Water making hot rocks soft: How hydrothermal alteration affects volcano stability

Abstract:

My research involves using numerical models of groundwater flow and slope stability to determine how long-term hydrothermal alteration in stratovolcanoes can cause increases in pore fluid pressure that lead to edifice collapse. Or in simpler terms:

We can use computers to figure out how and why water that moves through hot rocks changes them into softer rocks that want to fall down. It's important to pay attention to the soft rocks even if they look safe because this can happen a long time after the stuff that makes them hot goes away or becomes cool. Wet soft rocks can go very far from high places and run over people in their way. I want show where the soft wet rocks are and how they might fall down so people will be safer.