Collaborative Research: Elucidating Conduit, Eruption, and Pyroclast Transport Dynamics of Large Silicic Submarine Eruptions

合作研究：阐明大型硅质海底喷发的管道、喷发和火山碎屑输送动力学

• 批准号: 1357216
• 负责人: Samuel Soule
• 金额: $ 27.87万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-01 至 2019-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1357216&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Elucidating; Conduit; Eruption

There are tens of thousands of volcanoes on the ocean floor. It is not known how many of these are erupting at any given time because most are overlain by many hundreds to thousands of feet of water that prevent the escape of eruption products into the atmosphere or onto the sea surface where they can be spotted by ships, airplanes, or satellites. Similarly, it is not known how many of these undersea volcanoes erupt explosively, generating large quantities of ash and pumice that is then distributed by currents or cause volcanic slope instabilities that can result in tsunamis. Because seafloor eruptions, in particular those that are explosive in nature, are hidden from view, our knowledge of how they operate, their eruption products and their distribution, and their geohazard potential is almost unknown. Luckily in July 2012, a 200 square kilometer raft of pumice was spotted floating on the ocean in the western Pacific just above Havre Volcano which is under 1600 meters of water, indicating a major explosive eruption. Taking advantage of this event, this project mounts a major scientific investigation of the eruption. The research involves a comprehensive physical and chemical study of the volcano, the eruption, and the associated eruption products and their distribution near and far from their point of origin. Through an oceanographic cruise using state-of-the-art robotic vehicles, the investigators will collect samples and sediment cores and create seafloor photo mosaics of the area. The research also involves high resolution seafloor mapping and stratigraphic analysis of the related deposits in the vicinity of the volcano and in areas extending away from it. Investigators will compile and analyze all available photographic images, pre- and post-eruptive seafloor maps, as well as analyze sediment cores and ash textures. The project also includes analysis and interpretation of stratigraphic, geochemical, and other associated datasets. A specific focus of the research is determining the role that volatiles such as H2O, SO2, and sulfur played in the eruption. Goals of the research are to determine: (1) what combination of magma ascent rates and conduit processes caused the formation of a subaerial eruption plume from water depths of more than 1600 m; (2) if the data can shed light on the outstanding controversy regarding the lack of fine ash in deposits now found on land but that were derived from subaqueous eruptions; and (3) whether density currents that result from eruption column collapse are the primary transport mechanism for mass sediment flux away from the volcano or if other processes dominate. Broader impacts of the research include significant undergraduate training in research and state of the art field and laboratory scientific techniques, as well as cross training and video presentations that will link together all of the researchers and students at the institutions involved. Additional impacts include international collaboration with New Zealand scientists and the creation of a new, international body to study submarine volcanoes and the impacts of their explosive eruption. Also included are presentations to local community groups and K-12 schools, impacts for geohazards and disaster planning, support of an institution in an EPSCoR state, and support of an early career investigator whose gender is under-represented in the sciences and engineering.

海底有成千上万座火山。目前还不知道有多少火山在任何特定的时间喷发，因为大多数火山都被数百到数千英尺的水覆盖，这阻止了喷发产物逃逸到大气层或海面上，在那里它们可以被船只，飞机或卫星发现。同样，也不知道有多少海底火山爆发，产生大量的火山灰和浮石，然后通过水流分布，或导致火山斜坡不稳定，从而导致海啸。由于海底喷发，特别是爆炸性喷发，是隐蔽的，我们对它们的运作方式、喷发产物及其分布以及潜在地质灾害几乎一无所知。幸运的是，在2012年7月，一个200平方公里的浮石筏被发现漂浮在西太平洋的海洋上，就在1600米水下的Havre火山上方，这表明一次重大的爆炸性喷发。利用这一事件，该项目对火山爆发进行了重大的科学调查。这项研究涉及对火山、喷发和相关喷发产物及其在其起源点附近和远处的分布进行全面的物理和化学研究。 通过使用最先进的机器人航行器进行海洋学巡航，调查人员将收集样本和沉积物芯，并创建该地区的海底照片马赛克。 这项研究还涉及对火山附近和远离火山的地区的相关沉积物进行高分辨率海底测绘和地层分析，调查人员将汇编和分析所有现有的摄影图像、火山爆发前和爆发后的海底地图，并分析沉积物芯和火山灰结构。该项目还包括对地层、地球化学和其他相关数据集的分析和解释。研究的一个具体重点是确定H2O、SO2和硫等挥发物在喷发中所发挥的作用。研究的目标是确定：（1）岩浆上升速率和导管过程的组合导致从水深超过1600米的水下喷发羽流的形成;（2）数据是否可以阐明关于现在在陆地上发现的沉积物中缺乏细灰的悬而未决的争议，但这些沉积物来自水下喷发;以及（3）是否密度流，导致喷发柱崩溃是主要的运输机制，大量沉积物通量远离火山或其他过程占主导地位。 研究的更广泛的影响包括研究和最先进领域和实验室科学技术的重要本科生培训，以及交叉培训和视频演示，将所有研究人员和学生联系在一起。 其他影响包括与新西兰科学家的国际合作，以及建立一个新的国际机构来研究海底火山及其爆发的影响。还包括介绍给当地社区团体和K-12学校，地质灾害和灾害规划的影响，在EPSCoR状态的机构的支持，并支持其性别在科学和工程中代表性不足的早期职业调查员。