115 Petrology, Volcanology, and Mantle Plumes across the Solar System (Posters)

This session focuses on recent advances in characterizing and quantifying volcanic processes throughout the Solar System in light of recent and upcoming missions to volcanically active worlds and resurgence in volcano science.

Monday, 20 October 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, Hall 1

Constraining Eruption Parameters for Terrestrial and Martian Lava Flows

Paper number: 115-9
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Preserved lava flows provide insights into planetary evolution, while active terrestrial flows can pose a significant hazard to infrastructure. Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on the Big Island of Hawai’i, is one of the most studied volcanoes on Earth and displays lava flows whose morphologies resemble those observed in Daedalia Planum of Mars. On Mars, volcanism driven by suspected mantle plumes has resulted in large lava flows with similar morphologies to those observed on Hawai’i, Iceland, and other terrestrial volcanoes. Various models have been developed using flow dimensions to estimate emplacement parameters such as rheology (i.e., viscosity and yield strength), effusion rate, and emplacement time. To constrain the emplacement conditions of 30 lava flows on Mauna Loa and 10 lava flows on Daedalia Planum, we used 3 models: the standard rheologic approach (SRA; n=30), the self-replication model for long lava flows (SRM; n=8), and the hybrid self-replication model (n=3). To obtain flow dimensions of Mauna Loa flows, we used visible and topographic data (Landsat 15m/px and Pleiades 0.5m/px) accessed via Google Earth Pro. For Mars, we used visible, thermal infrared, and topographic data consisting of Context Camera (CTX)  ~6 m/px, Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) 100 m/px, and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) 463 m/px datasets within the Java Mission Planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing (JMARS) GIS. We observed larger flow dimensions for martian flows, with a corresponding higher effusion rate and lower yield strength across all models. Modeled effusion rates ranged from 2.7 - 39000 m3/s; yield strengths from 45 - 73000 Pa; and viscosities from 1.9 x 102 - 7.5 x 108 Pa-s. Calculated values varied across models. For example, for viscosity, we calculated average values of 5.8 x 106 Pa-s (SRA), 2.5 x 105 Pa-s (SRM), and 2.2 x 103 Pa-s (hybrid SRM), a result of assumptions in flow behavior.  We observed higher effusion rates in the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) in comparison to the Northeast Rift Zone (NERZ) of Mauna Loa, likely due to differences in magma transport. Higher calculated effusion rates for Mars are consistent with larger magmatic pathways.

 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413686

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