In situ observation of the percolation threshold in multiphase magma analogues

Colombier, M.; Wadsworth, F.B.; Scheu, B.; Vasseur, J.; Dobson, K.J.; Cáceres, F.; Allabar, A.; Marone, F.; Schlepütz, C.M.; Dingwell, D.B.

Abstract

Magmas vesiculate during ascent, producing complex interconnected pore networks, which can act as outgassing pathways and then deflate or compact to volcanic plugs. Similarly, in-conduit fragmentation events during dome-forming eruptions create open systems transiently, before welding causes pore sealing. The percolation threshold is the first-order transition between closed- and open-system degassing dynamics. Here, we use time-resolved, synchrotron-source X-ray tomography to image synthetic magmas that go through cycles of opening and closing, to constrain the percolation threshold ΦC at a range of melt crystallinity, viscosity and overpressure pertinent to shallow magma ascent. During vesiculation, we observed different percolative regimes for the same initial bulk crystallinity depending on melt viscosity and gas overpressure. At high viscosity (> 106 Pa s) and high overpressure (~ 1–4 MPa), we found that a brittle-viscous regime dominates in which brittle rupture allows system-spanning coalescence at a low percolation threshold (ΦC~0.17) via the formation of fracture-like bubble chains. Percolation was followed by outgassing and bubble collapse causing densification and isolation of the bubble network, resulting in a hysteresis in the evolution of connectivity with porosity. At low melt viscosity and overpressure, we observed a viscous regime with much higher percolation threshold (ΦC > 0.37) due to spherical bubble growth and lower degree of crystal connection. Finally, our results also show that sintering of crystal-free and crystal-bearing magma analogues is characterised by low percolation thresholds (ΦC = 0.04 – 0.10). We conclude that the presence of crystals lowers the percolation threshold during vesiculation and may promote outgassing in shallow, crystal-rich magma at initial stages of Vulcanian and Strombolian eruptions.

Citation

Colombier, M., Wadsworth, F., Scheu, B., Vasseur, J., Dobson, K., Cáceres, F., …Dingwell, D. (2020). In situ observation of the percolation threshold in multiphase magma analogues. Bulletin of Volcanology, 82(4), Article 32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-020-1370-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 13, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 4, 2020
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2020
• Deposit Date: Mar 18, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 31, 2020
• Journal: Bulletin of Volcanology
• Print ISSN: 0258-8900
• Electronic ISSN: 1432-0819
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 82
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: 32
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-020-1370-1