Abstract
High-resolution, side-looking sonar surveys of the East Pacific rise and seamounts in the eastern Pacific have revealed the common presence of lava tubes and channels in seafloor volcanic terrains. Tube and channel systems commonly issue from small volcanic cones or domes, are continuous for distances of 1–3 km, and are considered to be important in distributing lavas around seafloor extrusive sites and creating characteristic morphology. Eruption rate and volume are probably the most important controlling factors in determining whether tubes or channels will form. Volatile content and state, slope angle, and preeruption surface morphology are secondary factors that influence the ease with which a tube or channel may form and its direction and shape. Seafloor tubes and channels may also have a profound influence on the structure and evolution of the upper oceanic crust. Tubes and channels are likely to form intracrustal horizontal pathways for circulating hydrothermal fluids. Flow differentiation processes acting within tubes and channels may affect the chemical composition of lavas and could be partially responsible for the chemical diversity of rocks along accretionary boundaries. Seafloor tubes and channels that are either partially water-filled or contain volcaniclastics which are then buried within the volcanic pile can lower the compressional velocity and seismic response of the upper oceanic crustal layer along spreading axes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baldwin ED (1953) Notes on the 1880–1881 lava flow from Mauna Loa. The Volcano Letter, no 520: 1–3
Ballard RD, Bryan WB, Heirtzler JR, Keller GR, Moore JG, van Andel TJH (1975) Manned submersible observations in Famous area. Science 190: 103–108
Ballard RD, Moore JG (1977) Photographic Atlas of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Rift Valley. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 114
Ballard RD, Holcomb RT, van Andel TJH (1979) The Galapagos Rift at 86 °W. 3. Sheet flows, collapse pits and lava lakes of the rift valley. J Geophys Res 84: 5407–5422
Ballard RD, Francheteau J, Juteau Th, Rangin C, Normark W (1981) East Pacific Rise at 21 °N: the volcanic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes of the central axis. Earth Planet Sci Lett 55: 1–10
Ballard RD, van Andel TJH, Holcomb RT (1982) The Galapagos Rift at 86 °W, 5. Variations in volcanism, structure and hydrothermal activity along a 30-km segment of the rift valley. J Geophys Res 87: 1149–1161
Ballard RD, Hekinian R, Francheteau J (1984) Geological setting of hydrothermal activity at 12 ° 50′N on the East Pacific Rise: a submersible study. Earth Planet Sci Lett 69: 176–186
Blackinton JG, Hussong DM, Kosalos JG (1983) First results from a combination side-scan and seafloor mapping system (Sea MARC 11): Proc Offshore Technology Conference 1, 307
BVSP (Basaltic Volcanism Study Project) (1981) Basaltic volcanism on the terrestrial planets. Pergamon, New York, pp 11286
Chayes DN (1983) Evolution of Sea MARC I: Paper presented at a symposium. Inst Electr Electr Eng NY
Cruickshank DP, Wood CA (1972) Lunar rilles and Hawaiian volcanic features: possible analogs. The Moon 3: 412–447
Fornari DJ (1979) Visual observations of the volcanic micromorphology of Tortuga, Lorraine and Tutu seamounts and petrology and chemistry of ridge and seamount features in and around the Panama Basin. Mar Geol 31: 1–30
Fornari DJ, Malahoff A, Heezen BC (1979) Submarine slope micromorphology and volcanic substructure of the island of Hawaii inferred from visual observations made from US Navy Deep Submergence Vehicle DSV Sea Cliff. Mar Geol 32: 1–20
Fornari DJ, Lockwood JP, Lipman PW, Rawson M, Heezen BC (1980) Submarine volcanic features west of Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 7: 323–337
Fornari DJ, Perfit MR, Malahoff A, Embley R (1983) Geochemical studies of abyssal lavas recovered by DSRV ALVIN from eastern Galapagos Rift, Inca Transform, and Ecuador Rift 1. major element variations in natural glasses and spatial distribution of lavas. J Geophys Res 88: 10 519–10 529
Fornari DJ, Ryan WBF, Fox PJ (1984) The evolution of craters and calderas on young seamounts: insights from Sea MARC I and Sea Beam sonar surveys of a small seamount group near the axis of the East Pacific Rise at 10 N. J Geophys Res 89: 11 069–11 083
Francheteau J, Ballard RD (1983) The East Pacific Rise near 21 °N, 13 Ø N and 20 °S: inference for along-strike variability of axial processes of the mid-ocean ridge. Earth Planet Sci Lett 64: 93–116
Greeley R (1971) Observations of actively forming lava tubes and associated structures, Hawaii. Mod Geol 2: 207–223
Greeley R (1972) Additional observations of actively forming lava tubes and associated structures, Hawaii. Mod Geol 3: 157–160
Greeley R (1986) The role of lava tubes in Hawaiian volcanoes. US Geol Survey Prof Pap 1350
Greeley R, Hyde JH (1972) Lava tubes of the Cave Basalt, M St. Helens, Washington Geol Soc Am Bull 83: 2397–2418
Greeley R, Wilbur C, Storm D (1976) Frequency distribution of lava tubes and channels on Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii. (abstr) Geol Soc Am Abstr Prog 8: 892
Greeley R, Wormer MB (1981) Mare basin filling on the moon: laboratory simulations. Proc Lunar Planet Sci 12B: 651–663
Hekinian R, Febrier M, Avedik F, Cambon P, Charou JL, Needham HD, Raillard J, Boulegue J, Merlivat L, Moinet A, Manganini S, Lange J (1983) Geology of new hydrothermal fields. Science 219: 1321–1324
Howard KA, Head JW, Swann GA (1972) Geology of Hadley Rille. Proc Lunar Sci Conf 3rd, 1–14
Hulme G (1982) A review of lava flow processes related to the formation of lunar sinuous rilles. Geophys Surv 5: 245–279
Kosalos JG, Chayes DN (1983) A portable system for ocean bottom imaging and charting. OCEANS 1983 Conference
Lockwood E, Lipman PW (1986) Holocene eruptive history of Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii. US Geol Surv Prof Pap 1350
Lonsdale P (1983) Overlapping rift zones at the 5.5 °S offset of the East Pacific Rise. J Geophys Res 88: 9393–9406
Lonsdale P, Batiza R (1980) Submersible study of hyaloclastite and lava flows on young seamounts at the mouth of the Gulf of California. Geol Soc Am Bull 91: 545–554
Macdonald KC, Sempre JC, Fox PJ (1984) The East Pacific Rise from Siqueiros to the Orozco Fracture Zones: along-strike continuity of the axial volcanic zone and the structure and erosion of overlapping spreading centers. J Geophys Res 89: 6049–6069
Malin MC (1980) Lengths of Hawaiian lava flows. Geology 8: 306–308
McClain JS, Orcutt JA, Burnett M (1985) The East Pacific rise in cross section: a seismic model. J Geophys Res 90: 8627–8640
Moore JG, Phillips RL, Grigg RW, Peterson DW, Swanson DA (1973) Flow of lava into the sea, 1969–1971, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Geol Soc Am Bull 84: 537–546
Oberbeck VR, Quaide WL, Greeley R (1969) On the origin of lunar sinuous rilles. Mod Geol 1: 75–80
Peterson DW, Swanson DA (1974) Observed formation of lava tubes during 1970–1971 at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Stud Speleol 2: 209–222
Renard V, Allenous JP (1979) Seabeam, multibeam echo-sounding in Jean Charcot. Hydrogr Rev 56: 35–67
Seamount Research Group (1985) Structure and morphology of young seamounts near the axis of the East Pacific Rise at 09 ° 53′N based on ALVIN dive observations and Sea Beam bathymetric surveys. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union 66: 1078
Staudigel H, Bryan WB (1981) Contrasted glass-whole rock compositions and phenocryst re-distribution, IPOD sites 417 and 418. Contrib Mineral Petrol 78: 255–262
Walker GPL (1973) Lengths of lava flows. Phil Trans R Soc London A 274: 107–118
Wentworth CK, Macdonald GA (1953) Structures and forms of basaltic rocks in Hawaii US Geol Surv Bull 994: 1–98
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fornari, D.J. Submarine lava tubes and channels. Bull Volcanol 48, 291–298 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01081757
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01081757