Summit Depression Research Articles

A INFLUÊNCIA DO RELEVO E COBERTURAS SUPERFICIAIS NO USO E OCUPAÇÃO DAS TERRAS URBANAS: ALAGAMENTOS SAZONAIS EM TOPOS DE CIMEIRA NA CIDADE DE UBERLÂNDIA-MG: THE INFLUENCE OF RELIEF AND SUPERFICIAL COVERS ON URBAN LAND USE AND LAND COVER: SEASSONAL FLOODING ON SUMMITS IN UBERLÂNDIA/MG, BRAZIL

In large and medium-sized Brazilian urban centers, flooding processes during rainy seasons are not uncommon, and the factors that trigger such processes are very particular. In the city of Uberlândia-MG, in the Morumbi neighborhood, seasonal flooding has been observed since its installation, triggering several urban and social impacts. The influence of the relief and the superficial coverings that occur there may explain part of this phenomenon, which already occurred even before the occupation of the neighborhood. In this perspective, the objective of this work is to ponder on the regional geological-geomorphological aspects to understand the dynamics of pre-existing natural systems to occupation, through the analysis of images, aerial photographs, available radars and intensity of rains, correlating them to the points flooding recorded between 2012 and 2016 by the municipality's civil defense. Through the applied methodology, it was identified that the neighborhood was built on residual relief of the Chapada Uberlândia-Uberaba, and the main flooding areas of the neighborhood occur in old summit depressions that fulfill the role of storing water during the rainy season in this compartment geomorphological, a process that is intensified by the artificial waterproofing of lands and intensity of rainfall, causing recurrent flooding in rainy periods.

Landslide hypothesis for the origin of Haleakala volcano's crater and great valleys, Hawaii

Abstract Active Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui is the second largest volcano in the Hawaiian Island chain. Prominently incised in Haleakala's slopes are four large (great) valleys. Haleakala Crater, a prominent summit depression, formed by coalescence of two of the great valleys. The great valleys and summit crater have long been attributed solely to fluvial erosion, but two significant enigmas exist in the theory. First, the great valleys of upper Keanae/Koolau Gap, Haleakala Crater, and Kaupo Gap are located in areas of relatively low annual rainfall. Second, the axes of some valley segments are oblique for long distances across the volcanic slopes. This study tested the prevailing erosional theory by reconstructing the volcano's topography just prior to valley incision. The reconstruction produces a belt along the volcano's east rift zone with a morphology that is inconsistent with volcanic aggradation alone, but it is readily explained if it is assumed the surface was displaced along scarps formed by a giant landslide on Haleakala's northeastern flank. Although the landslide head location is well defined, topographic evidence is lacking for the toe and lateral margins. Consequently, the slope failure is interpreted as a sackung-style landslide with a zone of deep-seated distributed shear and broad surface warping downslope of the failure head. Maximum downslope displacement was likely in the range of 400–800 m. Capture of runoff at the headscarps formed atypically large streams that carved Haleakala's great valleys and explains their existence in low-rainfall areas and their slope-oblique orientations. Sackung-style landslides may be more prevalent on Hawaiian volcanoes than previously recognized.

Ina Lunar Irregular Mare Patch Mission Concepts: Distinguishing between Ancient and Modern Volcanism Models

Abstract The Ina irregular mare patch, an ∼2 × 3 km summit depression on an ancient ∼22 km diameter shield volcano, displays two very enigmatic units: (1) dozens of dark convex-upward mounds and (2) a very rough, optically immature floor unit with very sharp morphologic contacts between the two. Controversy surrounds the age interpretation of Ina; superposed impact crater size–frequency distributions (CSFDs) suggest an age of ∼33 Ma, consistent with the presence of sharp contacts between the units and indicating that mare volcanism continues to today. Models of the terminal stages of volcano summit pit crater activity suggest an age coincident with the building of the shield, ∼3.5 Ga; these models interpret the CSFD age and sharp contacts to be due to an extremely porous lava lake floor and extrusion and solidification of magmatic foams. We present robotic–human exploration mission concepts designed to resolve this critical issue for lunar thermal evolution.

The Seven Sisters Hydrothermal System: First Record of Shallow Hybrid Mineralization Hosted in Mafic Volcaniclasts on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge

We document the discovery of an active, shallow, seafloor hydrothermal system (known as the Seven Sisters Vent Field) hosted in mafic volcaniclasts at a mid-ocean ridge setting. The vent field is located at the southern part of the Arctic mid-ocean ridge where it lies on top of a flat-topped volcano at ~130 m depth. Up to 200 °C phase-separating fluids vent from summit depressions in the volcano, and from pinnacle-like edifices on top of large hydrothermal mounds. The hydrothermal mineralization at Seven Sisters manifests as a replacement of mafic volcaniclasts, as direct intraclast precipitation from the hydrothermal fluid, and as elemental sulfur deposition within orifices. Barite is ubiquitous, and is sequentially replaced by pyrite, which is the first sulfide to form, followed by Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag bearing sulfides, sulfosalts, and silica. The mineralized rocks at Seven Sisters contain highly anomalous concentrations of ‘epithermal suite’ elements such as Tl, As, Sb and Hg, with secondary alteration assemblages including silica and dickite. Vent fluids have a pH of ~5 and are Ba and metal depleted. Relatively high dissolved Si (~7.6 mmol/L Si) combined with low (0.2–0.4) Fe/Mn suggest high-temperature reactions at ~150 bar. A δ13C value of −5.4‰ in CO2 dominated fluids denotes magmatic degassing from a relatively undegassed reservoir. Furthermore, low CH4 and H2 (<0.026 mmol/kg and <0.009 mmol/kg, respectively) and 3He/4He of ~8.3 R/Racorr support a MORB-like, sediment-free fluid signature from an upper mantle source. Sulfide and secondary alteration mineralogy, fluid and gas chemistry, as well as δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr values in barite and pyrite indicate that mineralization at Seven Sisters is sustained by the input of magmatic fluids with minimal seawater contribution. 226Ra/Ba radiometric dating of the barite suggests that this hydrothermal system has been active for at least 4670 ± 60 yr.

Possible (closed system) pingo and ice-wedge/thermokarst complexes at the mid latitudes of Utopia Planitia, Mars

On Earth, hydrostatic or closed-system pingos (CSPs) are perennial ice-cored mounds formed by the freeze-thaw cycling of water when or as thermokarst lakes lose their water by drainage or evaporation. The mounds vary in shape from circular or sub-circular to elongate, are sub-kilometre in their long axes, and may reach decametres in height. Often, the mounds show summit depressions, radial fractures and single tiers or benches. As the CSPs degrade, small-scale debris flows or slumps occur; end-stage degradation typically exhibits debris-laden ramparts elevated metres above the surrounding terrain.Typically, the CSPs originate and develop where deep and continuous permafrost is ice-rich, i.e. infused with excess ice, as it is in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands of northern Canada, mid to northern Alaska and northeast Russia. In these areas or regions the terrain often is populated by: a) thermokarst lakes and alases (thermokarst lake basins absent of water); b) fields of small-scale ice-wedge polygons (either low-centred or high-centred relative to the polygon margins); and, c) melt-water filled or emptied polygon-margin troughs or -corner pits. Individual troughs and pits connected by means of the local topographical gradient comprises beaded stream systems or networks.Here, we report, describe and discuss a suite of candidate CSPs at the mid-latitudes of Utopia Planitia (UP) (~35-50° N; ~80-115° E). The morphologies, scale and height of the Martian mounds, as well as the surface textures and characteristics, landscape features and spatially-associated landforms, are consistent with the CSPs observed in ice-rich regions on Earth.The UP mounds are nested in or reside adjacent to: flat-floored, possibly thermokarstic depressions; small-scale polygons (some of which exhibit low or high centres relative to their margins); and, connected polygon-margin depressions or pits that mirror beaded-stream systems in ice-rich terrain on Earth. The size-frequency distribution of craters in our study region precludes a surface younger than ~100 Ma. Thus, the CSP-like mounds in UP and the pre-mound periglacial-revisions of the landscape presented by us may be markers of freeze-thaw cycling that occurred much earlier in the Amazonian Epoch than most of the current discussions about periglaciation in UP suggest.

Investigating collapse structures in oceanic islands using magnetotelluric surveys: The case of Fogo Island in Cape Verde

One of the most remarkable natural events on Earth are the large lateral flank collapses of oceanic volcanoes, involving volumes of rock exceeding tens of km3. These collapses are relatively frequent in recent geological times as supported by evidence found in the geomorphology of volcanic island edifices and associated debris flows deposited on the proximal ocean floor. The Island of Fogo in the Cape Verde archipelago is one of the most active and prominent oceanic volcanoes on Earth. The island has an average diameter of 25 km and reaches a maximum elevation of 2829 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) at Pico do Fogo, a young stratovolcano located within a summit depression open eastward due to a large lateral flank collapse. The sudden collapse of the eastern flank of Fogo Island produced a megatsunami ~73 ky ago. The limits of the flank collapse were deduced as well from geomorphologic markers within the island. The headwall of the collapse scar is interpreted as either being located beneath the post-collapse volcanic infill of the summit depression or located further west, corresponding to the Bordeira wall that partially surrounds it. The magnetotelluric (MT) method provides a depth distribution of the ground resistivity obtained by the simultaneous measurement of the natural variations of the electric and magnetic field of the Earth. Two N-S magnetotelluric profiles were acquired across the collapsed area to determine its geometry and boundaries. The acquired MT data allowed the determination of the limits of the collapsed area more accurately as well as its morphology at depth and thickness of the post-collapse infill. According to the newly obtained MT data and the bathymetry of the eastern submarine flank of Fogo, the volume involved in the flank collapse is estimated in ~110 km3. This volume –the first calculated onshore– stands between the previously published more conservative and excessive calculations –offshore– that were exclusively based in geomorphic evidence. The model for the summit depression proposing two caldera collapses preceding the collapse of the eastern flank of Fogo is supported by the MT data.

Constructional Volcanic Edifices on Mercury: Candidates and Hypotheses of Formation

AbstractMercury, a planet with a predominantly volcanic crust, has perplexingly few, if any, constructional volcanic edifices, despite their common occurrence on other solar system bodies with volcanic histories. Using image and topographical data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, we describe two small (<15‐km diameter) prominences with shallow summit depressions associated with volcanically flooded impact features. We offer both volcanic and impact‐related interpretations for their formation, and then compare these landforms with volcanic features on Earth and the Moon. Though we cannot definitively conclude that these landforms are volcanic, the paucity of constructional volcanic edifices on Mercury is intriguing in itself. We suggest that this lack is because volcanic eruptions with sufficiently low eruption volumes, rates, and flow lengths, suitable for edifice construction, were highly spatiotemporally restricted during Mercury's geological history. We suggest that volcanic edifices may preferentially occur in association with late‐stage, postimpact effusive volcanic deposits. The European Space Agency/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury will be able to investigate further our candidate volcanic edifices; search for other, as‐yet unrecognized edifices beneath the detection limits of MESSENGER data; and test our hypothesis that edifice construction is favored by late‐stage, low‐volume effusive eruptions.

Dimmuborgir: a rootless shield complex in northern Iceland

The origin of Dimmuborgir, a shield-like volcanic structure within the Younger Laxa lava flow field near Lake Mývatn, in northern Iceland, has long been questioned. New airborne laser mapping (light detection and ranging (LiDAR)), combined with ground-penetrating radar results and a detailed field study, suggests that Dimmuborgir is a complex of at least two overlapping rootless shields fed by lava erupting from the nearby Ludentarborgir crater row. This model builds upon previous explanations for the formation of Dimmuborgir and is consistent with observations of rootless shield development at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii. The larger rootless shields at Dimmuborgir, 1–1.5 km in diameter, elliptical in plan view, ∼30 m in height, and each with a 500-m-wide summit depression, were capable of storing as much as 2–3 × 106 m3 of lava. They were fed by lava which descended 30–60 m in lava tubes along a distance of 3 km from the crater row. The height difference generated pressure sufficient to build rootless shields at Dimmuborgir in a timescale of weeks. The main summit depressions, inferred to be drained lava ponds, could have emptied via a 30-m-wide × 5-m-deep channel, with estimated effusion rates of 0.7–7 m3 s−1 and minimum flow durations of 5–50 days. We argue that the pillars for which Dimmuborgir is famed are remnants of lava pond rims, at various stages of disintegration that formed during pond drainage.

Morphologic evidence of subsurface sediment mobilization and mud volcanism in Candor and Coprates Chasmata, Valles Marineris, Mars

Populations of distinctive knobs, rings and lobate structures are observed in the Candor and Coprates Chasmata regions of Mars. To interpret the formation mechanisms of these landforms, I investigate their morphologies, facies, superposition and crosscutting relationships using data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). The knobs and rings have quasi-circular to elliptical shapes in map view, with basal diameters between several hundred meters and three kilometers. The knobs rise ∼10 to 350m above the surrounding terrain, while the rings are ∼10 to 70m tall. In three dimensions the knobs have a rounded cone shape, and some knobs exhibit a summit depression, which in some examples contains a subordinate mound. The rings have rounded to sharp crests and in some instances contain subordinate rings and mounds. The lobate structures are commonly ∼1 to 2km wide, ∼3 to 5km long and rise up to 50m above the surrounding terrain. The lobate structures partially or completely encircle some knobs, rings and irregularly shaped rock masses. The knobs, rings and lobate structures exhibit massive and stratified facies, with some structures exhibiting both, such as a massive central rock mass surrounded by outwardly dipping layers. I interpret these landforms as mud volcanoes, injectites and mud flows based on superposition and cross-cutting relationships as well as similarities between the morphologies and facies of these landforms with terrestrial products of mud volcanism. I infer the source of sediment for this mud volcanism to be the Hesperian eolian deposits that occur within these chasmata. Further, I suggest that groundwater upwelling during the Hesperian to possibly the Early Amazonian facilitated the mobilization of these sediments within the subsurface and thereby contributed to the ensuing mud volcanism. Based on these results, I propose that the Candor Chaos formed through subsurface sediment mobilization and mud volcanism.

Proximal record of the 273 ka Poris caldera-forming eruption, Las Cañadas, Tenerife

Lithofacies architecture analysis is applied to the most proximal exposures of the 273 ka Poris Formation, in the Diego Hernandez caldera wall of Las Canadas. Here, the succession records an opening Plinian phase followed by generation of a pyroclastic density current (PDC) that was partly blocked by near-vent topography. The upper part of the current surmounted the barrier and deposited an ignimbrite veneer. During a hiatus in energetic flow, ash and various ash aggregates were deposited from a hybrid cloud comprising parts of both the Plinian and the co-ignimbrite plumes. Phreatomagmatic explosions then generated currents rich in fine-grained lithics; current waxing with local erosion was followed by pulsing-unsteady waning, recorded in repeated sets of graded tuff. Reversion to magmatic activity was marked by hybrid deposition, as coarse pumice fallout and juvenile ballistics entered pyroclastic currents to form stratified pumice-block tuff. Increasingly energetic flow is recorded in 9 m of mainly massive lapilli tuff that includes evidence of widespread scour and bypass; lithic-rich layers record incremental onset of edifice disruption due to magma withdrawal. Laterally variable stratification and load structures show that the PDC was unsteady and highly non-uniform at times, with locally rapid aggradation of gas-rich ignimbrite. Climactic edifice disruption is marked by a lithic-block layer in erosional contact with the underlying ignimbrite, recording intense pyroclastic current activity and widespread bypass of material to distal volcano slopes. Pumice-block breccia, 10 m thick and with blocks up to 1.2 m in diameter, forms the top of the succession and registers modification of the magmatic plumbing. The timing of collapse to form a major summit depression is uncertain. However, the abrupt termination of the proximal aggradation of coarse breccia, with no record there of any waning-stage pyroclastic currents, suggests subsidence at that time, conceivably with formation of a caldera that contained late-erupted material.

Condor seamount (Azores, NE Atlantic): A morpho-tectonic interpretation

High-resolution datasets collected by multibeam and acoustic backscatter surveys were used to produce fine-scale seafloor nature and morpho-tectonic interpretations of the Condor seamount. Condor constitutes an elongated volcanic ridge that extends for 39km and rises more than 1800m from the surrounding seafloor. Constructive morphologies include (i) linear eruptive centres, (ii) volcanic cones with or without summit depressions, (iii) lava flows and (iv) hummocky sectors. Eruptive type is interpreted to vary with depth. On the deeper seamount extremities, the predominance of highly acoustically backscattering volcanic cones and hummocky terrain is interpreted to result from effusive eruptions not yet covered by sediment deposits. In contrast, the smoother relief of the central seamount flanks is interpreted as draping and infilling of the underlying effusive relief by (i) primary volcaniclastic deposits produced by explosive eruptions on the shallowest parts of the ridge, together with (ii) secondary volcanigenic sediments resulting from truncation of the seamount top by swell erosion and (iii) sediments resulting from biogenic production.A set of WNW–ESE to NW–SE trending volcano-tectonic structures are shown to control most of the fissural volcanism that formed the ridge. A network of NNW–SSE trending faults is identified on the sea-floor around Condor but they show little relation with the distribution of volcanic edifices or with post-emplacement dismantling of the seamount. These fault sets are related to the transtensional regime acting on the Azorean segment of the Eurasia–Nubia plate boundary.Erosional features include (i) palaeo wave-cut platforms on the seamount summit, (ii) landslide scars produced by lateral collapses of the NE and SW-facing flanks, (iii) gullies and turbidity current channels and (iv) mass-wasting deposits. Iceberg drag and bump marks are also identified on the seamount upper flanks, representing the first reference to such features in the Azores and an additional low latitude record.Given the lack of major erosional and tectonic dismantling, Condor is suggested to be a relatively young seamount. A revised factoring of eustatic, erosional and isostatic processes does not exclude that the summit may have been eroded as late as the Last Glacial Maximum.

Geology, Hydrothermal Activity, and Sea-Floor Massive Sulfide Mineralization at the Rumble II West Mafic Caldera

Abstract Sea-floor imagery, volcanic rock, massive sulfide, and hydrothermal plume samples (δ 3 He, pH, dissolved Fe and Mn, and particulate chemistry) have been collected from the Rumble II West volcano, southern Kermadec arc, New Zealand. Rumble II West is a caldera volcano with an ∼3-km-diameter summit depression bounded by ring faults with a resurgent central cone. Rocks recovered to date are predominantly mafic in composition (i.e., basalt to basaltic andesite) with volumetrically lesser intermediate rocks (i.e., andesite). On the basis of its size, geometry, volcanic products, and composition, Rumble II West can be classified as a mafic caldera volcano. Rumble II West has a weak hydrothermal plume signature characterized by a small but detectable δ 3 He anomaly (25%). Time-series light scattering data though, obtained from vertical casts and tow-yos, do show that hydrothermal activity has increased in intensity between 1999 and 2011. Massive sulfides recovered from the eastern caldera wall and eastern flank of the central cone are primarily comprised of barite and chalcopyrite, with lesser sphalerite, pyrite, and traces of galena. The weak hydrothermal plume signal indicates that the volcano is in a volcanic-hydrothermal quiescent stage compared to other volcanoes along the southern Kermadec arc, although the preponderance of barite with massive sulfide mineralization indicates higher temperature venting in the past. Of the volcanoes along the Kermadec-Tonga arc known to host massive sulfides (i.e., Clark, Rumble II West, Brothers, Monowai, Volcano 19, and Volcano 1), the majority (five out of six) are dominantly mafic in composition and all but one of these mafic volcanoes form moderate-size to large calderas. To date, mafic calderas have been largely ignored as hosts to sea-floor massive sulfide deposits. That 75% of the presently known massive sulfide-bearing calderas along the arc are mafic in composition (the dacitic Brothers volcano is the exception) has important implications for sea-floor massive sulfide mineral exploration in the modern oceans and ancient rock record on land.

Morphology, mineralogy and micromorphology of soils associated to summit depressions of the Northeastern Brazilian Coastal Plains

The scarcity of comprehensive characterizations of soils associated to gentle summit depressions of the Northeastern Brazilian Coastal Plains justifies this work, which had as objective to provide basic information for the more diverse agricultural and non-agricultural uses. For that, representative soils (Spodosols or similar soils) from these environments were selected in Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia states. This approach included characterization of morphological, mineralogical and micromorphological properties of the soil profiles, employing standard procedures. The morphological characterization corroborated the effect of the podzolization process during the formation of these soils. The mineralogy of the clay fraction of these soils was basically composed of kaolinite and quartz, which, associated to the very sandy texture, helped in the understanding of the obtained data. The soil micromorphological study, besides confirming the field morphology, mainly in regard to the strong cementation, aggregated value to the work in terms of the secure identification of the clay illuviation process (non-identified in the field), in association with the dominant podzolization process.

Subseafloor phase equilibria in high-temperature hydrothermal fluids of the Lucky Strike Seamount (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 37°17′N)

As part of an integrated study conducted at the Lucky Strike Seamount (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 37°17′N) in 2008, gas-tight sampling devices were used to collect high-temperature (∼300°C) hydrothermal fluids issuing from sulfide structures distributed throughout the vent field located in the summit depression. Compared with previous observations from 1993 to 1997, the most substantial changes in vent fluid compositions are dramatically increased CO2 concentrations (∼5×, up to 133mmol/L) and the observation of vent fluids enriched in dissolved chloride relative to seawater. Combined with an increase in δ13CCO2 values by ∼4‰ in 2008, the elevated CO2 indicates replenishment of the magmatic heat source and may be indicative of a recent magmatic event. The additional supporting fluid chemistry is, however, similar to that of the previous sampling intervals, necessitating a reassessment of the subseafloor controls on vent fluid chemistry at Lucky Strike in the context of recently obtained geophysical data that provides the depth/extent of a steady-state magma chamber. Two-phase behavior is indicated by the chloride variability in the vent fluids; and comparison with experimental data for the associated chloride-dependent partitioning of minor/trace elements suggests the possibility of a similar source fluid for all the vent structures, while limiting the likelihood of shallow phase separation and subseafloor mixing for the hydrothermal end-members. A recently calibrated Fe/Mn geothermometer indicates minimum subseafloor equilibration temperatures of 350–385°C. However, constraints imposed by dissolved Si/Cl in conjunction with geophysical observations are consistent with peak reaction conditions at temperatures of 430–475°C and pressures near the top of the axial magma chamber (∼410–480bars), where magmatic CO2 becomes entrained in the circulating fluids. The distance between the magma chamber and the seafloor at Lucky Strike is substantially greater than at most faster spreading ridges; and we propose the resulting increased residence time in the up-flow zone leads to the re-equilibration of temperature sensitive transition metals at conditions less extreme than those associated with peak reaction. Agreement between experimental data, thermodynamic model calculations, and dissolved concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, H2, and H2S in the Lucky Strike fluids reinforce the hypothesis of pH-redox equilibria for transition metals at relatively oxidizing conditions and temperatures predicted by the empirical Fe/Mn geothermometer. In-situ pH measurements of the high-temperature fluids exiting the seafloor are also consistent with the model calculations.

Emplacement, growth, and gravitational deformation of serpentinite seamounts on the Mariana forearc

SUMMARY Serpentinite seamounts, representing some of the first material outputs of the recycling process that takes place in subduction zones, are found on the outer Mariana forearc. Multichannel seismic (MCS) and bathymetric data collected in 2002 image the large-scale structures of five seamounts, as well as the pre-seamount basement geometry and sediment stratigraphy. We present data from three edifices that provide insights into seamount growth and internal deformation processes and allow us to support the interpretation that serpentinite mud volcanoes are formed by the episodic eruption of mud flows from a central region. The presence of thrust faulting at the base of Turquoise and Big Blue Seamounts, along with the low surface slopes (5°–18°) of all the seamounts studied, lead us to infer that these edifices spread laterally and are subject to gravitational deformation as they grow. Numerical simulations using the discrete element method (DEM) were used to model their growth and the origins of features that we see in MCS sections, such as basal thrusts, inward-dipping reflections and mid-flank benches. The DEM simulations successfully reproduced many of the observed features. Simulations employing very low basal and internal friction coefficients (∼0.1 and ∼0.4, respectively) provide the best match to the overall morphology and structures of the serpentinite seamounts. However the simulations do not capture all of the processes involved in seamount growth, such as withdrawal of material from a central conduit leading to summit deflation; compaction, dewatering and degassing of mud flows; mass wasting in the form of sector collapse and growth upon a dipping substrate. A strong reflection beneath the summit of Big Blue, the largest serpentinite seamount on the Mariana forearc, represents the floor of a summit depression that has been partially in-filled by younger muds, supporting the idea that serpentinite seamounts grow by episodic mud volcanism. Boundaries of mud-flow units are visible in bathymetric data and as normal polarity, subhorizontal reflections on seismic profiles. Big Blue Seamount displays complex nesting relationships as it merges with other seamounts to form a large, composite edifice. Flank flows of serpentinite muds on Big Blue and Celestial Seamounts downlap pre-existing forearc substrate. The interface between serpentinite seamounts and the underlying forearc sediments is represented by a reverse polarity reflection beneath Big Blue and Celestial Seamounts, suggesting that the substrate is undercompacted/overpressured and may be a zone of fluid migration. DEM simulations suggest that this boundary represents a distinct decollement along which the seamounts slide laterally. In contrast, Turquoise Seamount grows laterally, not by stable sliding along the top of forearc sediments, but by incorporating them into large basal thrusts.

Young (late Amazonian), near-surface, ground ice features near the equator, Athabasca Valles, Mars

A suite of four feature types in a ∼20 km 2 area near 10° N, 204° W in Athabasca Valles is interpreted to have resulted from near-surface ground ice. These features include mounds, conical forms with rimmed summit depressions, flatter irregularly-shaped forms with raised rims, and polygonal terrain. Based on morphology, size, and analogy to terrestrial ground ice forms, these Athabascan features are interpreted as pingos, collapsing pingos, pingo scars, and thermal contraction polygons, respectively. Thermal Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (THEMIS) data and geological features in the area are consistent with a sedimentary substrate underlying these features. These observations lead us to favor a ground ice interpretation, although we do not rule out volcanic and especially glaciofluvial hypotheses. The hypothesized ground ice that formed the mounds and rimmed features may have been emplaced via the deposition of saturated sediment during flooding; an alternative scenario invokes magmatically cycled groundwater. The ground ice implicit in the hypothesized thermal contraction polygons may have derived either from this flooding/ground water, or from atmospheric water vapor. The lack of obvious flood modification of the mounds and rimmed features indicates that they formed after the most recent flood inundated the area. Analogy with terrestrial pingos suggests that ground ice may be still extant within the positive relief mounds. As the water that flooded down Athabasca Valles emerged via a volcanotectonic fissure from a deep aquifer, any extant pingo ice may contain evidence of a deep subsurface biosphere.

Geotectonic setting of hydrothermal activity on the summit of Lucky Strike Seamount (37°17′N, Mid‐Atlantic Ridge)

We have investigated the relations between volcanic, tectonic, and hydrothermal activity on Lucky Strike Seamount (37°17′N, Mid‐Atlantic Ridge) using a nested survey strategy involving collection of data from different deep‐sea mapping systems. The highly tectonized seamount summit consists of three volcanic cones surrounding a relatively flat depression with a young lava lake in its center. Hydrothermal activity is focused mainly within the summit depression with most of the vents located proximal to the lava lake. Isolated active and inactive chimneys and mounds are widespread throughout the summit depression and occur on both volcanic (pillow lava) and hydrothermal (sulfide rubble and hydrothermally cemented breccias) substrates. The large volume of sulfide rubble, together with the nature of the sulfide structures, indicates that hydrothermal activity has been episodic but ongoing for a long period of time (hundreds to thousands of years). On the basis of the distribution of hydrothermal deposits, we propose a model of alternation between tectonic and volcanic control on hydrothermalism at Lucky Strike Seamount. Midsegment melt focusing produces a spatially and temporally stable heat source that sustains focused high‐temperature hydrothermal activity over long time periods. During periods of amagmatic extension, active faulting within the summit depression provides multiple, near‐surface fluid flow pathways for discharge of high‐temperature fluids and widespread deposition of massive sulfides. During eruptive events, rapid effusion of very hot lava creates a lava lake and hyaloclastite deposits. The new sheet flows form a cap on the hydrothermal system, and fluid upflow is reorganized. Discharge of high‐temperature fluids is restricted to isolated sites with relatively high permeability, for example, the edges of the lava lake. Much of the upwelling hydrothermal fluid pools in the subsurface, conductively cools, and mixes with entrained seawater before discharging as widespread low‐temperature diffuse flow. Hyaloclastites become cemented, further augmenting the sealing of the system. Present‐day activity at Lucky Strike Seamount represents this locally volcanically controlled phase of activity, despite the segment as a whole being dominantly amagmatic.

High-resolution seafloor mapping using the DSL-120 sonar system: Quantitative assessment of sidescan and phase-bathymetry data from the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

High-resolution, side-looking sonar data collected near the seafloor (∼100 m altitude) provide important structural and topographic information for defining the geological history and current tectonic framework of seafloor terrains. DSL-120 kHz sonar data collected in the rift valley of the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37° N provide the ability to quantitatively assess the effective resolution limits of both the sidescan imagery and the computed phase-bathymetry of this sonar system. While the theoretical, vertical and horizontal pixel resolutions of the DSL-120 system are <1 m, statistical analysis of DSL-120 sonar data collected from the Lucky Strike segment indicates that the effective spatial resolution of features is 1–2 m for sidescan imagery and 4 m for phase-bathymetry in the seafloor terrain of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley. Comparison of multibeam bathymetry data collected at the sea-surface with deep-tow DSL-120 bathymetry indicates that depth differences are on the order of the resolution of the multibeam system (10–30 m). Much of this residual can be accounted for by navigational mismatches and the higher resolving ability of the DSL-120 data, which has a bathymetric footprint on the seafloor that is ∼20 times smaller than that of hull-mounted multibeam at these seafloor depths (∼2000 m). Comparison of DSL-120 bathymetry with itself on crossing lines indicates that residual depth values are ±20 m, with much of that variation being accounted for by navigational errors. A DSL-120 survey conducted in 1998 on the Juan de Fuca Ridge with better navigation and less complex seafloor terrain had residual depth values half those of the Lucky Strike survey. The quality of the bathymetry data varies as a function of position within the swath, with poorer data directly beneath the tow vehicle and also towards the swath edges. Variations in sidescan amplitude observed across the rift valley and on Lucky Strike Seamount correlate well with changes in seafloor roughness caused by transitions from sedimented seafloor to bare rock outcrops. Distinct changes in sonar backscatter amplitude were also observed between areas covered with hydrothermal pavement that grade into lava flows and the collapsed surface of the lava lake in the summit depression of Lucky Strike Seamount. Small features on the seafloor, including volcanic constructional features (e.g., small cones, haystacks, fissures and collapse features) and hydrothermal vent chimneys or mounds taller than ∼2 m and greater than ∼9 m2 in surface area, can easily be resolved and mapped using this system. These features at Lucky Strike have been confirmed visually using the submersible Alvin, the remotely operated vehicle Jason, and the towed optical/acoustic mapping system Argo II.

Erosion calderas: origins, processes, structural and climatic control

The origin and development of erosion-modified, erosion-transformed, and erosion-induced depressions in volcanic terrains are reviewed and systematized. A proposed classification, addressing terminology issues, considers structural, geomorphic, and climatic factors that contribute to the topographic modification of summit or flank depressions on volcanoes. Breaching of a closed crater or caldera generated by volcanic or non-volcanic processes results in an outlet valley. Under climates with up to ∼2000–2500 mm annual rainfall, craters, and calderas are commonly drained by a single outlet. The outlet valley can maintain its dominant downcutting position because it quickly enlarges its drainage basin by capturing the area of the primary depression. Multi-drained volcanic depressions can form if special factors, e.g., high-rate geological processes, such as faulting or glaciation, suppress fluvial erosion. Normal (fluvial) erosion-modified volcanic depressions the circular rim of which is derived from the original rim are termed erosion craters or erosion calderas, depending on the pre-existing depression. The resulting landform should be classed as an erosion-induced volcanic depression if the degradation of a cluster of craters produces a single-drained, irregular-shaped basin, or if flank erosion results in a quasi-closed depression. Under humid climates, craters and calderas degrade at a faster rate. Mostly at subtropical and tropical ocean-island and island-arc volcanoes, their erosion results in so-called amphitheater valleys that develop under heavy rainfall (>∼2500 mm/year), rainstorms, and high-elevation differences. Structural and lithological control, and groundwater in ocean islands, may in turn preform and guide development of high-energy valleys through rockfalls, landsliding, mudflows, and mass wasting. Given the intense erosion, amphitheater valleys are able to breach a primary depression from several directions and degrade the summit region at a high rate. Occasionally, amphitheater valleys may create summit depressions without a pre-existing crater or caldera. The resulting, negative landforms, which may drain in several directions and the primary origin of which is commonly unrecognizable, should be included in erosion-transformed volcanic depressions.

Facies characteristics and magma-water interaction of the White Trachytic Tuffs (Roccamonfina Volcano, southern Italy)

The Quaternary White Trachytic Tuffs Formation from Roccamonfina Volcano (southern Italy) comprises four non-welded, trachytic, pyroclastic sequences bounded by paleosols, each of which corresponds to small- to intermediate-volume explosive eruptions from central vents. From oldest to youngest they are: White Trachytic Tuff (WTT) Cupa, WTT Aulpi, WTT S. Clemente, and WTT Galluccio. The WTT Galluccio eruption was the largest and emplaced ∼ 4 km3 of magma. The internal stratigraphy of all four WTT eruptive units is a complex association of fallout, surge, and pyroclastic flow deposits. Each eruptive unit is organized into two facies associations, Facies Association A below Facies Association B. The emplacement of the two facies associations may have been separated by short time breaks allowing for limited reworking and erosion. Facies Association A consists of interbedded fallout deposits, surge deposits, and subordinate ignimbrites. This facies association involved the eruption of the most evolved trachytic magma, and pumice clasts are white and well vesiculated. The grain size coarsens upward in Facies Association A, with upward increases of dune bedform wavelengths and a decrease in the proportion of fine ash. These trends could reflect an increase in eruption column height from the onset of the eruption and possibly also in mass eruption rate. Facies Association B comprises massive ignimbrites that are progressively richer in lithic clast content. This association involved the eruption of more mafic magma, and pumice clasts are gray and poorly vesiculated. Facies Association B is interpreted to record the climax of the eruption. Phreatomagmatic deposits occur at different stratigraphic levels in the four WTT and have different facies characteristics. The deposits reflect the style and degree of magma–water interaction and the local hydrogeology. Very fine-grained, lithic-poor phreatomagmatic surge deposits found at the base of WTT Cupa and WTT Galluccio could record the interaction of the erupting magma with a lake that occupied the Roccamonfina summit depression. Renewed magma–water interaction later in the WTT Galluccio eruption is indicated by fine grained, lithic-bearing phreatomagmatic fall and surge deposits occurring at the top of Facies Association A. They could be interpreted to reflect shifts of the magma fragmentation level to highly transmissive, regional aquifers located beneath the Roccamonfina edifice, possibly heralding a caldera collapse event.