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Eruptive parameters and dynamics of the April 2015 sub-Plinian eruptions of Calbuco volcano (southern Chile)

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Abstract

We conducted geological and petrological analyses of the tephra fallout and pyroclastic density current (PDC) products of the 22-23 April 2015 Calbuco eruptions. The eruptive cycle consisted of two sub-Plinian phases that generated > 15 km height columns and PDCs that travelled up to 6 km from the vent. The erupted volume is estimated at 0.38 km3 (non-DRE), with approximately 90% corresponding to tephra fall deposits and the other 10% to PDC deposits. The erupted products are basaltic-andesite, 54-55 wt.% SiO2, with minor amounts of andesite (58 wt.% SiO2). Despite the uniform composition of the products, there are at least four types of textures in juvenile clasts, with different degrees of vesicularity and types and content of crystals. We propose that the eruption triggering mechanism was either exsolution of volatiles due to crystallization, or a small intrusion into the base of the magma chamber, without significant magma mixing or with a magma compositionally similar to that of the residing magma. In either case the triggering mechanism generated convection and sufficient overpressure to promote the first eruptive phase. The start of the eruption decompressed the chamber, promoting intense vesiculation of the remaining magma and an increase in eruption rate towards the end of the eruption.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the help and eruption accounting of A. Ziller and the field support from A. Koller, A. Salas and M. Contreras. AC and AS acknowledge the support from FONDECYT project 11121298 and FONDAP project 15090013. JC acknowledges the support of U. Mayor and G. Diaz. The field mission of JLLP, OR and PS was financed by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (France). We thank Lester Acuña for kindly providing the photo of Fig. 2b. We acknowledge the collaboration of J. Romero, R. Daga and A. Caselli for collection of distal data of the fall deposits. This is Laboratory of Excellence ClerVolc contribution number XX. We thank the thoughtful reviews of James Gardner, James White and an anonymous reviewer that greatly improved this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Angelo Castruccio & Andrea Segura

  2. CEGA (Centro de Excelencia en Geotermia de los Andes), Santiago, Chile

    Angelo Castruccio & Andrea Segura

  3. Amawta Geoconsultores Ltda., Santiago, Chile

    Jorge Clavero & Bárbara Droguett

  4. Escuela de Geología, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile

    Jorge Clavero & Bárbara Droguett

  5. Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Université Blaise Pascal-CNRS-IRD, OPGC, 6 Avenue Blaise Pascal, TSA60026-CS60026, 63178, Aubière, France

    Pablo Samaniego, Olivier Roche & Jean-Luc Le Pennec

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  1. Angelo Castruccio
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  2. Jorge Clavero
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  7. Bárbara Droguett
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Correspondence to Angelo Castruccio.

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Castruccio, A., Clavero, J., Segura, A. et al. Eruptive parameters and dynamics of the April 2015 sub-Plinian eruptions of Calbuco volcano (southern Chile). Bull Volcanol 78, 62 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-016-1058-8

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