Structural cause of a missed eruption in the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) in 2009

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2015 Structural cause of a missed eruption in the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) in 2009 Ivan Koulakov; Ivan Koulakov * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sami El Khrepy; Sami El Khrepy * 3King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia4National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, 11421 Helwan, Egypt *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nassir Al-Arifi; Nassir Al-Arifi * 3King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Pavel Kuznetsov; Pavel Kuznetsov * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ekaterina Kasatkina Ekaterina Kasatkina * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Ivan Koulakov * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia Sami El Khrepy * 3King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia4National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, 11421 Helwan, Egypt Nassir Al-Arifi * 3King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia Pavel Kuznetsov * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia Ekaterina Kasatkina * 1Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Prospekt Koptyuga 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia *E-mails: ivan.science@gmail.com; k_sami11@yahoo.com; nalarifi@ksu.edu.sa; kuznecov.p.u@gmail.com; katherina.kasatkina@gmail.com. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 12 Sep 2014 Revision Received: 09 Feb 2015 Accepted: 10 Feb 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2015 Geological Society of America Geology (2015) 43 (5): 395–398. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36271.1 Article history Received: 12 Sep 2014 Revision Received: 09 Feb 2015 Accepted: 10 Feb 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Ivan Koulakov, Sami El Khrepy, Nassir Al-Arifi, Pavel Kuznetsov, Ekaterina Kasatkina; Structural cause of a missed eruption in the Harrat Lunayyir basaltic field (Saudi Arabia) in 2009. Geology 2015;; 43 (5): 395–398. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36271.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Harrat Lunayyir is one of the most volcanically active recent basaltic fields in western Saudi Arabia. A period of substantial seismic unrest, featuring more than 30,000 local events, occurred in Harrat Lunayyir in April–June 2009. Although this crisis was presumably related to ongoing magma activity, it ended without any surface volcanic activity. We create new tomographic models of P and S velocities (VP and VS) and use them to explain the causes of this unrest and the reasons the eruption failed. A large seismic anomaly of high VP/VS ratio below 7 km depth coincides with the locations of more than 50 recent cinder cones with ages of older than 100 ka, and is interpreted as a steady-state magma reservoir. We also identify another seismic anomaly at depths below 15 km, which is interpreted as a conduit for fluids and melts from deeper sources. Because the location of this conduit is slightly outside the main reservoir, some of the incoming material was dispersed. As a result, the activation of the crustal reservoir was not sufficiently strong to pierce the rigid basaltic cover and cause an actual eruption during the crisis in 2009. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.