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Quantification of Volcano Deformation caused by Volatile Accumulation and Release
  • +1
  • Arne Spang,
  • Mike Burton,
  • Boris J.P. Kaus,
  • Freysteinn Sigmundsson
Arne Spang
Johannes Gutenberg University, Johannes Gutenberg University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Mike Burton
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
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Boris J.P. Kaus
Johannes Gutenberg University, Johannes Gutenberg University
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Freysteinn Sigmundsson
Nordic Volcanological Center, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Nordic Volcanological Center, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland
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Abstract

Crustal-stored magma reservoirs contain exsolved volatiles which accumulate in the reservoir roof, exerting a buoyancy force on the crust. This produces surface uplift and sudden loss of volatiles through eruption results in syn-eruptive subsidence. Here, we present three-dimensional, visco-elasto-plastic, numerical modeling results which quantify the ground deformation arising from the growth and release of a volatile reservoir. Deformation is independent of crustal thermal distribution and volatile reservoir shape, but is a function of volatile volume, density and depth and crustal rigidity. We present a scaling law for the volatiles’ contribution to syn-eruptive subsidence and show this contributes ~20% of the observed subsidence associated with the 2015 Calbuco eruption. Our results highlight the key role that volatile-driven buoyancy can have in volcano deformation, show a new link between syn-eruptive degassing and deflation, and highlight that shallow gas accumulation and release may have a major impact on ground deformation of volcanoes.