Gradual caldera collapse at Bárdarbunga volcano, Iceland, regulated by lateral magma outflow

Large volcanic eruptions on Earth commonly occur with a collapse of the roof of a crustal magma reservoir, forming a caldera. Only a few such collapses occur per century, and the lack of detailed observations has obscured insight into the mechanical interplay between collapse and eruption.We usemult...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Gudmundsson, Magnus Tumi, Jónsdóttir, Kristín, Hooper, Andrew, Holohan, Eoghan P., Halldorsson, Saemundur, Ofeigsson, Benedikt Gunnar, Cesca, Simone, Vogfjörð, Kristín S., Sigmundsson, Freysteinn, Högnadóttir, Thórdís, Einarsson, Páll, Sigmarsson, Olgeir, Jarosch, Alexander H., Jónasson, Kristján, Magnússon, Eyjólfur, Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún, Bagnardi, Marco, Parks, Michelle M., Hjorleifsdottir, Vala, Pálsson, Finnur, Walter, Thomas R., Schöpfer, Martin P. J., Heimann, Sebastian, Reynolds, Hannah Iona, Dumont, Stéphanie, Bali, Eniko, Guðfinnsson, Guðmundur, Dahm, Torsten, Roberts, Matthew J., Hensch, Martin, Belart, Joaquín M. C., Spaans, Karsten, Jakobsson, Sigurður, Guðmundsson, Gunnar B., Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María, Drouin, Vincent, Dürig, Tobias, Adalgeirsdottir, Gudfinna, Riishuus, Morten, Pedersen, Gro, van Boeckel, Tayo, Oddsson, Björn, Pfeffer, Melissa A., Barsotti, Sara, Bergsson, Baldur, Donovan, Amy, Burton, Mike R., Aiuppa, Alessandro
Other Authors: Jarðvísindastofnun (HÍ), Institute of Earth Sciences (UI), Iðnaðarverkfræði-, vélaverkfræði- og tölvunarfræðideild (HÍ), Faculty of Industrial Eng., Mechanical Eng. and Computer Science (UI), Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2016
Subjects:
Caldera collapse
Eruption
Lateral Magma Flow
Glacier Dynamics
Bárðarbunga
Öskjugos
Eldgos
Hraunrennsli
glacier
Iceland
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/190
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf8988
Description
Summary:Large volcanic eruptions on Earth commonly occur with a collapse of the roof of a crustal magma reservoir, forming a caldera. Only a few such collapses occur per century, and the lack of detailed observations has obscured insight into the mechanical interplay between collapse and eruption.We usemultiparameter geophysical and geochemical data to show that the 110-square kilometer and 65-meter-deep collapse of Bárdarbunga caldera in 2014–2015 was initiated through withdrawal of magma, and lateral migration through a 48-kilometers-long dike, from a 12-kilometers deep reservoir. Interaction between the pressure exerted by the subsiding reservoir roof and the physical properties of the subsurface flow path explain the gradual, near exponential decline of both collapse rate and the intensity of the 180-day- long eruption. Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police. European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme grant no. 308377 (Project FUTUREVOLC). EU Seventh Framework Marie Curie project NEMOH no. 289976 CO2Volc ERC grant no. 279802, the Research Fund of the University of Iceland, the Irish Research Council, the Helmholtz Alliance on Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics (EDA), Bayerisches Geoinstitut through their DFG core facility for high pressure research, and UNAM/CIC Intercambio Académico.

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