Recent dyke-induced large-scale block movement at Mount Etna and potential slope failure

McGuire, William; Pullen, A. D.; Saunders, S.R.

doi:10.1038/343357a0

Cited by 101 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Volcanic slope failures develop from a combination of factors including, steep slopes, weak materials, faults, dikes, high fluid pressures, and seismic and intrusive activity (ELSWORTH and VOIGHT, 1995;MCGUIRE et al, 1990;SCOTT, 1989). Once failure ensues, the sliding mass (composed of multiple blocks) can rapidly evolve into a mobile avalanche and may transform into a debris flow or lahar depending upon external factors such as slope height and angle, material properties, and the presence or absence of water.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rock Mass Strength Assessment and Significance to Edifice Stability, Mount Rainier and Mount Hood, Cascade Range Volcanoes

Watters

Zimbelman

2000

Pure and Applied Geophysics

108

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Catastrophic edifice and sector failure occur commonly on stratovolcanoes worldwide and in some cases leave telltale horseshoe-shaped calderas. Many of these failures are now recognised as having resulted from large-scale landsliding. These slides often transform into debris avalanches and lahars that can devastate populations downstream of the volcano. Research on these phenomena has been directed mainly at understanding avalanche mechanics and travel distances and related socioeconomic impacts. Few investigations have examined volcanic avalanche source characteristics. The focus of this paper is to 1) describe a methodology for obtaining rock strengths that control initial failure and 2) report results of rock mass strength testing from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood. Rock mass and shear strength for fresh and hydrothermally altered rocks were obtained by 1) utilizing rock strength and structural information obtained from field studies and 2) applying rock mechanics techniques common in mining and civil engineering to the edifice region. Rock mass and intact rock strength differences greatly in excess of one order of magnitude were obtained when comparing strength behavior of fresh and completely altered volcanic rock. The recognition and determination of marked strength differences existing on the volcano edifice and flank, when combined with detailed geologic mapping, can be used to quantify volcano stability assessment and improve hazard mitigation efforts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rock Mass Strength Assessment and Significance to Edifice Stability, Mount Rainier and Mount Hood, Cascade Range Volcanoes

Watters

Zimbelman

2000

Pure and Applied Geophysics

108

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“…show that dykes of the order of 1 m wide and more than around 1 km long are capable of generating mechanical and thermal fluid pressures along a basal décollement and magmastatic pressures at the dyke surface that, together, can trigger failure and lateral collapse. Significantly, deformation monitoring of contemporary dyke intrusion events at Etna reveals a metre or more of horizontal displacement associated with each rifting episode (McGuire et al 1990). Owing to growth of Etna on an uplifting and eastward-tilting basement, high-level magma emplacement at this time occurred preferentially in the form of dykes concentrated along the eastern (ENE and SE) rift zones, the intersection of which is bisected by the long axis of the Valle del Bove, and that today are well exposed in the back-wall of the amphitheatre (McGuire et al 1997b).…”

Section: Nature Of the Collapse Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate forcing of volcano lateral collapse: evidence from Mount Etna, Sicily

Deeming

McGuire

Harrop

2010

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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In this study, we present evidence for early Holocene climatic conditions providing circumstances favourable to major lateral collapse at Mount Etna, Sicily. The volcano's most notable topographic feature is the Valle del Bove, a 5 × 8 km cliff-bounded amphitheatre excavated from the eastern flank of the volcano. Its origin due to prehistoric lateral collapse is corroborated by stürtzstrom deposits adjacent to the amphitheatre's downslope outlet, but the age, nature and cause of amphitheatre excavation remain matters for debate. Cosmogenic 3 He exposure ages determined for eroded surfaces within an abandoned watershed flanking the Valle del Bove support channel abandonment ca 7.5 ka BP, as a consequence of its excavation in a catastrophic collapse event. Watershed development was largely dictated by pluvial conditions during the early Holocene, which are also implicated in slope failure. A viable trigger is magma emplacement into rift zones in the eastern flank of a water-saturated edifice, leading to the development of excess pore pressures, consequent reduction in sliding resistance, detachment and collapse. Such a mechanism is presented as one potential driver of future lateral collapse in volcanic landscapes forecast to experience increased precipitation or melting of ice cover as a consequence of anthropogenic warming.

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“…The east flank of the edifice is sliding slowly into the sea. There is no downwarping, and the volcano is experiencing sector sliding not radial spreading (MCGUIRE and PULLEN, 1989;MCGUIRE et al, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Island Edifice Failures and Associated Tsunami Hazards

Keating¹

2000

Pure and Applied Geophysics

137

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Volcanic ocean islands are prone to structural failure of the edifice that result in landslides that can generate destructive tsunamis. These island landslides range enormously in size, varying from small rock falls to giant sector failures involving tens of cubic kilometers of debris. A survey of literature has allowed us to identify twenty-three processes that contribute to edifice collapse. These have been divided into endogenetic and exogenetic sources of edifice failure. Endogenetic sources of instability and failure include unstable foundations, volcanic intrusions, thermal alteration, edifice pore pressures, unbuttressed structures, and buried faults. Exogenetic sources of instability and failure include collapse of subaerial or submarine deposits, endo-upwelling, karst megaporosity, fractures, oversteepening, overloading, sea-level change, marine erosion, weathering including hurricanes, glacial response, volcanic activity, regional uplift or subsidence, tectonic seismicity and anthropogenic agents. While the endogenetic sources dominate during periods of active volcanism and cone building, the exogenetic sources may cause failure at any time. Tsunamis, both small and large, are associated with these edifice failures.

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Recent dyke-induced large-scale block movement at Mount Etna and potential slope failure

Cited by 101 publications

References 5 publications

Rock Mass Strength Assessment and Significance to Edifice Stability, Mount Rainier and Mount Hood, Cascade Range Volcanoes

Rock Mass Strength Assessment and Significance to Edifice Stability, Mount Rainier and Mount Hood, Cascade Range Volcanoes

Climate forcing of volcano lateral collapse: evidence from Mount Etna, Sicily

Island Edifice Failures and Associated Tsunami Hazards

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