Caldera resurgence during the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos Islands

The 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano in the Galápagos Islands revealed a unique caldera resurgence mechanism, where prolonged magma supply to a shallow reservoir drove significant uplift and seismicity over 13 years. Despite co-eruptive subsidence of up to 8.5 meters, the inner-caldera experienced permanent resurgence of 1.5 meters due to trapdoor faulting. This study combines multiparametric data to demonstrate how intra-caldera faulting influences resurgence and eruption dynamics in the absence of well-developed rift systems, providing new insights into volcanic behavior in shield volcanoes.

Bell, A. F., La Femina, P. C., Ruiz, M., Amelung, F., Bagnardi, M., Bean, C. J., Bernard, B., Ebinger, C., Gleeson, M., Grannell, J., Hernandez, S., Higgins, M., Liorzou, C., Lundgren, P., Meier, N. J., Möllhoff, M., Oliva, S.-J., Ruiz, A. G., & Stock, M. J. (2021). Caldera resurgence during the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos Islands. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21596-4