Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems (VIPS) comprise the network of underground structures that transport and store magma in the crust, e.g. dykes, sills, and large magma bodies. The structure of VIPS and the complex physical and chemical processes during magma storage and transport are key parameters controlling the magnitude and type of volcanism that occurs at the Earth’s surface. Hence, the study of magmatic plumbing systems is an integral part of volcanology.
The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems (VIPS) brings together diverse scientific disciplines targeted to study VIPS, including:
- volcano geodesy and seismology for studying active VIPS,
- structural geology, igneous petrology, and geochemistry for studying fossil, eroded VIPS, and
- analogue, numerical, and petrological modelling to constrain the dynamics and evolution of VIPS.
The main goal of the new IAVCEI commission on VIPS is to provide a forum for VIPS research beyond disciplinary or methodological boundaries to foster an integrated understanding of magma transport and storage in the crust.
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