Physics – Geophysics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmng51a1197s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #NG51A-1197
Physics
Geophysics
[3265] Mathematical Geophysics / Stochastic Processes, [4475] Nonlinear Geophysics / Scaling: Spatial And Temporal, [5480] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Volcanism, [8440] Volcanology / Calderas
Scientific paper
Volcanism plays an important role in transporting internal heat to the surface of planetary bodies. Volcanoes are therefore the manifestation of a planet's past and present internal dynamics. The goal of this study is to better understand the physical processes responsible for volcano formation throughout the solar system as well as the scale-invariant temporal patterns of volcanic eruptions on Earth. A caldera is an important volcanic construct that can be found on Earth, Mars, Io, and Venus. It is a multi-kilometer wide, quasi-circular depression, not of impact origin, formed in volcanic terrain by collapse into a partially drained magma chamber. Caldera diameters are related to the size of the underlying magma chamber. As a result, understanding the processes forming calderas in the solar system would lead us to a better understanding of the dynamical evolution of magma in planetary interiors. In this study, we examine the distribution of caldera diameters on Earth, Mars, Io and Venus. We find that all the probability densities can be described as a universal function if the coordinate axes are rescaled using the mean caldera diameter for each planet. This universal distribution can be approximated by a two-parameter Gamma distribution. The proposed scaling implies that similar processes are responsible for caldera formation throughout the solar system. In addition to the caldera distributions, the temporal behavior of volcanic eruptions can be analyzed to better understand the patterns of eruptions on the Earth. One such dynamical characteristic of the temporal volcanic activity is a time interval between successive volcanic eruptions, or the interocurrence time. Here, we look at interoccurence times between eruptions of Etna, Merapi, Villarrica, White Island, Yake-Dake, Piton de la Fournaise, Karthala, Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes as well as of the global eruption catalog. By rescaling the coordinate axes using the mean rate of volcanism for each volcano, the probability densities collapse into a single curve that can be approximated by a two-parameter generalized Pareto distribution. This scaling signifies that the dynamics of volcanic eruptions on Earth are the same and independent of the type of volcanism and the spatial location of volcanoes. In addition, the rescaled interoccurence time probability density functions exhibit a power-law behavior for long time intervals and are a direct manifestation of scale-invariant nature of volcanism. The phenomenon of triggering volcanic eruptions operates in a similar way for all volcano types, which emphasizes the importance of studying volcanism as a universal process.
Sanchez Laura
Scanlan K.
Shcherbakov Robert
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