Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography

Atka is a subduction-related volcanic island located in the central part of Aleutian Arc. The northeastern part of this island forms the Atka Volcanic Complex (AVC), which is built as a relict shield volcano of a circular shape overlain by several active and extinct volcanic vents of different ages....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ivan Koulakov, Ekaterina Boychenko, Sergey Z. Smirnov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
Series:Geosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/10/6/214
_version_ 1797566282722181120
author Ivan Koulakov
Ekaterina Boychenko
Sergey Z. Smirnov
author_facet Ivan Koulakov
Ekaterina Boychenko
Sergey Z. Smirnov
author_sort Ivan Koulakov
collection DOAJ
description Atka is a subduction-related volcanic island located in the central part of Aleutian Arc. The northeastern part of this island forms the Atka Volcanic Complex (AVC), which is built as a relict shield volcano of a circular shape overlain by several active and extinct volcanic vents of different ages. During the past few decades, two active volcanoes within AVC—Korovin and Kliuchef—demonstrated mostly phreatic eruptions and intensive fumarolic activity. We have created the first tomographic model of the crust beneath AVC with the use of data of eight permanent stations of the Alaskan Volcanological Observatory operated in the time period from 2004 to 2017 that included arrival times of the P and S waves from local seismicity. Based on a series of checkerboard tests, we have demonstrated fair vertical and horizontal resolution of the model down to ~6 km depth. Beneath the Korovin and Kliuchef volcanoes, we have revealed two isolated anomalies of high Vp/Vs with values exceeding 2, which represent separate magma chambers that are responsible for magmatic eruptions of these two volcanoes. In shallow layers down to 2–3 km deep, we observe an alternation of zones with low and high values of the Vp/Vs ratio, which are likely associated with the circulation of meteoric fluids in the uppermost crust. Moderately high Vp/Vs anomalies indicate zones of meteoric water penetration down to the ground. On the other hand, the very low values of Vp/Vs reaching 1.5 depict the areas where meteoric water reached the hot magma reservoir and transformed into steam. On the surface, these zones coincide with the distributions of fumaroles. The outflow of these steam currents from active vents of Korovin and Kliuchef led to episodic phreatic eruptions, sometimes synchronous.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T19:25:23Z
format Article
id doaj.art-26c5b8276ddb44079e096728601082be
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2076-3263
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T19:25:23Z
publishDate 2020-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Geosciences
spelling doaj.art-26c5b8276ddb44079e096728601082be2023-11-20T02:36:36ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632020-06-0110621410.3390/geosciences10060214Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake TomographyIvan Koulakov0Ekaterina Boychenko1Sergey Z. Smirnov2Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga, 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, RussiaDepartment of Physics and Technology, Novosibirsk State Technical University, Karl Marks Avenue 20, 630073 Novosibirsk, RussiaSobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga, 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, RussiaAtka is a subduction-related volcanic island located in the central part of Aleutian Arc. The northeastern part of this island forms the Atka Volcanic Complex (AVC), which is built as a relict shield volcano of a circular shape overlain by several active and extinct volcanic vents of different ages. During the past few decades, two active volcanoes within AVC—Korovin and Kliuchef—demonstrated mostly phreatic eruptions and intensive fumarolic activity. We have created the first tomographic model of the crust beneath AVC with the use of data of eight permanent stations of the Alaskan Volcanological Observatory operated in the time period from 2004 to 2017 that included arrival times of the P and S waves from local seismicity. Based on a series of checkerboard tests, we have demonstrated fair vertical and horizontal resolution of the model down to ~6 km depth. Beneath the Korovin and Kliuchef volcanoes, we have revealed two isolated anomalies of high Vp/Vs with values exceeding 2, which represent separate magma chambers that are responsible for magmatic eruptions of these two volcanoes. In shallow layers down to 2–3 km deep, we observe an alternation of zones with low and high values of the Vp/Vs ratio, which are likely associated with the circulation of meteoric fluids in the uppermost crust. Moderately high Vp/Vs anomalies indicate zones of meteoric water penetration down to the ground. On the other hand, the very low values of Vp/Vs reaching 1.5 depict the areas where meteoric water reached the hot magma reservoir and transformed into steam. On the surface, these zones coincide with the distributions of fumaroles. The outflow of these steam currents from active vents of Korovin and Kliuchef led to episodic phreatic eruptions, sometimes synchronous.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/10/6/214Aleutian ArcAtka IslandKorovin Volcanoseismic tomographylocal seismicitymagma chamber
spellingShingle Ivan Koulakov
Ekaterina Boychenko
Sergey Z. Smirnov
Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
Geosciences
Aleutian Arc
Atka Island
Korovin Volcano
seismic tomography
local seismicity
magma chamber
title Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
title_full Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
title_fullStr Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
title_full_unstemmed Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
title_short Magma Chambers and Meteoric Fluid Flows Beneath the Atka Volcanic Complex (Aleutian Islands) Inferred from Local Earthquake Tomography
title_sort magma chambers and meteoric fluid flows beneath the atka volcanic complex aleutian islands inferred from local earthquake tomography
topic Aleutian Arc
Atka Island
Korovin Volcano
seismic tomography
local seismicity
magma chamber
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/10/6/214
work_keys_str_mv AT ivankoulakov magmachambersandmeteoricfluidflowsbeneaththeatkavolcaniccomplexaleutianislandsinferredfromlocalearthquaketomography
AT ekaterinaboychenko magmachambersandmeteoricfluidflowsbeneaththeatkavolcaniccomplexaleutianislandsinferredfromlocalearthquaketomography
AT sergeyzsmirnov magmachambersandmeteoricfluidflowsbeneaththeatkavolcaniccomplexaleutianislandsinferredfromlocalearthquaketomography