Vapour dynamics during magma–water interaction experiments: hydromagmatic origins of submarine volcaniclastic particles (limu o Pele)

Recent observations have shattered the long-held theory that deep-sea (>500 m) explosive eruptions are impossible; however, determining the dynamics of unobserved eruptions requires interpretation of the deposits they produce. For accurate interpretation to be possible, the relative abilities of explosive magmatic degassing and non-explosive magma–water interaction to produce characteristic submarine volcaniclastic particles such as ‘limu o Pele’ (bubble wall shards of glass) must be established. We experimentally address this problem by pouring remelted basalt (1300 °C, anhydrous) into a transparent, water-filled reservoir, recording the interaction with a high-speed video camera and applying existing heat transfer models. We performed the experiments under moderate to high degrees of water subcooling (∼8 l of water at 58 and 3 °C), with ∼0.1 to 0.15 kg of melt poured at ∼10
⁻²
kg s
⁻¹
. Videos show the non-explosive, hydromagmatic blowing and bursting of isolated melt bubbles to form limu o Pele particles that are indistinguishable from those found in submarine volcaniclastic deposits. Pool boiling around growing melt bubbles progresses from metastable vapour film insulation, through vapour film retraction/collapse, to direct melt-water contact. These stages are linked to the evolution of melt-water heat transfer to verify the inverse relationship between vapour film stability and the degree of water subcooling. The direct contact stage in particular explains the extremely rapid quench rates determined from glass relaxation speedometry for natural limu. Since our experimentally produced limu is made entirely by the entrapping of ambient water in degassed basaltic melt, we argue that the presence of fast-quenched limu o Pele in natural deposits is not diagnostic of volatile-driven explosive eruptions. This must be taken into account if submarine eruption dynamics are to be accurately inferred from the deposits and particles they produce.