) Kīlauea caldera in the Kīlauea Volcano summit region and the East Rift Zone of Hawai‘i. Our evaluation of compositional and textural attributes, as well as the effects of syn- and posteruptive rock alteration, shows that basaltic terrains in Idaho and Hawai‘i provide a way to characterize the geology and major geologic substrates that host biological activity of relevance to Mars exploration. This work provides the foundation to better understand the scientific questions related to the habitability of basaltic terrains, the rationale behind selecting analog field targets, and their applicability as analogs to Mars.

Geological values of lava caves in Krongno Volcano Geopark, Dak Nong, Vietnam

The paper presents the initial results of the study of volcanic cave system and its typical formations in Krongno Volcano Geopark (KVG), Dak Nong, Vietnam. The volcanic caves have been discovered since 2007, under UNESCO sponsored the scientific project, are seen as unique geological heritages. The collaborative surveys and studies between Vietnamese geologists and the members of the Non-Profit Organization, Vulcanospeleological Society of Japan have discovered and surveyed 45 caves, and detailed mapping 20 caves. Using a complex of adequate methods, especially Remote Sensing image interpretation method, Surveying and mapping lava cave method, K/Ar dating isotopic analytical method and Current methodology, the studies aim to affirm endogenous origin of the lava cave system, the formation mechanism, as well as the typical formations of the caves. Up to date, the lava caves and interior formation in lava caves in KVG have been examined and evaluated in term of geological nature and recognized as pillar geological heritages of the Geopark.References Allred K., AllredC., 1997. Development and morphology of Kazumura Cave, Hawaii. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 59(2), 67-80.Allred K., Allred C., 1997. Tubular lava stalactites and other related segregations. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 60(3), 131-140.Barnabás Korbély, 2014. Diverse volcanic features as dominant landscape elements and pillars of geotourism in the Bakony-Balaton Geopark, Hungary. Abstract Book Workshop “Geoparks in volcanic areas: sustainable development strategies”, October 29th to November 1st, 2014. Terceira and Graciosa Islands, Azores Global Geopark, 35-38.Bird Deanne K., et al., 2014. Southern Iceland: Volcanoes, Tourism and Volcanic Risk Reduction.In Volcanic Tourist Destinations. Springer, Editors: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia (Ed.). ISBN: 978-3-642-16190-2, 35-46. Cooper Malcolm J.M., 2014. Volcanic National Parks in Japan.In Volcanic Tourist Destinations. Springer, Editors: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia (Ed.). ISBN: 978-3-642-16190-2, 231-246.Dave Bunnell, 2014. The virtual lava cave Created: August 4, 2000.Last update: December 16, 2014. Reviewed by Kevin &amp; Carlene Allred. Available at:&lt;http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtual_tube/virtube.html). Date accessed: 02 May 2018.Gadányi P., 2010. Formation, types and morphology of basalt lava caves. PhD. thesises. University of Pécs Faculty of Natural Sciences Doctoral School of Earth Sciences, Hungary, 1-19.Gaki-Papanastassiou, Kalliopi, et al., 2014. Volcano Tourism in Greece: Two Case Studies of Volcanic Islands.In Volcanic Tourist Destinations. Springer, Editors: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia (Ed.). ISBN: 978-3-642-16190-2, 69-87.Honda T., Tachihara H., 2015. Vietnam Volcanic Cave Survey. e-NEWSLETTER, UIS Commission on Volcanic caves, 69, 11-12. Honda T., Tinsley J.C., 2016. Classification of lava tubes from Hydrodynamic models for active lava tube, filled lava tube and drained lava tube. 17th International Vulcanospeleology symposium in Hawaii, USA. Sponsored by the Commission on volcanic caves of the International Union of Speleology.Larson C.V., 1991. Nomenclatures of lava tube features. 6th International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology in Hawaii. Published by the National Speleological Society, 231-248.Laumanns M., 2013. Important Lava Tube Caves found in Dong Nai Province Southern Vietnam. e-NEWSLETTER, UIS Commission on Volcanic caves, 67, 13. Machado M., Lima E., 2014. Geotourism and sustainable development partnerships in the Azores Geopark. Abstract Book Workshop “Geoparks in volcanic areas: sustainable development strategies”, October 29th to November 1st. Terceira and Graciosa Islands, Azores Global Geopark, 45-48.Moreira Jasmine Cardozo, et al., 2014.Tourism and Volcanism in the Canary Islands, Spain. In Volcanic Tourist Destinations.Springer, Editors: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia (Ed.). ISBN: 978-3-642-16190-2, 47-55.Nelson S.A., 2017. Volcanoes and Volcanic Eruptions.EENS 1110. Physical Geology.Tulane University. New Orleans, USA.Nguyen Duc Thang (Ed.), 1989. Geology and Mineral Resources of Ben Khe - Dong Nai sheet at scale 1:200,000. General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam. Hanoi. Nunes, João Caros., 2014. The Azores Archipelago: Islands of Geodiversity.In Volcanic Tourist Destinations. Springer, Editors: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia (Ed.). ISBN: 978-3-642-16190-2, 57-67.Nunes João Caros., 2014. Azores Geopark volcanoes and volcanic landforms. Valuating the Azorean geodiversity and geosites through the geotourism. Abstract Book Workshop “Geoparks in volcanic areas: sustainable development strategies”, October 29th to November 1st. Terceira and Graciosa Islands, Azores Global Geopark, 41-43.Ogawa T., 1993. On lava caves in Japan and vicinity.Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology, 56- 73.Patricia Erfurt-Cooper, 2014. Volcanic Geo-heritage.Sustainable Tourism Development in Volcanic Regions: Geoparks, National Parks and World Heritage Sites. Abstract Book Workshop “Geoparks in volcanic areas: sustainable development strategies”, October 29th to November 1st. Terceira and Graciosa Islands, Azores Global Geopark, 23-25.Peterson D.W., Holcomb R.T., Tilling R.I., Christiansen R.L., 1994. Development of lava tubes in the light of observations at Mauna Ulu, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Bulletin of Volcanology, 56, 343-360.

Spatter matters \u2013 distinguishing primary (eruptive) and secondary (non-eruptive) spatter deposits

Spatter is a common pyroclastic product of hawaiian fountaining, which typically forms vent-proximal ramparts or cones. Based on textural characteristics and field relations of spatter from the 1969 Mauna Ulu eruption of Kīlauea, Hawai’i, three spatter types were identified: (1) Primary spatter deposited as spatter ramparts and isolated cones during the peak of episode 1; (2) Late-stage spatter comprising dense, small volume, vent proximal deposits, formed at the end of episode 1; (3) Secondary spatter preserved in isolated mounds around tectonic ground cracks that we interpret to have formed by the disruption of overlying lava. We propose that not all spatter deposits are evidence of primary magmatic fountaining. Rather, deposits can be “secondary” in nature and associated with lava drain-back, disruption, and subsequent ejection from tectonic cracks. Importantly, these secondary pyroclastic deposits are difficult to distinguish from primary eruptive features based on field relations and bulk clast vesicularity alone, allowing for the potential misinterpretation of eruption vents, on Earth and in remotely sensed planetary data, thereby misinforming hazard maps and probabilistic assessments. Here, we show that vesicle number density provides a statistically-robust metric by which to discriminate primary and secondary spatter, supporting accurate identification of eruptive vents.

Proximal lava drainage controls on basaltic fissure eruption dynamics

Hawaiian basaltic eruptions commonly initiate as a fissure, producing fountains, spattering, and clastogenic lava flows. Most fissures rapidly localize to form a small number of eruptive vents, the location of which may influence the subsequent distribution of lava flows and associated hazards. We present results from a detailed field investigation of the proximal deposits of episode 1 of the 1969 fissure eruption of Mauna Ulu, Kīlauea, Hawai‘i. Exceptional preservation of the deposits allows us to reconstruct vent-proximal lava drainage patterns and to assess the role that drainage played in constraining vent localization. Through detailed field mapping, including measurements of the height and internal depth of lava tree moulds, we reconstruct high-resolution topographic maps of the pre-eruption ground surface, the lava high-stand surface and the post-eruption ground surface. We calculate the difference in elevation between pairs of maps to estimate the lava inundation depth and lava drainage depth over the field area and along different segments of fissure. Aerial photographs collected during episode 1 of the eruption allow us to locate those parts of the fissure that are no longer exposed at the surface. By comparing with the inundation and drainage maps, we find that fissure segments that were inundated with lava to greater depths (typically 1–6 m) during the eruption later became foci of lava drainage back into the fissure (internal drain-back). We infer that, in these areas, lava ponding over the fissure suppressed discharge of magma, thereby favouring drain-back and stagnation. By contrast, segments with relatively shallow inundation (typically less than ~ 1 m), such as where the fissure intersects pre-eruptive topographic highs, or where flow away from the vent (outflow) was efficient, are often associated with sub-circular vent geometries in the post-eruption ground surface. We infer that these parts of the fissure became localization points for ongoing magma ascent and discharge. We conclude that lava inundation and drainage processes in basaltic fissure eruptions can play an important role in controlling their localization and longevity.

LiDAR-derived surface roughness signatures of basaltic lava types at the Muliwai a Pele Lava Channel, Mauna Ulu, Hawai‘i

We used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to calculate roughness patterns (homogeneity, mean-roughness, and entropy) for five lava types at two different resolutions (1.5 and 0.1 m/pixel). We found that end-member types (ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe) are separable (with 95% confidence) at both scales, indicating that roughness patterns are well suited for analyzing types of lava. Intermediate lavas were also explored, and we found that slabby-pāhoehoe is separable from the other end-members using 1.5 m/pixel data, but not in the 0.1 m/pixel analysis. This suggests that the conversion from pāhoehoe to slabby-pāhoehoe is a meter-scale process, and the finer roughness characteristics of pāhoehoe, such as ropes and toes, are not significantly affected. Furthermore, we introduce the ratio $$ \frac{ENT}{HOM} $$ (derived from lava roughness) as a proxy for assessing local lava flow rate from topographic data. High entropy and low homogeneity regions correlate with high flow rate while low entropy and high homogeneity regions correlate with low flow rate. We suggest that this relationship is not directional, rather it is apparent through roughness differences of the associated lava type emplaced at the high and low rates, respectively.

Rapid Updating and Improvement of Airborne LIDAR DEMs Through Ground-Based SfM 3-D Modeling of Volcanic Features

We present a workflow to create, scale, georeference, and integrate digital elevation models (DEMs) created using open-source structure-from-motion (SfM) multiview stereo (MVS) software into existing DEMs (as derived from the light detection and ranging data in the presented cases). The workflow also maps the root-mean-square error between the base DEM and the SfM surface model. This allows DEM creation from field-based surveys using consumer-grade digital cameras with open-source and custom-built software. We employ this workflow on three examples of different scales and morphology: 1) a scoria cone on Mt. Etna; 2) a lava channel on Mauna Ulu (Kīlauea); and 3) a flank collapse scar on Mt. Etna. This represents a new approach for rapid low-cost construction and updating of existing DEMs at high temporal and spatial resolutions and for areas of up to several thousand square meters. We assess the self-consistency of the method by comparison of DEMs of the same features, created from independent data sets acquired on the same day and from the same vantage points. We further evaluate the effect of grid cell size on the reconstruction error. This method uses existing DEMs as a georeferencing tool and can therefore be used in limited access and potentially hazardous areas as it no longer relies exclusively on control targets on the ground.

A robotic approach to mapping post-eruptive volcanic fissure conduits

VolcanoBot was developed to map volcanic vents and their underlying conduit systems, which are rarely preserved and generally inaccessible to human exploration. It uses a PrimeSense Carmine 1.09 sensor for mapping and carries an IR temperature sensor, analog distance sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) inside a protective shell. The first field test succeeded in collecting valuable scientific data but revealed several needed improvements, including more rugged cable connections and mechanical couplers, increased ground clearance, and higher-torque motors for uphill mobility. The second field test significantly improved on all of these aspects but it traded electrical ruggedness for reduced data collection speed. Data collected by the VolcanoBots, while intermittent, yield the first insights into the cm-scale geometry of volcanic fissures at depths of up to 25m.VolcanoBot was deployed at the 1969 Mauna Ulu fissure system on Kīlauea volcano in Hawai'i. It collected first-of-its-kind data from inside the fissure system. We hypothesized that 1) fissure sinuosity should decrease with depth, 2) irregularity should be persistent with depth, 3) any blockages in the conduit should occur at the narrowest points, and 4) the fissure should narrow with depth until it is too narrow for VolcanoBot to pass or is plugged with solidified lava. Our field campaigns did not span enough lateral or vertical area to test sinuosity. The preliminary data indicate that 1) there were many irregularities along fissures at depth, 2) blockages occurred, but not at obviously narrow locations, and 3) the conduit width remained a consistent 0.4–0.5m for most of the upper 10m that we analyzed.

Two magma bodies beneath the summit of Kīlauea Volcano unveiled by isotopically distinct melt deliveries from the mantle

The summit magma storage reservoir of Kīlauea Volcano is one of the most important components of the magmatic plumbing system of this frequently active basaltic shield-building volcano. Here we use new high-precision Pb isotopic analyses of Kīlauea summit lavas—from 1959 to the active Halema‘uma‘u lava lake—to infer the number, size, and interconnectedness of magma bodies within the volcano's summit reservoir. From 1971 to 1982, the 206Pb/204Pb ratios of the lavas define two separate magma mixing trends that correlate with differences in vent location and/or pre-eruptive magma temperature. These relationships, which contrast with a single magma mixing trend for lavas from 1959 to 1968, indicate that Kīlauea summit eruptions since at least 1971 were supplied from two distinct magma bodies. The locations of these magma bodies are inferred to coincide with two major deformation centers identified by geodetic monitoring of the volcano's summit region: (1) the main locus of the summit reservoir ∼2–4 km below the southern rim of Kīlauea Caldera and (2) a shallower magma body <2 km below the eastern rim of Halema‘uma‘u pit crater. Residence time modeling suggests that the total volume of magma within Kīlauea's summit reservoir during the late 20th century (1959–1982) was exceedingly small (∼0.1–0.5 km3). Voluminous Kīlauea eruptions, such as the ongoing, 32-yr old Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō rift eruption (>4 km3 of lava erupted), must therefore be sustained by a nearly continuous supply of new melt from the mantle. The model results show that a minimum of four compositionally distinct, mantle-derived magma batches were delivered to the volcano (at least three directly to the summit reservoir) since 1959. These melt inputs correlate with the initiation of energetic (1959 Kīlauea Iki) and/or sustained (1969–1974 Mauna Ulu, 1983-present Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and 2008-present Halema‘uma‘u) eruptions. Thus, Kīlauea's eruptive behavior is partly tied to the delivery of new magma batches from the volcano's source region within the Hawaiian mantle plume.

Pahoehoe to `a`a transition of Hawaiian lavas: an experimental study

Basaltic lavas collected at the Muliwai a Pele lava channel, built during 1974 as part of Mauna Ulu’s eruption on Kilauea’s east rift zone, have been studied to investigate the effect of cooling and crystallization on the rheological properties of the lava. We have quantified the viscosity-strain-rate dependence of lava during cooling and crystallization, using concentric cylinder viscometry. We measured the viscosity of the crystal-free liquid between 1600 and 1230 °C, where we observed a deviation from the expected viscosity trend, marking the liquidus. We then made rheology measurements at subliquidus temperatures of 1207, 1203, 1183, 1176, and 1169 °C, varying the applied strain rates at each temperature. While the crystal-free liquid behaved as a Newtonian fluid, crystallization changed the rheological response to pseudo-plastic behavior, even at the lowest crystal volume fraction of 0.025. Pseudo-plastic behavior was observed down to a temperature of 1183 °C, with a crystal fraction of 0.15. Between 1183 and 1176 °C, the two-phase suspension transitioned from a power-law fluid to a Herschel-Bulkley fluid. At temperatures of 1176 and 1169 °C, with crystal fractions of 0.33 and 0.42, respectively, we observed lobate surface textures on the experimental samples, which remained preserved until the end of the experiments. Measurements at these temperatures indicated yield strengths of 82 ± 16 and 238 ± 18 Pa, respectively. The yield strength resulted from the development of an interconnected crystal network of diopside and enstatite by 1176 °C. By 1169 °C, diopside and plagioclase microcrystals had also appeared, and the effective viscosity was between 2000 and 5000 Pa s, depending on the strain rate. Further cooling to 1164 °C resulted in a rapid viscosity increase, to an effective viscosity in excess of 105 Pa s that exceeded the measurement range of our apparatus. The yield strength varies with crystallinity in an exponential fashion, with yield strength in Pa given by σ y = 1.25e12.93Φ c, where Φ c is the crystal volume fraction. The physical effect of crystals on the relative viscosity of magma was assessed by removing the effects of changing residual liquid viscosity, due to changing composition and temperature. To do this, we analyzed, synthesized, and measured the most evolved residual liquid from the subliquidus experiments. The effect of crystals was best captured by the Einstein-Roscoe equation for polydisperse spherical inclusions. We also measured the viscosity of the same crystal-liquid mixtures at low temperatures and strain rates using parallel-plate viscometry. The effect of crystals on magma viscosity was slightly greater at low strain rates, in agreement with theoretical models, although no single model reproduced these results well. In our experiments, the transition from pahoehoe to `a`a occurred between 1200 and 1170 °C, at viscosities between 100 and 1000 Pa s, depending on strain rate.

Textural and rheological evolution of basalt flowing down a lava channel

The Muliwai a Pele lava channel was emplaced during the final stage of Mauna Ulu’s 1969–1974 eruption (Kilauea, Hawaii). The event was fountain-fed and lasted for around 50 h, during which time a channelized flow system developed, in which a 6-km channel fed a zone of dispersed flow that extended a further 2.6 km. The channel was surrounded by initial rubble levees of ’a’a, capped by overflow units of limited extent. We sampled the uppermost overflow unit every 250 m down the entire channel length, collecting, and analyzing 27 air-quenched samples. Bulk chemistry, density and textural analyses were carried out on the sample interior, and glass chemistry and microlite crystallization analyses were completed on the quenched crust. Thermal and rheological parameters (cooling, crystallization rate, viscosity, and yield strength) were also calculated. Results show that all parameters experience a change around 4.5 km from the vent. At this point, there is a lava surface transition from pahoehoe to ’a’a. Lava density, microlite content, viscosity, and yield strength all increase down channel, but vesicle content and lava temperature decrease. Cooling rates were 6.7 °C/km, with crystallization rates increasing from 0.03 Фc/km proximally, to 0.14 Фc/km distally. Modeling of the channel was carried out using the FLOWGO thermo-rheological model and allowed fits for temperature, microlite content, and channel width when run using a three-phase viscosity model based on a temperature-dependent viscosity relation derived for this lava. The down flow velocity profile suggests an initial velocity of 27 m/s, declining to 1 m/s at the end of the channel. Down-channel, lava underwent cooling that induced crystallization, causing both the lava viscosity and yield strength to increase. Moreover, lava underwent degassing and a subsequent vesicularity decrease. This aided in increasing viscosity, with the subsequent increase in shearing promoting a transition to ’a’a.

Contrasting patterns of vesiculation in low, intermediate, and high Hawaiian fountains: A case study of the 1969 Mauna Ulu eruption

Hawaiian-style eruptions, or Hawaiian fountains, typically occur at basaltic volcanoes and are sustained, weakly explosive jets of gas and dominantly coarse, juvenile ejecta (dense spatter to delicate reticulite). Almost the entire range of styles and mass eruption rates within Hawaiian fountaining occurred during twelve fountaining episodes recorded at Mauna Ulu, Kīlauea between May and December 1969. Such diversity in intensity and style is controlled during magma ascent by many processes that can be constrained by the size and shape of vesicles in the 1969 pyroclasts. This paper describes pyroclast vesicularity from high, intermediate, and low fountaining episodes with eruption rates from 0.05 to 1.3×106m3h−1. As each eruptive episode progressed, magma ascent slowed in and around the vent system, offering extended time for bubbles to grow and coalesce. Late ejected pyroclasts are thus characterized by populations of fewer and larger vesicles with relaxed shapes. This progression continued in the intervals between episodes after termination of fountain activity. The time scale for this process of shallow growth, coalescence and relaxation of bubbles is typically tens of hours. Rims and cores of pumiceous pyroclasts from moderate to high fountaining episodes record a second post-fragmentation form of vesicle maturation. Partially thermally insulated pyroclasts can have internal bubble populations evolve more dynamically with continued growth and coalescence, on a time scale of only minutes, during transport in the fountains. Reticulite, which formed in a short-lived fountain 540m in height, underwent late, short-lived bubble nucleation followed by rapid growth of a uniform bubble population in a thermally insulated fountain, and quenched at the onset of permeability before significant coalescence. These contrasting patterns of shallow degassing and outgassing were the dominant controls in determining both the form and duration of fountaining episodes at Mauna Ulu, and probably for many other Hawaiian-style eruptions.

Hawaiian fissure fountains 1: decoding deposits—episode 1 of the 1969–1974 Mauna Ulu eruption

Deposits from episode 1 of the 1969–1974 Mauna Ulu eruption of Kīlauea provide an exceptional opportunity to study processes of low intensity Hawaiian fissure fountains. Episode 1 lava flows passed through dense forest that had little impact on flow dynamics; in contrast, the pattern of spatter preservation was strongly influenced by the forest (through the formation of tree molds) and the preexisting topography. A low, near-continuous spatter rampart is present upwind and upslope, on the north side of the fissure. Most of the pyroclastic products, however, fell downwind to the south of the fissure, but little was preserved due to two processes: (1) incorporation of proximal spatter in rheomorphic lava flows 10–20 m from the vents, and (2) the downslope transport of cooler spatter falling on top of these flows beyond 20 m from vent. The lava flow field itself shows a complex history. Initially, discharge from the fissure exceeded the transport capacity of the southern drainage pathways, and lava ponded dynamically to a maximum height of 4 m for 40–120 min, until fountains began to decline. During declining discharge, lava flowed both southward away from the fissure and increasingly back into the vents. There is a clear “lava-shed” or delineation between where lava drained northwards back into the fissure, and where it continued flowing to the south. The 1969 deposits suggest that care is needed when products of less well-documented eruptions are analyzed, as postdepositional transport of spatter may preclude the formation of classic paired (symmetrical) ramparts.

Magma Solidification Processes beneath Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: a Quantitative Textural and Geochemical Study of the 1969-1974 Mauna Ulu Lavas

Kilauea volcano is a very intensively studied, active basaltic magmatic system and thus represents an ideal location to study magma solidification processes in a natural environment. Understanding solidification is important in refining models of magma chamber dynamics and its detailed study may improve our knowledge of magma system evolution. In this study magma solidification processes are examined and quantified using samples from the 1969–1974 Mauna Ulu (MU) rift eruption. We have collected major and trace element whole-rock data plus in situ olivine compositions, along with crystal size distribution data on 11 lava samples. The observed whole-rock chemical variation was partly produced by olivine addition within the Kilauea edifice. At least two distinct olivine populations are inferred from quantitative textural analysis: (1) a 3–40-year-old population characterized by a low crystal density, greater crystal length and flatter slopes of the crystal size distributions (CSDs); (2) a 1·5–15-year-old population marked by a high density of smaller crystals and steep CSD slopes. The range in olivine composition suggests that all these crystals grew from a range of different magmas, probably closely related by crystal fractionation. The ubiquitous presence of deformed olivine crystals shows that population 1 reflects a component that must have mostly originated by disruption of a deformed cumulate. This antecrystic olivine population represents an earlier-coarsened and aggregated, cumulate-forming magma component. In contrast, the phenocrystic population 2 represents a late magma component formed in the summit magma storage region. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the components of the MU magmas followed two different routes. The deformed-olivine-bearing magma moved along the deep basal décollement then rose through vertical pipe-like conduits under the MU rift. The undeformed-olivine-bearing magma rose via the main conduit to the summit reservoir and then moved out along the rift zone, where the magmas mixed in small chambers. The presence of narrow, reversely zoned olivine rims suggests that the mixing occurred just prior to eruption.

Construction dynamics of a lava channel

We use a kinematic GPS and laser range finder survey of a 200 m-long section of the Muliwai a Pele lava channel (Mauna Ulu, Kilauea) to examine the construction processes and flow dynamics responsible for the channel–levee structure. The levees comprise three packages. The basal package comprises an 80–150 m wide ′a′a flow in which a ∼2 m deep and ∼11 m wide channel became centred. This is capped by a second package of thin (<45 cm thick) sheets of pahoehoe extending no more than 50 m from the channel. The upper-most package comprises localised ′a′a overflows. The channel itself contains two blockages located 130 m apart and composed of levee chunks veneered with overflow lava. The channel was emplaced over 50 h, spanning 30 May–2 June, 1974, with the flow front arriving at our section (4.4 km from the vent) 8 h after the eruption began. The basal ′a′a flow thickness yields effusion rates of 35 m3 s−1 for the opening phase, with the initial flow advancing across the mapped section at ∼10 m/min. Short-lived overflows of fluid pahoehoe then built the levee cap, increasing the apparent channel depth to 4.8 m. There were at least six pulses at 90–420 m3 s−1, causing overflow of limited extent lasting no more than 5 min. Brim-full flow conditions were thus extremely short-lived. During a dominant period of below-bank flow, flow depth was ∼2 m with an effusion rate of ∼35 m3 s−1, consistent with the mean output rate (obtained from the total flow bulk volume) of 23–54 m3 s−1. During pulses, levee chunks were plucked and floated down channel to form blockages. In a final low effusion rate phase, lava ponded behind the lower blockage to form a syn-channel pond that fed ′a′a overflow. After the end of the eruption the roofed-over pond continued to drain through the lower blockage, causing the roof to founder. Drainage emplaced inflated flows on the channel floor below the lower blockage for a further ∼10 h. The complex processes involved in levee–channel construction of this short-lived case show that care must be taken when using channel dimensions to infer flow dynamics. In our case, the full channel depth is not exposed. Instead the channel floor morphology reflects late stage pond filling and drainage rather than true channel-contained flow. Components of the compound levee relate to different flow regimes operating at different times during the eruption and associated with different effusion rates, flow dynamics and time scales. For example, although high effusion rate, brim-full flow was maintained for a small fraction of the channel lifetime, it emplaced a pile of pahoehoe overflow units that account for 60% of the total levee height. We show how time-varying volume flux is an important parameter in controlling channel construction dynamics. Because the complex history of lava delivery to a channel system is recorded by the final channel morphology, time-varying flow dynamics can be determined from the channel morphology. Developing methods for quantifying detailed flux histories for effusive events from the evidence in outcrop is therefore highly valuable. We here achieve this by using high-resolution spatial data for a channel system at Kilauea. This study not only indicates those physical and dynamic characteristics that are typical for basaltic lava flows on Hawaiian volcanoes, but also a methodology that can be widely applied to effusive basaltic eruptions.

Dynamics of magma supply to Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i: integrating seismic, geodetic and eruption data

Abstract We focus on movement of magma beneath Kīlauea from the long summit eruption in 1967–1968 through the first historical sustained eruption on the east rift zone (Mauna Ulu 1969–1974), ending with the occurrence of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake beneath Kīlauea's eastern south flank. Magma from the Hawai‘iian hot spot continuously moves upward to summit storage and drives seaward spreading of Kīlauea's south flank on a 10–12 km deep décollement. Spreading creates dilation in Kīlauea's rift zones and provides room to store magma at depths extending to the décollement surface. During the period of study three types of eruptions – normal (short-lived), episodic and sustained – and three types of intrusions – traditional (summit to rift), inflationary and slow – are classified. Rates of sustained eruption are governed by the geometry of the magmatic plumbing. Swarms of earthquakes beneath the south flank signal increased pressure from magma entering Kīlauea's adjacent rift zone. Magma supply rates are obtained by combining the volume of magma transferred to sites of eruption or intrusion with the volume opened by seaward spreading over the same increment of time. In our interpretation the varying character of eruptions and intrusions requires a gradual increase in magma supply rate throughout the period augmented by incremental increases in spreading rate. The three types of eruptions result from different combinations of magma supply and spreading rate.

Interactions between bacterial carbon monoxide and hydrogen consumption and plant development on recent volcanic deposits

Patterns of microbial colonization and interactions between microbial processes and vascular plants on volcanic deposits have received little attention. Previous reports have shown that atmospheric CO and hydrogen contribute significantly to microbial metabolism on Kilauea volcano (Hawaii) deposits with varied ages and successional development. Relationships between CO oxidation and plant communities were not clear, however, since deposit age and vegetation status covaried. To determine plant-microbe interactions in deposits of uniform ages, CO and hydrogen dynamics have been assayed for unvegetated tephra on a 1959 deposit at Pu'u Puai (PP-bare), at the edge of tree 'islands' within the PP deposit (PP-edge) and within PP tree islands (PP-canopy). Similar assays have been conducted for vegetated and unvegetated sites on a 1969 Mauna Ulu (MU) lava flow. Net in situ atmospheric CO uptake was highest at PP-edge and PP-bare sites (2.2+/-0.5 and 1.3+/-0.1 mg CO m(-2) day(-1), respectively), and least for PP-canopy (-3.2+/-0.9 mg CO m(-2) day(-1), net emission). Respiration rates, microbial biomass and maximum CO uptake potential showed an opposing pattern. Comparisons of atmospheric CO uptake and CO(2) production rates indicate that CO contributes significantly to microbial metabolism in PP-bare and MU-unvegetated sites, but negligibly where vegetation is well developed. Nonetheless, maximum potential CO uptake rates indicate that CO oxidizer populations increase with increasing plant biomass and consume CO actively. Some of these CO oxidizers may contribute to elevated nitrogen fixation rates (acetylene reduction) measured within tree islands, and thus, support plant successional development.

Nearest‐neighbor analysis of small features on Mars: Applications to tumuli and rootless cones

Fields of low relief cones, domes, and mounds on Mars have been interpreted as tumuli, rootless cones, and pingos. The spatial distribution of such features can be characterized by their nearest‐neighbor (NN) distances. The NN distributions can provide insight into the physical processes that affected field formation and can possibly provide a future diagnostic of the feature type present on Mars. The conventional approach for analyzing the observed NN distribution is based on the Poisson probability distribution and uses one statistic, c. Our simulations of spatial randomness show that there is an unrecognized bias in c that often leads to erroneous conclusions. Three alternative extensions of the Poisson distribution are proposed here. The first accounts for a minimum threshold on the size of features discerned, the second considers the scavenging of the resources necessary to form neighboring features (e.g., inflation pressurization and subsurface volatiles), and the third models self‐limiting growth of the feature population. Three statistical tests are proposed to improve the conventional NN analysis. We provide the critical regions needed to perform these tests for common sample sizes of these geologic features. Our methodology is applied to tumuli at Mauna Ulu, Hawaii, and conjectured tumuli and rootless cones on Mars. Each example exhibits a different aspect of spatial randomness. These applications suggest avenues for further field and theoretical studies to develop this approach as a remote‐sensing diagnostic.

Stability of lava lakes

A physical model of a generic lava lake system is developed. We derive the requisite conditions for the existence of an ‘equilibrium lava lake’ in which magmastatic pressure at the base of the conduit balances the pressure in the underlying magmatic reservoir. The stability of this lava lake system is tested by investigating the response of the system to perturbation. We develop a graphical method, based on the system's pressure–depth profile, to predict the subsequent behaviour of the system. Despite the simplicity of the modelled system, we find a broad behavioural spectrum. Initially, the rise of bubbles through the magma is ignored. In this case, both stable, long-lived lava lakes, and unstable lakes that are prone to sudden draining, are predicted. The stability of the system is shown to be controlled by lake-conduit geometry, the solubility and gas expansion laws and the magma's volatile content. We show that an unstable lake must collapse to a new, stable equilibrium. Subsequent recharge of the system by, for example, conduit overturn, would promote a return to the original equilibrium, giving rise to cyclic behaviour. Such a mechanism is consistent with lava lake behaviour during the 1983–1984 Pu'u 'O'o eruption of Kilauea. When the rise of bubbles through the magma is considered, our model predicts that stable lakes must drain over time. We, therefore, deduce that persistently degassing, stable lava lakes, such as those observed at Mt. Erebus, Antarctica, and Mauna Ulu, Kilauea, Hawaii, must have an effective conduit convection mechanism or an exogenous supply of bubbles from depth.