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, M., Jónsdóttir, K., Hooper, A., Holohan, E., Halldórsson, S., Ófeigsson, B., Cesca, S., Vogfjörd, K., Sigmundsson, F., Högnadóttir, T., Einarsson, P., Sigmarsson, O., Jarosch, A., Jónasson, K., Magnússon, E., Hreinsdóttir, S., Bagnardi, M., Parks, M., Hjörleifsdóttir, V., Pálsson, F., Walter, T., Schöpfer, M., Heimann, S., Reynolds, H., Dumont, S., Bali, E., Gudfinnsson, G., Dahm, T., Roberts, M., Hensch, M., Belart, J., Spaans, K., Jakobsson, S., Gudmundsson, G., Fridriksdóttir, H., Drouin, V., Dürig, T., Adalgeirsdóttir, G., Riishuus, M., Pedersen, G., Van Boeckel, T., Oddsson, B., Pfeffer, M., Barsotti, S., BERGSSON, Baldur, Donovan, A., Burton, M., AIUPPA, Alessandro
Other Authors: Bergsson, B., Aiuppa, A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science 2016
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10447/227125
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf8988
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/353/6296/aaf8988.full.pdf
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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-squarekilometer 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, nearexponential decline of both collapse rate and the intensity of the 180-day-long eruption.