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Impact of topography and water load on magma propagation modelling

Séverine Furst 1, Lorenzo Mantiloni2, Francesco Maccaferri3, Fiene Stoepke1, Megan Campbell1, Morelia Urlaub1

  • Affiliations: 1 GEOMAR Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany 2 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK 3 INGV Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples, Italy

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Friday 11:15 - 11:30, Room R290

  • Poster Board Number:

  • Programme No: 1.8.13

  • Theme 1 > Session 8

Abstract

Coastal and marine volcanoes exhibit complex topographies, much of which lies below sea level, making it challenging to fully assess the interplay between topography and magma propagation. This interaction is vital for understanding volcanic hazards such as dike-induced eruptions and slope instability. Notably, the interplay between topography and stress fields directly links to slope stability, emphasizing the need for integrated analyses when assessing volcanic hazards. When calculating the contribution of gravitational loading to the stress field within and beneath volcanoes, traditional models of dike propagation often simplify volcanic edifices as surface loads, thus neglecting the nuanced effects of realistic topography on stress distribution and slope stability. To address this limitation, we developed a 2D Boundary Element Model for viscous-fluid-filled cracks that incorporates a discretized free surface. This allows for the integration of detailed topographies, enabling dynamic interactions between topographic features and magma pathways. Using COMSOL Multiphysics, we calculate stress fields for four scenarios: (1) a flat surface with a surface load, (2) a symmetric and (3) an asymmetric volcanic edifice, and (4) an asymmetric edifice with an additional water load, with gravity applied in each scenario. These case studies aim to highlight the influence of topography and water loads on magma propagation. Preliminary analyses suggest that incorporating realistic topography can substantially modify magma pathways, velocities and dike shapes, and the associated stress and displacement fields. These findings have important implications for understanding magma behavior in marine volcanic systems and for evaluating the stability of volcanic edifices.