Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Underwater terraced deposits chronicle volcanic eruptions

Analogue experiments show that powerful eruption columns deliver material to the sea surface and seabed in periodic annular sedimentation waves. Depending on the water depth, the impact and spread of these waves at the sea surface and seabed can excite tsunamis, drive radial pyroclastic density currents, and build concentric terraces.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Analogue experiments on the formation of terraced deposits around calderas.

References

  1. Borrero, J. C. et al. Tsunami runup and inundation in Tonga from the January 2022 rruption of Hunga volcano. Pure Appl. Geophys. 180, 1–22 (2023). This paper presents a careful analysis of the tsunami record from HTHH.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Carn, S. et al. Out of the blue: volcanic SO2 emissions during the 2021–2022 eruptions of Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha’apai (Tonga). Front. Earth Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.976962 (2022). A detailed analysis of the unexpectedly low volcanic SO2 emissions and radiative forcing of HTHH.

  3. Schmidt, A. & Black, B. Reckoning with the rocky relationship between eruption size and climate response: toward a volcano-climate index. Ann. Revs. Earth Planet. Sci. 50, 627–661 (2022). A review article that discusses and probes the lack of correlation between eruptions and the Earth’s record of climate change.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gilchrist, J. T. & Jellinek, A. M. Sediment waves and the gravitational stability of volcanic jets. Bull Volcanol. 83, 69 (2021). This analysis of subaerial explosive eruption dynamics shows that SWs produce terraces when eruption columns collapse and are an inherent feature of all eruptive regimes.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Rowell, C. R. et al. External surface water influence on explosive eruption dynamics, with implications for stratospheric sulfur delivery and volcano-climate feedback. Front. Earth Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.788294 (2022). This paper introduces a 1D hydrovolcanic model aimed at understanding the climate effects of submarine and subglacial eruption events.

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Gilchrist, J. T. et al. Submarine terraced deposits linked to periodic collapse of caldera-forming eruption columns. Nat. Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01160-z (2023).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Underwater terraced deposits chronicle volcanic eruptions. Nat. Geosci. 16, 397–398 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01168-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01168-5

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing