How long does it take to supersize an eruption

Mary R. Reid

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

82 Scopus citations

Abstract

A long-recognized correlation between the volume of major eruptions and the time interval between them suggests that magma may accumulate for about a million years before a supereruption. However, radiometric ages and time-dependent phenomena like crystal growth and compositional homogenization show that the duration of supervolcano magma accumulation could be significantly shorter than this. Crystals in supervolcano magmas may have protracted growth histories and may grow from chemically different hosts as crystallization progresses. Semisolid crystal mushes rather than liquid-rich magma chambers may be the prevalent state of supervolcano feeder systems and should be the focus of geophysical studies aimed at predicting future supereruptions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)23-28
Number of pages6
JournalElements
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2008

Keywords

  • Calderas
  • Explosive volcanism
  • Geochronology
  • Kinetics
  • Magmatic processes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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