Scientific article
English

Cristobalite in Volcanic Ash of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, British West Indies

Published inScience, vol. 283, no. 5405, p. 1142-1145
Publication date1999
Abstract

Crystalline silica (mostly cristobalite) was produced by vapor-phase crystallization and devitrification in the andesite lava dome of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat. The sub–10-micrometer fraction of ash generated by pyroclastic flows formed by lava dome collapse contains 10 to 24 weight percent crystalline silica, an enrichment of 2 to 5 relative to the magma caused by selective crushing of the groundmass. The sub–10-micrometer fraction of ash generated by explosive eruptions has much lower contents (3 to 6 percent) of crystalline silica. High levels of cristobalite in respirable ash raise concerns about adverse health effects of long-term human exposure to ash from lava dome eruptions.

Affiliation entities Not a UNIGE publication
Citation (ISO format)
BAXTER, P. J. et al. Cristobalite in Volcanic Ash of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, British West Indies. In: Science, 1999, vol. 283, n° 5405, p. 1142–1145. doi: 10.1126/science.283.5405.1142
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Article (Published version)
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN0036-8075
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