Construction and Destruction of Mont Pelée Volcano: Volumes and Rates Constrained from a Geomorphological Model of Evolution

Aurélie Germa; Pierre Lahitte; Xavier Quidelleur

doi:10.1002/2014JF003355

Construction and Destruction of Mont Pelée Volcano: Volumes and Rates Constrained from a Geomorphological Model of Evolution

Aurélie Germa, Pierre Lahitte, Xavier Quidelleur

School of Geosciences

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Abstract

This study presents long&hyphen;term volumes and construction rates for the Mont Conil&hyphen;Mont Pelée volcano and rate estimates at which volcanic activity creates relief. An algorithm, ShapeVolc, is used to numerically model topographic surfaces. Volcano morphology is analyzed using current digital elevation model in combination with mapped geology to produce 10 paleotopographies at the end of four constructional stages and three destructional events. Volumes of each constructional stage were estimated at about 35.2 km 3 , 26.2 km 3 , 8.3 km 3 , and 2.5 km 3 for a total cumulative erupted volume of 72.2 km 3 . We estimate that Mont Pelée accounted for about 10% of the Lesser Antilles arc production in the last 100 kyr. The volcano has been built at an average rate of 0.13 km 3 /kyr during the last 550 kyr. During that time, construction rates varied by a factor of 15, from 0.04 km 3 /kyr in early stages up to 0.52 km 3 /kyr after the second flank collapse. Volumes displaced by each flank collapse were estimated at 14.7 km 3 , 8.8 km 3 , and 3.5 km 3 , thus about 37% of the total constructed volume. Integrated over the volcano's lifetime, the rate at which flank collapses removed material off the island is 0.15 km 3 /kyr. In contrast, long&hyphen;term erosion rates outside collapsed areas are estimated at about 0.05 ± 0.7 km 3 /kyr, or ~11 km 3 of material removed. This latter rate is not negligible, which strengthens the importance of taking into account recurrent small erosional events on the geomorphological evolution of a volcanic island in a tropical context.

Original language	American English
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Volume	120
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003355
State	Published - Jul 1 2015

Keywords

Mount Pelée
constructed volumes
construction rates
volcanism
Flank collapse
paleotopography

Disciplines

Earth Sciences

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title = "Construction and Destruction of Mont Pel{\'e}e Volcano: Volumes and Rates Constrained from a Geomorphological Model of Evolution",

abstract = " This study presents long&hyphen;term volumes and construction rates for the Mont Conil&hyphen;Mont Pelée volcano and rate estimates at which volcanic activity creates relief. An algorithm, ShapeVolc, is used to numerically model topographic surfaces. Volcano morphology is analyzed using current digital elevation model in combination with mapped geology to produce 10 paleotopographies at the end of four constructional stages and three destructional events. Volumes of each constructional stage were estimated at about 35.2 km 3 , 26.2 km 3 , 8.3 km 3 , and 2.5 km 3 for a total cumulative erupted volume of 72.2 km 3 . We estimate that Mont Pelée accounted for about 10% of the Lesser Antilles arc production in the last 100 kyr. The volcano has been built at an average rate of 0.13 km 3 /kyr during the last 550 kyr. During that time, construction rates varied by a factor of 15, from 0.04 km 3 /kyr in early stages up to 0.52 km 3 /kyr after the second flank collapse. Volumes displaced by each flank collapse were estimated at 14.7 km 3 , 8.8 km 3 , and 3.5 km 3 , thus about 37% of the total constructed volume. Integrated over the volcano's lifetime, the rate at which flank collapses removed material off the island is 0.15 km 3 /kyr. In contrast, long&hyphen;term erosion rates outside collapsed areas are estimated at about 0.05 ± 0.7 km 3 /kyr, or ~11 km 3 of material removed. This latter rate is not negligible, which strengthens the importance of taking into account recurrent small erosional events on the geomorphological evolution of a volcanic island in a tropical context.",

keywords = "Mount Pel{\'e}e, constructed volumes, construction rates, volcanism, Flank collapse, paleotopography",

author = "Aur{\'e}lie Germa and Pierre Lahitte and Xavier Quidelleur",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

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doi = "10.1002/2014JF003355",

language = "American English",

volume = "120",

journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Construction and Destruction of Mont Pelée Volcano: Volumes and Rates Constrained from a Geomorphological Model of Evolution

AU - Germa, Aurélie

AU - Lahitte, Pierre

AU - Quidelleur, Xavier

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - This study presents long&hyphen;term volumes and construction rates for the Mont Conil&hyphen;Mont Pelée volcano and rate estimates at which volcanic activity creates relief. An algorithm, ShapeVolc, is used to numerically model topographic surfaces. Volcano morphology is analyzed using current digital elevation model in combination with mapped geology to produce 10 paleotopographies at the end of four constructional stages and three destructional events. Volumes of each constructional stage were estimated at about 35.2 km 3 , 26.2 km 3 , 8.3 km 3 , and 2.5 km 3 for a total cumulative erupted volume of 72.2 km 3 . We estimate that Mont Pelée accounted for about 10% of the Lesser Antilles arc production in the last 100 kyr. The volcano has been built at an average rate of 0.13 km 3 /kyr during the last 550 kyr. During that time, construction rates varied by a factor of 15, from 0.04 km 3 /kyr in early stages up to 0.52 km 3 /kyr after the second flank collapse. Volumes displaced by each flank collapse were estimated at 14.7 km 3 , 8.8 km 3 , and 3.5 km 3 , thus about 37% of the total constructed volume. Integrated over the volcano's lifetime, the rate at which flank collapses removed material off the island is 0.15 km 3 /kyr. In contrast, long&hyphen;term erosion rates outside collapsed areas are estimated at about 0.05 ± 0.7 km 3 /kyr, or ~11 km 3 of material removed. This latter rate is not negligible, which strengthens the importance of taking into account recurrent small erosional events on the geomorphological evolution of a volcanic island in a tropical context.

AB - This study presents long&hyphen;term volumes and construction rates for the Mont Conil&hyphen;Mont Pelée volcano and rate estimates at which volcanic activity creates relief. An algorithm, ShapeVolc, is used to numerically model topographic surfaces. Volcano morphology is analyzed using current digital elevation model in combination with mapped geology to produce 10 paleotopographies at the end of four constructional stages and three destructional events. Volumes of each constructional stage were estimated at about 35.2 km 3 , 26.2 km 3 , 8.3 km 3 , and 2.5 km 3 for a total cumulative erupted volume of 72.2 km 3 . We estimate that Mont Pelée accounted for about 10% of the Lesser Antilles arc production in the last 100 kyr. The volcano has been built at an average rate of 0.13 km 3 /kyr during the last 550 kyr. During that time, construction rates varied by a factor of 15, from 0.04 km 3 /kyr in early stages up to 0.52 km 3 /kyr after the second flank collapse. Volumes displaced by each flank collapse were estimated at 14.7 km 3 , 8.8 km 3 , and 3.5 km 3 , thus about 37% of the total constructed volume. Integrated over the volcano's lifetime, the rate at which flank collapses removed material off the island is 0.15 km 3 /kyr. In contrast, long&hyphen;term erosion rates outside collapsed areas are estimated at about 0.05 ± 0.7 km 3 /kyr, or ~11 km 3 of material removed. This latter rate is not negligible, which strengthens the importance of taking into account recurrent small erosional events on the geomorphological evolution of a volcanic island in a tropical context.

KW - Mount Pelée

KW - constructed volumes

KW - construction rates

KW - volcanism

KW - Flank collapse

KW - paleotopography

UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1293

U2 - 10.1002/2014JF003355

DO - 10.1002/2014JF003355

M3 - Article

VL - 120

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface

ER -

Construction and Destruction of Mont Pelée Volcano: Volumes and Rates Constrained from a Geomorphological Model of Evolution

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