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The role of crystallinity and viscosity in the formation of submarine lava flow morphology

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Abstract

Submarine lava flow morphology is commonly used to estimate relative flow velocity, but the effects of crystallinity and viscosity are rarely considered. We use digital petrography and quantitative textural analysis techniques to determine the crystallinity of submarine basaltic lava flows, using a set of samples from previously mapped lava flow fields at the hotspot-affected Galápagos Spreading Center. Crystallinity measurements were incorporated into predictive models of suspension rheology to characterize lava flow consistency and rheology. Petrologic data were integrated to estimate bulk lava viscosity. We compared the crystallinity and viscosity of each sample with its flow morphology to determine their respective roles in submarine lava emplacement dynamics. We find no correlation between crystallinity, bulk viscosity, and lava morphology, implying that flow advance rate is the primary control on submarine lava morphology. However, we show systematic variations in crystal size and shape distribution among pillows, lobates, and sheets, suggesting that these parameters are important indicators of eruption processes. Finally, we compared the characteristics of lavas from two different sampling sites with contrasting long-term magma supply rates. Differences between lavas from each study site illustrate the significant effect of magma supply on the physical properties of the oceanic upper crust.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank JoAnn Sinton and Eric Hellebrand for help with thin section preparation and electron microprobe analyses. We thank Sonia Calvari, Lucia Gurioli, and an anonymous reviewer for comments that greatly improved this manuscript. Tracy Gregg is thanked for valuable feedback on an early version of this work. This work was supported by NSF grants OCE08-49813 to JMS and KHR and OCE08-49711 to SMW.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 701 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, 29205, USA

    J. Timothy McClinton & Scott M. White

  2. Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 1680 East-west Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Alice Colman, Kenneth H. Rubin & John M. Sinton

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  1. J. Timothy McClinton
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Correspondence to J. Timothy McClinton.

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McClinton, J.T., White, S.M., Colman, A. et al. The role of crystallinity and viscosity in the formation of submarine lava flow morphology. Bull Volcanol 76, 854 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-014-0854-2

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