Reconciling bubble nucleation in explosive eruptions with geospeedometers

Magma from Plinian volcanic eruptions contains an extraordinarily large numbers of bubbles. Nucleation of those bubbles occurs because pressure decreases as magma rises to the surface. As a consequence, dissolved magmatic volatiles, such as water, become supersaturated and cause bubbles to nucleate. At the same time, diffusion of volatiles into existing bubbles reduces supersaturation, resulting in a dynamical feedback between rates of nucleation due to magma decompression and volatile diffusion. Because nucleation rate increases with supersaturation, bubble number density (BND) provides a proxy record of decompression rate, and hence the intensity of eruption dynamics. Using numerical modeling of bubble nucleation, we reconcile a long-standing discrepancy in decompression rate estimated from BND and independent geospeedometers. We demonstrate that BND provides a record of the time-averaged decompression rate that is consistent with independent geospeedometers, if bubble nucleation is heterogeneous and facilitated by magnetite crystals.

Automated summary

Plinian volcanic eruptions contain a large number of bubbles due to nucleation caused by magma decompression and volatile diffusion. Bubble number density serves as a proxy record of decompression rate and eruption dynamics intensity. By modeling bubble nucleation, it is shown that BND provides a consistent record of time-averaged decompression rate if nucleation is heterogeneous and facilitated by magnetite crystals.