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Estimating magma ascent rates using volcano seismicity

Jurgen Neuberg 1, Rodrigo Contreras-Arratia2

  • Affiliations: 1School of Earth and Environment, Leeds University, Leeds, UK; 2Departamento de Obras Civiles y Geología, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Thursday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 113

  • Programme No: 2.1.23

  • Theme 2 > Session 1

Abstract

Particularly in silicic volcanic settings, the magma ascent rate is an important factor controlling the type of eruptive behaviour. As magma ascends it generates low-frequency earthquakes if a certain threshold in shear stress is reached and magma in glass transition can fail in a brittle manner. This leads to the generation of low-frequency earthquake swarms of similar waveform if the failure mechanism is repeatable, and the earthquake location remains approximately constant. Many silicic volcanic systems show this behaviour. This contribution explores several ways of linking low-frequency earthquake swarms directly to magma ascent rates for the purpose of predicting eruptive behaviour. We analyse the uncertainties imposed by the estimation of seismic amplitude, conduit geometries and magma properties on such predictions.