Imagining and constraining ferrovolcanic eruptions and landscapes through large-scale experiments

Area of Science:

• Planetary Science
• Geophysics
• Experimental Petrology

Background:

• Ferrovolcanism, the volcanism involving metallic lava flows, is a predicted but unobserved phenomenon crucial for understanding planetary evolution.
• Current understanding of ferrovolcanic emplacement dynamics and the interaction between metallic and silicate magmas is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the emplacement dynamics of metallic lava flows, both alone and co-emplaced with silicate lava.
• To understand the physical interactions and resulting morphologies of coeval metallic and silicate flows under controlled experimental conditions.

Main Methods:

• Large-scale laboratory experiments simulating volcanic flows using metallic and silicate analogues at the Syracuse Lava Project.
• Analysis of flow velocities, morphologies, and interfacial interactions between metallic and silicate liquids.

Main Results:

• Metallic lava flows exhibit significantly higher velocities (approximately ten times faster) than silicate lava flows under identical environmental conditions.
• Metallic flows are largely decoupled from silicate flows, predominantly forming braided channels beneath and low-relief breakouts from the silicate flow front.
• Turbulent interactions at the metallic-silicate interface lead to liquid mingling, evidenced by preserved erosional surfaces and sharp contacts.

Conclusions:

• The distinct rheological properties of metallic and silicate lavas dictate their emplacement behavior and interaction patterns.
• Experimental findings provide a framework for interpreting potential ferrovolcanic features on other celestial bodies.
• This research enhances our understanding of exotic volcanism and its implications for planetary geology.