Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) has been used in various studies related to interpreting the direction of lava flow, some of which have shown ambiguity with regard to the data generated. In this study, we explored an alternative option to support the aforementioned application, using lava flow type igneous rock samples from the Ijen Volcanic Complex, East Java, Indonesia. We have investigated the preferred rock pore orientations from micro-computed tomography (μCT) images and quantified their directions. We then calculated their correlation with AMS data by calculating the angle between preferred pore orientation. The axis with the smallest gap to the preferred pore orientation of each sample was assumed to imply lava flow direction. Different lava flow direction preferences were obtained from different magnetic ellipsoids. Another important factor for consideration is the relative vertical position of the sampling site within a single lava flow unit. Only one out of five samples (ANY2) show good quantitative conformity between AMS data, preferred pore orientation, and topographical slope, despite these limitations. Our results point to a direction that seems to be correct and coherent on a physical basis. Additional research would likely clarify the issues involved. This encourages us to explore and work further in this field of research.

Geochemical and petrographic characterizations were carried out on five episodic effusive eruptions from Batur Volcano on the Island of Bali, Indonesia, and revealed that these lavas are basaltic to andesitic in composition. Various micro-textures were identified, reflecting pre-eruptive magmatic processes, magma mixing, and adiabatic decompression. Apart from XRF analyses, the five lava flows (L849, L926, L963, L968 and L974) were subjected to magnetic analyses in the form of magnetic susceptibility and magnetic hysteresis measurements. The presence of cyclicity in the magmatic process is suggested by the variation of micro-texture types, CaO content, and magnetic susceptibility values. Two possible models of this cyclicity are presented. In the first model, cyclicity is driven by the variation of influx from the lower magma chamber that affects the interaction of magma with the surrounding rocks. In the second model, cyclicity is affected by the appearance of a new magmatic vent, which causes intense interaction with surrounding rocks. This study infers that combined micro-texture, composition, and magnetic susceptibility analyses might provide insight into the cyclicity of lava episodes observed in active volcanos such as Batur.

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) analyses have been used widely in many applications that include studying lava flows. In this paper, we introduce an auxiliary parameter, i.e., preferred pore orientation, on the use of AMS for lava flow studies on the basaltic lava samples from Batur Volcano in Bali Indonesia. We also examine the effect of sample position in lava flow outcrop to the relationship between preferred pore orientation and AMS. The samples are subjected to petrographic analyses as well as to magnetic measurements and micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging. Preferred pore orientations were obtained by quantified the long-axis of the vesicles from the images. The correlation was evaluated by measuring the angle between the maximum susceptibility axes and the preferred pore orientations. All samples show that the maximum susceptibility axes are parallel with the flow direction. Three out of six samples of two lava flows from the same eruption show a positive correlation between AMS and preferred pore orientation, where both parameters point to the northeast direction. A difference of sample position in the outcrop of lava flow was observed as a possible factor that influenced the results for the preferred pore orientations. Samples which were taken from the summit of the lava flow have pore orientation parallel to the lava flow direction. While samples which were taken from the foot slope of the lava flow have pore orientation perpendicular to the lava flow direction. This study provides further evidence that pore orientation might be positively correlated with the AMS.

Research about the anisotropy parameters of rock is important for geophysical investigations. This research was a preliminary study which aims to find the relationship between elastic anisotropy and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in igneous rock of lava flow type with MR1 code and to interpret preferred orientation in MR1 sample based on the integration of anisotropy measurement results with the supported results from micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis, petrography analysis and geological data analysis. This research has never been done before. This study was divided into several main stages consist of elastic anisotropy measurements on a cube-shaped specimen to determine the direction of maximum velocity and elastic anisotropy parameter values, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility measurements on six cylindrical specimens to determine the direction of maximum susceptibility (magnetic mineral orientation) and AMS parameter values, petrography analysis on the all sides of the cube in order to observe preferred orientation in mineral and μCT analysis in a cylindrical specimen to determine the pore trend of rock. This study showed the relationship between AMS and elastic anisotropy in MR1 sample which indicated by positive correlation between the direction of maximum susceptibility and maximum velocity. Based on the results, MR1 sample has elastic anisotropy degree ranges from 2,6 % - 6,6 % for P waves and 2,2 % - 4 % for S waves and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility degree around 2,6 % - 5,4 %. The integration of all measurement results including the direction of maximum velocity, direction of maximum susceptibility, preferred orientation in mineral, pore trend, and dip direction of sheeting joint indicate preferred orientation in MR1 sample towards NE-SW. One possible cause of such preferred orientation is the direction of the lava flow. Further studies in this topic are needed to support this hypothesis.