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Factors controlling the long-term morphological evolution of composite volcanoes through erosion: A comparison between Japan and Indonesia

Roos Marina Johanna van Wees1, Gabor Kereszturi2, Daniel O'Hara1,3, Pablo Grosse4,5, Pierre Lahitte6, Matthieu Kervyn1

  • Affiliations: 1 Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; 2 Volcanic Risk Solutions, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; 3 GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience, Potsdam, Germany; 4 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; 5 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina; 6 GEOPS, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France 

  • Presentation type: Poster

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

  • Poster Board Number: 171

  • Programme No: 3.5.30

  • Theme 3 > Session 5

Abstract

The topography of composite volcanoes results from a combination of eruptive, tectonic, and erosional processes over time. Previous studies indicate that volcano erosion patterns evolve from umbrella-like drainage networks with multiple radial narrow gullies to merging basins that widen over time. However, the factors driving long-term volcano degradation are not well understood. Different erosive processes can produce similar morphometric outcomes, while varying tectonic and climatic conditions influence the pattern and rates of volcano erosion. This study quantifies long-term morphometric variations of composite volcanoes in Japan and Indonesia, examining which parameters best correlate with volcanic activity, and how tectonic and climate variables influence these correlations. We compiled a dataset of 40 parameters for 80 conical composite volcanoes, spanning ages from 4 million years ago to the present. This dataset includes edifice morphologies and drainage basin geometries using 30 m resolution TanDEM-X DEMs. A univariate multilevel modelling approach was used to explore links between morphometry, age, climate, and the tectonic context. Indonesian and Japanese composite volcanoes show similar morphometric relationships, but Indonesian volcanoes have higher R² values. In the multivariate model with only morphometrics, the main flank slope significantly predicts last eruption ages, with the irregularity index being marginally significant. Adding climate and tectonic variables improves the model's predictability, making maximum temperature a significant predictor. These predictors enhance the explanation of within-country variance, highlighting the importance of country-level factors in morphologic evolution.