Caldera resurgence during the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos Islands.


Type
Article
Change log
Abstract

Recent large basaltic eruptions began after only minor surface uplift and seismicity, and resulted in caldera subsidence. In contrast, some eruptions at Galápagos Island volcanoes are preceded by prolonged, large amplitude uplift and elevated seismicity. These systems also display long-term intra-caldera uplift, or resurgence. However, a scarcity of observations has obscured the mechanisms underpinning such behaviour. Here we combine a unique multiparametric dataset to show how the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra contributed to caldera resurgence. Magma supply to a shallow reservoir drove 6.5 m of pre-eruptive uplift and seismicity over thirteen years, including an Mw5.4 earthquake that triggered the eruption. Although co-eruptive magma withdrawal resulted in 8.5 m of subsidence, net uplift of the inner-caldera on a trapdoor fault resulted in 1.5 m of permanent resurgence. These observations reveal the importance of intra-caldera faulting in affecting resurgence, and the mechanisms of eruption in the absence of well-developed rift systems.

Description
Keywords
37 Earth Sciences, 3703 Geochemistry, 3705 Geology, 3706 Geophysics
Journal Title
Nat Commun
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
2041-1723
2041-1723
Volume Title
12
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC