Numerical model of crater lake eruptions

Abstract

We present results from a numerical investigation of subaqueous eruptions involving superheated steam released through a lake mimicking the volcanic setting at Mt. Ruapehu. The simulations were conducted using an adaptive mesh, multi-material, hydrodynamics code with thermal conduction SAGE, (Simple Adaptive Grid Eulerian). Parameters investigated include eruption pressure, lake level and mass of superheated vapor. The simulations produced a spectrum of eruption styles from vapor cavities to radial jets that resulted in hazards that ranged from small-scale waves to high amplitude surges that reached and cascaded over the edge of the crater rim. There was an overall tendency for lake surface activity to increase (including wave amplitude) with increasing mass of superheated vapor and eruption pressure. Surface waves were induced by the formation and collapse of a gas cavity. The collapse of the cavity is considered to play a major role in the characteristic features observed during a subaqueous eruption. The additional mass of superheated vapor produced a larger cavity that displaced a larger area of the lake surface resulting in fast moving surges upon the collapse of the cavity. High lake levels (>90 m) appear to suppress the development of explosive jetting activity when eruption pressures are <10 MPa. At very large eruption pressures (>10 MPa), vertical jets and radial ejections of steam and water can occur in water depths >90 m. Less explosive eruption styles can produce hazardous events such as lahars by the outward movement of surface waves over the crater rim.