Magma Propagation at Piton de la Fournaise From Joint Inversion of InSAR and GNSS

A study of Piton de la Fournaise volcano (La Réunion, France) reveals that the 26 May 2016 eruption was fed by a single batch of magma quickly disconnected from its source. The research, combining InSAR and GNSS data with advanced modeling techniques, identified a 2,700-meter-long sill located 800 meters above sea level, connected to the eruptive fissure by a subvertical dike. The intrusion stalled for approximately five hours before final upward propagation and eruption, suggesting limited magma supply. Two potential mechanisms—magmatic gas pressure or eastward flank slip—may have triggered the eruption.

Smittarello, D., Cayol, V., Pinel, V., Peltier, A., Froger, J.-L., & Ferrazzini, V. (2019). Magma Propagation at Piton de la Fournaise From Joint Inversion of InSAR and GNSS. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124(2), 1361–1387. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jb016856