Magmatic Processes and Associated Timescales Leading to the January 1835 Eruption of Cosigüina Volcano, Nicaragua

Longpré, Marc‐Antoine; Stix, John; Costa, Fidel; Espinoza, Eveling; Muñoz, Angélica

doi:10.1093/petrology/egu022

Cited by 24 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…Melt inclusion results suggest that Masaya volcano is fed by relatively water‐poor (1.5–1.6 wt %) magma, similar to other primitive magmas in Central Nicaragua (e.g., Granada and Nejapa volcanoes; Wehrmann et al, ). Available melt inclusion data for Masaya show therefore no evidence of the water‐rich (H 2 O = 3.0–6.1 wt %) magma component seen at other Nicaraguan volcanoes, including Cerro Negro, Telica, San Cristóbal, and Cosigüina (Longpré et al, ; Portnyagin et al, ; Robidoux et al, b; Roggensack et al, ). Note that although the degassing experiments of Lesne et al () were initially prepared and run at 1.5–1.7 wt % H 2 O, final total H 2 O contents in experimental charges (fluid + glass) were >2.6 wt % because of water production due to hydrogen exchange and reduction of ferric iron (Lesne et al, ; Table ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Formation of a Lava Lake From Ground and Space: Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua), 2014–2017

Aiuppa

Moor

Arellano

et al. 2018

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

103

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A vigorously degassing lava lake appeared inside the Santiago pit crater of Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) in December 2015, after years of degassing with no (or minor) incandescence. Here we present an unprecedented‐long (3 years) and continuous volcanic gas record that instrumentally characterizes the (re)activation of the lava lake. Our results show that, before appearance of the lake, the volcanic gas plume composition became unusually CO2 rich, as testified by high CO2/SO2 ratios (mean: 12.2 ± 6.3) and low H2O/CO2 ratios (mean: 2.3 ± 1.3). The volcanic CO2 flux also peaked in November 2015 (mean: 81.3 ± 40.6 kg/s; maximum: 247 kg/s). Using results of magma degassing models and budgets, we interpret this elevated CO2 degassing as sourced by degassing of a volatile‐rich fast‐overturning (3.6–5.2 m3 s−1) magma, supplying CO2‐rich gas bubbles from minimum equivalent depths of 0.36–1.4 km. We propose this elevated gas bubble supply destabilized the shallow (<1 km) Masaya magma reservoir, leading to upward migration of vesicular (buoyant) resident magma, and ultimately to (re)formation of the lava lake. At onset of lava lake activity on 11 December 2015 (constrained by satellite‐based MODIS thermal observations), the gas emissions transitioned to more SO2‐rich composition, and the SO2 flux increased by a factor ∼40% (11.4 ± 5.2 kg/s) relative to background degassing (8.0 kg/s), confirming faster than normal (4.4 versus ∼3 m3 s−1) shallow magma convection. Based on thermal energy records, we estimate that only ∼0.8 of the 4.4 m3 s−1 of magma actually reached the surface to manifest into a convecting lava lake, suggesting inefficient transport of magma in the near‐surface plumbing system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Formation of a Lava Lake From Ground and Space: Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua), 2014–2017

Aiuppa

Moor

Arellano

et al. 2018

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

103

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“…It is also possible that certain volcanoes are predisposed to fast behavior and others to slow behavior. Cosigüina volcano in Nicaragua appears to experience large explosive eruptions periodically during its history (Scott et al, 2006;Longpré et al, 2014), suggestive of repeated fast activity. In some cases, therefore, the plumbing system and crustal structure may be configured in such a way to promote fast or slow behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Fast and Slow Unrest at Volcanoes and Implications for Eruption Forecasting

Stix

2018

Front. Earth Sci.

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This paper examines the behavior of volcanoes that erupt quickly with paroxysmal explosive eruptions, and other volcanoes that erupt over extended periods without such paroxysmal activity. "Fast" activity typically occurs over the course of months to years, including precursory unrest, the paroxysmal eruption itself, and post-paroxysmal activity. "Slow" activity comprises extended restlessness over the course of decades, and eruptions are typically small and sometimes uncommon. I review activity at eight volcanoes with fast and slow activity, highlighting the main events, and commonalities in behavior among the different systems. In terms of forecasting, volcanoes with fast unrest typically have short 1-3 month precursory periods prior to the climactic eruption, while volcanoes with slow unrest commonly have an extended period of considerable uncertainty regarding the presence or absence of new magma, as well as unanticipated accelerations in activity. Volcanoes with fast behavior are associated with magmas having elevated volatile contents (up to ∼7 wt. % H 2 O), rapid magma ascent rates, and rapid declines in activity after the climactic eruption. These volcanoes also exhibit well-defined magma plumbing systems containing mobile volatile-rich magma, with the plumbing system often sealed between the top of the shallow magma reservoir and the surface prior to the climactic eruption. Volcanoes with slow behavior have complex plumbing systems comprising cracks, fractures, dykes, and sills and magmas that are crystal-rich, partly degassed, and rheologically sluggish. These volcanoes experience a progressive opening of their systems as magma intrudes and fractures country rock, allowing degassing to occur. The degree to which a system is opened is determined by the rate at which new magma is emplaced at shallow levels. As such, magma emplacement rates which are fast, intermediate, or slow should produce unrest on similar timescales. Slower rates of emplacement enhance the opening process due to a cumulatively high number of fractures and increased fracture density which develop during the extended period of unrest. Many systems both fast and slow receive inputs of more mafic magma which can drive activity seen at the surface. A series of recently developed tools is examined and discussed in order to provide an improved means of forecasting activity at both types of volcanoes. These include assessment of early phreatic activity and associated gases, V p /V s ratios of magma by seismic tomography, and estimates of magma volume from precursory seismicity. What is required now are protocols which integrate these approaches in a manner which is useful for accurate forecasting.

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“…Onland tephrostratigraphic studies of widespread tephras elsewhere in Nicaragua are not as comprehensive and limited to incomplete tephra succession and ages (e.g. Cosigüina Caldera, Scott et al, 2006, Longpré et al, 2014a, 2014bSan Cristobal Volcanic Complex, Hazlett, 1987;Concepción Volcano, Borgia and de Vries, 2003). Malpaisillo Caldera, a few kilometers east of the actual volcanic front in the north of Lake Managua, is a nearly circular caldera (~10 × 11 km) at 70-110 m altitude with a slight morphological east-west inclination.…”

Section: Tephrostratigraphy and Volcanologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Malpaisillo Formation: A sequence of explosive eruptions in the mid to late Pleistocene (Nicaragua, Central America)

Stoppa

Kutterolf

Rausch

et al. 2018

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

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The subduction-related volcanic front in Nicaragua consists of the Tertiary "Coyol" member in the eastern highlands and the Quaternary to recent volcanic arc within the Nicaraguan depression. Although the Holocene to recent explosive volcanism has been studied extensively no detailed work has been done on the products of explosive volcanism from Quaternary volcanic complexes comprising also the Malpaisillo and Monte Galán Calderas, the focus of this study. The 11 km-wide Malpaisillo Caldera and~3.5 km-wide Monte Galán Caldera, located~50 km northwest of Managua, are surrounded by tens of meters of rhyolitic tephras. These pyroclastic flow and fall deposits extend proximally at least 11 km to the southeast and 23 km to the southwest, with observed depositional thicknesses of N16 m for a single ignimbrite unit (or N25 m for the entire section). Distal deposits are found as far as 350 km offshore in the Pacific. At least twelve highly explosive large-volume eruptive phases with corresponding tephra deposits (LPT

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Magmatic Processes and Associated Timescales Leading to the January 1835 Eruption of Cosigüina Volcano, Nicaragua

Cited by 24 publications

References 91 publications

Tracking Formation of a Lava Lake From Ground and Space: Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua), 2014–2017

Tracking Formation of a Lava Lake From Ground and Space: Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua), 2014–2017

Understanding Fast and Slow Unrest at Volcanoes and Implications for Eruption Forecasting

The Malpaisillo Formation: A sequence of explosive eruptions in the mid to late Pleistocene (Nicaragua, Central America)

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