Hydrothermal alteration by2 SO E -rich fluids governs the physicochemical properties of stratovolcanoes worldwide (Mayer et al., 2016;Zimbelman et al., 2005). As these fluids alter the conduit rocks, inevitable changes in rock porosity and permeability can limit outgassing and promote explosive volcanic behavior. This was observed at Poás volcano (Costa Rica), where the formation of a pressurized hydrothermal seal by secondary mineral precipitation and volatile accumulation limited 2 SO E -emissions for two years and triggered the 2017 phreatomagmatic eruption (de Moor et al., 2019). Similar hydrothermal sealing driven by acid-sulphate alteration also played a role in triggering phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions at Soufrière Hills (Montserrat) (Edmonds et al., 2003), and Ontake (Japan) (Stix & de Moor, 2018). At Whakaari-White Island volcano (New Zealand), a partially sealed hydrothermal system is implied to have played a role in the recent 2019, and past eruptions (Burton et al., 2021;Christenson et al., 2017). However, mineralogical and microimaging evidence of such sealing and its evolution for different lithologies within the conduit is lacking. Moreover, the effect of such hydrothermal processes on the fluid flow and elastic properties of conduit-filling rocks remains unconstrained, despite being of paramount importance for accurately inverting geophysical data to understand volcano pressurization.The development of an effective seal requires conduit rocks with low porosity and low permeability that limit outgassing and favor fluid accumulation and pressure build-up (Stix & de Moor, 2018). So far, experimental studies on the effects of alteration on porosity and permeability of volcanic rocks have been mainly based on surface-collected rocks and show conflicting observations. For example, pore and fracture filling secondary minerals in lavas (