Limit equilibrium analyses were applied to the 1980 Mount St. Helens and 1956 Bezymianny failures in order to examine the influence on stability of structural deformation produced by cryptodome emplacement. Weakening structures associated with the cryptodome include outward-dipping normal faults bounding a summit graben and a flat shear zone at the base of the bulged flank generated by lateral push of the magma. Together with the head of the magmatic body itself, these structures serve directly to localize failure along a critical surface with low stability deep within the interior of the edifice. This critical surface, with the safety coefficient reduced by 25–30%, is then very sensitive to stability condition variation, in particular to the pore-pressure ratio (ru) and seismicity coefficient (n). For ru=0.3, or n=0.2, the deep surface suffers catastrophic failure, removing a large volume of the edifice flank. In the case of Mount St. Helens, failure occurred within a material with angle of friction ~40°, cohesion in the range 105–106 Pa, and probably significant water pore pressure. On 18 May 1980, detachment of slide block I occurred along a newly formed rupture surface passing through the crest of the bulge. Although sliding of block I may have been helped by the basal shear zone, significant pore pressure and a triggering earthquake were required (ru=0.3 and n=0.2). Detachment of the second block was guided by the summit normal fault, the front of the cryptodome, and the basal shear zone. This occurred along a deep critical surface, which was on the verge of failure even before the 18 May 1980 earthquake. The stability of equivalent surfaces at Bezymianny Volcano appears significantly higher. Thus, although magma had already reached the surface, weaker materials, or higher pore pressure and/or seismic conditions were probably required to reach the rupture threshold. From our analysis, we find that deep-seated sector collapses formed by removing the edifice summit cannot generally result from a single slide. Cryptodome-induced deformation does, however, provide a deep potential slip surface. As previously thought, it may assist deep-seated sector collapse because it favors multiple retrogressive slides. This leads to explosive depressurization of the magmatic and hydrothermal systems, which undermines the edifice summit and produces secondary collapses and explosive blasts.

Abstract-The study of magmatic plumbing systems of volcanoes (roots of volcanoes) is one of the main tasks facing volcanology. One major object of this research is the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes (KGV), in Kamchatka, which is the greatest such group that has been found at any island arc and subduction zone. We summarize the comprehensive research that has been conducted there since 1931. Several conspicuous results derived since the 1960s have been reported, emerging from the study of magma sources, eruptions, earthquakes, deformation, and the deep structure for the KGV. Our discussion of these subjects incorporates the data of physical volcanology relating to the mechanism of volcanic activity and data from petrology as to magma generation. The following five parts can be distinguished in the KGV plumbing system and the associated geophysical model: the source of energy and material at the top of the Pacific Benioff zone at a depth of about 160 km, the region of magma ascent in the asthenosphere. the region of magma storage in the crust-mantle layer at depths of 40-25 km,
magma chambers and channelways in the crust, and the bases of volcanic edifices. We discuss and explain the properties of and the relationships between these parts and the mechanisms of volcanic activity and of the KGV plumbing system as they exist today. Methods for calculating magma chambers and conduits, the amount of magma in the system, and its other properties are available.

Bezymianny Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. In 1955, for the first time in history, Bezymianny started to erupt and after six months produced a catastrophic eruption with a total volume of eruptive products of more than 3 km3. Following explosive eruption, a lava dome began to grow in the resulting caldera. Lava dome growth continued intermittently for the next 57 years and continues today. During this extended period of lava dome growth, 44 Vulcanian-type strong explosive eruptions occurred between 1965 and 2012. This paper presents a summary of activity at Bezymianny Volcano from 1956 to 2010 with a focus on descriptive details for each event.

Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions on the planet. Large explosive volcanic eruptions, in which the ash elevates up to 8–15 km above sea level, occur here every 1.5 years. Study of eruptions precursors in order to reduce a volcanic risk for the population is an urgent problem of Volcanology. The available precursor of strong explosive eruptions of volcanoes, identified from satellite data (thermal anomaly), as well as examples of successful prediction of eruptions using this precursor, are represented in this paper.