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202422 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.202422 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ All Rights Reserved 2025 200 pages Doctoral Dissertation Academic theses en Mohr, Kyle James Clarke, Amanda B. Williams, David A. Roggensack, Kurt Christensen, Phil Barboni, Melanie Arizona State University Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2025 Field of study: Geological Sciences Basaltic volcanism, though commonly effusive, can also produce explosive eruptions with significant atmospheric interactions on both Earth and Mars. On Earth, volcanic plume dynamics and their interaction with atmospheric winds play a critical role in controlling the dispersal of volcanic ash, scoria, and gases. To investigate these effects, I use coupled plume and atmospheric dispersal models to simulate plume-atmosphere interactions and reconstruct the extent of prehistoric eruption deposits to aid forecasting of future eruptions and improve understanding of how volcanic plumes interact with complex atmospheric wind patterns. First, to validate model performance, I benchmarked my simulations against the well-documented November 24, 2006, eruption of Mt. Etna, enabling accurate representation of plume rise and ash dispersion under known atmospheric conditions. These validated models were then applied to Tecolote Volcano in the Pinacate Volcanic Field, Sonora, Mexico, to assess the influence of wind shear on plume behavior. I also modeled the youngest explosive eruptions from the Valles Caldera (NM, USA) where much of the original deposit has been eroded or is inaccessible, in order to reconstruct its full impact on the surrounding region. In both regions, I also simulate likely future eruptive scenarios in a typical wind field to illustrate potential impact on the region in modern times. On Mars, Ascraeus Mons—one of the largest volcanoes in the solar system— features expansive caldera complexes resulting from massive eruptions of basalt. Using high-resolution morphologic data, I estimated the minimum erupted volumes for these caldera-forming events and derived associated volatile release values. Although the estimated volatile emissions are smaller than those from Earth’s largest eruptions, which may have significantly affected climate, their impact could have been significant on Mars due to the planet’s smaller size and thinner atmosphere. Together, these studies provide cross-planetary insights into basaltic explosive volcanism and plume-atmosphere interactions. geology Volcanism on Earth and Mars: Interactions of Volcanic Emissions with the Atmosphere