Valve-like dynamics of gas flow through a packed crystal mush and cyclic strombolian explosions

Abstract

Strombolian volcanic explosions are commonly attributed to the rise and burst of conduit-filling gas slugs. The magmas associated with strombolian activity, however, are typically not only volatile-rich but also highly crystalline, with mush regions in the shallow plumbing system, where an exsolved volatile phase may also be abundant. Through analogue experiments, we explore a new mechanism to form gas slugs and strombolian explosions. A steady flux of gas is supplied to the base of a particle-rich liquid layer, generating a localised gas intrusion, which initially grows through plastic deformation. Once the pressure in the intrusion overcomes the effective tensile strength of the particle pack, a localised channel opens, allowing gas to propagate upwards. As the pressure in the intrusion falls, the gas pocket collapses. The continued supply of gas leads to the formation of a new intrusion, and the cycle repeats. With higher gas fluxes, continuous channelised gas flow occurs. Highly crystalline shallow portions of basaltic conduits may act as a flow valve, transforming a steady gas flux into a series of discrete gas slugs which cause explosions.