Detailseite
Projekt
Rheology of the 2006 Plinian and effusive eruption of Tungurahua valcano, Ecuador
Antragsteller
Professor Dr. Yan Lavallée
Fachliche Zuordnung
Paläontologie
Förderung
Förderung von 2008 bis 2011
Projektkennung
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 90990877
The increasingly alarming volcanic crisis at Tungurahua volcano requires eminent, thorough understanding of the rheology of the eruptive products. During the recent 2006 Plinian eruptive event, the explosive production of pyroclastic flows simultaneously occurred with the extrusion of a lava flow. Such contrasting cogenetic eruption styles are usually observed at basaltic volcanoes fed by complex plumbing systems, but not at stratovolcanoes built from a simple pipe-like conduit. We hypothesise that two different magma batches with accordingly different Theological properties likely caused this cogenetic eruption. We propose a series of Theological tests and chemical analyses in order to systematically constrain the rheology of Tungurahua magmas. This work aims to (1) describe the geochemistry and the physical characteristics of the 2006 eruptive products, (2) determine the volatile content present in the melt phase (in the chamber and upon eruption), and (3) study the viscosity of the magma under varied stress conditions to understand why only parts of the magma crossed the ductile-brittle transition and formed pyroclastic flows, while the counterparts produced a lava flow.
DFG-Verfahren
Sachbeihilfen
Internationaler Bezug
Ecuador, Kanada, USA
