Connecting Lava Rheology and Flow Dynamics Using Novel Field and Modeling Techniques

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Lava flows are abundant throughout the solar system, and are the most common fashion in which erupted magmas are emplaced. Lava flows hold key information about fundamental processes of planetary evolution, but at the same time present a great risk to the communities residing near some active volcanoes. Despite their clear importance in shaping the planet and affecting society, there are many open questions regarding the properties and behavior of lava flows. This project aims to combine a novel observational technique for measuring lava deformation in the field with a comprehensive flow modeling program in order to develop a better understanding of lava physical properties and the behavior and dynamics of active flows. Gaining more accurate descriptions of the mechanical properties of lavas in their natural environment and of the processes controlling flow emplacement will help address fundamental scientific questions, such as the way oceanic crust is formed or how the faces of volcanically-active moons and planets are shaped. The proposed work is applicable to lava flows in a wide range of environments. The researchers will employ a new experimental, observational and analytical methodology designed to measure lava velocity in active channelized flows in great detail and to infer a rheology model from it. They will capture, in-situ, the entire surface velocity and temperature fields of the flowing lava using both visible and infrared high-resolution cameras. They make observations on both natural lava flows in active volcanoes (e.g., in Hawai'i or Italy) and man-made lava flows at the Lava Project experimental facility in Syracuse University (http://lavaproject.syr.edu). The theoretical aspects of this work will employ modern computer-vision techniques to extract the velocity field from the captured imagery. Data obtained in the experiments and in the field will be used to narrow down the most appropriate rheological model and parameters that are needed to describe flowing lava. This will be done by systematically examining numerical forward-models of channelized flow with varying rheologies and geometries. This work will be the first time that lava rheology and deformation are studied at such detail and close range. In parallel to the observational effort, it is planned to advance the computational tools used to model lava flows, in order to allow models that account for complex rheologies and flow structures. For example, they will strive to develop a modeling tool that will include the field-based rheological model and will support self- channelization, an important capability currently not available to the community. They will make their modeling tool general and flexible, to accommodate a wide set of eruption environments, including terrestrial, submarine and volcanic terrains on other planets.