Volcanic Debris Avalanches: From Collapse to Hazard

364 Pages·2020·26.174 MB·English

by  Matteo Roverato, Anja Dufresne, Jonathan Procter

Advances in Volcanology
Matteo Roverato
Anja Dufresne
Jonathan Procter   Editors
Volcanic
Debris
Avalanches
From Collapse to Hazard
Advances in Volcanology
fi
An Of cial Book Series of the International
Association of Volcanology and Chemistry
’ –
of the Earth s Interior IAVCEI, Barcelona,
Spain
Series Editor
Karoly Nemeth, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University,
Palmerston North, New Zealand
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11157
Matteo Roverato (cid:129) Anja Dufresne (cid:129)
Jonathan Procter
Editors
Volcanic Debris
Avalanches
From Collapse to Hazard
123
Editors AnjaDufresne
Matteo Roverato Department ofEngineering Geology
Department ofEarth Sciences andHydrogeology
University of Geneva RWTH Aachen University
Geneva, Switzerland Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Schoolof EarthScience, Energy
andEnvironment
Yachay Tech University
Urcuqui, Ecuador
JonathanProcter
Schoolof Agriculture andEnvironment
INR Massey University
Palmerston North, NewZealand
ISSN 2364-3277 ISSN 2364-3285 (electronic)
Advances in Volcanology
ISBN978-3-030-57410-9 ISBN978-3-030-57411-6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57411-6
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Editors acknowledge the unquestionable efforts of all
researchers that contributed to the understanding of volcanic
lateral collapses and debris avalanches before and
after the seminal event at Mount St. Helens in 1980.
Foreword
If one could travel in time prior to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens,
one would realize that the understanding of volcanic debris avalanches was
just in its infancy. At the time, the enigmatic textures and morphologies
ofthedepositsfromtheseavalancheswerestillsurmisedtheproductofother
sedimentary processes, and there were even suggestions that the conical
shape of hummocks were mere monogenetic magmatic features. Debris
avalanchesareamongthemostappealingvolcaniclasticdepositsduetotheir
chaotic, varicolored textural features, abrupt downflow textural changes,
presence of exotic fragments, and amazingly high mobility. Their emplace-
ment has more enduring impact than the initial triggering volcanic process,
inducing effects such as the formation of transient lakes whose deposits
record subsequent volcanic episodes and paleoclimatic changes. Volcanic
systems produce sediments at a spectacular rate, surpassing most if not all
other geologic environments. Over geologic time, however, the record of
single events is quickly obscured by erosion and new volcanic products.
Unsurprisingly, amphitheaters produced by debris avalanches may be oblit-
erated in a few thousand years by a pristine edifice produced by younger
effusions. In most cases, the only evidence of a past edifice collapse is the
remnant deposits, which may preserve hummocky topography. Recurrent
collapses are unexceptional, further complicating the record. Therefore,
discriminatingamongvariouscollapseepisodesisincrediblychallengingand
interpretations are commonly controversial.
This volume is a collection of eleven impressive technical papers pre-
senting the state of the art in volcano instability and debris avalanche
deposits; the manuscripts reflect on the numerous publications on the matter
over the last four decades, ranging from case studies to global comparisons
utilizing multiple databases. The book explores fundamental aspects of the
description, interpretation, and reconstruction of events that cause failure of
volcanoes and the emplacement of debris avalanche deposits. The book
beginswithanhistoricalreviewofdebrisavalanchestudiespriortothe1980
Mount St. Helens eruption and continues with an overview of the termi-
nology used to describe these phenomena, their size and geomorphological
characteristics, the factors controlling volcano instability, and the possible
climatic influence of their failure. Special attention is given to the sedi-
mentology of debris avalanche deposits as a key to interpreting their origin
and mobility, topics which are usually controversial. Computer simulations
vii
viii Foreword
are here presented as a complementary tool to detailed geological mapping,
beingusefulinassessinghazardscenariosofstratovolcanoeswithrecordsof
frequent collapse. The book is nicely complemented with the current
understanding of lateral collapse processes in volcanic island settings and
debris avalanche emplacement in submarine environments, including an
overview of volcaniclastic ringplain sedimentation in an active volcanic
setting.
Thisbookistheaccomplishmentofthreeyoung,enthusiastic,andhighly
qualified scientists, whom I wish to congratulate: They have ably put this
fascinatingyetcatastrophicnaturalprocessinthespotlight.Althoughpoorly
known before the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, debris avalanches are
now recognized as common events in the lifespan of stratovolcanoes. The
editors assembled an amazing pool of scientists, who have devoted most (if
not all) of their academic careers to understanding this awesome volcanic
process. Given our growing awareness of the hazard that volcanoes pose on
theirsurroundings,thiscontributionconstitutesaveryusefultooltovolcanic
monitoring,inasmuchasitencompassesourcurrentunderstandingondebris
avalanchesaswellastheunknownsthatshouldbethefocusoffuturestudies.
Lucia Capra
CGEO-UNAM
Juriquilla, Queretaro, Mexico
Contents
Volcanic Debris Avalanches: Introduction
and Book Structure.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 1
Matteo Roverato and Anja Dufresne
A Historical Perspective on Lateral Collapse and Volcanic
Debris Avalanches... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 11
Lee Siebert and Matteo Roverato
Terminology and Strategy to Describe Large Volcanic
Landslides and Debris Avalanches... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 51
Benjamin Bernard, Shinji Takarada, S. Daniel Andrade,
and Anja Dufresne
Distribution and Geometric Parameters of Volcanic Debris
Avalanche Deposits.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 75
Anja Dufresne, Lee Siebert, and Benjamin Bernard
Factors Contributing to Volcano Lateral Collapse.. .... ..... .. 91
Matteo Roverato, Federico Di Traglia, Jonathan Procter,
Engielle Paguican, and Anja Dufresne
Climatic Influence on Volcanic Landslides .... .... .... ..... .. 121
Gioachino Roberti, Nicholas J. Roberts, and Catherine Lit
Volcanic Debris Avalanche Transport
and Emplacement Mechanisms.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 143
Engielle M. R. Paguican, Matteo Roverato, and Hidetsugu Yoshida
Sedimentology of Volcanic Debris Avalanche Deposits... ..... .. 175
Anja Dufresne, Anke Zernack, Karine Bernard,
Jean-Claude Thouret, and Matteo Roverato
Volcanic Debris-Avalanche Deposits in the Context
of Volcaniclastic Ring Plain Successions—A Case Study
from Mt. Taranaki .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 211
Anke V. Zernack
Volcanic-Island Lateral Collapses and Their Submarine
Deposits ... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 255
Sebastian F. L. Watt, Jens Karstens, and Christian Berndt
ix
x Contents
Computer Simulation of a Volcanic Debris Avalanche
from Mt. Taranaki, New Zealand ... .... .... .... .... ..... .. 281
Jonathan N. Procter, Anke V. Zernack, and Shane J. Cronin
Cyclic Growth and Destruction of Volcanoes .. .... .... ..... .. 311
Anke V. Zernack and Jonathan N. Procter
Glossary. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 357