Three-dimensional density structure of La Soufrie\`ere de Guadeloupe lava dome from simultaneous muon radiographies and gravity data

TL;DR

This study combines muon radiography and gravity data to produce a high-resolution 3D density model of La Soufri e de Guadeloupe's lava dome, revealing a low-density anomaly linked to volcanic activity.

Contribution

It introduces a joint inversion method of muon and gravity data for detailed 3D density imaging of a volcano's lava dome.

Findings

Identification of a low-density anomaly in the active hydrothermal region.

Support for the hypothesis of potential edifice collapse.

Enhanced spatial resolution in volcanic density imaging.

Abstract

Muon imaging has recently emerged as a powerful method to complement standard geophysical tools in the understanding of the Earth's subsurface. Muon measurements can yield a radiography of the average density along the muon path, allowing to image large volumes of a geological body from a single observation point. Here we jointly invert muon data from three simultaneous telescope acquisitions together with gravity data to estimate the three-dimensional density structure of the La Soufri\`ere de Guadeloupe lava Dome. Our unique dataset allows us to achieve an unprecedented spatial resolution with this novel technique. The retrieved density model reveals an extensive, low-density anomaly where the most active part of the volcanic hydrothermal system is located, supporting previous studies that indicate this region as the most likely to be involved in a partial edifice collapse.