New eyes on eruptions

Fieldwork at the volcanic crater of the 2021 La Palma eruption, Canary Islands, undertaken in January 2024. R Herrera (left), T Ubide (middle), JJ Coello-Bravo (right) and other volcanologists in the team examined eruptive products and collected new samples for additional analysis on the drivers of volcanism for future eruption monitoring. Image: A Márquez

When volcanoes erupt, it's not just lava and ash that explodes. Now, thanks to NCRIS-enabled research, the details on the composition of lava that can be gathered during an eruption has expanded. This new data-rich research, published in Science Advances, is shedding light on why volcanoes erupt and how we can better forecast their behaviour.

The Challenge

How can we better understand the complex dynamics of volcanic eruptions, including their onset, evolution, and cessation, crucial for effective eruption forecasting and emergency management? Teresa Ubide and colleagues are a step closer to answering this question by tracking the subtle variations in magma composition.

“Our new research applies laser technology to read into the chemical composition of erupted magma over time.”
– Associate Professor Teresa Ubide

Lava fountaining from the eruption of the main cone, La Palma, Canary Islands, 23 September 2021.

Research

The team analysed the composition of the liquid rock (the melt portion of the magma, which also contains crystals) that erupts from volcanoes, as it holds important clues about how eruptions behave. They examined tiny variations in the magma's chemical makeup.

 By studying samples collected during the entire 2021 eruption of La Palma volcano, they discovered distinct pulses of melt that triggered different stages of the eruption. 

They also found that changes in the magma's composition corresponded to shifts in lava flow rates, vent activity, seismic activity, and gas emissions. They found chemical signs changed two weeks before the eruption ended. Similar signs may be useful to forecast the end of future eruptions.

Panorama of the crater area of the 2021 La Palma eruption, Canary Islands. Image taken in January 2024. Image: T Ubide

Laser focus

The team's samples were analysed in the AuScope-supported laser ablation mass spectrometry laboratory at the University of Queensland. This novel approach involved using a laser (similar to those used in eye surgery) that allows the selection of very small regions of interest within complex geological materials.

In the case of La Palma, the team was able to analyse rock that represented the erupted magmatic liquid without the complicating effects of crystals that can be swept up and recycled from the depths of a volcano. Traditional bulk rock analysis results would not have been able to separate recycled rock from fresh rock.

View instrumentation here.

AuScope also provided operational support via AuScope NCRIS grant RIIP2022 UQ project 3.1263 2023-24

Laser ablation mass inductively coupled plasma spectrometry laboratory at the University of Queensland (Radiogenic Isotope Facility, RIF lab, within the Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry) and microscope view of lava with colourful crystals in a dark rock matrix. Image: Teresa Ubide

Outcomes and impacts

The research findings have implications for volcanic monitoring and hazard assessment, providing valuable insights into eruption dynamics and evolution. Key outcomes so far:

  • The development of standards and data reduction strategies for the community | LINK

  • Volcano monitoring tracking the evolution of future volcanic eruption | LINK

  • New Reference Materials, Analytical Procedures and Data Reduction Strategies for Sr Isotope Measurements in Geological Materials by LA-MC-ICP-MS | LINK

"Our research aims to understand how volcanoes work, with the ultimate goal to protect lives and livelihoods in volcanic regions." 
– Associate Professor Teresa Ubide

Volcanic crater and ash, late 2021 La Palma eruption, Canary Islands. Image: JJ Coello-Bravo.

Translation and Future work

This work is continuing into the future, with Teresa and the team developing the analytical capacity to measure Sr isotope ratios in situ in a range of geological materials with a special focus on tracking the processes that lead to enrichment in critical metals. This has the potential to improve Australia’s ability to locate precious critical minerals that are in demand due to global requirements.

Find out more: Optimising high-resolution, high-precision analysis of Sr-isotopes

Key People and Organisations

2024 field team at the 2021 La Palma eruption crater, from left, ‘Alvaro Márquez, Raquel Herrera, Teresa Ubide and Juan Jesús Coello-Bravo (plus Eumenio Anchochea, not in the image), La Palma, Canary Islands.

References

Mulder, J., Hagen-Peter, G., Ubide, T., Andreasen, R., Kooijman, E., Kielman-Schmitt, M., Feng, X., Paul, B., Karlsson, A., Tegner, C., Lesher, C., & Costa, F. (2023). New Reference Materials, Analytical Procedures and Data Reduction Strategies for Sr Isotope Measurements in Geological Materials by LA-MC-ICP-MS. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 47(2), 311-336. DOI

Ubide, T., Márquez, Á., Ancochea, E., Huertas, M. J., Herrera, R., Coello-Bravo, J. J., Sanz-Mangas, D., Mulder, J., MacDonald, A., & Galindo, I. (2023). Discrete magma injections drive the 2021 La Palma eruption. Science Advances. DOI

Ubide, T., MacDonald, A., Mulder, J. (2023) Volcano eruptions are notoriously hard to forecast. A new method using lasers could be the key. Published: July 6, 2023 | The Conversation

Contact Information

For further information please contact Associate Professor Teresa Ubide, The University of Queensland.

 
 
 

CASE STUDY
A study on the 2021 La Palma eruption using NCRIS-enabled laser technology demonstrates how analysing magma chemistry over time can enhance volcanic monitoring and forecasting, potentially mitigating future eruption hazards globally.

ECE, case studyAuScopevolcano