Magma acoustics and time-varying melt properties at Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

The similarity of acoustic and seismic spectra recorded during Strombolian activity of Arenal Volcano provides conclusive evidence that pressure waves are generated and propagated within the magma-gas mixture inside volcanic conduits. These pressure waves are sensitive to the flow velocity and to small changes in the gas content of the magma-gas mixture, and thus can provide useful indicators of the time-varying properties of the unsteady flow regime and the chemical composition of the melt. The dominant features of the observed explosion and tremor signals are attributed, to the source excitation functions and the acoustic resonance of a magma-gas mixture inside the volcanic conduit. We postulate that explosions are triggered in the shallow parts of the magma conduit, where a drastic pressure drop with depth creates a region where violent degassing can occur. Tremor may be sustained by unsteady flow fluctuations at depth. Equilibrium degassing of the melt creates a stable, stratified magma column where the void fraction increases with decreasing depth. Disruption of this equilibrium stratification is thought to be responsible for observed variations in the seismic efficiency of explosions and enhanced acoustic transmission from the interior of the conduit to the atmosphere.