Lava channel formation during the 2001 eruption on Mount Etna: evidence for mechanical erosion

Details Lava channel formation during the 2001 eruption on Mount Etna: evidence for mechanical erosion Lava channel formation during the 2001 eruption on Mount Etna: evidence for mechanical erosion

2005-12-14

arxiv.org/abs/physics/0512125v1

Physics

Geophysics

accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.028501

We report the direct observation of a peculiar lava channel that was formed near the base of a parasitic cone during the 2001 eruption on Mount Etna. Erosive processes by flowing lava are commonly attributed to thermal erosion. However, field evidence strongly suggests that models of thermal erosion cannot explain the formation of this channel. Here, we put forward the idea that the essential erosion mechanism was abrasive wear. By applying a simple model from tribology we demonstrate that the available data agree favorably with our hypothesis. Consequently, we propose that erosional processes resembling the wear phenomena in glacial erosion are possible in a volcanic environment.

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