Bull Volcanol (1995) 57:263-268 9 Springer-Verlag 1995

J. C. Phillips 9 S. J. Lane 9 A.-M. Lejeune 9 M. Hilton

Gum rosin-acetone system as an analogue

to the degassing behaviour of hydrated magmas

Received: December 6, 1994 / Accepted: April 28, 1995

Abstract Solutions of gum rosin and acetone repro- erse approaches have led to the general view that the
duce the volatile- and temperature-dependent viscosity, processes driving a volcanic eruption are bubble nu-
together with the phase behaviour, of hydrated mag- cleation in supersaturated magma resulting from a re-
mas. A range of experimental exsolution conditions duction in pressure, and subsequent rapid bubble
was investigated, including the variation of supersatura- growth which produces an expanding foam flow. This
tion, rate of decompression, solution temperature and foam flow then fragments, by mechanisms as yet un-
volatile content. Degassing processes were controlled clear (Sparks et al. 1994), producing a volcanic eruption
by the formation of an exsolution interface above a su- plume on interaction with the atmosphere.
persaturated liquid. The end-products ranged from a During a volcanic eruption, degassing hydrated mag-
mildly degassed liquid to a solid foam, which preserved ma systems demonstrate very strong dependence of vis-
strained vesicles. Solutions of gum rosin and acetone cosity on volatile content and temperature (Shaw 1963,
are proposed as a suitable analogue system with which 1972). High strain rates, thought to be generated during
to study magma degassing processes. explosive eruptions of high silica magmas, may also re-
sult in non-Newtonian and viscoelastic behaviour of the
Key words Gum rosin 9 Hydrated magma 9 magma (Webb and Dingwell 1990; Richet and Neuville
Foams 9 Explosive decompression 9 Supersaturation 9 1993). Previous laboratory analogue systems have si-
Bubble growth 9 Pumice mulated volcanic conduit flows using evaporating
Freon and supersaturated solutions of CO2 in water
(Hill and Sturtevant 1990; Mader et al. 1994). The ex-
Introduction perimental results suggest that a range of bubble nu-
cleation and growth styles can be attained on decom-
The study of flows in volcanic conduits is central to a pression of a supersaturated liquid. These systems,
wider understanding of the processes which control vol- however, cannot reproduce the volatile-dependent vis-
canic eruptions, and thus has implications for modelling cosity and solid end-products which are characteristic
and hazard assessment. In situ observations of volcanic of the hydrated magma system. The variation of viscos-
conduit processes are not likely to be possible. Infer- ity with volatile content has been identified as playing a
ences can, however, be made from the study of erupted major part in controlling the pressure conditions, and
products in the geological record (Whitham and Sparks hence bubble nucleation and growth, within the magma
1986), from numerical models (Sparks 1978; Wilson et column (Thomas et al. 1994; Sparks et al. 1994).
al. 1980; Dobran 1992; Proussevitch et al. 1993) and In this paper, we summarize the temperature- and
from laboratory simulations using both rapidly expand- volatile-dependent rheology of gum rosin-acetone
ing two-phase flows (Anilkumar et al. 1993; Mader et (GRA) solutions and describe preliminary decompres-
al. 1994) and studies of bubble growth in natural hy- sion experiments using this system. Gum rosin is an or-
drated magmas (Hurwitz and Navon 1994). These div- ganic, transparent, pale yellow, amorphous solid at
room temperature. It is soluble in many organic sol-
Editorial responsibility:H.-U. Schmincke vents and the dissolution of small amounts of acetone
convert rosin to a Newtonian viscous liquid at room
J. C. Phillips [~) - S. J. Lane . A.-M. Lejeune 9 M. Hilton temperature. It has been used previously as a viscoelas-
Department of Geology,Universityof Bristol, tic material with temperature-dependent viscosity for
Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
Tel.: +44 01179289000, x4795. Fax.: +44 01179253385. the modelling of lithospheric processes (Cobbold and
E-mail: J.C.Phillips@bristol.ac.uk Jackson 1992).
264

these experiments were 10 s and 10 Pa, respectively.

Experimental method
The time-scale of these processes was approximately
10 s for slow decompression and approximately 10 ms
Gum rosin-acetone solutions of 12, 15 and 20 wt.%
for instantaneous decompression.
acetone were prepared by dissolving a known weight of
gum rosin powder in excess acetone using a magnetic
stirrer and gentle heating. The surplus acetone was
then removed at low temperature by vacuum evapora-
Results and discussion
tion to yield the desired acetone content.
Analogies between G R A and magma-water systems
Independent viscosity and surface tension measure-
ments were carried out simultaneously with the decom-
Viscosity measurements demonstrated that the G R A
pression experiments. The solution viscosity was deter-
system shows similar behaviour, in response to varia-
mined using a Haake RV20 rotary viscometer over a
tions in volatile content (Fig. 2a), to the magma-water
range of temperatures and acetone contents. The solu-
system (Shaw 1963, 1972), but over a range of tempera-
tion surface tension was measured using the drop-
ture conditions suitable for laboratory investigation.
weight method (Burdon 1949), which considers the bal-
The GRA solutions at 20~C with 2-10 and 10-20 wt.%
ance of forces on droplets issuing from the end of a ver-
acetone have an analogous viscosity variation to de-
tical capillary tube. The solubility of acetone in gum ro-
gassing hydrated rhyolite at 850~ and basalt at
sin as a function of pressure was determined by allow-
1200 ~C, respectively. Figure 2b shows the variation of
ing solutions of 20 wt.% acetone to equilibrate for 30
G R A solution viscosity with temperature.
minutes at a known pressure. The sample acetone con-
The measured surface tension varied from 0.028 to
tent was then determined by weight loss after the run
0.030 N m -1 (standard error 1 x 10 -3 N m-2) over the
followed by removal of the acetone by heating to 80~C
range of experimental conditions examined here. This
and re-weighing.
compares with typical silicate glass surface tensions
The G R A solution was loaded into an 0.2 m long
ranging from 0.2 to 0.3 N m -1 (Paul 1982). The effects
section of 26 mm internal diameter Pyrex tube, which
of this order of magnitude surface tension difference
had a plain PTFE base plate and an upper flanged end
can be taken into account through the dimensionless
(Fig. 1). The tube was mounted in a vacuum chamber
capillary number (see later).
which could be pumped down to 10 Pa. The experimen-
The solubility of acetone in gum rosin is shown in
tal variables were: rate of decompression; supersatura-
Fig. 3a. At 20~ and pressures below 20 kPa excess
tion; solution temperature; and volatile content. Instan-
acetone evaporated readily from the samples, hence we
taneous decompression was achieved by the rupture of
define the supersaturation as 2 x 104/chamber pressure
an aluminium foil diaphragm mounted across the
(Pa). Figure 3a indicates that the G R A system shows
flanged end of the tube. Flow front accelerations were
solubility relations analogous to the magma-water sys-
determined for instantaneous decompression using
tem (Blank et al. 1993; Johnson et al. 1994), i.e. low vo-
high speed cin6 and video images. Experiments were
carried out, at constant solution depth and tempera-
ture, over a range of volatile contents and supersatura-
tions and proceeded until bubble growth ceased. Quali- a b
tative slow decompression experiments were carried
out in an open tube at a pump-down rate of about
5 • 10 - 2 m 3 s - ~ and imaged using 35 mm still photo-
--o-- Gum rosin@20~
graphy. The initial and final chamber pressures for %- ,\ \ ~ Gum rosin@30~
~y ~\\ --o-- Gum rosin@40~
\ "~ \ --o-- Rhyolite@ 850~
f Diaphragm 0 wt%
/ --o--12wt%
/
I / ~ 15 wt% i

3I / JJ ~ 20 wt%

-1 i I
solution 0 4 8 12 16 20 26 30 34 38
ro rotary , Wt% volatile 104/T (K-~)
pu,mp J
.

Fig. 2 a Viscosity as a function of volatile content for G R A solu-

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the experimental decompression ap-
paratus. The G R A solution was sealed in the process tube and
placed in a vacuum chamber. The aluminium foil diaphragm was
ruptured with a hot wire to initiate decompression
tions at 20, 30 and 40 ~ C. The viscosities of rhyolite at 850 ~ C and
basalt at 1200~ between 0 and 10 wt.% water are shown (Shaw
1972) for comparison, b Viscosity as a function of temperature for
G R A solutions of 0, 12, 15 and 20 wt.% acetone. The curve fits
are of the form log'q=A+[B/(wt.% or T + C ) ]
 265

20
1001 Hydr d//'Hydrated rhyolite
' /2
80[| rhyc / +water _ / ~_
16

~" ~ GRA ~ GRA solution 12

L
40 o actone if)
69
8
n

20 / Rhyolite-water @850~
--o-- Gum rosin-acetone@20~
I I
00 5 1;
Wt% volatile
102
104 ' Liquid acetone ' ' ~j]
(p = 790 kg m-3 @ 20~ 105 P a ) ~
103 J To=508.1K - lO 1
J Pc = 278 kg m"3
/ I- 1 ,dea,p= !482T
-1 . ~ ' - - ' 1 1 - 3 ..............................................................
..........
10200 300 400
b Temperature (K)
Fig. 3 a Solubility plot for rhyolite-water at 850~C (after Blank
et al. 1993) and GRA systems at 20~C. Open circles are measured
GRA data. b Pressure-temperature plot of acetone (after Kaye
and Laby 1986). Tc and pc are the critical temperature and density
of acetone, respectively
latile contents at low pressures and high volatile con-
tents at high pressures. The G R A system demonstrates
this behaviour at low pressures suitable for large vol-
ume laboratory studies. Figure 3b shows the pressure-
temperature plot for acetone. A t r o o m temperature
(20 ~ C) acetone is a gas at pressures below 20 kPa, ex-
plaining the formation of acetone gas bubbles and rap-
id degassing below this pressure. A n approximate esti-
mate of the volume change of exsolving acetone can be
made by comparing the liquid and gas densities at con-
stant pressure and assuming that the molar volume of
dissolved acetone is similar to the liquid volume. Water
exsolving from volatile-rich magmas at atmospheric
pressure has a volume expansion of approximately 103.
Inspection of Fig. 3b suggests that volume expansions
ranging from zero up to 105 can be achieved under va-
cuum with the G R A system. T h e r e f o r e the total vol-
ume expansions, which include bubble growth to gener-
ate a foam and fragmentation of that foam to produce
particles, may be made analogous between the G R A
and hydrated magma systems.
15 2; o
Fig. 4 Scanning electron microscopy image of gum rosin foam
fragments showing cross-sections of tube-like bubbles elongated
in the flow direction (bottom left to top right and out of page)
,e
10-1 A n additional similarity parameter is the capillary
13_ number (Ca), which reflects the ability of bubbles grow-
ing in a two-phase flow to deform: Ca= ~txr/y (Cash-
10 -2 man and Mangan 1994), where ~ is the strain rate, r is
the bubble radius,/x is the liquid viscosity and I/is the
I
0-3 liquid surface tension. When Ca is large (>> 1) bubbles
500 will deform in the flow and when Ca is small ( ~ 1) bub-
bles will remain spherical. Using known values for vis-
cosity and surface tension the natural (0-6 wt.% water)
and analogue (0-20 wt.% acetone) systems yield values
of Ca ranging from 4 x 103 ~r to 4 x 109 ~r for rhyolite, 4
~r to 4 x 103 #r for basalt and 4 x 10 -1 ~r to 4 x 1011 ~r
for G R A . The G R A system will generate bubble dis-
tortions analogous to those in the magma-water system
given similar flow accelerations and bubble sizes. The
strain rate is very likely to change (decrease) as the vis-
cosity increases (i.e. volatile contents decreases) in both
the G R A and hydrated magma systems. The strain rate
behaviours, if not magnitudes, of both systems are
therefore likely to be similar as degassing proceeds.
Figure 4 shows a scanning electron microscopy image
of tube-like bubble cross-sections, analogous to those
found in natural pumice, in solid gum rosin foam result-
ing from a slow decompression experiment.
Preliminary observations of expanding two-phase
G R A flows
Figure 5 shows a slow decompression sequence of 15
wt.% G R A at 20~ taken with a still 35 mm camera
with approximately 2 s between frames. Bubble growth
was not observed at pressures greater than 20 kPa, as
expected from Fig. 3b. As the pressure decreased below
20 kPa, bubbles nucleated on the walls of the tube (Fig.
5A) and rose to the free surface. Bubble coalescence
lead to the formation of a single bubble the diameter of
266

E
t = =.--.+.: i
Fig. 5 A - E Degassing via foam growth during the slow decom-
pression of 15 wt.% G R A solution at 20 ~ C (35 mm still photogra-
phy, 1/1400 s.). A Initial nucleation results in small loss of ace-
jL tone; B bubble coalescence at the surface interface; C formation
of the exsolution interface where rapid acetone exsolution takes
place; D downward propagation of the exsolution interface; and
E schematic interpretation of acetone content against height for
r the degassing mechanism shown in A - D . At time (t)=0, degass-
ing starts and proceeds to t = oo when degassing ~is complete. The

g
}i final acetone content depends on the initial supersaturation. The
liquid-foam interface is here associated with a rapid degassing
event, creating a step in the curve
.Q
09 o
e~
i Fig,
E
O

u=
"\ Fig, 5D

Foam interface
Wt% acetone (arb. units)

the tube (Fig. 5B). As the pressure dropped and the
single bubble expanded, bubble nucleation and growth
at the free surface occurred (Fig. 5C). This resulted in
the formation of a steady-state exsolution interface of
small bubbles which propagated downwards, and an
upward propagating foam (Fig. 5D) accelerating at ap-
proximately 0.1 g. This style of degassing continued un-
til the exsolution interface reached the base of the tube.
This rapid interracial degassing behaviour does not re-
quire volatile diffusion within the liquid other than
over distances comparable to the bubble wall thickness.
Figure 5E shows a schematic interpretation of the ace-
tone content as a function of height in the tube during
these experiments.
Figure 6 shows one frame from a high speed cin6
film taken during an instantaneous decompression of
15 wt.% GRA at a supersaturation of 2000 which gen-
erated dry solid particles and foam. Accelerations of up
to 25 g were observed under these conditions. The de-
gassing behaviour appears similar to that for slow de-
compression once low chamber pressures are reached
(Fig. 5D), i.e. the growth of a stable foam from an inter-
face travelling into the supersaturated bubble-free
G R A beneath. As with slow decompression this style
of degassing continued until all the supersaturated
G R A solution was consumed by the growing foam.
Figure 7 shows the evolution of foam flow fronts, de-
termined from single frame measurements of video and
 267

accelerations. Comparison between flows 4, 5 and 6

Fig. 6 Growth of foam from interface during the instantaneous
decompression of 20 wt.% G R A solution at 20 ~ C (16 mm high-
speed cin6 photography, 400 fps)
high speed film sequences, as a function of time. All
experiments were carried out at 20 ~C, except flow 1
which was at 25 ~C. Separate prepared batches of G R A
were used for flows 1, 2, 3-4, 5 and 6-9. Variations in
viscosity between nominally identical batches reflect
small errors in acetone content, viscosity measurement
and variations in the natural source material. These
plots commonly showed approximately constant flow
front acceleration for much of the experimental tube
length. This constant acceleration regime correlates
with the growth of a foam within the tube (Fig. 5D).
The series of flows 6-9, together with flows 2-4, de-
monstrate that higher supersaturations generate higher
shows that flows exhibiting the greatest acceleration re-
sult from the highest initial volatile content. It can be
clearly seen that the highest viscosity flow (5), and to a
certain extent flows 2 and 3, have an almost constant
velocity flow regime preceding the constant accelera-
tion foam growth stage. This appears to represent the
initial wall nucleation and growth of bubbles seen in
Fig. 5A. Flows 7 and 8 (low supersaturation; low viscos-
ity) exhibited degassing by bubble growth and bursting
after the initial growth of a foam within the tube. De-
gassing by bubble bursting yields a flow front with an
average zero velocity and a liquid, incompletely de-
gassed ( - 1 0 wt.% acetone), product which did not
emerge from the top of the tube during the experiment.
Flows 1, 2, 3 and 5 (low supersaturation; higher viscosi-
ty) and flows 4 and 6 (higher supersaturation; low vis-
cosity) formed stable foams which emerged from the
experimental tube (Fig. 5D). These foams were tacky
to the touch, indicating a significant remaining acetone
content ( - 5-10 wt.%). Flow 9, with very high supersa-
turation but low viscosity, generated a dry, highly de-
gassed brittle foam. The high speed film of flow 9
shows indistinct streamers of material leaving the de-
gassing liquid before the main foam flow emerged from
the experimental tube. We tentatively interpret this as
foam fragmentation. The flow front acceleration of
flow 9, and also for flow 6, shows regimes of increasing
acceleration. We postulate that this may be a conse-
quence of foam fragmentation removing viscous drag
and allowing the free acceleration of particles in the gas
stream.
The dependence of the final volatile content on the
initial supersaturation enables experiments to be car-
ried out in which a range of degassing behaviour can be
observed. As supersaturation increases and degassing

Fig. 7 Flow front position ver-

.......o---.--. 1) 15%, 2.5Pas, 1.7 .......Ea-.--...4) 15%, 6.1Pas, 4.0 .......it.-.-..7) 2 0 % , 0.5Pas, 2.5
sus time for instantaneous de-
compression at 20 ~ C and 3 cm .......9A....-.-.2) 15%, 6.5Pas, 2.0 .......+.-. 5) 12%, 19Pas, 4.0 .......ill.-..-..8) 2 0 % , 0.5Pas, 2~)00
fluid depth for 12, 15 and 20 .......o.-..--. 3) 15%, 6.1Pas, 2.5 .......-• 6) 2 0 % , 0.5Pas, 4.0 .......~--.....9) 2 0 % , 0.5Pas, 0
wt.% G R A solutions. Flow '/ ' /~ '/ Ljiljl~ A

number, initial wt.% acetone, g -1 .o

viscosity and supersaturation
[2 x 104/chamber pressure
(Pa)] are indicated in the key. ~ / ,f/ .-~ ,., / ,
The solid lines represent con-
stant (gradient= 1) velocity
-1.4 ,,/ / s _.- / r / s
from 0.001 to 1.0 m s -* and
constant acceleration (gra-
dient=2) from 0.002 to 200 r -1.8
m s -2

O
'- ..,/+ s .
G)
-2.2

r--

O'J
-2.6 +";/..., ..., ,/ oo."
.j " %/ s .<2;"
-3.(:
.0 -1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0 0.5
log [time] (s)
268
time-scales decrease, this b e h a v i o u r ranges f r o m de-
gassing by diffusion, through bubble growth and burst-
ing, w e a k foaming, the f o r m a t i o n of a rapidly expand-
ing f o a m to fragmentation with the generation of a sol-
id (highly degassed) vesicular product.
These results can be c o m p a r e d with observations of
the decompression of s u p e r h e a t e d liquids (Hill and
Sturtevant 1990) and CO2 saturated w a t e r (Mader et al.
1994). Superheated liquids show the explosive nuclea-
tion of v a p o u r bubbles occurring preferentially at the
u p p e r liquid interface, with no bubble f o r m a t i o n in the
liquid interior. CO2-saturated water shows some bubble
growth within the liquid, but the rapid acceleration of
f r a g m e n t e d f o a m f r o m the u p p e r liquid interface. T h e
G R A experiments show essentially the same behav-
iour. In all three experiments an initial disturbance trig-
gers nucleation at the interface. T h e disturbances
caused by vesiculation at the interface then p e r p e t u a t e
bubble nucleation at, or close to, the surface. T h e ob-
servation of this interracial p h e n o m e n o n in three differ-
ent systems, of which G R A is closely analogous to hy-
drated magmas, suggests it is a general feature which
m a y be extended to degassing m a g m a - w a t e r systems.
Conclusion
Solutions of gum rosin and acetone are p r o p o s e d as a
suitable laboratory analogue system with which to si-
mulate volcanic conduit processes. This system repro-
duces the volatile- and t e m p e r a t u r e - d e p e n d e n t viscosi-
ty and phase b e h a v i o u r of the hydrated m a g m a system
during decompression. Observations of the G R A and
other systems suggest that a general feature of the de-
compression of strongly supersaturated liquids is the
d e v e l o p m e n t of a nucleation interface where explosive
expansion and fragmentation occur. T h e disturbances
generated by growing bubbles trigger further nuclea-
tion in the immediately underlying supersaturated li-
quid. T h e production of a solid g u m rosin end-product
at large supersaturations allows the study of final bub-
ble sizes and shapes. T h e G R A system represents an
advance on previous l a b o r a t o r y analogue systems with
great potential for the study of volcanic processes in the
laboratory.
Acknowledgements For funding, J. C. P. (grant GR3/8260) and
M. H. thank the NERC, and A.-M. L. (EPOCH project EV5V-
CT92-0178) thanks the EC. We gratefully acknowledge R. S. J.
Sparks and an anonymous reviewer for critical review of the
manuscript.
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