Submarine Eruptions A large submarine eruption on the East Pacific Rise produced the 8 degrees S lava field, probably in the last 25 years. The estimated volume of the eruption is about 15 cubic km. The great size of this eruption is illustrated by comparing it to a few other volumes. For example, the average annual volume of lava erupted from all of Earths volcanoes is estimated to be 4-5 cubic km, about 3 cubic km erupts at mid-ocean ridges. The 1783 eruption of Laki in Iceland, the largest historic basaltic eruption, had a total volume of 12.3 cubic km. Macdonald and others (1989) point out that the volume of the 8 degrees S lava field is enough to bury the entire U.S. Interstate freeway system to a depth of 10 m. The eruption originated at either the axial summit graben or from a fissure and line of cones just 2.5 km east of the graben. Timing of the eruption is constrained by the high reflectivity of the flow, earthquakes in the area in the 1960s, and the presence, volume, and location of a plume of 3He. Map from Macdonald and others (1989) volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/138 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_submarine_volcanoes
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:33:27 +0000
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