Digital Elevation Models and Time-Lapse Imagery from Analogue Experiments on the Interaction between Magma Injection and Rainfall-Driven Surface Processes

This dataset documents a series of analogue experiments designed to investigate the coupled evolution of magma-driven surface uplift and rainfall-driven geomorphic processes. Seven controlled laboratory experiments were conducted, each combining shallow intrusion of a magma analogue with imposed rainfall of varying intensity, in order to systematically explore the role of surface processes under different forcing conditions. The experimental setup consists of a rigid Plexiglas container filled with a water-saturated granular mixture formulated to reproduce brittle crustal behaviour under wet conditions. Magmatic intrusion was simulated by injecting a fixed volume (360 cm³) of low-viscosity polyglycerine through a basal inlet at three distinct injection rates, while surface processes were imposed using an overhead rainfall system delivering three different rainfall intensities.
Topographic evolution during each experiment was monitored using a structured-light laser scanner (Artec Leo). For every model run, six Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were generated at synchronised stages corresponding to 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the injected volume, yielding a total of 42 DEMs. Raw scans were processed through a triangulated irregular network (TIN) meshing workflow and subsequently rasterised to GeoTIFF format without additional post-processing, in order to preserve the original topographic signal. In parallel, time-lapse photographic documentation was acquired throughout each experiment using a digital camera, providing a complementary visual record of dome growth, surface incision and sediment redistribution.

The dataset is organised into two main components: (i) high-resolution topographic datasets (DEMs) and (ii) time-indexed photographic sequences, both linked to the temporal evolution of each experiment. Quality control procedures include scanner calibration prior to acquisition, verification of mesh consistency and raster resolution, and a closed-system experimental design ensuring mass conservation. All data are distributed in their original formats and accompanied by detailed documentation describing experimental procedures, data processing workflows, and file organisation, enabling reproducibility and reuse in quantitative analyses of coupled magmatic and surface processes.

This publication results from work conducted under the transnational access/national open access action at University Roma Tre, Laboratory of Experimental Tectonics (LET) supported by WP3 ILGE - MEET project, PNRR - EU Next Generation Europe program, MUR grant number D53C22001400005.