Can glacial retreat related landslides trigger volcanic eruptions? Insights from Mount Meager, British Columbia

Volcanoes deform under their own weight, and glaciers further weaken them by loading, unloading, and incising them. These processes reduce the strength of volcanic slopes, increasing the likelihood of a catastrophic failure. Unloading of volcanic edifices during glacier retreat, erosion, and catastrophic mass movements can affect the magmatic plumbing system and potentially cause an eruption. Mount Meager is an ice-clad volcanic complex in British Columbia, Canada, known for its large landslides and an eruption about 2430 years ago. In 2010 a major collapse associated with glacier retreat occurred on the south flank of Mount Meager, and in 2016 fumaroles formed ice caves in one of its glaciers. This glacier is bordered by a large unstable slope moving about 4 cm/month. If this slope failed, a long run-out debris avalanche would reach the floor of Lillooet River valley, with possible destructive effects on …