ON THE EVOLUTION AND DIMENSIONS OF MAGMA CHAMBERS BENEATH VOLCANOES

Abstract

This is a study of the evolution of crustal magma chambers beneath volcanoes driven by the melting of host rocks and the discharge of molten material by eruptions. A qualitative and quantitative description is given for the growth of a magma chamber that is fed with magma continuously or intermittently. The conditions and the time were estimated, for which a magma chamber attains the maximum dimensions. The time during which a chamber persists in a quasi-stationary state was evaluated, when the temperature in the chamber was constant and its dimensions were close to the maximum. Examples include calculations of the growth of a chamber beneath Avacha Volcano, Kamchatka.