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Possible electrokinetic origin of large magnetic variations at La Fournaise volcano

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Abstract

ABNORMAL time variations of the geomagnetic field related to volcanic activity have been reported for several decades1–10. Two main candidates have been considered for the source mechanism of these volcanomagnetic variations: piezomagnetism and electro-kinetic effects. We considered both of these mechanisms in our attempts to interpret the most spectacular volcanomagnetic variations observed on Piton de la Fournaise volcano (Reunion Island)11, but now new analysis of the latest data, which covers a time span of more than three years, leads us to think that water circulation is the main agent of the strong magnetic signals observed on the volcano. In addition to the signals that we correlated with the volcano activity11,12, longer-period components also exist, as shown here, with amplitudes and characteristics that have not been reported before. We propose that these magnetic variations are generated by electrokinetic effects, in which case the water circulation system into this massif would be a sensor for detecting stress changes linked to the volcano activity.

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  1. Institut de Physique du Globe, Observatoires Volcanologiques et Laboratoire de Géomagnétisme, 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    J. Zlotnicki & J. L. Le Mouél

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  1. J. Zlotnicki
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  2. J. L. Le Mouél
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Zlotnicki, J., Le Mouél, J. Possible electrokinetic origin of large magnetic variations at La Fournaise volcano. Nature 343, 633–636 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/343633a0

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