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Diversity of soluble salt concentrations on volcanic ash aggregates from a variety of eruption types and deposits

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Abstract

Ash aggregation is a common phenomenon in particle-laden environments of volcanic eruption plumes and pyroclastic density currents. Many of these initially fragile aggregates gain sufficient mechanical strength to remain intact after atmospheric transport and deposition. Several processes contribute to ash aggregate stability, including electrostatic and hydrostatic bonding, ice formation, and cementation by salt precipitates. Here, we compare leachate chemistry from aggregates from a variety of eruption and sedimentation conditions, ranging from dry magmatic eruptions with immediate deposition, to eruptions through seawater. The leachate data shows that the broad window of opportunity for aggregation and aggregate break-up may be used to qualitatively constrain suspended ash concentration and its temporal evolution. We show that aggregation rate and aggregate stability largely depend on the availability of external water and salt source. In particular, high humidity and extensive salt precipitation in seawater environments, such as during the Surtseyan eruptions, promote high aggregation rates and aggregate stability, with accordingly accentuated proximal deposition and aggregate concentration in the deposits. On the other hand, low humidity and salt concentrations during dry magmatic eruptions promote less aggregation and more efficient aggregate break-up, explaining the rarity of aggregates in the deposits. These results have strong implications for the ash budget in volcanic plumes and associated models of plume dispersal and related hazards.

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Acknowledgments

MC and DBD acknowledge support from an ERC Advanced Grant (Explosive Volcanism in the Earth System: EVOKES - 247076). UK and SM acknowledge financial support by the European Commission (FP7-MC-ITN grant number 607905: VERTIGO). UK acknowledges financial support from grant KU2689/2-1 from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. SJC and MT acknowledge funding support from the School of Environment and the Faculty Development Research Fund of the University of Auckland. MC and SBM are grateful to Koni for inspirational thoughts about this paper. We also thank the editor Andrew Harris and the associate editor Laura Pioli, as well as Eduardo Rossi and an anonymous reviewer, for discussions that contributed to substantial improvement of our initial manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mathieu Colombier.

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Editorial responsibility: L. Pioli

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Colombier, M., Mueller, S.B., Kueppers, U. et al. Diversity of soluble salt concentrations on volcanic ash aggregates from a variety of eruption types and deposits. Bull Volcanol 81, 39 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-019-1302-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-019-1302-0

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