Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System
Abstract Volcanic activity has been shown to affect Earth's climate in a myriad of ways. One such example is that eruptions proximate to surface ice will promote ice melting. In turn, the crustal unloading associated with melting an ice sheet affects the internal dynamics of the underlying magm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011743 |
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| author | A. N. Coonin C. Huber J. Troch M. Townsend K. Scholz B. S. Singer |
| author_facet | A. N. Coonin C. Huber J. Troch M. Townsend K. Scholz B. S. Singer |
| author_sort | A. N. Coonin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Volcanic activity has been shown to affect Earth's climate in a myriad of ways. One such example is that eruptions proximate to surface ice will promote ice melting. In turn, the crustal unloading associated with melting an ice sheet affects the internal dynamics of the underlying magma plumbing system. Geochronologic data from the Andes over the last two glacial cycles suggest that glaciation and volcanism may interact via a positive feedback loop. At present, accurate sea‐level predictions hinge on our ability to forecast the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and thus require consideration of two‐way subglacial volcano‐deglaciation processes. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is particularly vulnerable to collapse, yet its position atop an active volcanic rift is seldom considered. Ice unloading deepens the zone of melting and alters the crustal stress field, impacting conditions for dike initiation, propagation, and arrest. However, the consequences for internal magma chamber dynamics and long‐term eruption behavior remain elusive. Given that unloading‐triggered volcanism in West Antarctica may contribute to the uncertainty of ice loss projections, we adapt a previously published thermomechanical magma chamber model and simulate a shrinking ice load through a prescribed lithostatic pressure decrease. We investigate the impacts of varying unloading scenarios on magma volatile partitioning and eruptive trajectory. Considering the removal of km‐thick ice sheets, we demonstrate that the rate of unloading influences the cumulative mass erupted and consequently the heat released into the ice. These findings provide fundamental insights into the complex volcano‐ice interactions in West Antarctica and other subglacial volcanic settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3fa11a72bbc84147bcb50a14a7af981a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj-art-3fa11a72bbc84147bcb50a14a7af981a2024-12-24T14:06:36ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272024-12-012512n/an/a10.1029/2024GC011743Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift SystemA. N. Coonin0C. Huber1J. Troch2M. Townsend3K. Scholz4B. S. Singer5Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence RI USADepartment of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence RI USADivision of Earth Sciences and Geography RWTH Aachen University Aachen GermanyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lehigh University Bethlehem PA USADepartment of Earth Sciences University of Oregon Eugene OR USADepartment of Geoscience University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison WI USAAbstract Volcanic activity has been shown to affect Earth's climate in a myriad of ways. One such example is that eruptions proximate to surface ice will promote ice melting. In turn, the crustal unloading associated with melting an ice sheet affects the internal dynamics of the underlying magma plumbing system. Geochronologic data from the Andes over the last two glacial cycles suggest that glaciation and volcanism may interact via a positive feedback loop. At present, accurate sea‐level predictions hinge on our ability to forecast the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and thus require consideration of two‐way subglacial volcano‐deglaciation processes. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is particularly vulnerable to collapse, yet its position atop an active volcanic rift is seldom considered. Ice unloading deepens the zone of melting and alters the crustal stress field, impacting conditions for dike initiation, propagation, and arrest. However, the consequences for internal magma chamber dynamics and long‐term eruption behavior remain elusive. Given that unloading‐triggered volcanism in West Antarctica may contribute to the uncertainty of ice loss projections, we adapt a previously published thermomechanical magma chamber model and simulate a shrinking ice load through a prescribed lithostatic pressure decrease. We investigate the impacts of varying unloading scenarios on magma volatile partitioning and eruptive trajectory. Considering the removal of km‐thick ice sheets, we demonstrate that the rate of unloading influences the cumulative mass erupted and consequently the heat released into the ice. These findings provide fundamental insights into the complex volcano‐ice interactions in West Antarctica and other subglacial volcanic settings.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011743volcanoice unloading‐eruption feedbacksmagma chamber dynamics |
| spellingShingle | A. N. Coonin C. Huber J. Troch M. Townsend K. Scholz B. S. Singer Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems volcano ice unloading‐eruption feedbacks magma chamber dynamics |
| title | Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System |
| title_full | Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System |
| title_fullStr | Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System |
| title_short | Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System |
| title_sort | magma chamber response to ice unloading applications to volcanism in the west antarctic rift system |
| topic | volcano ice unloading‐eruption feedbacks magma chamber dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011743 |
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