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Simulating bubble number density of rhyolitic pumices from Plinian eruptions: constraints from fast decompression experiments

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Abstract

Decompression experiments of a crystal-free rhyolitic liquid with ≈ 6.6 wt. % H2O were carried out at a pressure range from 250 MPa to 30–75 MPa in order to characterize effects of magma ascent rate and temperature on bubble nucleation kinetics, especially on the bubble number density (BND, the number of bubbles produced per unit volume of liquid). A first series of experiments at 800°C and fast decompression rates (10–90 MPa/s) produced huge BNDs (≈ 2 × 1014 m−3 at 10 MPa/s ; ≈ 2 × 1015 m−3 at 90 MPa/s), comparable to those in natural silicic pumices from Plinian eruptions (1015–1016 m−3). A second series of experiments at 700°C and 1 MPa/s produced BNDs (≈ 9×1012 m−3) close to those observed at 800°C and 1 MPa/s (≈ 6 × 1012 m−3), showing that temperature has an insignificant effect on BNDs at a given decompression rate. Our study strengthens the theory that the BNDs are good markers of the decompression rate of magmas in volcanic conduits, irrespective of temperature. Huge number densities of small bubbles in natural silicic pumices from Plinian eruptions imply that a major nucleation event occurs just below the fragmentation level, at which the decompression rate of ascending magmas is a maximum (≥ 1 MPa/s).

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Acknowledgments

All the experiments and analyses were carried out at the Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Clermont-Ferrand, France. We thank Jean-Marc Hénot for his assistance with the scanning electron microscope, Ariel Provost for the scientific guidance, and Jean-Louis Fruquière and Franck Pointud for their technical assistance in the laboratory. We also thank Atsushi Toramaru for his fruitful discussions and encouragements. The manuscript was improved by a careful review by Jim Gardner. This study was supported by both the JSPS Japan-France integrated action program (SAKURA 2006–2007 to T. Kawamoto and D. Laporte) and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-EXPLANT, contract No ANR-05-CATT-0003 to C. Martel).

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Author notes

  1. Morihisa Hamada

    Present address: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Geothermal Sciences, Kyoto University, Beppu, 874-0903, Japan

    Morihisa Hamada & Tatsuhiko Kawamoto

  2. Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Didier Laporte, Nicolas Cluzel & Kenneth T. Koga

  3. CNRS, UMR 6524, LMV, 63038, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Didier Laporte, Nicolas Cluzel & Kenneth T. Koga

  4. IRD, R 163, LMV, 63038, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Didier Laporte, Nicolas Cluzel & Kenneth T. Koga

Authors
  1. Morihisa Hamada
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  2. Didier Laporte
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  3. Nicolas Cluzel
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  4. Kenneth T. Koga
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  5. Tatsuhiko Kawamoto
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Correspondence to Morihisa Hamada.

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Editorial responsibility: D.B. Dingwell

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Hamada, M., Laporte, D., Cluzel, N. et al. Simulating bubble number density of rhyolitic pumices from Plinian eruptions: constraints from fast decompression experiments. Bull Volcanol 72, 735–746 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0353-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0353-z

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