Volcano internal structure
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Advanced Imaging Techniques for Volcano Internal Structure
Recent advances in geophysical imaging have greatly improved our understanding of volcano internal structure. High-resolution airborne electromagnetic surveys can now create detailed 3D resistivity models of active volcanoes, revealing features such as hydrothermal systems beneath craters, magma intrusion pathways, and inherited faults. These models provide unprecedented detail and help anticipate events like phreato-magmatic eruptions or volcano destabilizations . Similarly, near-surface geophysical surveys, including self-potential and ground-temperature measurements, have been used to map eruption feeder dykes, spatter facies, and hydrothermal fluid circulation zones within volcanic cones .
Mechanical and Density Tomography of Magma Pathways
Mechanical tomography using GNSS data and unsupervised Bayesian inversion methods allows researchers to dynamically identify substructures activated during magma migration. This approach has mapped magma movement from deep sources (7–8 km) to the surface, revealing the shapes and volumes of dikes, ellipsoids, and pipes that make up the volcano’s plumbing system. These models align with observed eruptive fissures and seismic activity, providing valuable information for forecasting eruption volumes 34.
Three-dimensional density tomography, achieved through multi-directional muography, has also been used to visualize the internal structure of scoria cones. This technique detects high-density zones corresponding to central vents and radial dikes, offering a clear view of magma movement and eruption processes 68. Muography is especially valuable for its high resolution and ability to directly visualize internal volcanic features.
Lithostratigraphy and Growth Styles in Volcanic Cones
Lithostratigraphic studies of exposed crater walls, such as those at Piton de La Fournaise, have revealed the construction history of basaltic shield volcanoes. These studies show that summit cones are built through alternating explosive and effusive periods, with crater collapses linked to rapid emptying of shallow magma reservoirs. The internal structure is shaped by exogenous growth and the migration of eruptive activity, with hydrothermal systems confined at significant depths .
Investigations of cryptodomes, like the Ogariyama dome, show concentrically zoned internal structures with a massive core, jointed rim, and brecciated border. These features result from endogenous growth, continuous magma supply, and cooling processes, and differ from subaqueous cryptodomes in morphology and jointing patterns .
Internal Structure of Mud Volcanoes
Mud volcanoes, both terrestrial and submarine, have complex internal structures revealed by electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic imaging. Studies have identified features such as laterally offset mud chambers, narrow feeder channels, and multiple conduits, indicating that mud fluid migration is not always vertical or directly beneath surface vents. These findings highlight the complexity of mud volcano plumbing systems and the importance of subsurface imaging for understanding their behavior 710.
Conclusion
Modern geophysical and imaging techniques—such as airborne electromagnetism, GNSS-based mechanical tomography, muography, and ERT—have revolutionized our ability to visualize and understand the internal structure of volcanoes. These methods reveal intricate details of magma pathways, hydrothermal systems, and growth processes, providing critical insights for eruption forecasting and volcanic hazard assessment 1234+6 MORE.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Mechanical Imaging of a Volcano Plumbing System From GNSS Unsupervised Modeling
This study developed a fully unsupervised Bayesian inversion method to identify internal structures in active volcanoes, allowing for mechanical "tomography" of magma pathways and enabling predictions of erupted lava volumes.
Mechanical tomography of a volcano plumbing system from GNSS unsupervised modeling
This study developed a fully unsupervised Bayesian inversion method to identify internal structures in active volcanoes, providing a "mechanical tomography" of the plumbing system, which can help predict eruptions without co-eruptive refilling.
DOI
Internal structure and building of basaltic shield volcanoes: the example of the Piton de La Fournaise terminal cone (La Réunion)
The Piton de La Fournaise terminal cone's history shows that its upper part was predominantly built by exogenous growth, with the hydrothermal system confined at a depth of over 350 meters.
Three-dimensional density tomography determined from multi-directional muography of the Omuroyama scoria cone, Higashi–Izu monogenetic volcano field, Japan
Multi-directional muography reveals the three-dimensional internal structure of the Omuroyama scoria cone, aiding in understanding volcanic activity and disaster mitigation.
Internal Structure of Venere Mud Volcano in the Crotone Forearc Basin, Calabrian Arc, Italy, from Multibeam Bathymetry, Wide-Angle and Multichannel Seismic Data
The internal structure of Venere Mud Volcano, a submarine mud volcano in the Crotone Forearc Basin, Italy, reveals two separate feeder conduits and a subseafloor dimension that exceeds its seafloor dimension by a factor of two.
DOI