0000000000546842
AUTHOR
Volker Lorenz
FORMATION OF PHREATOMAGMATIC MAAR–DIATREME VOLCANOES AND ITS RELEVANCE TO KIMBERLITE DIATREMES
ABSTRACT Studies of maars and diatremes suggest a specific process in their formation. Magma rises along a fissure and contacts ground– or surface derived water. The resulting phreatomagmatic eruptions give rise to base surge and air–fall deposits consisting of juvenile and wall–rock material. Spalling of the wall–rocks enlarges the fissure into an embryonic vent. At a critical diameter of the vent large-scale spalling at depth and slumping near the surface gives rise to a ring–fault of large diameter and subsidence of the enclosed wall–rocks and overlying pyroclastic debris. This subsidence leads to a maar crater at the surface. Fluidization processes are active in the narrow vent and in f…
External ballistic of volcanic explosions
In order to determine the kinetic energy of an explosion it is necessary to know the initial velocities of ejected fragments. Calculations of initial velocities made earlier with few exceptions did not take into account the resistance of the air and therefore, greatly underestimated the initial velocities, and consequently the energy of the explosions. A solution of the inverse problem of ballistics which takes into account air resistance makes it possible to find precise values of initial velocities of ejection, determined from the distance of ejected fragments and their ballistic coefficients. The method makes it possible to determine the kinetic energy of explosions for eruptions which w…
On the formation of maars
The Pleistocene maars in the Eifel region of Germany, and Massif Central in France, formed when fissures opened at the bottom of older valleys allowing stream water to pour down them and come into contact with rising magma. The resulting phreato-magmatic eruptions gave rise to both base surge and air-fall deposits. Spalling of wall rock at depth enlarged the fissure into an eruption chamber. Subsidence along a ring fault into the eruption chamber accounts for the larger crater cut into the country rocks. The volume relationship between the crater excavated, the ejected pyroclastic debris of the rim and the volume below the floor of the crater, indicates that the volume of the maar ejecta is…
Collapse structures in the Permian of the Saar-Nahe area, Southwest Germany
Volcanic breccias near an intrusive rhyolite dome in the Permian Saar-Nahe trough of southwest Germany have been identified as complex pipe-like subsidence-structures occupying the site and immediate neighbourhood of “explosive” volcanoes.
Formation of Hercynian subplates, possible causes and consequences
WITH the exception of the microplate models of Badham and Halls1 and Riding2 models of Hercynian plate tectonics3–7 have assumed the existence of only one plate, that is, South Europe, between Africa and the Tethys in the south and North America–Europe and the Mid-European Ocean in the north. The South European plate has generally been considered as a stable unit. Studies of the Alpine system8, however, suggest that such an assumption may not be valid. I assume here that during the Carboniferous, South Europe was originally an elongated plate with nearly straight margins and internal structures. Collision with the irregular continental margins of the bounding plates North America–Europe and…
On the growth of maars and diatremes and its relevance to the formation of tuff rings
Small and large maars exist associated with small and large diatremes, respectively, their subsurface feeder structures. The problem of size and growth of maar-diatreme volcanoes is discussed from a phreatomagmatic point of view from field data, some geophysical data, and short-lived historic maar eruptions. A hydrostatic pressure barrier of usually about 20–30 bars is assumed to control the maximum depth level of explosive magma/groundwater interactions. Similar to the situation in submarine and subglacial volcanism, initial maar-forming water vapour explosions are therefore assumed to occur at shallow depth and to produce a small maar with a shallow diatreme. Because of limited availabili…
Vesiculated tuffs and associated features
Vesiculated tuffs are tuffs that contain vesicles between the ash particles. Formation of the vesicles is the result of trapping of steam, the transporting agent of volcanic base surges, in wet, muddy or sticky ash deposited by the base surges. Vesiculated tuffs are described from various maars and tuff-rings in Europe (Iceland, France, Germany) and USA together with associated surface features such as: gravity flowage ripples, mud flow channels, current ripples, and current ridges. Other features described are: plastering of ash against obstacles and vesiculated accretionary lapilli, the latter containing vesicles in the outer layer. Vesiculated base surge deposits probably contained as mu…
The Permocarboniferous Basin and Range Province of Europe. An Application op Plate Tectonics
Distribution and development of European late Hercynian intermontane troughs and associated volcanicity are related to an upper mantle diapir which formed above two subduction zones during the Hercynian cycle of orogenesis. Lateral spreading of the diapir caused regional extension of the previously folded crust and enabled tholeiitic magmas from the upper mantle and rhyolitic magmas from the lower crust to reach the surface.