Solid Earth

Experimental craters formed by single and multiple buried explosions and implications for volcanic craters with emphasis on maars

  1. Greg A. Valentine1,*,
  2. James D. L. White2,
  3. Pierre-Simon Ross3,
  4. Jamal Amin4,
  5. Jacopo Taddeucci5,
  6. Ingo Sonder6,
  7. Peter J. Johnson4

Article first published online: 16 OCT 2012

DOI: 10.1029/2012GL053716

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume 39, Issue 20, 28 October 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Valentine, G. A., J. D. L. White, P.-S. Ross, J. Amin, J. Taddeucci, I. Sonder, and P. J. Johnson (2012), Experimental craters formed by single and multiple buried explosions and implications for volcanic craters with emphasis on maars, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L20301, doi:10.1029/2012GL053716.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Geology and Center for Geohazards Studies, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

  2. 2

    Geology Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

  3. 3

    Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Québec City, Québec, Canada

  4. 4

    Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

  5. 5

    Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy

  6. 6

    Center for Geohazards Studies, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

*Corresponding author: G. A. Valentine, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, 411 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA. (gav4@buffalo.edu)

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 OCT 2012
  2. Article first published online: 16 OCT 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 14 SEP 2012
  4. Manuscript Revised: 12 SEP 2012
  5. Manuscript Received: 28 AUG 2012

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (363K)

Keywords:

  • diatreme;
  • ejecta;
  • maar;
  • volcanic crater

[1] Craters at many volcanoes, including most maars, are formed by multiple subsurface explosions. Experiments compared the crater formed by a single large, buried explosion, with craters formed by multiple explosions with the same cumulative energy. Explosive charges were detonated in pads composed of layered aggregates, in three configurations: (1) a single large charge buried near its optimal crater excavation depth; (2) three charges, each with 1/3 the energy of the first one, buried at approximately the same depth with respect to the original pad surface; (3) the same three charges buried successively deeper. Final crater size in the multiple explosion cases is not a good indicator of the energy of individual explosions. However, crater morphology, and ejecta volume and distribution can be good indicators of explosion energy and depth. These results directly impact the estimate of the energy released by past maar eruptions and future hazard assessments.

View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (363K)