The formation of explosive volcanos at the circum-Pacific convergent margin during the last century

The circum-Pacific convergent margin is known as"the Ring of Fire",with abundant volcano eruptions.Large eruptions are rare but very disastrous.It remains obscure how are large explosive volcanos formed and where are the danger zones.Three largest eruptions since 1900,the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai,the Mt.Pinatubo,and the Novarupta were found to be associated with subductions of volatile-rich sediments and located close to slab windows.Among them,the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai is close to subducting seamount chains;the Mt.Pinatubo is right next to subducting fossil ridges.Both seamount chains and fossil ridges have water depths much shallower than the carbonate compensation depths(CCD)in the Pacific Ocean.Seismic image shows that a seamount is subducting towards the Novarupta volcano.Subduction of volatile-rich sediments and a slab window nearby are the two most important favorable conditions for catastrophic eruptions.Slab windows expose the mantle wedge to the hot asthenosphere,which increases the temperature and dramatically promotes the partial melting of the carbonate-fluxed domains,forming volatile-rich magmas that powered explosive eruptions.