Experimental Analysis for Transporting Mechanism of Debris Avalanches Associated with Volcanic Edifice Collapse and Application for Geological Deposits
Hiroki KAMATA, Eriko SUDA, Takeshi SAITO, Isao IIZAWA and Satoshi SAKAI
Abstract:Volcanic debris avalanche is a large-scale landslide which occurs at unstable volcanic edifice and often creates horseshoe-shaped crater at its source with hummocky deposits of volcanic debris including large blocks inside. Dynamic pressure model has recently been proposed to explain flow behavior of volcanic debris avalanches: Kinetic friction of debris avalanche decreases systematically at threshold of a certain critical speed for flotation. We have done a sliding experiment using flour powder as debris avalanche matrix and metal disks that slide on a powder layer as incorporated large blocks. Sliding traces left on a powder layer showed that a disk was floating over a certain critical speed. Kinetic friction coefficients, calculated by the position of a sliding disk recorded on a digital video, become small at a higher speed which exceeds critical floating speed, and provide smaller coefficient than those of normal surface of a rigid body. The critical floating speed deduced from dynamic pressure model is consistent with our experiment. In order to verify this model as the major driving force to float megablocks incorporated commonly in a volcanic debris avalanche, critical floating speeds for two geological cases at the collapses of 1980 Mount St. Helens and 1984 Ontake, central Japan, are examined and compared with the observed flow velocities. Estimated velocities deduced from the dynamic pressure model correspond fairly well to the actual velocities. This strongly suggests that the model gives the most convincing explanation for transportation and deposition mechanism of volcanic debris avalanche. Key Words:Volcanic debris avalanche, Dynamic pressure model, Kinetic friction coefficient, Critical speed for flotation, Mount St. Helens, Ontake