GE 5180 - Volcanology - Fall Semester 2007
William I Rose
This class is intended as a tutorial on research in volcanology, with emphasis
on research in the field as defined in the broadest possible way. The class
will explore how a researcher picks a research topic in volcanology. Each
student will follow how a student goes about this important process of research
initiation, starting with their first ideas about a research theme and
developing their own guide for the selection and successful planning of a
research topic. Steps in this process might include some of the following:
Selecting a general theme, such as is the topic
of many chapters in the text.
Finding the key pieces of real knowledge which
constrains this topic.
Stating clearly the supposed conventional wisdom.
Identifying the key uncertainties in this
conventional wisdom.
Picking a likely research topic from a selection
of alternatives, and explaining why it is a good choice.
Proposing a hypothesis and describing how to test
it.
A research initiation document (a proposal?) will
be prepared as an exercise in this class, due at the end of classwork. It could represent the student’s
graduate thesis plan or a preliminary stab at this. The goal is to learn the process of starting research by
stating clearly a goal and its elements.
There is no single text that covers all of
volcanology, which is a very broad, interdisciplinary topic. We will use
Francis and Oppenheimer as our primary text: Francis, Peter and Clive
Oppenheimer Volcanoes
Paperback: 521 pages Oxford University
Pr; (2004) ISBN: 0199254699
In addition to the emphasis on research
initiation, we will aim to develop skills that are useful in volcanology,
including some advanced field methods and the use of GIS and DEM. Each student
will keep up with and report regularly about the current activity of a
particular volcano. They also will make presentations in class.
Additional general books on volcanology: A very
good source for physical volcanology is Volcanic Successions: Ancient and
Modern, by Cas and Wright ( Chapman &
Hall, 1987—out of print and not easily available to buy), . Another good
general book that covers a scope similar to this class is Encyclopedia
of Volcanoes, ed by H Sigurdsson (Academic
Press, 2000--ISBN# 0-12-643140-X). A new text by H Schminke Volcanism (Springer, 2004; ISBN 3-540-43650-2) has great
illustrations. We will also use readings from the recent literature by
scientists, to see what research papers consist of, and to get used to that
form of writing.
Readings Outline :
September 4-6: Francis & Oppenheimer, chapters 1, 3 and 7. What causes volcanoes?
Why basalt is dominant? And some fundamentals of lava flows. Mount St Helens
1980 For each chapter of the text, a student will be assigned to lead the
questions/discussions.
September 11-13: Francis & Oppenheimer, chapters 2 and 5.
September 16: Keweenaw Volcanic Geology Field
trip 1
September 13: Articles
for discussion: 1. Denlinger RP and RP Hoblitt,
1999, Cyclic eruptive behavior of
silicic volcanoes, Geology 27: 459-462. 2. Sparks RSJ, 1997, Causes and consequences of
pressurization in lava dome eruptions, EPSL 150-177-189. 3. Gonnermann HM and M Manga, 2003, Explosive volcanism may
not be an inevitable consequence of magma fragmentation, Nature 426: 432-435. 4. Barmin, A, O Melnik and RSJ Sparks, 2002, Periodic behavior
in lava dome eruptions, EPSL 199: 173-184.
September 18-20: Francis & Oppenheimer, chapters 4, 6
September 20: Articles for discussion: 5. Vergniolle, S & J Caplan-Auerbach, 2007, Basaltic thermals and subplinian plumes: Constratints from acoustic measurements at Shishaldin volcano, Alaska, Bulletin of Volcanology 68: 611-630. 6. Kamenetsky VS et al., 2007, Arrival of extremely volatile-rich High Mg magmas changes explosivity of Mount Etna, Geology35: 255-258. 7. Calder, ES, RSJ Sparks and MC Gardeweg, 2000, Erosion, transport and segregation of pumice and lithic clasts in pyroclastic flows inferred from ignimbrite at Lascar Volcano, Chile, JVGR 104: 201-235. 8. Belousov A., B Voight and M Belousova, 2007, Directed blasts and blast-generated pyroclastic density currents: A comparison of the Bezimianny 1956, Mount St Helens 1980 and Soufriere Hills, Montserrat 1997 eruptions and deposits, Bulletin of Volcanology 69: 701-740.
September 23: Volcanic Geology Field Trip 2 Silver
Island Map Resources
September 25-27: Francis & Oppenheimer, chapter 8
October 2-4: Articles for discussion: 9. Roggensack, K., 2001, Unraveling the 1974 eruption of Fuego Volcano (Guatemala) with small crystals and their young melt inclusions, Geology 29: 911-914. 10. Stix J, 2007, Stability and instability of quiescently active volcanoes: The case of Masaya, Nicaragua, Geology 35:535-538. 11. Moune, S et al, 2006, Recent volatile evolution in the magmatic system of Hekla Volcano, Iceland, EPSL 255: 373-389. 12. Roman DC et al, 2006, Storage and interaction of compositionally heterogeneous magmas from the 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska, Bulletin of Volcanology, 68: 240-254.
October 9-11: Francis & Oppenheimer, chapters 7, 9 Plumeria Exercise
October 16-18: Articles for discussion: 13. Rose W I, C M Riley and S Dartevelle,
2003, Sizes and shapes of 10 ma distal ashfall pyroclasts in the
Ogalalla Group, Nebraska, J Geology,
111:115-124. 14. C. Bonadonna, and B F Houghton, 2005, Total
Grain Size distribution and volume of tephra fall deposits, Bull Volcanol 67: 441-456. 15. Riley, C M, W I
Rose and G J S Bluth, 2003, Quantitative shape measurements of distal
volcanic ash J Geophys
Res, in press 16. Dartevelle S, G G J
Ernst, J Stix and A Bernard, 2002, Origin
of the Mount Pinatubo climactic eruption cloud: Implications for volcanic
hazards and atmospheric impacts, Geology: Vol.
30, No. 7, pp. 663-666.
October 23-25: Francis & Oppenheimer, Chapters 10 and 12
Oct 30-Nov 1: Articles for discussion: 17. Edmonds M
and T M Gerlach, 2007, Vapor
segregation and loss in basaltic melts,
Geology
35: 751-754. 18. Druitt, T H , G Avard, G Bruni, P Lettieri and F Maez, Gas
retention in fine-grained pyroclastic flow materials at high temperatures, Bull
Volcanol 69: 881-901. 19. Davidson, J, S Turner, H Handley C Macpherson and A Dosseto,
2007, Amphibole “sponge” in arc crust, Geology 35: 787-790. 20. Harris AJL, J Dehn and S Calvari, 2007 Lava effusion rate
definition and measurement: a review, Bull Volcanol.
70: 1-22.
November 6-8: Francis & Oppenheimer, Chapters 11 and 13 DEM and
Satellite imagery and volcano morphology Exercise
November 13-15: Articles for discussion:
21. Wallace P J 2001, Volcanic SO2 emissions and the abundance and distribution
of exsolved gas in magma bodies, JVGR 108: 85-106.
22. Allard P, M Burton and F
Mure, 2005, Spectroscopic evidence for a lava fountain driven by
previously accumulated magmatic gas, Nature 433:
407-408.
December 4-6: Francis & Oppenheimer, Chapter 14
Articles in Red =
Already chosen
Chosen articles:
Lara: 1, 8, 12
Tricia: 10,
17, 21
Luke: 3, 7, 16
Lisa: 5, 11, 22
Kyle: 4, 9, 18
Oto: 2, 19, 20
Field Aspects and visitors: The
class will incorporate local field trips, campus visits to labs of critical
interest to volcanology and will also be helped by several visiting
volcanologists.
Field
exercises :
Sept 16: Keweenawan volcanic
geology part 1--general features (volcanology
of the mid continent rift).
Sept 23: Keweenawan volcanic
geology part 2--(mapping volcanologic
features).
Visitors:
Internal "visitors" will
include faculty from across the campus who have an interest in volcanological topics.
The list of people we can invite to class includes: Raymond Shaw, Alex
Kostinski, Will Cantrell (Physics); Rich Honrath, David Watkins (Environmental
Engineering); Gregg Bluth, Matt Watson, Jimmy Diehl, Sue Beske-Diehl (GES).
We will have a series of external
visitors aimed at exploring research in volcanology. The schedule that follows
is reflected in the seminar schedule which is listed in detail on the web (http://www.rsi.mtu.edu/seminar_current.html).
The volcanology class must attend all of these seminars, and the
visitors will also visit our classes for discussions:
Sept 2-6: Oleg Melnik, Moscow St
University
Sept 10-11: Fernando Muñoz
Sept 15-21: Peter Webley, Univ Alaska
Fairbanks/AVO
Sept 24-25: Joy Crisp, NASA JPL
October 1-2: Jonathan Lees, UNC
October 8-9: Jim Walker, Northern Ill
Univ
October 14-15: Kurt Roggensack, Arizona St Univ
October 22-23: Paul Wallace, Oregon
St Univ
October 29-30: Eliza Calder, Univ at Buffalo
Nov 6-7: Simon Carn, UMBC
Nov 12-13: Glyn Williams-Jones, Simon
Fraser Univ
Grades
You will be expected to develop a web based communication, which traces the
selection of a research topic in volcanology. There will also be a final oral
exam. Grade will be based on class participation, your class presentations, the
web communication and the final.