Periodic Reporting for period 4 - EAVESDROP (Experimental access to volcanic eruptions: Driving Observational Potential)
Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31
Earth is a volcanic planet. Earth´s interior, surface and near-surface processes are impacted continually by the ongoing presence of volcanic eruptions in the Earth System. Beginning with the relatively shallow (yet inaccessible) violent processes of explosive volcanic eruption and ending with the massive and multiple short-term stresses (chemical, physical, thermal, and biological) generated by the presence of eruptive products (including volcanic ash) in the Earth System; the activity of explosive volcanic systems is a key to the evolution of our world. For this reason - as well as the many pragmatic consequences of active volcanism - understanding the processes and mechanisms responsible for explosive volcanism and its impact on the Earth System is a growing grand challenge of modern Earth Sciences. The challenge is answered here by the latest novel experimental developments. Based on 1) recent advances in our mechanistic view of magma ascent and eruption, 2) the recent advances in experimental technologies and 3) the great potential impact of their findings, three high priority areas have been selected as broad overarching objectives. It is important to point out that the studies planned here are largely in situ in nature. They will be performed and observed under actual eruptive and emplacement conditions: Objective 1: Develop the first fully experimentally-validated models of flow and degassing of multiphase magmas. Objective 2: Explore experimentally the new field of accessing the origins of repetitive elements of eruption via mapping the failure and recovery of magma and their attendant implications for volcanic unrest, cyclicity and eruption forecasting. Objective 3: Understand the physico-chemical dynamics of pyroclast-volatile interactions and their impact on the interactions of volcanic ash and gas in the Earth system. Direct experimental access to volcanic processes will drive progress in the interpretation of volcanic observations
The project has supported a series of activities aimed at the initial objectives of the project, namely 1) Develop the first fully experimentally-based models of flow and degassing of multiphase volcanic magmas. Major thrusts of the work are in the direction of the development of our understanding of the formation, stability and consequences of the presence of the microlitic and nanolitic crystalline "events" in the evolution of pre-erupted, erupting and post-eruptive magmas and lavas. The late stage degassing of such systems with and without the presence of crystalline generations in these magmas has been extensively experimentally constrained and models developed. The flow of erupting systems has also been extensively investigated and recent eruptions at Hawaii, Iceland and La Palma have been studied experimentally to constrain the evolution of flow during eruption and its possible impact on cessation of eruption and synchrotron-based imaging experiments have been developed. Two major reviews on suspension flow and melt flow respectively have been published. 2 Discover the origins of repetitive elements of eruption via mapping the failure and recovery of magma and their attendant implications for volcanic unrest, cyclicity and eruption forecasting. Here the major achievements have largely concentrated on the characterization of fragmented and welded volcanic products of magma-water eruptions, the volatile contents and textures of such products, the influence of vent geometry, and the development of models for the complex processes of silicic volcanism. Two reviews have been contributed, on fragmentation and sintering of magmas. 3) Understand the physico-chemical dynamics of pyroclast-volatile interactions and their impact on the interactions of volcanic ash and gas in the Earth system. Here the major achievements of the project reach into four major areas of the impact of volcanic ash in the earth system: the influence of volcanic ash on the nucleation of ice in the atmosphere, the impact of volcanic ash on turbine thermal barrier coatings, the control of volcanic emissions on atmospheric CO2 levels over 10s of millions of years, and high temperature SO2 and CO2 ash-gas reactions. The project has also enabled the development of major advances in our understanding of several related material science themes including: rare earth element geochemistry, platinum group element aggregation, carbonate glass synthesis characterisation, and volcanic rock as a substrate for pre-biotic chemistry.
The EAVESDROP project has yielded major advances in the experimental investigation of volcanic processes, with implications for future priorities for the interpretation of volcano monitoring and the kinematics of volcanic products, the interaction of ash with technologies, planetary volcanism and lunar habitibility.
The enhanced understanding of the kinematics of three “phase” magma deformation, made possible by the advances in synchrotron-based charaterisation of experimentally deformed products, has allowed us to infer the fundamental kinetic controls on the transport and degassing of magma from the pre-eruptive storage state to its expression on the Earth´s surface, thus enabling interpretive analysis of the kinematics of eruptive products.
The exploration of the extended limits of glass-forming ability of volcanic liquids, delivered by synthesis and property quantification of ultramafic and carbonate liquids and glasses, enables the extension of the interpretation of the phenomenology of volcanism from the Earth to other planetary bodies where very distinct extraterrestrial phenomenologies are observed.
Rheological monitoring of ongoing volcanic crises has been established as a new avenue of access to the subtle variations in magma behavior as chambers are progressively sampled during ongoing eruptive series. Correlating lava viscosity with seismic signatures of pre- and co-eruptive earthquakes has led to the inference that seismicity may be interpreted in terms of as-yet-unerupted lava rheology and eruptive style. This provides a major new path for testing the predictability of eruptive style, with major consequences for associated risks.
The recognition of the potential importance of nanoscale initiation of crystallisation and/or liquid-liquid immiscibility in the “lithification” of cooling magma and lava has had the effect of a major refocussing of the evaluation of the relationship between magma/lava state and properties. These properties include in particular rheology with implications for magma and lava transport and surface state, with implications for reactivity of volcanic ash in the earth system.
Advances in the description and the mechanistic explanation of the risks associated with volcanic ash interaction with civil aviation are leading to the emergence of general models for the susceptibility of high temperature aviation technologies to attack by volcanic ash. This is leading to the development of new and improved candidate materials for service as so-called thermal boundary coatings.
Having established global characterisation protocols for the description of the state and the high temperature properties of volcanic lunar regolith simulants, the choice and refinement of technologies for the establishment of raw materials to support lunar habitability, based on lunar regolith, is now launching worldwide.
The enhanced understanding of the kinematics of three “phase” magma deformation, made possible by the advances in synchrotron-based charaterisation of experimentally deformed products, has allowed us to infer the fundamental kinetic controls on the transport and degassing of magma from the pre-eruptive storage state to its expression on the Earth´s surface, thus enabling interpretive analysis of the kinematics of eruptive products.
The exploration of the extended limits of glass-forming ability of volcanic liquids, delivered by synthesis and property quantification of ultramafic and carbonate liquids and glasses, enables the extension of the interpretation of the phenomenology of volcanism from the Earth to other planetary bodies where very distinct extraterrestrial phenomenologies are observed.
Rheological monitoring of ongoing volcanic crises has been established as a new avenue of access to the subtle variations in magma behavior as chambers are progressively sampled during ongoing eruptive series. Correlating lava viscosity with seismic signatures of pre- and co-eruptive earthquakes has led to the inference that seismicity may be interpreted in terms of as-yet-unerupted lava rheology and eruptive style. This provides a major new path for testing the predictability of eruptive style, with major consequences for associated risks.
The recognition of the potential importance of nanoscale initiation of crystallisation and/or liquid-liquid immiscibility in the “lithification” of cooling magma and lava has had the effect of a major refocussing of the evaluation of the relationship between magma/lava state and properties. These properties include in particular rheology with implications for magma and lava transport and surface state, with implications for reactivity of volcanic ash in the earth system.
Advances in the description and the mechanistic explanation of the risks associated with volcanic ash interaction with civil aviation are leading to the emergence of general models for the susceptibility of high temperature aviation technologies to attack by volcanic ash. This is leading to the development of new and improved candidate materials for service as so-called thermal boundary coatings.
Having established global characterisation protocols for the description of the state and the high temperature properties of volcanic lunar regolith simulants, the choice and refinement of technologies for the establishment of raw materials to support lunar habitability, based on lunar regolith, is now launching worldwide.