Relationships between pre-eruptive conditions and eruptive styles of phonolite–trachyte magmas

Phonolitic eruptions can erupt either effusively or explosively, and in some cases develop highly energetic events such as caldera-forming eruptions. However, the mechanisms that control the eruptive behaviour of such compositions are not well understood. By combining pre-eruptive data of well studied phonolitic eruptions we show that the explosive–effusive style of the phonolitic magma is controlled by the amount of volatiles, the degree of water-undersaturation and the depth of magma storage, the explosive character generally increasing with pressure depth and water contents. However, external factors, such as ingestion of external water, or latter processes occurring in the conduit, can modify the starting eruptive dynamic acquired at the levels of magma ponding.