IGA Lecture – 8 December 2021 – Dr Claire Harnett (UCD) – Virtual Volcanoes

Abstract

Volcanic instability can lead to explosive activity and pyroclastic flow generation, both during an ongoing eruption and outside of active lava extrusion, making edifice instability one of the most deadly consequences of volcanic activity. The mechanisms linked to a collapse are, however, still poorly understood and very few numerical models exist that investigate the actual collapse of a volcanic dome after emplacement. Using a novel technique, I investigate volcanic dome growth, as well as investigating the conditions that promote collapse, both on Earth and on other planetary environments. I show that volcanic dome collapse exhibits many features similar to common landslides and, by investigating strain patterns within the dome, I use modelling to understand features that normally elude field observations.