Collaborative Research: Eruptive Potential of Silicic Magmas: Thermodynamic and Fluid Dynamics Modeling, and Implications to the Evolution of Selected Natural Systems

岩浆喷发是令人着迷的现象，数千年来一直吸引着人类的注意。它们也是一种重大的自然灾害。这个项目涉及有关喷发系统的基本问题：为什么一些硅质岩浆喷发，而另一些在地下停滞不前？为什么有些岩浆会喷发(如熔岩流动)，而另一些则会爆发？这些不同的岩浆是注定具有不同的喷发潜力和喷发风格，还是相似的岩浆受到不同的偶然性影响？外界因素(如地震)在引发火山喷发中的重要性已引起广泛关注。然而，许多证据表明，只有在岩浆体已经准备好很可能或不可避免地喷发的情况下，喷发触发器才有效。这个项目旨在解决的根本问题是，岩浆体的引爆路径是什么？该项目将探索硅质岩浆的内部演化(即结晶、气泡形成和岩浆演化)对喷发潜力的重要性，特别是对爆炸潜力的重要性。将采用热力学和流体动力学相结合的建模方法，以选定的自然系统作为灵感和指南，探索模型的参数空间。虽然正在进行的研究是学术性质的，但它将有助于进一步了解岩浆系统的喷发潜力，并最终可能有助于火山学家关注直接影响社会的系统。作为该项目的一部分，将开发一个能够适当描述高硅系统演化的热力学模型，并将其与洞室本身及其墙壁的新的和现有的动力学模型相结合。在该项目下开发的建模工具将作为独立软件、网络服务和基于浏览器的网络客户端提供给科学界，使用户能够将这些工具应用于他们自己的科学问题和教学需要。被研究的自然系统包括毕晓普凝灰岩(CA)、桃泉凝灰岩(AZ-NV-CA)和高地山脉火山(NV)，利用它们独特的岩浆和喷发历史来评估一些对硅质岩浆喷发潜力的一级控制。

Magma eruptions are fascinating phenomena that have captured the attention of humanity for millennia. They also represent a significant natural hazard. This project is concerned with fundamental questions regarding eruptive systems: Why do some silicic magmas erupt while others stall in the subsurface? Why do some magmas erupt effusively (i.e. as lava flows) while others do so explosively? Are these different magmas that are predestined to different eruptive potential and style, or are they similar magmas subject to different contingencies? Much attention has been given to the importance of external triggers (e.g. earthquakes) in initiating eruptions. Many lines of evidence suggest, however, that eruption triggers are only effective to the extent that a magma body is already primed to the point where eruption is already very likely or inevitable. The fundamental question that this project aims to address is what is the path for priming of a magmatic body? The project will explore the importance of the internal evolution (i.e. crystallization, bubble formation, and magma evolution) of silicic magmas to eruptive potential, and in particular, to explosive potential. A combination of thermodynamic and fluid dynamics modeling will be employed, using selected natural systems as inspiration and guides to exploring the parameter space of the models. While the research being conducted is academic in nature, it will help further the understanding of the eruptive potential of magmatic systems, and may eventually help volcanologists concerned with systems that directly affect society.As part of this project, a thermodynamic model that can appropriately describe the evolution of high-silica systems will be developed, and it will be coupled with new and existing models of the dynamics of the chamber itself and of its walls. Modeling tools developed under this project will be made available to the scientific community as standalone software, web services, and browser-based web clients that will permit users to apply these tools to their own scientific questions and teaching needs. Natural systems to be studied include the Bishop Tuff (CA), Peach Spring Tuff (AZ-NV-CA), and the Highland Range Volcanics (NV), taking advantage of their unique magmatic and eruptive histories to assess some of the first order controls on the eruptive potential of silicic magmas.