Conclusions
Examination of the volumetric expansion of vesiculating water vapor at temperatures and pressure corresponding to those of basaltic and rhyolitic magmas erupting under various depths of sea water indicates that explosive ash formation is unlikely at depths greater than 500 meters. Rhyolitic magmas could produce ash at greater depths, but only if the water content were greatly enriched.
Sills are likely to be more common than surface lava flows in level area of weakly consolidated sediments. Breaching of the sedimentary layer and the growth of seamounts may be related to block faulting or seismically induced slumping of the sedimentary blanket on the slopes of volcanic domes.
Conditions favor transport of hot hyaloclastites in density currents on the slopes of sea mounts and may account for archipelagic aprons.
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McBirney, A.R. Factors governing the nature of submarine volcanism. Bull Volcanol 26, 455–469 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02597304
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02597304