IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v5y2014i1d10.1038_ncomms6090.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determining volcanic eruption styles on Earth and Mars from crystallinity measurements

Author

Listed:
  • Kellie T. Wall

    (School of the Environment, Washington State University, Webster Physical Science Building)

  • Michael C. Rowe

    (School of Environment, University of Auckland, Commerce A Building)

  • Ben S. Ellis

    (Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zurich)

  • Mariek E. Schmidt

    (Brock University)

  • Jennifer D. Eccles

    (School of Environment, University of Auckland, Commerce A Building)

Abstract

Both Earth and Mars possess different styles of explosive basaltic volcanism. Distinguishing phreatomagmatic eruptions, driven by magma–water interaction, from ‘magmatic’ explosive eruptions (that is, strombolian and plinian eruptions) is important for determining the presence of near-surface water or ice at the time of volcanism. Here we show that eruption styles can be broadly identified by relative variations in groundmass or bulk crystallinity determined by X-ray diffraction. Terrestrial analogue results indicate that rapidly quenched phreatomagmatic ejecta display lower groundmass crystallinity ( 40%). Numerical modelling suggests Martian plinian eruptive plumes moderate cooling, allowing 20–30% syn-eruptive crystallization, and thus reduce the distinction between eruption styles on Mars. Analysis of Mars Curiosity rover CheMin X-ray diffraction results from Gale crater indicate that the crystallinity of Martian sediment (52–54%) is similar to pyroclastic rocks from Gusev crater, Mars, and consistent with widespread distribution of basaltic strombolian or plinian volcanic ejecta.

Suggested Citation

  • Kellie T. Wall & Michael C. Rowe & Ben S. Ellis & Mariek E. Schmidt & Jennifer D. Eccles, 2014. "Determining volcanic eruption styles on Earth and Mars from crystallinity measurements," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6090
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6090
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms6090
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms6090?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6090. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.