Three-Dimensional Failure Patterns Around an Inflating Magmatic Chamber
Abstract
Bedrock failure around an inflating magma chamber is an important factor that controls the occurrence of volcanic eruptions. Here, we employ 3-D numerical models of elasto-plastic shear failure around an inflating crustal reservoir, to study how the induced failure patterns depend on the geometry of the chamber, on the host rock strength and on the gravitational field. Our simulations show that either localized or diffuse plastic failure domains develop in 3 stages. Failure initiates (stage 1) after a critical overpressure is reached, the value of which depends on effective host rock strength. Next, and with increasing applied overpressure, either distributed (for zero friction angle) or localized plastic failure zones (for 30
- Publication:
-
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Pub Date:
- March 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1002/2017GC007174
- Bibcode:
- 2018GGG....19..749G
- Keywords:
-
- volcanic inflation;
- shear failure;
- 3-D mechanical modeling;
- localized deformation;
- plastic patterns;
- elliptic