Lava dome cycles reveal rise and fall of magma column at Popocatépetl volcano

Lava domes exhibit highly unpredictable and hazardous behavior. Using high-resolution satellite radar imagery enhanced with deep learning, this study images repetitive dome construction-subsidence cycles at Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico). These cycles resemble gas-driven rise and fall of the upper magma column, where buoyant, bubble-rich magma extrudes and is later drained back as it degasses and crystallizes. Superimposed on these cycles is a progressive decadal crater deepening, accompanied by heat and gas flux decrease, possibly due to gas depletion in the magma plumbing system. The findings highlight the key role of gas retention and escape from the magma column in the short- and long-term morphological evolution of low-viscosity lava domes.

Sébastien Valade, Diego Coppola, Robin Campion, Andreas Ley, Thomas Boulesteix, Noémie Taquet, Denis Legrand, Marco Laiolo, Thomas R. Walter, Servando De la Cruz-Reyna