Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 20 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-08-05

ISS020-E-028123 (5 Aug. 2009) --- Mount Hood, Oregon is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member on the International Space Station. Mount Hood is located within the Cascade Range of the western United States, and is the highest peak (3,426 m) in Oregon. The Cascade Range is characterized by a line of volcanoes associated with a slab of oceanic crust that is subducting, or descending underneath, the westward moving continental crust of North America. Magma generated by the subduction process rises upward through the crust and feeds a line of active volcanoes that extends from northern California in the United States to southern British Columbia in Canada. While hot springs and steam vents are still active on Mount Hood, the last eruption from the volcano occurred in 1866. The volcano is considered dormant, but still actively monitored. Separate phases of eruptive activity produced pyroclastic flows and lahars ? mudflows ? that carried erupted materials down all of the major rivers draining the volcano. Gray volcanic deposits extend southwards along the banks of the White River (upper right), and form several prominent ridges along the southeast to southwest flanks of the volcano. The deposits contrast sharply with the green vegetated lower flanks of the volcano. The Mount Hood stratovolcano ? a typically cone-shaped volcanic structure formed by interlayered lava flows and explosive eruption deposits ? hosts twelve mapped glaciers along its upper flanks (center). Like other glaciers in the Pacific Northwest, the Hood glaciers have been receding due to global warming, and have lost an estimated 61 percent of their volume over the past century. The predicted loss of glacial meltwater under future warming scenarios will have significant effects on regional hydrology and water supplies.

The Pacific Northwest; linkage between earthquake and volcano hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crosson, R.S.

1990-01-01

The Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and northern California) is experiencing rapid industrial and population growth. The same conditions that make the region attractive- close proximity to both mountains and oceans, volcanoes and spectacular inland waters- also present significant geologic hazards that are easily overlooked in the normal timetable of human activities. The catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens 10 years ago serves as a dramatic reminder of the forces of nature that can be unleashed through volcanism. other volcanoes such as  mount Rainier, a majestic symbol of Washington, or Mount hood in Oregon, lie closer to population centers and could present far greater hazards should they become active. Earthquakes may affect even larger regions, prodcuging more cumulative damage. 

Monitoring Mount Baker Volcano

USGS Publications Warehouse

Malone, S.D.; Frank, D.

1976-01-01

Hisotrically active volcanoes in the conterminous United States are restricted to the Cascade Range and extend to the Cascade Range and extend from Mount Baker near the Canadian border to Lassen Peak in northern California. Since 1800 A.D, most eruptive activity has been on a relatively small scale and has not caused loss of life or significant property damage. However, future  volcanism predictably will have more serious effects because of greatly increased use of land near volcanoes during the present century. (See "Appraising Volcanic Hazards of the Cascade Range of the Northwestern United States," Earthquake Inf. Bull., Sept.-Oct. 1974.) The recognition an impending eruption is highly important in order to minimize the potential hazard to people and property. Thus, a substantial increase in hydrothermal activity at Mount Baker in March 1975 ( see "Mount Baker Heating Up," July-Aug. 1975 issue) was regarded as a possible first signal that an eruption might occur, and an intensive monitoring program was undertaken. 

Mount St. Helens, 1980 to now—what’s going on?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Driedger, Carolyn L.; Faust, Lisa M.

2013-01-01

Mount St. Helens seized the world’s attention in 1980 when the largest historical landslide on Earth and a powerful explosive eruption reshaped the volcano, created its distinctive crater, and dramatically modified the surrounding landscape. An enormous lava dome grew episodically in the crater until 1986, when the volcano became relatively quiet. A new glacier grew in the crater, wrapping around and partly burying the lava dome. From 1987 to 2003, sporadic earthquake swarms and small steam explosions indicated that magma (molten rock) was being replenished deep underground. In 2004, steam-and-ash explosions heralded the start of another eruption. A quieter phase of continuous lava extrusion followed and lasted until 2008, building a new dome and doubling the volume of lava on the crater floor. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Washington’s Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network maintain constant watch for signs of renewed activity at Mount St. Helens and other Cascade volcanoes. Now is an ideal time for both actual and virtual visitors to Mount St. Helens to learn more about dramatic changes taking place on and beneath this active volcano.

Geologic map of Mount Gareloi, Gareloi Island, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coombs, Michelle L.; McGimsey, Robert G.; Browne, Brandon L.

2012-01-01

As part of an effort to both monitor and study all historically active volcanoes in Alaska, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) undertook a field program at Mount Gareloi in the summer of 2003. During a month-long period, seismic networks were installed at Mount Gareloi and the neighboring Tanaga volcanic cluster. During this time, we undertook the first geologic field study of the volcano since Robert Coats visited Gareloi Island for four days in 1946. Understanding the geology of this relatively small island is important from a hazards perspective, because Mount Gareloi lies beneath a heavily trafficked air route between North America and Asia and has frequently erupted airborne ash since 1760. At least two landslides from the island have deposited debris on the sea floor; thus, landslide-generated tsunamis are also a potential hazard. Since seismic instruments were installed in 2003, they have detected small but consistent seismic signals from beneath Mount Gareloi's edifice, suggesting an active hydrothermal system. Mount Gareloi is also important from the standpoint of understanding subduction-related volcanism, because it lies in the western portion of the volcanically active arc, where subduction is oblique to the arc front. Understanding the compositional evolution of Mount Gareloi fills a spatial gap in along-arc studies.

Aerogeophysical measurements of collapse-prone hydrothermally altered zones at Mount Rainier volcano.

PubMed

Finn, C A; Sisson, T W; Deszcz-Pan, M

2001-02-01

Hydrothermally altered rocks can weaken volcanoes, increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to destructive debris flows. Evaluating the hazards associated with such alteration is difficult because alteration has been mapped on few active volcanoes and the distribution and severity of subsurface alteration is largely unknown on any active volcano. At Mount Rainier volcano (Washington, USA), collapses of hydrothermally altered edifice flanks have generated numerous extensive debris flows and future collapses could threaten areas that are now densely populated. Preliminary geological mapping and remote-sensing data indicated that exposed alteration is contained in a dyke-controlled belt trending east-west that passes through the volcano's summit. But here we present helicopter-borne electromagnetic and magnetic data, combined with detailed geological mapping, to show that appreciable thicknesses of mostly buried hydrothermally altered rock lie mainly in the upper west flank of Mount Rainier. We identify this as the likely source for future large debris flows. But as negligible amounts of highly altered rock lie in the volcano's core, this might impede collapse retrogression and so limit the volumes and inundation areas of future debris flows. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution geophysical and geological observations can yield unprecedented views of the three-dimensional distribution of altered rock.

Aerogeophysical measurements of collapse-prone hydrothermally altered zones at Mount Rainier volcano

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, C.A.; Sisson, T.W.; Deszcz-Pan, M.

2001-01-01

Hydrothermally altered rocks can weaken volcanoes, increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to destructive debris flows1. Evaluating the hazards associated with such alteration is difficult because alteration has been mapped on few active volcanoes1-4 and the distribution and severity of subsurface alteration is largely unknown on any active volcano. At Mount Rainier volcano (Washington, USA), collapses of hydrothermally altered edifice flanks have generated numerous extensive debris flows5,6 and future collapses could threaten areas that are now densely populated7. Preliminary geological mapping and remote-sensing data indicated that exposed alteration is contained in a dyke-controlled belt trending east-west that passes through the volcano's summit3-5,8. But here we present helicopter-borne electromagnetic and magnetic data, combined with detailed geological mapping, to show that appreciable thicknesses of mostly buried hydrothermally altered rock lie mainly in the upper west flank of Mount Rainier. We identify this as the likely source for future large debris flows. But as negligible amounts of highly altered rock lie in the volcano's core, this might impede collapse retrogression and so limit the volumes and inundation areas of future debris flows. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution geophysical and geological observations can yield unprecedented views of the three-dimensional distribution of altered rock.

Renewed unrest at Mount Spurr Volcano, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Power, John A.

2004-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO),a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, has detected unrest at Mount Spurr volcano, located about 125 km west of Anchorage, Alaska, at the northeast end of the Aleutian volcanic arc.This activity consists of increased seismicity melting of the summit ice cap, and substantial rates of C02 and H2S emission.The current unrest is centered beneath the volcano's 3374-m-high summit, whose last known eruption was 5000–6000 years ago. Since then, Crater Peak, 2309 m in elevation and 4 km to the south, has been the active vent. Recent eruptions occurred in 1953 and 1992.

Geochemical constraints on volatile sources and subsurface conditions at Mount Martin, Mount Mageik, and Trident Volcanoes, Katmai Volcanic Cluster, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, T.; Tassi, F.; Aiuppa, A.; Galle, B.; Rizzo, A. L.; Fiebig, J.; Capecchiacci, F.; Giudice, G.; Caliro, S.; Tamburello, G.

2017-11-01

We use the chemical and isotopic composition of volcanic gases and steam condensate, in situ measurements of plume composition and remote measurements of SO2 flux to constrain volatile sources and characterize subvolcanic conditions at three persistently degassing and seismically active volcanoes within the Katmai Volcanic Cluster (KVC), Alaska: Mount Martin, Mount Mageik and Trident. In situ plume measurements of gas composition were collected at all three volcanoes using MultiGAS instruments to calculate gas ratios (e.g. CO2/H2S, SO2/H2S and H2O/H2S), and remote measurements of SO2 column density were collected from Mount Martin and Mount Mageik by ultraviolet spectrometer systems to calculate SO2 fluxes. Fumaroles were directly sampled for chemical and isotopic composition from Mount Mageik and Trident. Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB)-like 3He/4He ratios ( 7.2-7.6 Rc/RA) within Mount Mageik and Trident's fumarole emissions and a moderate SO2 flux ( 75 t/d) from Mount Martin, combined with gas compositions dominated by H2O, CO2 and H2S from all three volcanoes, indicate magma degassing and active hydrothermal systems in the subsurface of these volcanoes. Mount Martin's gas emissions have the lowest CO2/H2S ratio ( 2-4) and highest SO2 flux compared to the other KVC volcanoes, indicative of shallow magma degassing. Geothermometry techniques applied to Mount Mageik and Trident's fumarolic gas compositions suggest that their hydrothermal reservoirs are located at depths of 0.2 and 4 km below the surface, respectively. Observations of an unusually reducing gas composition at Trident and organic material in the near-surface soils suggest that thermal decomposition of sediments may be influencing gas composition. When the measured gas compositions from Mount Mageik and Trident are compared with previous samples collected in the late 1990's, relatively stable magmatic-hydrothermal conditions are inferred for Mount Mageik, while gradual degassing of residual magma and contamination by shallow crustal fluids is inferred for Trident. The isotopic composition of volcanic gases emitted from Mount Mageik and Trident reflect mixing of subducted slab, mantle and crustal volatile sources, with organic sediment and carbonate being the predominant sources. Considering the close proximity of the target volcanoes in comparison with the depth to the subducted slab we speculate that Aleutian Arc volatiles are fed by a relatively homogeneous subducted fluid and that much of the apparent variability in volatile provenance can be explained by shallow crustal volatile sources and/or processes.

Mount Rainier: living with perilous beauty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, Kevin M.; Wolfe, Edward W.; Driedger, Carolyn L.

1998-01-01

Mount Rainier is an active volcano reaching more than 2.7 miles (14,410 feet) above sea level. Its majestic edifice looms over expanding suburbs in the valleys that lead to nearby Puget Sound. USGS research over the last several decades indicates that Mount Rainier has been the source of many volcanic mudflows (lahars) that buried areas now densely populated. Now the USGS is working cooperatively with local communities to help people live more safely with the volcano.

Tilt networks of Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Johnson, Daniel J.; Murray, T.L.; Myers, Barbara

1982-01-01

In response to recent eruptions at Mount St. Helens and with support from the USGS Volcanic Hazards Program, the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) has initiated a program to monitor all potentially-active volcanoes of the Cascade Range. As part of that effort, we installed tilt networks and obtained baseline measurements at Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, California during July 1981. At the same time, baseline electronic distance measurements (EDM) were made and fumarole surveys were conducted by other crews from CVO. Annual surveys are planned initially, with subsequent visits as conditions warrant. These geodetic and geochemical measurements supplement a program of continuous seismic monitoring of Cascade volcanoes by the USGS Office of Earthquake Studies in cooperation with local universities. Other tilt networks were established at Mount Baker in 1975 and at Mount St. Helens in 1981. EDM networks were established at Mount Baker in 1975, Mount St. Helens in 1980, and Crater Lake in 1981. Additional tilt and/or EDM networks are planned for Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Glacier Peak, Three Sisters, and Crater Lake as funds permit.

Anaglyph with Landsat Overlay, Mount Meru, Tanzania

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-09-12

This anaglyph, from NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, is of Mount Meru, an active volcano located just 70 kilometers 44 miles west of Mount Kilimanjaro. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Magma at depth: A retrospective analysis of the 1975 unrest at Mount Baker, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crider, Juliet G.; Frank, David; Malone, Stephen D.; Poland, Michael P.; Werner, Cynthia; Caplan-Auerbach, Jacqueline

2011-01-01

Mount Baker volcano displayed a short interval of seismically-quiescent thermal unrest in 1975, with high emissions of magmatic gas that slowly waned during the following three decades. The area of snow-free ground in the active crater has not returned to pre-unrest levels, and fumarole gas geochemistry shows a decreasing magmatic signature over that same interval. A relative microgravity survey revealed a substantial gravity increase in the ~30 years since the unrest, while deformation measurements suggest slight deflation of the edifice between 1981-83 and 2006-07. The volcano remains seismically quiet with regard to impulsive volcano-tectonic events, but experiences shallow (10 km) long-period earthquakes. Reviewing the observations from the 1975 unrest in combination with geophysical and geochemical data collected in the decades that followed, we infer that elevated gas and thermal emissions at Mount Baker in 1975 resulted from magmatic activity beneath the volcano: either the emplacement of magma at mid-crustal levels, or opening of a conduit to a deep existing source of magmatic volatiles. Decadal-timescale, multi-parameter observations were essential to this assessment of magmatic activity.

Results of seismological monitoring in the Cascade Range 1962-1989: earthquakes, eruptions, avalanches and other curiosities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, C.S.; Norris, R.D.; Jonientz-Trisler, C.

1990-01-01

Modern monitoring of seismic activity at Cascade Range volcanoes began at Longmire on Mount Rainier in 1958. Since then, there has been an expansion of the regional seismic networks in Washington, northern Oregon and northern California. Now, the Cascade Range from Lassen Peak to Mount Shasta in the south and Newberry Volcano to Mount Baker in the north is being monitored for earthquakes as small as magnitude 2.0, and many of the stratovolcanoes are monitored for non-earthquake seismic activity. This monitoring has yielded three major observations. First, tectonic earthquakes are concentrated in two segments of the Cascade Range between Mount Rainier and Mount Hood and between Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, whereas little seismicity occurs between Mount Hood and Mount Shasta. Second, the volcanic activity and associated phenomena at Mount St. Helens have produced intense and widely varied seismicity. And third, at the northern stratovolcanoes, signals generated by surficial events such as debris flows, icequakes, steam emissions, rockfalls and icefalls are seismically recorded. Such records have been used to alert authorities of dangerous events in progress. -Authors

The critical role of volcano monitoring in risk reduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, R.I.

2008-01-01

Data from volcano-monitoring studies constitute the only scientifically valid basis for short-term forecasts of a future eruption, or of possible changes during an ongoing eruption. Thus, in any effective hazards-mitigation program, a basic strategy in reducing volcano risk is the initiation or augmentation of volcano monitoring at historically active volcanoes and also at geologically young, but presently dormant, volcanoes with potential for reactivation. Beginning with the 1980s, substantial progress in volcano-monitoring techniques and networks - ground-based as well space-based - has been achieved. Although some geochemical monitoring techniques (e.g., remote measurement of volcanic gas emissions) are being increasingly applied and show considerable promise, seismic and geodetic methods to date remain the techniques of choice and are the most widely used. Availability of comprehensive volcano-monitoring data was a decisive factor in the successful scientific and governmental responses to the reawakening of Mount St. Helens (Washington, USA) in 1980 and, more recently, to the powerful explosive eruptions at Mount Pinatubo (Luzon, Philippines) in 1991. However, even with the ever-improving state-ofthe-art in volcano monitoring and predictive capability, the Mount St. Helens and Pinatubo case histories unfortunately still represent the exceptions, rather than the rule, in successfully forecasting the most likely outcome of volcano unrest.

2014 volcanic activity in Alaska: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cameron, Cheryl E.; Dixon, James P.; Neal, Christina A.; Waythomas, Christopher F.; Schaefer, Janet R.; McGimsey, Robert G.

2017-09-07

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest, and seismic events at 18 volcanic centers in Alaska during 2014. The most notable volcanic activity consisted of intermittent ash eruptions from long-active Cleveland and Shishaldin Volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands, and two eruptive episodes at Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula. Semisopochnoi and Akutan volcanoes had seismic swarms, both likely the result of magmatic intrusion. The AVO also installed seismometers and infrasound instruments at Mount Cleveland during 2014.

Mount Rainier: learning to live with volcanic risk

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, C.L.; Scott, K.M.

2002-01-01

Mount Rainier in Washington state is an active volcano reaching more than 2.7 miles (14,410 feet) above sea level. Its majestic edifice looms over expanding suburbs in the valleys that lead to nearby Puget Sound. USGS research over the last several decades indicates that Mount Rainier has been the source of many volcanic mudflows (lahars) that buried areas now densely populated. Now the USGS is working cooperatively with local communities to help people live more safely with the volcano.

Potential hazards from future eruptions of Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, Dwight Raymond; Mullineaux, Donal Ray

1978-01-01

Mount St. Helens has been more active and more explosive during the last 4,500 years than any other volcano in the conterminous United States. Eruptions of that period repeatedly formed domes, large volumes of pumice, hot pyroclastic flows, and, during the last 2,500 years, lava flows. Some of this activity resulted in mudflows that extended tens of kilometers down the floors of valleys that head at the volcano. This report describes the nature of the phenomena and their threat to people and property; the accompanying maps show areas likely to be affected by future eruptions of Mount St. Helens. Explosive eruptions that produce large volumes of pumice affect large areas because winds can carry the lightweight material hundreds of kilometers from the volcano. Because of prevailing winds, the 180-degree sector east of the volcano will be affected most often and most severely by future eruptions of this kind. However, the pumice from any one eruption will fall in only a small part of that sector. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows also can affect areas far from the volcano, but the areas they affect are smaller because they follow valleys. Mudflows and possibly pyroclastic flows moving rapidly down Swift and Pine Creeks could displace water in Swift Reservoir, which could cause disastrous floods farther downvalley.

Micro-earthquake signal analysis and hypocenter determination around Lokon volcano complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Firmansyah, Rizky, E-mail: rizkyfirmansyah@hotmail.com; Nugraha, Andri Dian, E-mail: nugraha@gf.itb.ac.id; Kristianto, E-mail: kris@vsi.esdm.go.id

Mount Lokon is one of five active volcanoes which is located in the North Sulawesi region. Since June 26{sup th}, 2011, standby alert set by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) for this mountain. The Mount Lokon volcano erupted on July 4{sup th}, 2011 and still continuously erupted until August 28{sup th}, 2011. Due to its high seismic activity, this study is focused to analysis of micro-earthquake signal and determine the micro-earthquake hypocenter location around the complex area of Lokon-Empung Volcano before eruption phase in 2011 (time periods of January, 2009 up to March, 2010). Determination ofmore » the hypocenter location was conducted with Geiger Adaptive Damping (GAD) method. We used initial model from previous study in Volcan de Colima, Mexico. The reason behind the model selection was based on the same characteristics that shared between Mount Lokon and Colima including andesitic stratovolcano and small-plinian explosions volcanian types. In this study, a picking events was limited to the volcano-tectonics of A and B types, hybrid, long-period that has a clear signal onset, and local tectonic with different maximum S – P time are not more than three seconds. As a result, we observed the micro-earthquakes occurred in the area north-west of Mount Lokon region.« less

Erupting Volcano Mount Etna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

An Expedition Two crewmember aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured this overhead look at the smoke and ash regurgitated from the erupting volcano Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily, Italy. At an elevation of 10,990 feet (3,350 m), the summit of the Mt. Etna volcano, one of the most active and most studied volcanoes in the world, has been active for a half-million years and has erupted hundreds of times in recorded history.

1995 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Neal, Christina A.

1996-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptive activity or suspected volcanic activity (SVA) at 6 volcanic centers in 1995: Mount Martin (Katmai Group), Mount Veniaminof, Shishaldin, Makushin, Kliuchef/Korovin, and Kanaga. In addition to responding to eruptive activity at Alaska volcanoes, AVO also disseminated information for the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) on the 1995 eruptions of 2 Russian volcanoes: Bezymianny and Karymsky. This report summarizes volcanic activity in Alaska during 1995 and the AVO response, as well as information on the 2 Kamchatkan eruptions. Only those reports or inquiries that resulted in a "significant" investment of staff time and energy (here defined as several hours or more for reaction, tracking, and follow-up) are included. AVO typically receives dozens of phone calls throughout the year reporting steaming, unusual cloud sightings, or eruption rumors. Most of these are resolved quickly and are not tabulated here as part of the 1995 response record.

Catalog of earthquake hypocenters at Alaskan volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dixon, James P.; Stihler, Scott D.; Power, John A.; Tytgat, Guy; Estes, Steve; McNutt, Stephen R.

2006-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, has maintained seismic monitoring networks at historically active volcanoes in Alaska since 1988 (Figure 1). The primary objectives of the seismic program are the real-time seismic monitoring of active, potentially hazardous, Alaskan volcanoes and the investigation of seismic processes associated with active volcanism. This catalog presents calculated earthquake hypocenters and seismic phase arrival data, and details changes in the seismic monitoring program for the period January 1 through December 31, 2005.The AVO seismograph network was used to monitor the seismic activity at thirty-two volcanoes within Alaska in 2005 (Figure 1). The network was augmented by two new subnetworks to monitor the Semisopochnoi Island volcanoes and Little Sitkin Volcano. Seismicity at these volcanoes was still being studied at the end of 2005 and has not yet been added to the list of permanently monitored volcanoes in the AVO weekly update. Following an extended period of monitoring to determine the background seismicity at the Mount Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, and Korovin Volcano, formal monitoring of these volcanoes began in 2005. AVO located 9,012 earthquakes in 2005.Monitoring highlights in 2005 include: (1) seismicity at Mount Spurr remaining above background, starting in February 2004, through the end of the year and into 2006; (2) an increase in seismicity at Augustine Volcano starting in May 2005, and continuing through the end of the year into 2006; (3) volcanic tremor and seismicity related to low-level strombolian activity at Mount Veniaminof in January to March and September; and (4) a seismic swarm at Tanaga Volcano in October and November.This catalog includes: (1) descriptions and locations of seismic instrumentation deployed in the field in 2005; (2) a description of earthquake detection, recording, analysis, and data archival systems; (3) a description of seismic velocity models used for earthquake locations; (4) a summary of earthquakes located in 2005; and (5) an accompanying UNIX tar-file with a summary of earthquake origin times, hypocenters, magnitudes, phase arrival times, and location quality statistics; daily station usage statistics; and all HYPOELLIPSE files used to determine the earthquake locations in 2005.

Thermal surveillance of active volcanoes. [infrared scanner recordings of thermal anomalies of Mt. Baker volcano

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, J. D. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. By the end of 1973, aerial infrared scanner traverses for thermal anomaly recordings of all Cascade Range volcanoes were essentially completed. Amplitude level slices of the Mount Baker anomalies were completed and compiled at a scale of 1:24,000, thus producing, for the first time, an accurate map of the distribution and intensity of thermal activity on Mount Baker. The major thermal activity is concentrated within the crater south of the main summit and although it is characterized by intensive solfataric activity and warm ground, it is largely subglacial, causing the development of sizable glacier perforation features. The outgoing radiative flux from the east breach anomalies is sufficient to account for the volume of ice melted to form the glacier perforations. DCP station 6251 has been monitoring a thermally anomalous area on the north slope of Mount Baker. The present thermal activity of Mount Baker accounts for continuing hydrothermal alteration in the crater south of the main summit and recurrent debris avalanches from Sherman Peak on its south rim. The infrared anomalies mapped as part of the experiment SR 251 are considered the basic evidence of the subglacial heating which was the probable triggering mechanism of an avalanche down Boulder Glacier on August 20-21, 1973.

Living with a volcano in your backyard: an educator's guide with emphasis on Mount Rainier

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, Carolyn L.; Doherty, Anne; Dixon, Cheryl; Faust, Lisa M.

2005-01-01

The National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program (USGS-VHP) support development and publication of this educator’s guide as part of their mission to educate the public about volcanoes. The USGS-VHP studies the dynamics of volcanoes, investigates eruption histories, develops hazard assessments, monitors volcano-related activity, and collaborates with local officials to lower the risk of disruption when volcanoes become restless.

New geophysical views of Mt.Melbourne Volcano (East Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armadillo, E.; Gambetta, M.; Ferraccioli, F.; Corr, H.; Bozzo, E.

2009-05-01

Mt. Melbourne volcano is located along the transition between the Transantarctic Mountains and the West Antarctic Rift System. Recent volcanic activity is suggested by the occurrence of blankets of pyroclastic pumice and scoria fall around the eastern and southern flanks of Mt Melbourne and by pyroclastic layers interbedded with the summit snows. Geothermal activity in the crater area of Mount Melbourne may be linked to the intrusion of dykes within the last 200 years. Geophysical networks suggest that Mount Melbourne is a quiescent volcano, possibly characterised by slow internal dynamics. During the 2002-2003 Italian Antarctic campaign a high-resolution aeromagnetic survey was performed within the TIMM (Tectonics and Interior of Mt. Melbourne area) project. This helicopter-borne survey was flown at low-altitude and in drape-mode configuration (305 m above terrain) with a line separation less than 500 m. Our new high-resolution magnetic maps reveal the largely ice-covered magmatic and tectonic patters in the Mt. Melbourne volcano area. Additionally, in the frame of the UK-Italian ISODYN-WISE project (2005-06), an airborne ice-sounding radar survey was flown. We combine the sub-ice topography with images and models of the interior of Mt. Melbourne volcano, as derived from the high resolution aeromagnetic data and land gravity data. Our new geophysical maps and models also provide a new tool to study the regional setting of the volcano. In particular we re-assess whether there is geophysical evidence for coupling between strike-slip faulting, the Terror Rift, and Mount Melbourne volcano.

Digital Data for Volcano Hazards from Mount Rainier, Washington, Revised 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, S.P.; Doelger, S.; Hoblitt, R.P.; Walder, J.S.; Driedger, C.L.; Scott, K.M.; Pringle, P.T.; Vallance, J.W.

2008-01-01

Mount Rainier at 4393 meters (14,410 feet) is the highest peak in the Cascade Range; a dormant volcano having glacier ice that exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. This tremendous mass of rock and ice, in combination with great topographic relief, poses a variety of geologic hazards, both during inevitable future eruptions and during the intervening periods of repose. The volcano's past behavior is the best guide to possible future hazards. The written history (about A.D. 1820) of Mount Rainier includes one or two small eruptions, several small debris avalanches, and many small lahars (debris flows originating on a volcano). In addition, prehistoric deposits record the types, magnitudes, and frequencies of other events, and areas that were affected. Mount Rainier deposits produced since the latest ice age (approximately during the past 10,000 years) are well preserved. Studies of these deposits indicate we should anticipate potential hazards in the future. Some phenomena only occur during eruptions such as tephra falls, pyroclastic flows and surges, ballistic projectiles, and lava flows while others may occur without eruptive activity such as debris avalanches, lahars, and floods. The five geographic information system (GIS) volcano hazard data layers used to produce the Mount Rainier volcano hazard map in USGS Open-File Report 98-428 (Hoblitt and others, 1998) are included in this data set. Case 1, case 2, and case 3 layers were delineated by scientists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory and depict various lahar innundation zones around the mountain. Two additional layers delineate areas that may be affected by post-lahar sedimentation (postlahar layer) and pyroclastic flows (pyroclastic layer).

Plenty of Deep Long-Period Earthquakes Beneath Cascade Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nichols, M. L.; Malone, S. D.; Moran, S. C.; Thelen, W. A.; Vidale, J. E.

2009-12-01

The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) records and locates earthquakes within Washington and Oregon, including those occurring at 10 Cascade volcanic centers. In an earlier study (Malone and Moran, EOS 1997), a total of 11 deep long-period (DLP) earthquakes were reported beneath 3 Washington volcanoes. They are characterized by emergent P- and S- arrivals, long and ringing codas, and contain most of their energy below 5 Hz. DLP earthquakes are significant because they have been observed to occur prior to or in association with eruptions at several volcanoes, and as a result are inferred to represent movement of deep-seated magma and associated fluids in the mid-to-lower crust. To more thoroughly characterize DLP occurrence in Washington and Oregon, we employed a two-step algorithm to systematically search the PNSN’s earthquake catalogue for DLP events occurring between 1980 and 2008. In the first step we applied a spectral ratio test to the demeaned and tapered triggered event waveforms to distinguish long-period events from the more common higher frequency volcano-tectonic and regional tectonic earthquakes. In the second step we visually analyzed waveforms of the flagged long-period events to distinguish DLP earthquakes from long-period rockfalls, explosions, shallow low-frequency events, and glacier quakes. We identified 56 DLP earthquakes beneath 7 Cascade volcanic centers. Of these, 31 occurred at Mount Baker, where the background flux of magmatic gases is greater than at the other volcanoes in our study. The other 6 volcanoes with DLPs (counts in parentheses) are Glacier Peak (5), Mount Rainier (9), Mount St. Helens (9), Mount Hood (1), Three Sisters (1), and Crater Lake (1). No DLP events were identified beneath Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, or Newberry Volcano. The events are 10-40 km deep and have an average magnitude of around 1.5 (Mc), with both the largest and deepest DLPs occurring beneath Mount Baker. Cascade DLP earthquakes occur mostly as single events, although there are a few instances where two consecutive DLPs occur within seconds to hours of each other. None of the DLP earthquakes have been associated with anomalous activity at any Cascade volcano, including the 1980-86 and 2004-08 eruptive periods at Mount St. Helens.

Characterizing and comparing seismicity at Cascade Range (USA) volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, S. C.; Thelen, W. A.

2010-12-01

The Cascade Range includes 13 volcanic systems across Washington, Oregon, and northern California that are considered to have the potential to erupt at any time, including two that have erupted in the last 100 years (Mount St. Helens (MSH) and Lassen Peak). We investigated how seismicity compares among these volcanoes, and whether the character of seismicity (rate, type, style of occurrence over time, etc.) is related to eruptive activity at the surface. Seismicity at Cascade volcanoes has been monitored by seismic networks of variable apertures, station densities, and lengths of operation, which makes a direct comparison of seismicity among volcanoes somewhat problematic. Here we present results of two non-network-dependent approaches to making such seismicity comparisons. In the first, we used network geometry and a grid-search method to compute the minimum magnitude required for a network to locate an earthquake (“theoretical location threshold”, defined as an event recorded on at least 4 stations with gap of <135o) for each volcano out to 7 km. We then selected earthquakes with magnitudes greater than the highest theoretical location threshold determined for any Cascade volcano. To account for improving network densities with time, we used M 2.1 (location threshold for the Three Sisters 1980s-90s network) for 1987-1999 and M 1.6 (threshold for the Crater Lake 2000s network) for 2000-2010. In order to include only background seismicity, we excluded earthquakes occurring at any volcano during the 2004-2008 MSH eruption. We found that Mount Hood, Lassen Peak, and MSH had the three highest seismicity rates over that period, with Mount Hood, Medicine Lake volcano, and MSH having the three highest cumulative seismic energy releases. The Medicine Lake energy release is dominated by a single swarm in September 1988; if that swarm is removed, then Lassen would have the third-highest cumulative seismic energy release. For the second comparison, we determined the degree of “swarminess” for seismicity at each volcano. We first determined the background rate of locatable earthquakes (no selection criteria were applied) within 7 km of each volcanic center, and then identified days during which the rate of seismicity was 2σ or more above the background rate. Above-background days were linked together into one swarm if they occurred within 5 days of each other. We found that seismicity dominantly occurs in swarms (>60% of located earthquakes) at Mount Hood, Three Sisters, Medicine Lake, and Lassen Peak, is mixed at Mount Rainier (46%), and dominantly does not occur in swarms (<40%) at MSH (non-eruptive periods only) and Mount Shasta. These comparisons show no obvious relationship with recency of eruptive activity, with the possible exception that volcanoes with the most recent eruptions have the highest background seismicity levels.

Living through a volcanic eruption: Understanding the experience of survivors as a phenomenological existential phenomenon.

PubMed

Warsini, Sri; Mills, Jane; West, Caryn; Usher, Kim

2016-06-01

Mount Merapi in Indonesia is the most active volcano in the world with its 4-6-year eruption cycle. The mountain and surrounding areas are populated by hundreds of thousands of people who live near the volcano despite the danger posed to their wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of people who survived the most recent eruption of Mount Merapi, which took place in 2010. Investigators conducted interviews with 20 participants to generate textual data that were coded and themed. Three themes linked to the phenomenological existential experience (temporality and relationality) of living through a volcanic eruption emerged from the data. These themes were: connectivity, disconnection and reconnection. Results indicate that the close relationship individuals have with Mount Merapi and others in their neighbourhood outweighs the risk of living in the shadow of an active volcano. This is the first study to analyze the phenomenological existential elements of living through a volcanic eruption. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Preliminary volcano hazard assessment for the Emmons Lake volcanic center, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waythomas, Christopher; Miller, Thomas P.; Mangan, Margaret T.

2006-01-01

The Emmons Lake volcanic center is a large stratovolcano complex on the Alaska Peninsula near Cold Bay, Alaska. The volcanic center includes several ice- and snow-clad volcanoes within a nested caldera structure that hosts Emmons Lake and truncates a shield-like ancestral Mount Emmons edifice. From northeast to southwest, the main stratovolcanoes of the center are: Pavlof Sister, Pavlof, Little Pavlof, Double Crater, Mount Hague, and Mount Emmons. Several small cinder cones and vents are located on the floor of the caldera and on the south flank of Pavlof Volcano. Pavlof Volcano, in the northeastern part of the center, is the most historically active volcano in Alaska (Miller and others, 1998) and eruptions of Pavlof pose the greatest hazards to the region. Historical eruptions of Pavlof Volcano have been small to moderate Strombolian eruptions that produced moderate amounts of near vent lapilli tephra fallout, and diffuse ash plumes that drifted several hundreds of kilometers from the vent. Cold Bay, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, and Sand Point have reported ash fallout from Pavlof eruptions. Drifting clouds of volcanic ash produced by eruptions of Pavlof would be a major hazard to local aircraft and could interfere with trans-Pacific air travel if the ash plume achieved flight levels. During most historical eruptions of Pavlof, pyroclastic material erupted from the volcano has interacted with the snow and ice on the volcano producing volcanic mudflows or lahars. Lahars have inundated most of the drainages heading on the volcano and filled stream valleys with variable amounts of coarse sand, gravel, and boulders. The lahars are often hot and would alter or destroy stream habitat for many years following the eruption. Other stratocones and vents within the Emmons Lake volcanic center are not known to have erupted in the past 300 years. However, young appearing deposits and lava flows suggest there may have been small explosions and minor effusive eruptive activity within the caldera during this time interval. Mount Hague may have experienced minor steam eruptions. The greatest hazards in order of importance are described below and summarized on plate 1.

Thermal surveillance of volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, J. D. (Principal Investigator)

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A systematic aircraft program to monitor changes in the thermal emission from volcanoes of the Cascade Range has been initiated and is being carried out in conjunction with ERTS-1 thermal surveillance experiments. Night overflights by aircraft equipped with thermal infrared scanners sensitive to terrestrial emission in the 4-5.5 and 8-14 micron bands are currently being carried out at intervals of a few months. Preliminary results confirm that Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Shasta, and the Lassen area continue to be thermally active, although with the exception of Lassen which erupted between 1914 and 1917, and Mount Saint Helens which had a series of eruptions between 1831 and 1834, there has been no recent eruptive activity. Excellent quality infrared images recorded over Mount Rainier, as recently as April, 1972, show similar thermal patterns to those reported in 1964-1966. Infrared images of Mount Baker recorded in November 1970 and again in April 1972 revealed a distinct array of anomalies 1000 feet below the crater rim and associated with fumaroles or structures permitting convective heat transfer to the surface.

2013 volcanic activity in Alaska: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dixon, James P.; Cameron, Cheryl; McGimsey, Robert G.; Neal, Christina A.; Waythomas, Chris

2015-08-14

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest, and seismic events at 18 volcanic centers in Alaska during 2013. Beginning with the 2013 AVO Summary of Events, the annual description of the AVO seismograph network and activity, once a stand-alone publication, is now part of this report. Because of this change, the annual summary now contains an expanded description of seismic activity at Alaskan volcanoes. Eruptions occurred at three volcanic centers in 2013: Pavlof Volcano in May and June, Mount Veniaminof Volcano in June through December, and Cleveland Volcano throughout the year. None of these three eruptive events resulted in 24-hour staffing at AVO facilities in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Gravity and magma induces spreading of Mount Etna volcano revealed by satellite radar interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lungren, P.; Casu, F.; Manzo, M.; Pepe, A.; Berardino, P.; Sansosti, E.; Lanari, R.

2004-01-01

Mount Etna underwent a cycle of eruptive activity over the past ten years. Here we compute ground displacement maps and deformation time series from more than 400 radar interferograms to reveal Mount Etna's average and time varying surface deformation from 1992 to 2001.

Monitoring a restless volcano: The 2004 eruption of Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, C.

2005-01-01

Although the precise course of volcanic activity is difficult to predict, volcanologists are pretty adept at interpreting volcanic signals from well-monitored volcanoes in order to make short-term forecasts. Various monitoring tools record effects to give us warning before eruptions, changes in eruptive behavior during eruptions, or signals that an eruption is ending. Foremost among these tools is seismic monitoring. The character, size, depth and rate of earthquakes are all important to the interpretation of what is happening belowground. The first inkling of renewed activity at Mount St. Helens began in the early hours of Sept. 23, when a seismic swarm - tens to hundreds of earthquakes over days to a week - began beneath the volcano. This article details the obervations made during the eruptive sequence.

Indonesia's Active Mount Agung Volcano Imaged by NASA Spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-10

After a new small eruption sent an ash cloud 1.24 miles (2 kilometers) into the sky on Dec. 7, 2017, Indonesia's Mount Agung volcano quieted down. This image was acquired Dec. 8 after the latest activity by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. The image shows vegetation in red colors. The summit crater has a hot spot (yellow) as detected by ASTER's thermal infrared channels. More than 65,00 residents continue to be evacuated from the volcano's danger zone in case of a major eruption. The image covers an area of 11 by 12.3 miles (17.8 by 19.8 kilometers), and is located at 8.3 degrees south, 115.5 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22121

Snow and ice volume on Mount Spurr Volcano, Alaska, 1981

USGS Publications Warehouse

March, Rod S.; Mayo, Lawrence R.; Trabant, Dennis C.

1997-01-01

Mount Spurr (3,374 meters altitude) is an active volcano 130 kilometers west of Anchorage, Alaska, with an extensive covering of seasonal and perennial snow, and glaciers. Knowledge of the volume and distribution of snow and ice on a volcano aids in assessing hydrologic hazards such as floods, mudflows, and debris flows. In July 1981, ice thickness was measured at 68 locations on the five main glaciers of Mount Spurr: 64 of these measurements were made using a portable 1.7 megahertz monopulse ice-radar system, and 4 measurements were made using the helicopter altimeter where the glacier bed was exposed by ice avalanching. The distribution of snow and ice derived from these measurements is depicted on contour maps and in tables compiled by altitude and by drainage basins. Basal shear stresses at 20 percent of the measured locations ranged from 200 to 350 kilopascals, which is significantly higher than the 50 to 150 kilopascals commonly referred to in the literature as the 'normal' range for glaciers. Basal shear stresses higher than 'normal' have also been found on steep glaciers on volcanoes in the Cascade Range in the western United States. The area of perennial snow and ice coverage on Mount Spurr was 360 square kilometers in 1981, with an average thickness of 190?50 meters. Seasonal snow increases the volume about 1 percent and increases the area about 30 percent with a maximum in May or June. Runoff from Mount Spurr feeds the Chakachatna River and the Chichantna River (a tributary of the Beluga River). The Chakachatna River drainage contains 14 cubic kilometers of snow and ice and the Chichantna River drainage contains 53 cubic kilometers. The snow and ice volume on the mountain was 67?17 cubic kilometers, approximately 350 times more snow and ice than was on Mount St. Helens before its May 18, 1980, eruption, and 15 times more snow and ice than on Mount Rainier, the most glacierized of the measured volcanoes in the Cascade Range. On the basis of these relative quantities, hazard-producing glaciovolcanic phenomena at Mount Spurr could be significantly greater than similar phenomena at Cascade Volcanoes.

Translating Volcano Hazards Research in the Cascades Into Community Preparedness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewert, J. W.; Driedger, C. L.

2015-12-01

Research by the science community into volcanic histories and physical processes at Cascade volcanoes in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California has been ongoing for over a century. Eruptions in the 20th century at Lassen Peak and Mount St. Helen demonstrated the active nature of Cascade volcanoes; the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was a defining moment in modern volcanology. The first modern volcano hazards assessments were produced by the USGS for some Cascade volcanoes in the 1960s. A rich scientific literature exists, much of which addresses hazards at these active volcanoes. That said community awareness, planning, and preparation for eruptions generally do not occur as a result of a hazard analyses published in scientific papers, but by direct communication with scientists. Relative to other natural hazards, volcanic eruptions (or large earthquakes, or tsunami) are outside common experience, and the public and many public officials are often surprised to learn of the impacts volcanic eruptions could have on their communities. In the 1980s, the USGS recognized that effective hazard communication and preparedness is a multi-faceted, long-term undertaking and began working with federal, state, and local stakeholders to build awareness and foster community action about volcano hazards. Activities included forming volcano-specific workgroups to develop coordination plans for volcano emergencies; a concerted public outreach campaign; curriculum development and teacher training; technical training for emergency managers and first responders; and development of hazard information that is accessible to non-specialists. Outcomes include broader ownership of volcano hazards as evidenced by bi-national exchanges of emergency managers, community planners, and first responders; development by stakeholders of websites focused on volcano hazards mitigation; and execution of table-top and functional exercises, including evacuation drills by local communities.

Mount Rainier: living safely with a volcano in your backyard

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, Carolyn L.; Scott, William E.

2008-01-01

Majestic Mount Rainier soars almost 3 miles (14,410 feet) above sea level and looms over the expanding suburbs of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Each year almost two million visitors come to Mount Rainier National Park to admire the volcano and its glaciers, alpine meadows, and forested ridges. However, the volcano's beauty is deceptive - U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research shows that Mount Rainier is one of our Nation's most dangerous volcanoes. It has been the source of countless eruptions and volcanic mudflows (lahars) that have surged down valleys on its flanks and buried broad areas now densely populated. To help people live more safely with the volcano, USGS scientists are working closely with local communities, emergency managers, and the National Park Service.

Living With Volcanic Risk in the Cascades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Stauffer, Peter H.; Hendley, James W.

1997-01-01

The Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest has more than a dozen potentially active volcanoes. Cascade volcanoes tend to erupt explosively, and on average two eruptions occur per century?the most recent were at Mount St. Helens, Washington (1980?86 and 2004?8), and Lassen Peak, California (1914?17). To help protect the Pacific Northwest?s rapidly expanding population, USGS scientists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, monitor and assess the hazards posed by the region?s volcanoes.

Volcano hazards program in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, R.I.; Bailey, R.A.

1985-01-01

Volcano monitoring and volcanic-hazards studies have received greatly increased attention in the United States in the past few years. Before 1980, the Volcanic Hazards Program was primarily focused on the active volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa, Hawaii, which have been monitored continuously since 1912 by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. After the reawakening and catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the program was substantially expanded as the government and general public became aware of the potential for eruptions and associated hazards within the conterminous United States. Integrated components of the expanded program include: volcanic-hazards assessment; volcano monitoring; fundamental research; and, in concert with federal, state, and local authorities, emergency-response planning. In 1980 the David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory was established in Vancouver, Washington, to systematically monitor the continuing activity of Mount St. Helens, and to acquire baseline data for monitoring the other, presently quiescent, but potentially dangerous Cascade volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest. Since June 1980, all of the eruptions of Mount St. Helens have been predicted successfully on the basis of seismic and geodetic monitoring. The largest volcanic eruptions, but the least probable statistically, that pose a threat to western conterminous United States are those from the large Pleistocene-Holocene volcanic systems, such as Long Valley caldera (California) and Yellowstone caldera (Wyoming), which are underlain by large magma chambers still potentially capable of producing catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions. In order to become better prepared for possible future hazards associated with such historically unpecedented events, detailed studies of these, and similar, large volcanic systems should be intensified to gain better insight into caldera-forming processes and to recognize, if possible, the precursors of caldera-forming eruptions. ?? 1985.

Variations in community exposure to lahar hazards from multiple volcanoes in Washington State (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, Angela K.; Wood, Nathan J.; Ewert, John W.

2015-01-01

Understanding how communities are vulnerable to lahar hazards provides critical input for effective design and implementation of volcano hazard preparedness and mitigation strategies. Past vulnerability assessments have focused largely on hazards posed by a single volcano, even though communities and officials in many parts of the world must plan for and contend with hazards associated with multiple volcanoes. To better understand community vulnerability in regions with multiple volcanic threats, we characterize and compare variations in community exposure to lahar hazards associated with five active volcanoes in Washington State, USA—Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens—each having the potential to generate catastrophic lahars that could strike communities tens of kilometers downstream. We use geospatial datasets that represent various population indicators (e.g., land cover, residents, employees, tourists) along with mapped lahar-hazard boundaries at each volcano to determine the distributions of populations within communities that occupy lahar-prone areas. We estimate that Washington lahar-hazard zones collectively contain 191,555 residents, 108,719 employees, 433 public venues that attract visitors, and 354 dependent-care facilities that house individuals that will need assistance to evacuate. We find that population exposure varies considerably across the State both in type (e.g., residential, tourist, employee) and distribution of people (e.g., urban to rural). We develop composite lahar-exposure indices to identify communities most at-risk and communities throughout the State who share common issues of vulnerability to lahar-hazards. We find that although lahars are a regional hazard that will impact communities in different ways there are commonalities in community exposure across multiple volcanoes. Results will aid emergency managers, local officials, and the public in educating at-risk populations and developing preparedness, mitigation, and recovery plans within and across communities.

Geology of the Ugashik-Mount Peulik Volcanic Center, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Thomas P.

2004-01-01

The Ugashik-Mount Peulik volcanic center, 550 km southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula, consists of the late Quaternary 5-km-wide Ugashik caldera and the stratovolcano Mount Peulik built on the north flank of Ugashik. The center has been the site of explosive volcanism including a caldera-forming eruption and post-caldera dome-destructive activity. Mount Peulik has been formed entirely in Holocene time and erupted in 1814 and 1845. A large lava dome occupies the summit crater, which is breached to the west. A smaller dome is perched high on the southeast flank of the cone. Pyroclastic-flow deposits form aprons below both domes. One or more sector-collapse events occurred early in the formation of Mount Peulik volcano resulting in a large area of debris-avalanche deposits on the volcano's northwest flank. The Ugashik-Mount Peulik center is a calcalkaline suite of basalt, andesite, dacite, and rhyolite, ranging in SiO2 content from 51 to 72 percent. The Ugashik-Mount Peulik magmas appear to be co-genetic in a broad sense and their compositional variation has probably resulted from a combination of fractional crystallization and magma-mixing. The most likely scenario for a future eruption is that one or more of the summit domes on Mount Peulik are destroyed as new magma rises to the surface. Debris avalanches and pyroclastic flows may then move down the west and, less likely, east flanks of the volcano for distances of 10 km or more. A new lava dome or series of domes would be expected to form either during or within some few years after the explosive disruption of the previous dome. This cycle of dome disruption, pyroclastic flow generation, and new dome formation could be repeated several times in a single eruption. The volcano poses little direct threat to human population as the area is sparsely populated. The most serious hazard is the effect of airborne volcanic ash on aircraft since Mount Peulik sits astride heavily traveled air routes connecting the U.S. and Europe to Asia. Activity of the type described could produce eruption columns to heights of 15 km and result in significant amounts of ash 250-300 km downwind.

Sulfur dioxide emissions from la soufriere volcano, st. Vincent, west indies.

PubMed

Hoff, R M; Gallant, A J

1980-08-22

During the steady-state period of activity of La Soufriere Volcano in 1979, the mass emissions of sulfur dioxide into the troposphere amounted to a mean value of 339 +/- 126 metric tons per day. This value is similar to the sulfur dioxide emissions of other Central American volcanoes but less than those measured at Mount Etna, an exceptionally strong volcanic source of sulfur dioxide.

Mount St. Helens erupts again: activity from September 2004 through March 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, Jon J.; Scott, William E.; Driedger, Carolyn; Dzurisin, Dan

2005-01-01

Eruptive activity at Mount St. Helens captured the world’s attention in 1980 when the largest historical landslide on Earth and a powerful explosion reshaped the volcano, created its distinctive crater, and dramatically modified the surrounding landscape. Over the next 6 years, episodic extrusions of lava built a large dome in the crater. From 1987 to 2004, Mount St. Helens returned to a period of relative quiet, interrupted by occasional, short-lived seismic swarms that lasted minutes to days, by months-to-yearslong increases in background seismicity that probably reflected replenishment of magma deep underground, and by minor steam explosions as late as 1991. During this period a new glacier grew in the crater and wrapped around and partly buried the lava dome. Although the volcano was relatively quiet, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Washington’s Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network continued to closely monitor it for signs of renewed activity.

Mount Meager Volcano, Canada: a Case Study for Landslides on Glaciated Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberti, G. L.; Ward, B. C.; van Wyk de Vries, B.; Falorni, G.; Perotti, L.; Clague, J. J.

2015-12-01

Mount Meager is a strato-volcano massif in the Northern Cascade Volcanic Arc (Canada) that erupted in 2350 BP, the most recent in Canada. To study the stability of the Massif an international research project between France ( Blaise Pascal University), Italy (University of Turin) and Canada (Simon Fraser University) and private companies (TRE - sensing the planet) has been created. A complex history of glacial loading and unloading, combined with weak, hydrothermally altered rocks has resulted in a long record of catastrophic landslides. The most recent, in 2010 is the third largest (50 x 106 m3) historical landslide in Canada. Mount Meager is a perfect natural laboratory for gravity and topographic processes such as landslide activity, permafrost and glacial dynamics, erosion, alteration and uplift on volcanoes. Research is aided by a rich archive of aerial photos of the Massif (1940s up to 2006): complete coverage approximately every 10 years. This data set has been processed and multi-temporal, high resolution Orthophoto and DSMs (Digital Surface Models) have been produced. On these digital products, with the support on field work, glacial retreat and landslide activity have been tracked and mapped. This has allowed for the inventory of unstable areas, the identification of lava flows and domes, and the general improvement on the geologic knowledge of the massif. InSAR data have been used to monitor the deformation of the pre-2010 failure slope. It will also be used to monitor other unstable slopes that potentially can evolve to catastrophic collapses of up to 1 km3 in volume, endangering local communities downstream the volcano. Mount Meager is definitively an exceptional site for studying the dynamics of a glaciated, uplifted volcano. The methodologies proposed can be applied to other volcanic areas with high erosion rates such as Alaska, Cascades, and the Andes.

Chlorine degassing during the lava dome-building eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005: Chapter 27 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edmonds, Marie; McGee, Kenneth A.; Doukas, Michael P.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

O is magmatic, and (or) (2) some Cl present as alkali chloride (NaCl and KCl) in the gas phase. The mean molar Cl/S is similar to gases measured at other silicic subductionzone volcanoes during effusive activity; this may be due to the influence of Cl in the vapor on S solubility in the melt, which produces a solubility maximum for S at vapor Cl/S ~1.

Lava flow-field morphology: A case study from Mount Etna, Sicily

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guest, J. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Duncan, A. M.

1987-01-01

The morphology of lava flows is often taken as an indicator of the broad chemical composition of the lava, especially when interpreting extraterrestrial volcanoes using spacecraft images. The historical lavas of the active volcano Mount Etna in Sicily provide an excellent opportunity to examine the controls on flow field morphology. In this study only flow produced by flank eruptions after the middle of the 18th century are examined. The final form of a flow-field may be more indicative of the internal plumbing of the volcano, which may control such factors as the effusion, rate, duration of eruption, volume of available magma, rate of de-gassing, and lava rheology. Different flow morphologies on Etna appear to be a good indicator of differing conditions within the volcanic pile. Thus the spatial distribution of different flow types on an extraterrestrial volcano may provide useful information about the plumbing conditions of that volcano, rather than necessarily providing information on the composition of materials erupted.

Real-Time Data Received from Mount Erebus Volcano, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aster, Richard; McIntosh, William; Kyle, Philip; Esser, Richard; Bartel, Beth Ann; Dunbar, Nelia; Johns, Bjorn; Johnson, Jeffrey B.; Karstens, Richard; Kurnik, Chuck; McGowan, Murray; McNamara, Sara; Meertens, Chuck; Pauley, Bruce; Richmond, Matt; Ruiz, Mario

2004-03-01

Internal and eruptive volcano processes involve complex interactions of multi-phase fluids with the solid Earth and the atmosphere, and produce diverse geochemical, visible, thermal, elastic, and anelastic effects. Multidisciplinary experimental agendas are increasingly being employed to meet the challenge of understanding active volcanoes and their hazards [e.g., Ripepe et al., 2002; Wallace et al., 2003]. Mount Erebus is a large (3794 m) stratovolcano that forms the centerpiece of Ross Island, Antarctica, the site of the principal U.S. (McMurdo) and New Zealand (Scott) Antarctic bases. With an elevation of 3794 m and a volume of ~1670 km3, Erebus offers exceptional opportunities for extended study of volcano processes because of its persistent, low-level, strombolian activity (Volcano Explosivity Index 0-1) and exposed summit magma reservoir (manifested as a long-lived phonolitic lava lake). Key scientific questions include linking conduit processes to near-field deformations [e.g., Aster et al., 2003], explosion physics [e.g., Johnson et al., 2003], magmatic differentiation and residence [e.g., Kyle et al., 1992], and effects on Antarctic atmospheric and ice geochemistry [e.g., Zreda-Gostynska et al., 1997]. The close proximity of Erebus (35 km) to McMurdo, and its characteristic dry, windy, cold, and high-elevation Antarctic environment, make the volcano a convenient test bed for the general development of volcano surveillance and other instrumentation under extreme conditions.

Rover-Based Instrumentation and Scientific Investigations During the 2012 Analog Field Test on Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, L. D.; Graff, T. G.

2013-01-01

Rover-based 2012 Moon and Mars Analog Mission Activities (MMAMA) were recently completed on Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii. Scientific investigations, scientific input, and operational constraints were tested in the context of existing project and protocols for the field activities designed to help NASA achieve the Vision for Space Exploration [1]. Several investigations were conducted by the rover mounted instruments to determine key geophysical and geochemical properties of the site, as well as capture the geological context of the area and the samples investigated. The rover traverse and associated science investigations were conducted over a three day period on the southeast flank of the Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii. The test area was at an elevation of 11,500 feet and is known as "Apollo Valley" (Fig. 1). Here we report the integration and operation of the rover-mounted instruments, as well as the scientific investigations that were conducted.

Volcano geodesy in the Cascade arc, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poland, Michael P.; Lisowski, Michael; Dzurisin, Daniel; Kramer, Rebecca; McLay, Megan; Pauk, Ben

2017-08-01

Experience during historical time throughout the Cascade arc and the lack of deep-seated deformation prior to the two most recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens might lead one to infer that Cascade volcanoes are generally quiescent and, specifically, show no signs of geodetic change until they are about to erupt. Several decades of geodetic data, however, tell a different story. Ground- and space-based deformation studies have identified surface displacements at five of the 13 major Cascade arc volcanoes that lie in the USA (Mount Baker, Mount St. Helens, South Sister, Medicine Lake, and Lassen volcanic center). No deformation has been detected at five volcanoes (Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Newberry Volcano, Crater Lake, and Mount Shasta), and there are not sufficient data at the remaining three (Glacier Peak, Mount Adams, and Mount Jefferson) for a rigorous assessment. In addition, gravity change has been measured at two of the three locations where surveys have been repeated (Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker show changes, while South Sister does not). Broad deformation patterns associated with heavily forested and ice-clad Cascade volcanoes are generally characterized by low displacement rates, in the range of millimeters to a few centimeters per year, and are overprinted by larger tectonic motions of several centimeters per year. Continuous GPS is therefore the best means of tracking temporal changes in deformation of Cascade volcanoes and also for characterizing tectonic signals so that they may be distinguished from volcanic sources. Better spatial resolution of volcano deformation can be obtained through the use of campaign GPS, semipermanent GPS, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar observations, which leverage the accumulation of displacements over time to improve signal to noise. Deformation source mechanisms in the Cascades are diverse and include magma accumulation and withdrawal, post-emplacement cooling of recent volcanic deposits, magmatic-tectonic interactions, and loss of volatiles plus densification of magma. The Cascade Range thus offers an outstanding opportunity for investigating a wide range of volcanic processes. Indeed, there may be areas of geodetic change that have yet to be discovered, and there is good potential for addressing a number of important questions about how arc volcanoes work before, during, and after eruptions by continuing geodetic research in the Cascade Range.

Volcano geodesy in the Cascade arc, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael; Lisowski, Michael; Dzurisin, Daniel; Kramer, Rebecca; McLay, Megan; Pauk, Benjamin

2017-01-01

Experience during historical time throughout the Cascade arc and the lack of deep-seated deformation prior to the two most recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens might lead one to infer that Cascade volcanoes are generally quiescent and, specifically, show no signs of geodetic change until they are about to erupt. Several decades of geodetic data, however, tell a different story. Ground- and space-based deformation studies have identified surface displacements at five of the 13 major Cascade arc volcanoes that lie in the USA (Mount Baker, Mount St. Helens, South Sister, Medicine Lake, and Lassen volcanic center). No deformation has been detected at five volcanoes (Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Newberry Volcano, Crater Lake, and Mount Shasta), and there are not sufficient data at the remaining three (Glacier Peak, Mount Adams, and Mount Jefferson) for a rigorous assessment. In addition, gravity change has been measured at two of the three locations where surveys have been repeated (Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker show changes, while South Sister does not). Broad deformation patterns associated with heavily forested and ice-clad Cascade volcanoes are generally characterized by low displacement rates, in the range of millimeters to a few centimeters per year, and are overprinted by larger tectonic motions of several centimeters per year. Continuous GPS is therefore the best means of tracking temporal changes in deformation of Cascade volcanoes and also for characterizing tectonic signals so that they may be distinguished from volcanic sources. Better spatial resolution of volcano deformation can be obtained through the use of campaign GPS, semipermanent GPS, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar observations, which leverage the accumulation of displacements over time to improve signal to noise. Deformation source mechanisms in the Cascades are diverse and include magma accumulation and withdrawal, post-emplacement cooling of recent volcanic deposits, magmatic-tectonic interactions, and loss of volatiles plus densification of magma. The Cascade Range thus offers an outstanding opportunity for investigating a wide range of volcanic processes. Indeed, there may be areas of geodetic change that have yet to be discovered, and there is good potential for addressing a number of important questions about how arc volcanoes work before, during, and after eruptions by continuing geodetic research in the Cascade Range.

Mount Rainier: A decade volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Donald A.; Malone, Stephen D.; Samora, Barbara A.

Mount Rainier, the highest (4392 m) volcano in the Cascade Range, towers over a population of more than 2.5 million in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, and its drainage system via the Columbia River potentially affects another 500,000 residents of southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon (Figure 1). Mount Rainier is the most hazardous volcano in the Cascades in terms of its potential for magma-water interaction and sector collapse. Major eruptions, or debris flows even without eruption, pose significant dangers and economic threats to the region. Despite such hazard and risk, Mount Rainier has received little study; such important topics as its petrologic and geochemical character, its proximal eruptive history, its susceptibility to major edifice failure, and its development over time have been barely investigated. This situation may soon change because of Mount Rainier's recent designation as a “Decade Volcano.”

Geophysics of Volcanic Landslide Hazards: The Inside Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C.; Deszcz-Pan, M.; Bedrosian, P. A.

2013-05-01

Flank collapses of volcanoes pose significant potential hazards, including triggering lahars, eruptions, and tsunamis. Significant controls on the stability of volcanoes are the distribution of hydrothermal alteration and the location of groundwater. Groundwater position, abundance, and flow rates within a volcano affect the transmission of fluid pressure and the transport of mass and heat. Interaction of groundwater with acid magmatic gases can lead to hydrothermal alteration that mechanically weakens rocks and makes them prone to failure and flank collapse. Therefore, detecting the presence and volume of hydrothermally altered rocks and shallow ground water is critical for evaluating landslide hazards. High-resolution helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic (HEM) data collected over the rugged, ice-covered Mount Adams, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens (Washington) and Mount Iliamna (Alaska) volcanoes, reveal the distribution of alteration, water and ice thickness essential to evaluating volcanic landslide hazards. These data, combined with geological mapping, other geophysical data and rock property measurements, indicate the presence of appreciable thicknesses (>500 m) of water-saturated hydrothermally altered rock west of the modern summit of Mount Rainier in the Sunset Amphitheater region and in the central core of Mount Adams north of the summit. Water-saturated alteration at Mount Baker is restricted to thinner (<200 m) zones beneath Sherman Crater and the Dorr Fumarole Fields. The HEM data can be used to identify water-saturated fresh volcanic rocks from the surface to the detection limit (~100-200 m) in discreet zones on the summits of Mount Rainier and Mt Adams, in shattered fresh dome rocks under the crater of Mount St. Helens and in the entire summit region at Mount Baker. A 50-100 m thick water saturated layer is imaged within or beneath parts of glaciers on Mount Iliamna. Removal of ice and snow during eruptions and landslide can result in lahars and floods. Ice thickness measurements critical for flood and mudflow hazards studies are very sparse on most volcanoes. The HEM data are used to estimate ice thickness over portions of Mount Baker and Mount Adams volcanoes. The best estimates for ice thickness are obtained over relatively low resistivity (<600 ohm-m) ground for the main ice cap on Mount Adams and over most of the summit of Mount Baker. The modeled distribution of alteration, pore fluids and partial ice volumes on the volcanoes helps identify likely sources for future alteration-related debris flows, including the Sunset Amphitheater region at Mount Rainier, steep cliffs at the western edge of the central altered zone at Mount Adams, south and north flanks of Mount Baker, and central Mount Iliamna. The water saturated shattered fresh dome material in the crater of Mount St. Helens may have served as part of the slip surface for the 1980 debris avalanche.

Digital Data for Volcano Hazards of the Mount Hood Region, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, S.P.; Doelger, S.; Scott, W.E.; Pierson, T.C.; Costa, J.E.; Gardner, C.A.; Vallance, J.W.; Major, J.J.

2008-01-01

Snow-clad Mount Hood dominates the Cascade skyline from the Portland metropolitan area to the wheat fields of Wasco and Sherman Counties. The mountain contributes valuable water, scenic, and recreational resources that help sustain the agricultural and tourist segments of the economies of surrounding cities and counties. Mount Hood is also one of the major volcanoes of the Cascade Range, having erupted repeatedly for hundreds of thousands of years, most recently during two episodes in the past 1,500 yr. The last episode ended shortly before the arrival of Lewis and Clark in 1805. When Mount Hood erupts again, it will severely affect areas on its flanks and far downstream in the major river valleys that head on the volcano. Volcanic ash may fall on areas up to several hundred kilometers downwind. The purpose of the volcano hazard report USGS Open-File Report 97-89 (Scott and others, 1997) is to describe the kinds of hazardous geologic events that have happened at Mount Hood in the past and to show which areas will be at risk when such events occur in the future. This data release contains the geographic information system (GIS) data layers used to produce the Mount Hood volcano hazard map in USGS Open-File Report 97-89. Both proximal and distal hazard zones were delineated by scientists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory and depict various volcano hazard areas around the mountain. A second data layer contains points that indicate estimated travel times of lahars.

Effects of volcanism on the glaciers of Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brugman, Melinda M.; Post, Austin

1981-01-01

The cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens May 18, 1980, removed 2.9 km2 (about 0.13 km3) of glacier snow and ice including a large part of Shoestring, Forsyth, Wishbone, Ape, Nelson, and all of Loowit and Leschi Glaciers. Minor eruptions and bulging of the volcano from March 27 to May 17 shattered glaciers which were on the deforming rock and deposited ash on other glaciers. Thick ash layers persisted after the May 18 eruption through the summer on most of the remaining snow and ice, and protected winter snow from melting on Swift and Dryer Glaciers. Melting and recrystalization of snow and ice surviving on Mount St. Helens could cause and lubricate mudflows and generate outburst floods. Study of glaciers that remain on this active volcano may assist in recognizing potential hazards on other volcanoes and lead to new contributions to knowledge of the transient response of glaciers to changes in mass balance or geometry.

Remote camera observations of lava dome growth at Mount St. Helens, Washington, October 2004 to February 2006: Chapter 11 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael P.; Dzurisin, Daniel; LaHusen, Richard G.; Major, John J.; Lapcewich, Dennis; Endo, Elliot T.; Gooding, Daniel J.; Schilling, Steve P.; Janda, Christine G.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Images from a Web-based camera (Webcam) located 8 km north of Mount St. Helens and a network of remote, telemetered digital cameras were used to observe eruptive activity at the volcano between October 2004 and February 2006. The cameras offered the advantages of low cost, low power, flexibility in deployment, and high spatial and temporal resolution. Images obtained from the cameras provided important insights into several aspects of dome extrusion, including rockfalls, lava extrusion rates, and explosive activity. Images from the remote, telemetered digital cameras were assembled into time-lapse animations of dome extrusion that supported monitoring, research, and outreach efforts. The wide-ranging utility of remote camera imagery should motivate additional work, especially to develop the three-dimensional quantitative capabilities of terrestrial camera networks.

Springs, streams, and gas vent on and near Mount Adams volcano, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nathenson, Manuel; Mariner, Robert H.

2013-01-01

Springs and some streams on Mount Adams volcano have been sampled for chemistry and light stable isotopes of water. Spring temperatures are generally cooler than air temperatures from weather stations at the same elevation. Spring chemistry generally reflects weathering of volcanic rock from dissolved carbon dioxide. Water in some springs and streams has either dissolved hydrothermal minerals or has reacted with them to add sulfate to the water. Some samples appear to have obtained their sulfate from dissolution of gypsum while some probably involve reaction with sulfide minerals such as pyrite. Light stable isotope data for water from springs follow a local meteoric water line, and the variation of isotopes with elevation indicate that some springs have very local recharge and others have water from elevations a few hundred meters higher. No evidence was found for thermal or slightly thermal springs on Mount Adams. A sample from a seeping gas vent on Mount Adams was at ambient temperature, but the gas is similar to that found on other Cascade volcanoes. Helium isotopes are 4.4 times the value in air, indicating that there is a significant component of mantle helium. The lack of fumaroles on Mount Adams and the ambient temperature of the gas indicates that the gas is from a hydrothermal system that is no longer active.

Mantle and Crustal Sources of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Noble gases in Cascade-Range and Aleutian-Arc Volcanic gases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Symonds, Robert B.; Poreda, Robert J.; Evans, William C.; Janik, Cathy J.; Ritchie, Beatrice E.

2003-01-01

Here we report anhydrous chemical (CO2, H2S, N2, H2, CH4, O2, Ar, He, Ne) and isotopic (3He/4He, 40Ar/36Ar, δ13C of CO2, δ13C of CH4, δ15N) compositions of virtually airfree gas samples collected between 1994 and 1998 from 12 quiescent but potentially restless volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Aleutian Arc (CRAA). Sample sites include ≤173°C fumaroles and springs at Mount Shasta, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Augustine Volcano, Mount Griggs, Trident, Mount Mageik, Aniakchak Crater, Akutan, and Makushin. The chemical and isotopic data generally point to magmatic (CO2, Ar, He), shallow crustal sedimentary (hereafter, SCS) (CO2, N2, CH4), crustal (He), and meteoric (N2, Ar) sources of volatiles. CH4 clearly comes from SCS rocks in the subvolcanic systems because CH4 cannot survive the higher temperatures of deeper potential sources. Further evidence for a SCS source for CH4 as well as for non-mantle CO2 and non-meteoric N2 comes from isotopic data that show wide variations between volcanoes that are spatially very close and similar isotopic signatures from volcanoes from very disparate areas. Our results are in direct opposition to many recent studies on other volcanic arcs (Kita and others, 1993; Sano and Marty, 1995; Fischer and others, 1998), in that they point to a dearth of subducted components of CO2 and N2 in the CRAA discharges. Either the CRAA volcanoes are fundamentally different from volcanoes in other arcs or we need to reevaluate the significance of subducted C and N recycling in convergent-plate volcanoes.

Maps, Plates, and Mount Saint Helens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lary, Barbara E.; Krockover, Gerald H.

1987-01-01

Describes a laboratory activity on plate tectonics which focuses on the connection between plate tectonics and the different types of volcanoes. Provides questions for discussion and includes suggestions for extending the activity. (ML)

Tsunamis generated by eruptions from mount st. Augustine volcano, alaska.

PubMed

Kienle, J; Kowalik, Z; Murty, T S

1987-06-12

During an eruption of the Alaskan volcano Mount St. Augustine in the spring of 1986, there was concern about the possibility that a tsunami might be generated by the collapse of a portion of the volcano into the shallow water of Cook Inlet. A similar edifice collapse of the volcano and ensuing sea wave occurred during an eruption in 1883. Other sea waves resulting in great loss of life and property have been generated by the eruption of coastal volcanos around the world. Although Mount St. Augustine remained intact during this eruptive cycle, a possible recurrence of the 1883 events spurred a numerical simulation of the 1883 sea wave. This simulation, which yielded a forecast of potential wave heights and travel times, was based on a method that could be applied generally to other coastal volcanos.

Eruptions of Hawaiian volcanoes - Past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, Robert I.; Heliker, Christina; Swanson, Donald A.

2010-01-01

Viewing an erupting volcano is a memorable experience, one that has inspired fear, superstition, worship, curiosity, and fascination since before the dawn of civilization. In modern times, volcanic phenomena have attracted intense scientific interest, because they provide the key to understanding processes that have created and shaped more than 80 percent of the Earth's surface. The active Hawaiian volcanoes have received special attention worldwide because of their frequent spectacular eruptions, which often can be viewed and studied with relative ease and safety. In January 1987, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), located on the rim of Kilauea Volcano, celebrated its 75th Anniversary. In honor of HVO's Diamond Jubilee, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published Professional Paper 1350 (see list of Selected Readings, page 57), a comprehensive summary of the many studies on Hawaiian volcanism by USGS and other scientists through the mid-1980s. Drawing from the wealth of data contained in that volume, the USGS also published in 1987 the original edition of this general-interest booklet, focusing on selected aspects of the eruptive history, style, and products of two of Hawai'i's active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. This revised edition of the booklet-spurred by the approaching Centennial of HVO in January 2012-summarizes new information gained since the January 1983 onset of Kilauea's Pu'u 'O'o-Kupaianaha eruption, which has continued essentially nonstop through 2010 and shows no signs of letup. It also includes description of Kilauea's summit activity within Halema'uma'u Crater, which began in mid-March 2008 and continues as of this writing (late 2010). This general-interest booklet is a companion to the one on Mount St. Helens Volcano first published in 1984 and revised in 1990 (see Selected Readings). Together, these publications illustrate the contrast between the two main types of volcanoes: shield volcanoes, such as those in Hawai'i, which generally are nonexplosive; and composite volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens in the Cascade Range, which are renowned for their explosive eruptions.

Magmatic degassing, lava dome extrusion, and explosions from Mount Cleveland volcano, Alaska, 2011-2015: Insight into the continuous nature of volcanic activity over multi-year timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Cynthia; Kern, Christoph; Coppola, Diego; Lyons, John J.; Kelly, Peter J.; Wallace, Kristi L.; Schneider, David J.; Wessels, Rick L.

2017-05-01

Mount Cleveland volcano (1730 m) is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc, Alaska, but heightened activity is rarely accompanied by geophysical signals, which makes interpretation of the activity difficult. In this study, we combine volcanic gas emissions measured for the first time in August 2015 with longer-term measurements of thermal output and lava extrusion rates between 2011 and 2015 calculated from MODIS satellite data with the aim to develop a better understanding of the nature of volcanic activity at Mount Cleveland. Degassing measurements were made in the month following two explosive events (21 July and 7 August 2015) and during a period of new dome growth in the summit crater. SO2 emission rates ranged from 400 to 860 t d- 1 and CO2/SO2 ratios were < 3, consistent with the presence of shallow magma in the conduit and the observed growth of a new lava dome. Thermal anomalies derived from MODIS data from 2011 to 2015 had an average repose time of only 4 days, pointing to the continuous nature of volcanic activity at this volcano. Rapid increases in the cumulative thermal output were often coincident with visual confirmation of dome growth or accumulations of tephra in the crater. The average rate of lava extrusion calculated for 9 periods of rapid increase in thermal output was 0.28 m3 s- 1, and the total volume extruded from 2011 to 2015 was 1.9-5.8 Mm3. The thermal output from the lava extrusion events only accounts for roughly half of the thermal budget, suggesting a continued presence of shallow magma in the upper conduit, likely driven by convection. Axisymmetric dome morphology and occasional drain back of lava into the conduit suggests low-viscosity magmas drive volcanism at Mount Cleveland. It follows also that only small overpressures can be maintained given the small domes and fluid magmas, which is consistent with the low explosivity of most of Mount Cleveland's eruptions. Changes between phases of dome growth and explosive activity are somewhat unpredictable and likely result from plugs that are related to the dome obtaining a critical dimension, or from small variations in the magma ascent rate that lead to crystallization-induced blockages in the upper conduit, thereby reducing the ability of magma to degas. We suggest the small magma volumes, slow ascent rates, and low magma viscosity lead to the overall lack of anomalous geophysical signals prior to eruptions, and that more continuous volcanic degassing measurements might lead to more successful eruption forecasting at this continuously-active open-vent volcano.

Magmatic degassing, lava dome extrusion, and explosions from Mount Cleveland volcano, Alaska, 2011–2015: Insight into the continuous nature of volcanic activity over multi-year timescales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Werner, Cynthia; Kern, Christoph; Coppola, Diego; Lyons, John; Kelly, Peter; Wallace, Kristi; Schneider, David; Wessels, Rick

2017-01-01

Mount Cleveland volcano (1730 m) is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc, Alaska, but heightened activity is rarely accompanied by geophysical signals, which makes interpretation of the activity difficult. In this study, we combine volcanic gas emissions measured for the first time in August 2015 with longer-term measurements of thermal output and lava extrusion rates between 2011 and 2015 calculated from MODIS satellite data with the aim to develop a better understanding of the nature of volcanic activity at Mount Cleveland. Degassing measurements were made in the month following two explosive events (21 July and 7 August 2015) and during a period of new dome growth in the summit crater. SO2 emission rates ranged from 400 to 860 t d− 1 and CO2/SO2 ratios were < 3, consistent with the presence of shallow magma in the conduit and the observed growth of a new lava dome. Thermal anomalies derived from MODIS data from 2011 to 2015 had an average repose time of only 4 days, pointing to the continuous nature of volcanic activity at this volcano. Rapid increases in the cumulative thermal output were often coincident with visual confirmation of dome growth or accumulations of tephra in the crater. The average rate of lava extrusion calculated for 9 periods of rapid increase in thermal output was 0.28 m3 s− 1, and the total volume extruded from 2011 to 2015 was 1.9–5.8 Mm3. The thermal output from the lava extrusion events only accounts for roughly half of the thermal budget, suggesting a continued presence of shallow magma in the upper conduit, likely driven by convection. Axisymmetric dome morphology and occasional drain back of lava into the conduit suggests low-viscosity magmas drive volcanism at Mount Cleveland. It follows also that only small overpressures can be maintained given the small domes and fluid magmas, which is consistent with the low explosivity of most of Mount Cleveland's eruptions. Changes between phases of dome growth and explosive activity are somewhat unpredictable and likely result from plugs that are related to the dome obtaining a critical dimension, or from small variations in the magma ascent rate that lead to crystallization-induced blockages in the upper conduit, thereby reducing the ability of magma to degas. We suggest the small magma volumes, slow ascent rates, and low magma viscosity lead to the overall lack of anomalous geophysical signals prior to eruptions, and that more continuous volcanic degassing measurements might lead to more successful eruption forecasting at this continuously-active open-vent volcano.

Geologic field-trip guide to Mount Shasta Volcano, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Robert L.; Calvert, Andrew T.; Grove, Timothy L.

2017-08-18

The southern part of the Cascades Arc formed in two distinct, extended periods of activity: “High Cascades” volcanoes erupted during about the past 6 million years and were built on a wider platform of Tertiary volcanoes and shallow plutons as old as about 30 Ma, generally called the “Western Cascades.” For the most part, the Shasta segment (for example, Hildreth, 2007; segment 4 of Guffanti and Weaver, 1988) of the arc forms a distinct, fairly narrow axis of short-lived small- to moderate-sized High Cascades volcanoes that erupted lavas, mainly of basaltic-andesite or low-silica-andesite compositions. Western Cascades rocks crop out only sparsely in the Shasta segment; almost all of the following descriptions are of High Cascades features except for a few unusual localities where older, Western Cascades rocks are exposed to view along the route of the field trip.The High Cascades arc axis in this segment of the arc is mainly a relatively narrow band of either monogenetic or short-lived shield volcanoes. The belt generally averages about 15 km wide and traverses the length of the Shasta segment, roughly 100 km between about the Klamath River drainage on the north, near the Oregon-California border, and the McCloud River drainage on the south (fig. 1). Superposed across this axis are two major long-lived stratovolcanoes and the large rear-arc Medicine Lake volcano. One of the stratovolcanoes, the Rainbow Mountain volcano of about 1.5–0.8 Ma, straddles the arc near the midpoint of the Shasta segment. The other, Mount Shasta itself, which ranges from about 700 ka to 0 ka, lies distinctly west of the High Cascades axis. It is notable that Mount Shasta and Medicine Lake volcanoes, although volcanologically and petrologically quite different, span about the same range of ages and bracket the High Cascades axis on the west and east, respectively.The field trip begins near the southern end of the Shasta segment, where the Lassen Volcanic Center field trip leaves off, in a field of high-alumina olivine tholeiite lavas (HAOTs, referred to elsewhere in this guide as low-potassium olivine tholeiites, LKOTs). It proceeds around the southern, western, and northern flanks of Mount Shasta and onto a part of the arc axis. The stops feature elements of the Mount Shasta area in an approximately chronological order, from oldest to youngest.

Time-resolved seismic tomography detects magma intrusions at Mount Etna.

PubMed

Patanè, D; Barberi, G; Cocina, O; De Gori, P; Chiarabba, C

2006-08-11

The continuous volcanic and seismic activity at Mount Etna makes this volcano an important laboratory for seismological and geophysical studies. We used repeated three-dimensional tomography to detect variations in elastic parameters during different volcanic cycles, before and during the October 2002-January 2003 flank eruption. Well-defined anomalous low P- to S-wave velocity ratio volumes were revealed. Absent during the pre-eruptive period, the anomalies trace the intrusion of volatile-rich (>/=4 weight percent) basaltic magma, most of which rose up only a few months before the onset of eruption. The observed time changes of velocity anomalies suggest that four-dimensional tomography provides a basis for more efficient volcano monitoring and short- and midterm eruption forecasting of explosive activity.

Geologic map of Medicine Lake volcano, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.

2011-01-01

Medicine Lake volcano forms a broad, seemingly nondescript highland, as viewed from any angle on the ground. Seen from an airplane, however, treeless lava flows are scattered across the surface of this potentially active volcanic edifice. Lavas of Medicine Lake volcano, which range in composition from basalt through rhyolite, cover more than 2,000 km2 east of the main axis of the Cascade Range in northern California. Across the Cascade Range axis to the west-southwest is Mount Shasta, its towering volcanic neighbor, whose stratocone shape contrasts with the broad shield shape of Medicine Lake volcano. Hidden in the center of Medicine Lake volcano is a 7 km by 12 km summit caldera in which nestles its namesake, Medicine Lake. The flanks of Medicine Lake volcano, which are dotted with cinder cones, slope gently upward to the caldera rim, which reaches an elevation of nearly 8,000 ft (2,440 m). The maximum extent of lavas from this half-million-year-old volcano is about 80 km north-south by 45 km east-west. In postglacial time, 17 eruptions have added approximately 7.5 km3 to its total estimated volume of 600 km3, and it is considered to be the largest by volume among volcanoes of the Cascades arc. The volcano has erupted nine times in the past 5,200 years, a rate more frequent than has been documented at all other Cascades arc volcanoes except Mount St. Helens.

Earth observation taken by the Expedition 43 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-08

ISS043182340 (05/08/2015) --- NASA astronaut Scott Kelly took this intriguing picture of Mount Etna, a volcano on the Italian island of Sicily. Located on the northeast part of the island it first erupted 500,000 years ago and is still active today. Scott tweeded this image from the International Space Station with the comment: "MtEtna Highest European active #volcano lives up to its Italian name Mongibello (beautiful mountain) from space too".

Volcanic hazards at Mount Shasta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, Dwight R.; Nichols, Donald R.

1989-01-01

The eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington, in 1980 served as a reminder that long-dormant volcanoes can come to life again. Those eruptions, and their effects on people and property, also showed the value of having information about volcanic hazards well in advance of possible volcanic activity. This pamphlet about Mount Shasta provides such information for the public, even though the next eruption may still be far in the future.

Digital Data for Volcano Hazards in the Crater Lake Region, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, S.P.; Doelger, S.; Bacon, C.R.; Mastin, L.G.; Scott, K.E.; Nathenson, M.

2008-01-01

Crater Lake lies in a basin, or caldera, formed by collapse of the Cascade volcano known as Mount Mazama during a violent, climactic eruption about 7,700 years ago. This event dramatically changed the character of the volcano so that many potential types of future events have no precedent there. This potentially active volcanic center is contained within Crater Lake National Park, visited by 500,000 people per year, and is adjacent to the main transportation corridor east of the Cascade Range. Because a lake is now present within the most likely site of future volcanic activity, many of the hazards at Crater Lake are different from those at most other Cascade volcanoes. Also significant are many faults near Crater Lake that clearly have been active in the recent past. These faults, and historic seismicity, indicate that damaging earthquakes can occur there in the future. The USGS Open-File Report 97-487 (Bacon and others, 1997) describes the various types of volcano and earthquake hazards in the Crater Lake area, estimates of the likelihood of future events, recommendations for mitigation, and a map of hazard zones. The geographic information system (GIS) volcano hazard data layers used to produce the Crater Lake earthquake and volcano hazard map in USGS Open-File Report 97-487 are included in this data set. USGS scientists created one GIS data layer, c_faults, that delineates these faults and one layer, cballs, that depicts the downthrown side of the faults. Additional GIS layers chazline, chaz, and chazpoly were created to show 1)the extent of pumiceous pyroclastic-flow deposits of the caldera forming Mount Mazama eruption, 2)silicic and mafic vents in the Crater Lake region, and 3)the proximal hazard zone around the caldera rim, respectively.

Special issue: The changing shapes of active volcanoes: Recent results and advances in volcano geodesy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael P.; Newman, Andrew V.

2006-01-01

The 18 papers herein report on new geodetic data that offer valuable insights into eruptive activity and magma transport; they present new models and modeling strategies that have the potential to greatly increase understanding of magmatic, hydrothermal, and volcano-tectonic processes; and they describe innovative techniques for collecting geodetic measurements from remote, poorly accessible, or hazardous volcanoes. To provide a proper context for these studies, we offer a short review of the evolution of volcano geodesy, as well as a case study that highlights recent advances in the field by comparing the geodetic response to recent eruptive episodes at Mount St. Helens. Finally, we point out a few areas that continue to challenge the volcano geodesy community, some of which are addressed by the papers that follow and which undoubtedly will be the focus of future research for years to come.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barrat, J.

Mount St. Helens' eruption has taught geologists invaluable lessons about how volcanoes work. Such information will be crucial in saving lives and property when other dormant volcanoes in the northwestern United States--and around the world--reawaken, as geologists predict they someday will. Since 1912, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have pioneered the study of volcanoes through work on Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes on the island of Hawaii. In Vancouver, Wash., scientists at the Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory are studying the after-effects of Mount St. Helens' catalysmic eruption as well as monitoring a number of other now-dormantmore » volcanoes in the western United States. This paper briefly reviews the similarities and differences between the Hawaiian and Washington volcanoes and what these volcanoes are teaching the volcanologists.« less

Modeled inundation limits of potential lahars from Mount Adams in the White Salmon River Valley, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griswold, Julia P.; Pierson, Thomas C.; Bard, Joseph A.

2018-05-09

Lahars large enough to reach populated areas are a hazard at Mount Adams, a massive volcano in the southern Cascade Range of Washington State (fig. 1). It is considered to be still active and has the potential to erupt again. By definition, lahars are gravity-driven flows of water-saturated mixtures of mud and rock (plus or minus ice, wood, and other debris), which originate from volcanoes and have a variety of potential triggering mechanisms (Vallance, 2000; Vallance and Iverson, 2015). Flowing mixtures can range in fluid consistency from something like a milkshake to something more like wet concrete, and they behave like flash floods, in that they can appear suddenly in river channels with little warning and commonly have boulder- or log-choked flow fronts. Lahars are hazardous because they can flow rapidly in confined valleys (commonly 20–35 miles per hour [mph] or 9–16 meters per second [m/s]), can travel more than 100 miles (mi) (161 kilometers [km]) from a source volcano, and can move with incredible destructive force, carrying multi-ton boulders and logs that can act as battering rams (Pierson, 1998). The biggest threats from lahars to downstream communities are present during eruptive activity, and impacts to communities can be dire. For example, a very large eruption-triggered lahar in Colombia in 1985 surprised and killed more than 20,000 people in a large town located about 45 mi (72 km) downstream and out of sight of the volcano that produced it (Pierson and others, 1990).Mount Adams, one of the largest volcanoes in the Cascade Range, is a composite stratocone composed primarily of andesite lava flows. It has been the most continuously active volcano within the 480-mi2 Mount Adams volcanic field—a region covering parts of Klickitat, Skamania, Yakima, andLewis Counties and part of the Yakama Nation Reservation in Washington State (Hildreth and Fierstein,1995, 1997). About 500,000 years in age, Mount Adams reached its present size by about 15,000 years ago, primarily through the episodic effusion of lava flows; it has not had a history of major explosive eruptions like Mount St. Helens, its neighbor to the west. Timing of the most recent eruptive activity (recorded by four thin tephra layers) is on the order of 1,000 years ago; the tephras are bracketed by 2,500-year-old and 500-year-old ash layers from Mount St. Helens (Hildreth and Fierstein, 1995, 1997). Mount Adams currently shows no signs of renewed unrest.Eruptive history does not tell us everything we need to know about hazards at Mount Adams, however, which are fully addressed in the volcano hazard assessment for Mount Adams (W.E. Scott and others, 1995). This volcano has had a long-active hydrothermal system that circulated acidic hydrothermal fluids, formed by the solution of volcanic gases in heated groundwater, through fractures and permeable zones into upper parts of the volcanic cone. Acid sulfate leaching of rocks in the summit area may still be occurring, but chemical and thermal evidence suggests that the main hydrothermal system is no longer active at Mount Adams (Nathenson and Mariner, 2013). However, these rock-weakening chemical reactions have operated long enough to change about 0.4 cubic miles (mi3) (1.7 cubic kilometers [km3]) of the hard lava rock in the volcano’s upper cone to a much weaker clay-rich rock, thus significantly reducing rock strength and thereby slope stability in parts of the cone (Finn and others, 2007). The two largest previous lahars from Mount Adams were triggered by landslides of hydrothermally altered rock from the upper southwestern flank of the cone, and any future large lahars are likely to be triggered by the same mechanism. Mount Rainier also has had extensive hydrothermal alteration of rock in its upper edifice, and it also has a history of large landslides that transform into lahars (K.M. Scott and others, 1995; Vallance and Scott, 1997; Reid and others, 2001).The spatial depiction of modeled lahar inundation zones accompanying this report, shown in two different map perspectives, is intended to augment (not replace) the existing hazard maps for Mount Adams (W.E. Scott and others, 1995; Vallance, 1999). The maps in this report show potential areas of inundation by lahars of different initial volumes, which are determined by a computer model, LAHARZ (Iverson and others, 1998; Schilling, 1998). One map sheet presents LAHARZ-determined inundation areas on a normal plan-view shaded-relief map of the study area; the other gives an oblique perspective of the landscape with raised topography, as if one were viewing the landscape at an angle from an aircraft (Jenny and Patterson, 2007). LAHARZ was developed after the original hazard maps (based only on mapping of geologic deposits) were made. Predicted inundation zones on these maps provide an alternative approach to estimation of areas that could be inundated as lahars of different volumes pass through the valley. However, there is considerable uncertainty in the exact location of the hazard-zone boundaries shown on these maps, as well as on earlier maps.

Seismic evidence for a possible deep crustal hot zone beneath Southwest Washington.

PubMed

Flinders, Ashton F; Shen, Yang

2017-08-07

Crustal pathways connecting deep sources of melt and the active volcanoes they supply are poorly understood. Beneath Mounts St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier these pathways connect subduction-induced ascending melts to shallow magma reservoirs. Petrogenetic modeling predicts that when these melts are emplaced as a succession of sills into the lower crust they generate deep crustal hot zones. While these zones are increasingly recognized as a primary site for silicic differentiation at a range of volcanic settings globally, imaging them remains challenging. Near Mount Rainier, ascending melt has previously been imaged ~28 km northwest of the volcano, while to the south, the volcano lies on the margin of a broad conductive region in the deep crust. Using 3D full-waveform tomography, we reveal an expansive low-velocity zone, which we interpret as a possible hot zone, linking ascending melts and shallow reservoirs. This hot zone may supply evolved magmas to Mounts St. Helens and Adams, and possibly Rainier, and could contain approximately twice the melt volume as the total eruptive products of all three volcanoes combined. Hot zones like this may be the primary reservoirs for arc volcanism, influencing compositional variations and spatial-segmentation along the entire 1100 km-long Cascades Arc.

Volcano hazards in the Mount Hood region, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, W.E.; Pierson, T.C.; Schilling, S.P.; Costa, J.E.; Gardner, C.A.; Vallance, J.W.; Major, J.J.

1997-01-01

Mount Hood is a potentially active volcano close to rapidly growing communities and recreation areas. The most likely widespread and hazardous consequence of a future eruption will be for lahars (rapidly moving mudflows) to sweep down the entire length of the Sandy (including the Zigzag) and White River valleys. Lahars can be generated by hot volcanic flows that melt snow and ice or by landslides from the steep upper flanks of the volcano. Structures close to river channels are at greatest risk of being destroyed. The degree of hazard decreases as height above a channel increases, but large lahars can affect areas more than 30 vertical meters (100 vertical feet) above river beds. The probability of eruption-generated lahars affecting the Sandy and White River valleys is 1-in-15 to l-in-30 during the next 30 years, whereas the probability of extensive areas in the Hood River Valley being affected by lahars is about ten times less. The accompanying volcano-hazard-zonation map outlines areas potentially at risk and shows that some areas may be too close for a reasonable chance of escape or survival during an eruption. Future eruptions of Mount Hood could seriously disrupt transportation (air, river, and highway), some municipal water supplies, and hydroelectric power generation and transmission in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.

Seismic evidence for a possible deep crustal hot zone beneath Southwest Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flinders, Ashton; Shen, Yang

2017-01-01

Crustal pathways connecting deep sources of melt and the active volcanoes they supply are poorly understood. Beneath Mounts St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier these pathways connect subduction-induced ascending melts to shallow magma reservoirs. Petrogenetic modeling predicts that when these melts are emplaced as a succession of sills into the lower crust they generate deep crustal hot zones. While these zones are increasingly recognized as a primary site for silicic differentiation at a range of volcanic settings globally, imaging them remains challenging. Near Mount Rainier, ascending melt has previously been imaged ~28 km northwest of the volcano, while to the south, the volcano lies on the margin of a broad conductive region in the deep crust. Using 3D full-waveform tomography, we reveal an expansive low-velocity zone, which we interpret as a possible hot zone, linking ascending melts and shallow reservoirs. This hot zone may supply evolved magmas to Mounts St. Helens and Adams, and possibly Rainier, and could contain approximately twice the melt volume as the total eruptive products of all three volcanoes combined. Hot zones like this may be the primary reservoirs for arc volcanism, influencing compositional variations and spatial-segmentation along the entire 1100 km-long Cascades Arc.

Geologic Map of the Katmai Volcanic Cluster, Katmai National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, Wes; Fierstein, Judy

2002-01-01

This digital publication contains all the geologic map information used to publish U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Map Series I-2778 (Hildreth and Fierstein, 2003). This is a geologic map of the Katmai volcanic cluster on the Alaska Peninsula (including Mount Katmai, Trident Volcano, Mount Mageik, Mount Martin, Mount Griggs, Snowy Mountain, Alagogshak volcano, and Novarupta volcano), and shows the distribution of ejecta from the great eruption of June, 1912 at Novarupta. Widely scattered erosional remnants of volcanic rocks, unrelated to but in the vicinity of the Katmai cluster, are also mapped. Distribution of glacial deposits, large landslides, debris avalanches, and surficial deposits are a snapshot of an ever-changing landscape.

Chronology and References of Volcanic Eruptions and Selected Unrest in the United States, 1980-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, Angela K.; Guffanti, Marianne; Ewert, John W.

2009-01-01

The United States ranks as one of the top countries in the world in the number of young, active volcanoes within its borders. The United States, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is home to approximately 170 geologically active (age <10,000 years) volcanoes. As our review of the record shows, 30 of these volcanoes have erupted since 1980, many repeatedly. In addition to producing eruptions, many U.S. volcanoes exhibit periods of anomalous activity, unrest, that do not culminate in eruptions. Monitoring volcanic activity in the United States is the responsibility of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) and is accomplished with academic, Federal, and State partners. The VHP supports five Volcano Observatories - the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), Long Valley Observatory (LVO), and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). With the exception of HVO, which was established in 1912, the U.S. Volcano Observatories have been established in the past 27 years in response to specific volcanic eruptions or sustained levels of unrest. As understanding of volcanic activity and hazards has grown over the years, so have the extent and types of monitoring networks and techniques available to detect early signs of anomalous volcanic behavior. This increased capability is providing us with a more accurate gauge of volcanic activity in the United States. The purpose of this report is to (1) document the range of volcanic activity that U.S. Volcano Observatories have dealt with, beginning with the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, (2) describe some overall characteristics of the activity, and (3) serve as a quick reference to pertinent published literature on the eruptions and unrest documented in this report.

Seismicity and infrasound associated with explosions at Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005: Chapter 6 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, Seth C.; McChesney, Patrick J.; Lockhart, Andrew B.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Six explosions occurred during 2004-5 in association with renewed eruptive activity at Mount St. Helens, Washington. Of four explosions in October 2004, none had precursory seismicity and two had explosion-related seismic tremor that marked the end of the explosion. However, seismicity levels dropped following each of the October explosions, providing the primary instrumental means for explosion detection during the initial vent-clearing phase. In contrast, explosions on January 16 and March 8, 2005, produced noticeable seismicity in the form of explosion-related tremor, infrasonic signals, and, in the case of the March 8 explosion, an increase in event size ~2 hours before the explosion. In both 2005 cases seismic tremor appeared before any infrasonic signals and was best recorded on stations located within the crater. These explosions demonstrated that reliable explosion detection at volcanoes like Mount St. Helens requires seismic stations within 1-2 km of the vent and stations with multiple acoustic sensors.

Rebuilding Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, Steve P.; Ramsey, David W.; Messerich, James A.; Thompson, Ren A.

2006-01-01

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, Washington exploded in a spectacular and devastating eruption that shocked the world. The eruption, one of the most powerful in the history of the United States, removed 2.7 cubic kilometers of rock from the volcano's edifice, the bulk of which had been constructed by nearly 4,000 years of lava-dome-building eruptions. In seconds, the mountain's summit elevation was lowered from 2,950 meters to 2,549 meters, leaving a north-facing, horseshoe-shaped crater over 2 kilometers wide. Following the 1980 eruption, Mount St. Helens remained active. A large lava dome began episodically extruding in the center of the volcano's empty crater. This dome-building eruption lasted until 1986 and added about 80 million cubic meters of rock to the volcano. During the two decades following the May 18, 1980 eruption, Crater Glacier formed tongues of ice around the east and west sides of the lava dome in the deeply shaded niche between the lava dome and the south crater wall. Long the most active volcano in the Cascade Range with a complex 300,000-year history, Mount St. Helens erupted again in the fall of 2004 as a new period of dome building began within the 1980 crater. Between October 2004 and February 2006, about 80 million cubic meters of dacite lava erupted immediately south of the 1980-86 lava dome. The erupting lava separated the glacier into two parts, first squeezing the east arm of the glacier against the east crater wall and then causing equally spectacular crevassing and broad uplift of the glacier's west arm. Vertical aerial photographs document dome growth and glacier deformation. These photographs enabled photogrammetric construction of a series of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) showing changes from October 4, 2004 to February 9, 2006. From the DEMs, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications were used to estimate extruded volumes and growth rates of the new lava dome. The DEMs were also used to quantify dome height variations, size of the magma conduit opening, and the mechanics of dome emplacement. Previous lava-dome-building eruptions at the volcano have persisted intermittently for years to decades. Over time, such events constructed much of the cone-shaped mountain seen prior to the May 18, 1980 eruption. Someday, episodic dome growth may eventually rebuild Mount St. Helens to its pre-1980 form.

Erupting Volcano Mount Etna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Expedition Five crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured this overhead look at the smoke and ash regurgitated from the erupting volcano Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily, Italy in October 2002. Triggered by a series of earthquakes on October 27, 2002, this eruption was one of Etna's most vigorous in years. This image shows the ash plume curving out toward the horizon. The lighter-colored plumes down slope and north of the summit seen in this frame are produced by forest fires set by flowing lava. At an elevation of 10,990 feet (3,350 m), the summit of the Mt. Etna volcano, one of the most active and most studied volcanoes in the world, has been active for a half-million years and has erupted hundreds of times in recorded history.

Linking petrology and seismology at an active volcano.

PubMed

Saunders, Kate; Blundy, Jon; Dohmen, Ralf; Cashman, Kathy

2012-05-25

Many active volcanoes exhibit changes in seismicity, ground deformation, and gas emissions, which in some instances arise from magma movement in the crust before eruption. An enduring challenge in volcano monitoring is interpreting signs of unrest in terms of the causal subterranean magmatic processes. We examined over 300 zoned orthopyroxene crystals from the 1980-1986 eruption of Mount St. Helens that record pulsatory intrusions of new magma and volatiles into an existing larger reservoir before the eruption occurred. Diffusion chronometry applied to orthopyroxene crystal rims shows that episodes of magma intrusion correlate temporally with recorded seismicity, providing evidence that some seismic events are related to magma intrusion. These time scales are commensurate with monitoring signals at restless volcanoes, thus improving our ability to forecast volcanic eruptions by using petrology.

Electrical activity during the 2006 Mount St. Augustine volcanic eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Ronald J.; Krehbiel, Paul R.; Rison, William; Edens, H. E.; Aulich, G. D.; McNutt, S.R.; Tytgat, Guy; Clark, E.

2007-01-01

By using a combination of radio frequency time-of-arrival and interferometer measurements, we observed a sequence of lightning and electrical activity during one of Mount St. Augustine's eruptions. The observations indicate that the electrical activity had two modes or phases. First, there was an explosive phase in which the ejecta from the explosion appeared to be highly charged upon exiting the volcano, resulting in numerous apparently disorganized discharges and some simple lightning. The net charge exiting the volcano appears to have been positive. The second phase, which followed the most energetic explosion, produced conventional-type discharges that occurred within plume. Although the plume cloud was undoubtedly charged as a result of the explosion itself, the fact that the lightning onset was delayed and continued after and well downwind of the eruption indicates that in situ charging of some kind was occurring, presumably similar in some respects to that which occurs in normal thunderstorms.

Applications of geophysical methods to volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Jeff; Dzurisin, Daniel; Finn, Carol A.; Kauahikaua, James P.; Lahusen, Richard G.

2006-01-01

The array of geophysical technologies used in volcano hazards studies - some developed originally only for volcano monitoring - ranges from satellite remote sensing including InSAR to leveling and EDM surveys, campaign and telemetered GPS networks, electronic tiltmeters and strainmeters, airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, short-period and broadband seismic monitoring, even microphones tuned for infrasound. They include virtually every method used in resource exploration except large-scale seismic reflection. By “geophysical ” we include both active and passive methods as well as geodetic technologies. Volcano monitoring incorporates telemetry to handle high-bandwith cameras and broadband seismometers. Critical geophysical targets include the flux of magma in shallow reservoir and lava-tube systems, changes in active hydrothermal systems, volcanic edifice stability, and lahars. Since the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State in 1980, and the eruption at Pu’u O’o in Hawai’i beginning in 1983 and still continuing, dramatic advances have occurred in monitoring technology such as “crisis GIS” and lahar modeling, InSAR interferograms, as well as gas emission geochemistry sampling, and hazards mapping and eruption predictions. The on-going eruption of Mount St. Helens has led to new monitoring technologies, including advances in broadband Wi-Fi and satellite telemetry as well as new instrumentation. Assessment of the gap between adequate monitoring and threat at the 169 potentially dangerous Holocene volcanoes shows where populations are dangerously exposed to volcanic catastrophes in the United States and its territories . This paper focuses primarily on Hawai’ian volcanoes and the northern Pacific and Cascades volcanoes. The US Geological Survey, the US National Park System, and the University of Utah cooperate in a program to monitor the huge Yellowstone volcanic system, and a separate observatory monitors the restive Long Valley caldera in collaboration with the US Forest Service. 

Application of photogrammetry to the study of volcano-glacier interactions on Mount Wrangell, Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, C. S.; Follett, A. B.

1986-01-01

Most Alaskan volcanoes are glacier covered and provide excellent opportunities to study interactions between glaciers and volcanoes. The present paper is concerned with such a study, taking into account the Mt. Wrangell (4317 m) which is the northernmost active volcano (solfatara activity) on the Pacific Rim (62 deg N; 144 deg W). While the first photographs on the summit of Mt. Wrangell were published more than 75 years ago, research there began in 1953 and 1954. Satellite images reveal activity at the summit of Mt. Wrangell. However, the resolution is not sufficient for conducting important measurements regarding ice volume losses. For this reason, vertical aerial photographs of the summit were obtained, and a field trip to the summit was conducted. Aspects of photogrammetry are discussed, taking into account questions of ground control, aerial photography, topographic mapping, digital cross sections, and orthophotos.

Mt. Erebus, Antarctica

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-01-15

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows Mount Erebus, the world southernmost historically active volcano, overlooking the McMurdo research station on Ross Island. The 3794-m-high Erebus is the largest of three major volcanoes forming the crudely triangular Ross Island. An elliptical 500 x 600 m wide, 110-m-deep crater truncates the summit and contains an active lava lake within a 250-m-wide, 100-m-deep inner crater. The glacier-covered volcano was erupting when first sighted by Captain James Ross in 1841. Continuous lava-lake activity with minor explosions, punctuated by occasional larger strombolian explosions that eject bombs onto the crater rim, has been documented since 1972, but has probably been occurring for much of the volcano's recent history. The image was acquired December 31, 2013, covers an area of 63 x 73 km, and is located at 77.5 degrees south, 167.1 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20239

Crater Lake revealed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramsey, David W.; Dartnell, Peter; Bacon, Charles R.; Robinson, Joel E.; Gardner, James V.

2003-01-01

Around 500,000 people each year visit Crater Lake National Park in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon. Volcanic peaks, evergreen forests, and Crater Lake’s incredibly blue water are the park’s main attractions. Crater Lake partially fills the caldera that formed approximately 7,700 years ago by the eruption and subsequent collapse of a 12,000-foot volcano called Mount Mazama. The caldera-forming or climactic eruption of Mount Mazama drastically changed the landscape all around the volcano and spread a blanket of volcanic ash at least as far away as southern Canada.Prior to the climactic event, Mount Mazama had a 400,000 year history of cone building activity like that of other Cascade volcanoes such as Mount Shasta. Since the climactic eruption, there have been several less violent, smaller postcaldera eruptions within the caldera itself. However, relatively little was known about the specifics of these eruptions because their products were obscured beneath Crater Lake’s surface. As the Crater Lake region is still potentially volcanically active, understanding past eruptive events is important to understanding future eruptions, which could threaten facilities and people at Crater Lake National Park and the major transportation corridor east of the Cascades.Recently, the lake bottom was mapped with a high-resolution multibeam echo sounder. The new bathymetric survey provides a 2m/pixel view of the lake floor from its deepest basins virtually to the shoreline. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, the bathymetry data can be visualized and analyzed to shed light on the geology, geomorphology, and geologic history of Crater Lake.

Volcano fact sheet; glacier-generated debris flows at Mount Rainier

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walder, J.S.; Driedger, C.L.

1993-01-01

Mount Rainier is a young volcano whose slopes are undergoing rapid change by a variety of geologic processes, including debris flows. Debris flows are churning masses of water, rock and mud that travel rapidly down the volcano's steep, glacially carved valleys, leaving in their wake splintered trees, picnic sites buried in mud, and damaged roads. Debris flows typically contain as much as 65 to 70 percent rock and soil by volume and have the appearance of wet concrete. At Mount Rainier National Park, these flows invariably begin in remote areas nearly inaccessible to people, but may move rapidly downstream into areas frequented by visitors.

USGS GNSS Applications to Volcano Disaster Response and Hazard Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisowski, M.; McCaffrey, R.

2015-12-01

Volcanic unrest is often identified by increased rates of seismicity, deformation, or the release of volcanic gases. Deformation results when ascending magma accumulates in crustal reservoirs, creates new pathways to the surface, or drains from magma reservoirs to feed an eruption. This volcanic deformation is overprinted by deformation from tectonic processes. GNSS monitoring of volcanoes captures transient volcanic deformation and steady and transient tectonic deformation, and we use the TDEFNODE software to unravel these effects. We apply the technique on portions of the Cascades Volcanic arc in central Oregon and in southern Washington that include a deforming volcano. In central Oregon, the regional TDEFNODE model consists of several blocks that rotate and deform internally and a decaying inflationary volcanic pressure source to reproduce the crustal bulge centered ~5 km west of South Sister. We jointly invert 47 interferograms that cover the interval from 1992 to 2010, as well as 2001 to 2015 continuous GNSS (cGNSS) and survey-mode (sGNSS) time series from stations in and around the Three Sisters, Newberry, and Crater Lake areas. A single, smoothly-decaying ~5 km deep spherical or prolate spheroid volcanic pressure source activated around 1998 provides the best fit to the combined geodetic data. In southern Washington, GNSS displacement time-series track decaying deflation of a ~8 km deep magma reservoir that fed the 2004 to 2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens. That deformation reversed when it began to recharge after the eruption ended. Offsets from slow slip events on the Cascadia subduction zone punctuate the GNSS displacement time series, and we remove them by estimating source parameters for these events. This regional TDEFNODE model extends from Mount Rainier south to Mount Hood, and additional volcanic sources could be added if these volcanoes start deforming. Other TDEFNODE regional models are planned for northern Washington (Mount Baker and Glacier Peak), northern California (Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake, Lassen Peak), and Long Valley. These models take advantage of the data from dense GNSS networks, they provide source parameters for volcanic and tectonic transients, and can be used to discriminate possible short- and long-term volcano- tectonic interactions.

Scrubbing masks magmatic degassing during repose at Cascade-Range and Aleutian-Arc volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Symonds, Robert B.; Janik, C.J.; Evans, William C.; Ritchie, B.E.; Counce, Dale; Poreda, R.J.; Iven, Mark

2003-01-01

Between 1992 and 1998, we sampled gas discharges from ≤173°C fumaroles and springs at 12 quiescent but potentially restless volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Aleutian Arc (CRAA) including Mount Shasta, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Augustine Volcano, Mount Griggs, Trident, Mount Mageik, Aniakchak Crater, Akutan, and Makushin. For each site, we collected and analyzed samples to characterize the chemical (H2O, CO2, H2S, N2, CH4, H2, HCl, HF, NH3, Ar, O2, He) and isotopic (δ13C of CO2, 3He/4He, 40Ar/36Ar, δ34S, δ13C of CH4, δ15N, and δD and δ18O of water) compositions of the gas discharges, and to create baseline data for comparison during future unrest. The chemical and isotopic data show that these gases contain a magmatic component that is heavily modified from scrubbing by deep hydrothermal (150° - 350°C) water (primary scrubbing) and shallow meteoric water (secondary scrubbing). The impact of scrubbing is most pronounced in gas discharges from bubbling springs; gases from boiling-point fumaroles and superheated vents show progressively less impact from scrubbing. The most effective strategies for detecting gas precursors to future CRAA eruptions are to measure periodically the emission rates of CO2 and SO2, which have low and high respective solubilities in water, and to monitor continuously CO2 concentrations in soils around volcanic vents. Timely resampling of fumaroles can augment the geochemical surveillance program by watching for chemical changes associated with drying of fumarolic pathways (all CRAA sites), increases in gas geothermometry temperatures (Mount Mageik, Trident, Mount Baker, Mount Shasta), changes in δ13C of CO2 affiliated with magma movement (all CRAA site), and increases in 3He/4He coupled with intrusion of new magma (Mount Rainier, Augustine Volcano, Makushin, Mount Shasta). Repose magmatic degassing may discharge substantial amounts of S and Cl into the edifices of Mount Baker and several other CRAA volcanoes that is trapped by primary and secondary scrubbing. The consequent acidic fluids produce ongoing alteration in the 0.2- to 3-km-deep hydrothermal systems and in fields of boiling-point fumaroles near the surface. Such alteration may influence edifice stability and contribute to the formation of more-hazardous cohesive debris flows. In particular, we recommend further investigation of the volume, extent, and hazards of hydrothermal alteration at Mount Baker. Other potential hazards associated with the CRAA volcano hydrothermal systems include hydrothermal eruptions and, for deeper systems intruded by magma, deep-seated edifice collapse.

Dante's Volcano

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This video contains two segments: one a 0:01:50 spot and the other a 0:08:21 feature. Dante 2, an eight-legged walking machine, is shown during field trials as it explores the inner depths of an active volcano at Mount Spurr, Alaska. A NASA sponsored team at Carnegie Mellon University built Dante to withstand earth's harshest conditions, to deliver a science payload to the interior of a volcano, and to report on its journey to the floor of a volcano. Remotely controlled from 80-miles away, the robot explored the inner depths of the volcano and information from onboard video cameras and sensors was relayed via satellite to scientists in Anchorage. There, using a computer generated image, controllers tracked the robot's movement. Ultimately the robot team hopes to apply the technology to future planetary missions.

Catalog of earthquake hypocenters at Alaskan volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dixon, James P.; Stihler, Scott D.; Power, John A.; Haney, Matthew M.; Parker, Tom; Searcy, Cheryl; Prejean, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, the Alaska Volcano Observatory located 4,787 earthquakes, of which 4,211 occurred within 20 kilometers of the 33 volcanoes monitored by a seismograph network. There was significant seismic activity at Iliamna, Kanaga, and Little Sitkin volcanoes in 2012. Instrumentation highlights for this year include the implementation of the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System hardware and software in February 2012 and the continuation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act work in the summer of 2012. The operational highlight was the removal of Mount Wrangell from the list of monitored volcanoes. This catalog includes hypocenters, magnitudes, and statistics of the earthquakes located in 2012 with the station parameters, velocity models, and other files used to locate these earthquakes.

Geologic map of the Valdez D-1 and D-2 quadrangles (Mount Wrangell Volcano), Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richter, D.H.; McGimsey, R.G.; Labay, Keith A.; Lanphere, M.A.; Moore, R.B.; Nye, C.J.; Rosenkrans, D.S.; Winkler, G.R.

2016-04-29

This study was directed toward Mount Wrangell volcano and the older Wrangell volcanic field rocks that underlie the volcano. These older lavas include the Chetaslina lavas (867 ka–1,650 ka) and a basaltic andesite–dacite center (1,590 ka–1,640 ka) whose source areas are not well defined. Older Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks of the Wrangellia terrane underlie the entire Wrangell volcanic field.

Seasonality of Shallow Icequakes at Mount Erebus Volcano, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, H. A.; Aster, R. C.; Kyle, P. R.

2010-12-01

Background (non-eruptive) seismicity at Mount Erebus Volcano is dominated by icequake activity on its extensive ice fields and glaciers. We examine icequake seismograms recorded by both long-running and temporary densification deployments spanning seven years (2003-2009) to assess event frequency, size, apparent seasonality, event mechanism, and geographic distribution. In addition to generally investigating mountain glacial ice seismicity in cold and dry glacial environments, we also hope to exploit icequakes as local sources for tomographic imaging of the volcano’s interior in conjunction with 2008-2010 active source and explosive volcanism data. Using Antelope-based methodologies, we determined the distribution and magnitude of a subset of well-recorded icequakes using data from the long-running Mount Erebus Volcano Network (MEVO) network, as well as two dense IRIS PASSCAL supported temporary networks deployed during 2008 and 2009 (the MEVO network consists of six broadband and nine short period stations with environmental data streams; the dense arrays consisted of 24 broadband stations arranged in two concentric rings around the volcano and 99 short period stations deployed near the summit of Erebus volcano and along the Terror-Erebus axis of Ross Island). During each of the seven years, we note a number of large icequake swarms (up to many hundreds of events per day). We hypothesize that many of these events occur in very shallow ice, based on the apparent ambient temperature-driven seasonality of the events. Specifically, approximately 43% of the events occur between March and May and approximately 30% occur between October and December. Each of these times feature rapidly changing ambient air temperatures due to the high latitude appearance/disappearance of the sun. A shallow mechanism is predicted by 1-D thermal skin depth calculations that show that annual temperature fluctuations decay by 1/e within the top few meters of ice.

Eruptive history and petrology of Mount Drum volcano, Wrangell Mountains, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richter, D.H.; Moll-Stalcup, E. J.; Miller, T.P.; Lanphere, M.A.; Dalrymple, G.B.; Smith, R.L.

1994-01-01

Mount Drum is one of the youngest volcanoes in the subduction-related Wrangell volcanic field (80x200 km) of southcentral Alaska. It lies at the northwest end of a series of large, andesite-dominated shield volcanoes that show a northwesterly progression of age from 26 Ma near the Alaska-Yukon border to about 0.2 Ma at Mount Drum. The volcano was constructed between 750 and 250 ka during at least two cycles of cone building and ring-dome emplacement and was partially destroyed by violent explosive activity probably after 250 ka. Cone lavas range from basaltic andesite to dacite in composition; ring-domes are dacite to rhyolite. The last constructional activity occured in the vicinity of Snider Peak, on the south flank of the volcano, where extensive dacite flows and a dacite dome erupted at about 250 ka. The climactic explosive eruption, that destroyed the top and a part of the south flank of the volcano, produced more than 7 km3 of proximal hot and cold avalanche deposits and distal mudflows. The Mount Drum rocks have medium-K, calc-alkaline affinities and are generally plagioclase phyric. Silica contents range from 55.8 to 74.0 wt%, with a compositional gap between 66.8 and 72.8 wt%. All the rocks are enriched in alkali elements and depleted in Ta relative to the LREE, typical of volcanic arc rocks, but have higher MgO contents at a given SiO2, than typical orogenic medium-K andesites. Strontium-isotope ratios vary from 0.70292 to 0.70353. The compositional range of Mount Drum lavas is best explained by a combination of diverse parental magmas, magma mixing, and fractionation. The small, but significant, range in 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the basaltic andesites and the wide range of incompatible-element ratios exhibited by the basaltic andesites and andesites suggests the presence of compositionally diverse parent magmas. The lavas show abundant petrographic evidence of magma mixing, such as bimodal phenocryst size, resorbed phenocrysts, reaction rims, and disequilibrium mineral assemblages. In addition, some dacites and andesites contain Mg and Ni-rich olivines and/or have high MgO, Cr, Ni, Co, and Sc contents that are not in equilibrium with the host rock and indicate mixing between basalt or cumulate material and more evolved magmas. Incompatible element variations suggest that fractionation is responsible for some of the compositional range between basaltic andesite and dacite, but the rhyolites have K, Ba, Th, and Rb contents that are too low for the magmas to be generated by fractionation of the intermediate rocks. Limited Sr-isotope data support the possibility that the rhyolites may be partial melts of underlying volcanic rocks. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

Catalog of earthquake hypocenters for Augustine, Redoubt, Iliamna, and Mount Spurr volcanoes, Alaska: January 1, 1991 - December 31, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jolly, Arthur D.; Power, John A.; Stihler, Scott D.; Rao, Lalitha N.; Davidson, Gail; Paskievitch, John F.; Estes, Steve; Lahr, John C.

1996-01-01

The 1992 eruptions at Mount Spurr's Crater Peak vent provided the highlight of the catalog period. The crisis included three sub-plinian eruptions, which occurred on June 27, August 18, and September 16-17, 1992. The three eruptions punctuated a complex seismic sequence which included volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes, tremor, and both deep and shallow long period (LP) earthquakes. The seismic sequence began on August 18, 1991, with a small swarm of volcano-tectonic events beneath Crater Peak, and spread throughout the volcanic complex by November of the same year. Elevated levels of seismicity persisted at Mount Spurr beyond the catalog time period.

Legendary Mount Vesuvius is subject of intensive volcanological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spera, Frank

The Roman population centers of Pompeii and Herculaneum (circa 15,000 inhabitants) were destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. after centuries of repose. Many times since then its eruptions have claimed human lives; basaltic lava flows from an eruption in 1631 killed 3,000. Vesuvius' location, near the heart of the Roman empire—a center of learning in the ancient world—led it to become the site ofsome of the earliest volcanological studies on record.In letters to Tacitus, Pliny the Younger documented the sequence of events of the 79 A.D. plinian eruption. Geophysical studies of volcanoes were pioneered by Italian volcanologists who installed seismographs in an observatory on the flanks of Vesuvius to study volcano seismology and to forecast and monitor eruptions early this century. It is easy to understand why interest in Vesuvius has been so keen: it is accessible, persistently active, and a large population resides nearby. Today, around 1 million people live within the shadow of this potentially explosive and dangerous volcano.

Aniakchak Crater, Alaska Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Walter R.

1925-01-01

The discovery of a gigantic crater northwest of Aniakchak Bay (see fig. 11) closes what had been thought to be a wide gap in the extensive series of volcanoes occurring at irregular intervals for nearly 600 miles along the axial line of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. In this belt there are more active and recently active volcanoes than in all the rest of North America. Exclusive of those on the west side of Cook Inlet, which, however, belong to the same group, this belt contains at least 42 active or well-preserved volcanoes and about half as many mountains suspected or reported to be volcanoes. The locations of some of these mountains and the hot springs on the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands are shown on a map prepared by G. A. Waring. Attention has been called to these volcanoes for nearly two centuries, but a record of their activity since the discovery of Alaska is far from being complete, and an adequate description of them as a group has never been written. Owing to their recent activity or unusual scenic beauty, some of the best known of the group are Mounts Katmai, Bogoslof, and Shishaldin, but there are many other beautiful and interesting cones and craters.

Catastrophic debris flows transformed from landslides in volcanic terrains : mobility, hazard assessment and mitigation strategies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, Kevin M.; Macias, Jose Luis; Naranjo, Jose Antonio; Rodriguez, Sergio; McGeehin, John P.

2001-01-01

Communities in lowlands near volcanoes are vulnerable to significant volcanic flow hazards in addition to those associated directly with eruptions. The largest such risk is from debris flows beginning as volcanic landslides, with the potential to travel over 100 kilometers. Stratovolcanic edifices commonly are hydrothermal aquifers composed of unstable, altered rock forming steep slopes at high altitudes, and the terrain surrounding them is commonly mantled by readily mobilized, weathered airfall and ashflow deposits. We propose that volcano hazard assessments integrate the potential for unanticipated debris flows with, at active volcanoes, the greater but more predictable potential of magmatically triggered flows. This proposal reinforces the already powerful arguments for minimizing populations in potential flow pathways below both active and selected inactive volcanoes. It also addresses the potential for volcano flank collapse to occur with instability early in a magmatic episode, as well as the 'false-alarm problem'-the difficulty in evacuating the potential paths of these large mobile flows. Debris flows that transform from volcanic landslides, characterized by cohesive (muddy) deposits, create risk comparable to that of their syneruptive counterparts of snow and ice-melt origin, which yield noncohesive (granular) deposits, because: (1) Volcano collapses and the failures of airfall- and ashflow-mantled slopes commonly yield highly mobile debris flows as well as debris avalanches with limited runout potential. Runout potential of debris flows may increase several fold as their volumes enlarge beyond volcanoes through bulking (entrainment) of sediment. Through this mechanism, the runouts of even relatively small collapses at Cascade Range volcanoes, in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 cubic kilometers, can extend to populated lowlands. (2) Collapse is caused by a variety of triggers: tectonic and volcanic earthquakes, gravitational failure, hydrovolcanism, and precipitation, as well as magmatic activity and eruptions. (3) Risk of collapse begins with initial magmatic activity and increases as intrusion proceeds. An archetypal debris flow from volcanic terrain occurred in Colombia with a tectonic earthquake (M 6.4) in 1994. The Rio Piez conveyed a catastrophic wave of debris flow over 100 kilometers, coalesced from multiple slides of surflcial material weakened both by weathering and by hydrothermal alteration in a large strato- volcano. Similar seismogenic flows occurred in Mexico in 1920 (M -6.5), Chile in 1960 (M 9.2), and Ecuador in 1987 (M 6.1 and 6.9). Velocities of wave fronts in two examples were 60 to 90 km/hr (17-25 meters per second) over the initial 30 kilometers. Volcano flank and sector collapses may produce untransformed debris avalanches, as occurred initially at Mount St. Helens in 1980. However, at least as common is direct transformation of the failed mass to a debris flow. At two other volcanoes in the Cascade Range-- Mount Rainier and Mount Baker--rapid transformation and high mobility were typical of most of at least 15 Holocene flows. This danger exists downstream from many stratovolcanoes worldwide; the population at risk is near 150,000 and increasing at Mount Rainier. The first step in preventing future catastrophes is documenting past flows. Deposits of some debris flows, however, can be mistaken for those of less-mobile debris avalanches on the basis of mounds formed by buoyed megaclasts. Megaclasts may record only the proximal phase of a debris flow that began as a debris avalanche. Runout may have extended much farther, and thus furore flow mobility may be underestimated. Processes and behaviors of megaclast-bearing paleoflows are best inferred from the intermegaclast matrix. Mitigation strategy can respond to volcanic flows regardless of type and trigger by: (1) Avoidance: Limit settlement in flow pathways to numbers that can be evacuated after event warnings (flow is occurring). (2) Instrumental even

Radar interferometry observations of surface displacements during pre- and coeruptive periods at Mount St. Helens, Washington, 1992-2005: Chapter 18 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael; Lu, Zhong; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

We analyzed hundreds of interferograms of Mount St. Helens produced from radar images acquired by the ERS-1/2, ENVISAT, and RADARSAT satellites during the 1992-2004 preeruptive and 2004-2005 coeruptive periods for signs of deformation associated with magmatic activity at depth. Individual interferograms were often contaminated by atmospheric delay anomalies; therefore, we employed stacking to amplify any deformation patterns that might exist while minimizing random noise. Preeruptive interferograms show no signs of volcanowide deformation between 1992 and the onset of eruptive activity in 2004. Several patches of subsidence in the 1980 debris-avalanche deposit were identified, however, and are thought to be caused by viscoelastic relaxation of loosely consolidated substrate, consolidation of water-saturated sediment, or melting of buried ice. Coeruptive interferometric stacks are dominated by atmospheric noise, probably because individual interferograms span only short time intervals in 2004 and 2005. Nevertheless, we are confident that at least one of the seven coeruptive stacks we constructed is reliable at about the 1-cm level. This stack suggests deflation of Mount St. Helens driven by contraction of a source beneath the volcano.

A model of diffuse degassing at three subduction-related volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams-Jones, Glyn; Stix, John; Heiligmann, Martin; Charland, Anne; Sherwood Lollar, Barbara; Arner, N.; Garzón, Gustavo V.; Barquero, Jorge; Fernandez, Erik

Radon, CO2 and δ13C in soil gas were measured at three active subduction-related stratovolcanoes (Arenal and Poás, Costa Rica; Galeras, Colombia). In general, Rn, CO2 and δ13C values are higher on the lower flanks of the volcanoes, except near fumaroles in the active craters. The upper flanks of these volcanoes have low Rn concentrations and light δ13C values. These observations suggest that diffuse degassing of magmatic gas on the upper flanks of these volcanoes is negligible and that more magmatic degassing occurs on the lower flanks where major faults and greater fracturing in the older lavas can channel magmatic gases to the surface. These results are in contrast to findings for Mount Etna where a broad halo of magmatic CO2 has been postulated to exist over much of the edifice. Differences in radon levels among the three volcanoes studied here may result from differences in age, the degree of fracturing and faulting, regional structures or the level of hydrothermal activity. Volcanoes, such as those studied here, act as plugs in the continental crust, focusing magmatic degassing towards crater fumaroles, faults and the fractured lower flanks.

Volcano and earthquake hazards in the Crater Lake region, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, Charles R.; Mastin, Larry G.; Scott, Kevin M.; Nathenson, Manuel

1997-01-01

Crater Lake lies in a basin, or caldera, formed by collapse of the Cascade volcano known as Mount Mazama during a violent, climactic eruption about 7,700 years ago. This event dramatically changed the character of the volcano so that many potential types of future events have no precedent there. This potentially active volcanic center is contained within Crater Lake National Park, visited by 500,000 people per year, and is adjacent to the main transportation corridor east of the Cascade Range. Because a lake is now present within the most likely site of future volcanic activity, many of the hazards at Crater Lake are different from those at most other Cascade volcanoes. Also significant are many faults near Crater Lake that clearly have been active in the recent past. These faults, and historic seismicity, indicate that damaging earthquakes can occur there in the future. This report describes the various types of volcano and earthquake hazards in the Crater Lake area, estimates of the likelihood of future events, recommendations for mitigation, and a map of hazard zones. The main conclusions are summarized below.

Living with Volcanoes: Year Eleven Teaching Resource Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Heron, Kiri; Andrews, Jill; Hooks, Stacey; Larnder, Michele; Le Heron, Richard

2000-01-01

Presents a unit on volcanoes and experiences with volcanoes that helps students develop geography skills. Focuses on four volcanoes: (1) Rangitoto Island; (2) Lake Pupuke; (3) Mount Smart; and (4) One Tree Hill. Includes an answer sheet and resources to use with the unit. (CMK)

Magma Intrusion at Mount St. Helens, Washington, from Temporal Gravity Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Maurizio; Lisowski, Mike; Dzursin, Dan; Poland, Mike; Schilling, Steve; Diefenbach, Angie; Wynn, Jeff

2017-04-01

Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, best known for its explosive eruption in May 1980 - deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in US history. Volcanic activity renewed in September 2004 with a dome forming eruption that lasted until 2008. This eruption was surprising because the preceding four years had seen the fewest earthquakes and no significant deformation since the 1980-86 eruption ended. After the dome forming eruption ended in July 2008, the volcano seismic activity and deformation went back to background values. Time-dependent gravimetric measurements can detect subsurface processes long before magma flow leads to earthquakes or other eruption precursors. A high-precision gravity monitoring network (referenced to a base station 36 km NW of the volcano) was set up at Mount St Helens in 2010. Measurements were made at 12 sites on the volcano (at altitudes between 1200 and 2350 m a.s.l.) and 4 sites far afield during the summers of 2010, 2012, and 2014. The repeated gravity measurements revealed an increase in gravity between 2010 and 2014. Positive residual gravity anomalies remained after accounting for changes in surface height, in the Crater Glacier, and in the shallow hydrothermal aquifer. The pattern of residual gravity changes, with a maximum of 57±12 μGal from 2010 to 2014, is radially symmetric and centered on the 2004-08 lava dome. Inversion of the residual gravity signal points to a source 2.5-4 km beneath the crater floor (i.e., in the magma conduit that fed eruptions in 1980-86 and 2004-08). We attribute the gravity increase to re-inflation of the magma plumbing system following the 2004-8 eruption. Recent seismic activity (e.g., the seismic swarm of March 2016) has been interpreted as a response to the slow recharging of the volcano magma chamber.

Perspective View, Mt. Etna, Italy & the Aeolian Islands

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-11-01

Italy's Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands are the focus of this perspective view made from an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal and Emission Radiometer (ASTER) image from NASA's Terra spacecraft overlaid on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) topography. The image is looking south with the islands of Lipari and Vulcano in the foreground and Etna with its dark lava flows on the skyline. Vulcano also hosts an active volcano, the cone of which is prominent. In late October 2002, Etna erupted again, sending lava flows down the north and south sides of the volcano. The north flows are near the center of this view, but the ASTER image is from before the eruption. In addition to the terrestrial applications of these data for understanding active volcanoes and hazards associated with them such as lava flows and explosive eruptions, geologists studying Mars find these data useful as an analog to martian landforms and geologic processes. In late September 2002, a field conference with the theme of Terrestrial Analogs to Mars focused on Mount Etna allowing Mars geologists to see in person the types of features they can only sample remotely. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03370

Near-real-time information products for Mount St. Helens -- tracking the ongoing eruption: Chapter 3 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qamar, Anthony I.; Malone, Stephen; Moran, Seth C.; Steele, William P.; Thelen, Weston A.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The rapid onset of energetic seismicity on September 23, 2004, at Mount St. Helens caused seismologists at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and the Cascades Volcano Observatory to quickly improve and develop techniques that summarized and displayed seismic parameters for use by scientists and the general public. Such techniques included webicorders (Web-based helicorder-like displays), graphs showing RSAM (real-time seismic amplitude measurements), RMS (root-mean-square) plots, spectrograms, location maps, automated seismic-event detectors, focal mechanism solutions, automated approximations of earthquake magnitudes, RSAM-based alarms, and time-depth plots for seismic events. Many of these visual-information products were made available publicly as Web pages generated and updated routinely. The graphs and maps included short written text that explained the concepts behind them, which increased their value to the nonseismologic community that was tracking the eruption. Laypeople could read online summaries of the scientific interpretations and, if they chose, review some of the basic data, thereby providing a better understanding of the data used by scientists to make interpretations about ongoing eruptive activity, as well as a better understanding of how scientists worked to monitor the volcano.

ASTER-SRTM Perspective of Mount Oyama Volcano, Miyake-Jima Island, Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-08-10

Mount Oyama is a 820-meter-high (2,700 feet) volcano on the island of Miyake-Jima, Japan. In late June 2000, a series of earthquakes alerted scientists to possible volcanic activity. On June 27, authorities evacuated 2,600 people, and on July 8 the volcano began erupting and erupted five times over that week. The dark gray blanket covering green vegetation in the image is the ash deposited by prevailing northeasterly winds between July 8 and 17. This island is about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Tokyo and is part of the Izu chain of volcanic islands that runs south from the main Japanese island of Honshu. Miyake-Jima is home to 3,800 people. The previous major eruptions of Mount Oyama occurred in 1983 and 1962, when lava flows destroyed hundreds of houses. An earlier eruption in 1940 killed 11 people. This image is a perspective view created by combining image data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard NASA's Terra satellite with an elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Vertical relief is exaggerated, and the image includes cosmetic adjustments to clouds and image color to enhance clarity of terrain features. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02771

Volcanic hazards at Mount Rainier, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, Dwight Raymond; Mullineaux, Donal Ray

1967-01-01

Mount Rainier is a large stratovolcano of andesitic rock in the Cascade Range of western Washington. Although the volcano as it now stands was almost completely formed before the last major glaciation, geologic formations record a variety of events that have occurred at the volcano in postglacial time. Repetition of some of these events today without warning would result in property damage and loss of life on a catastrophic scale. It is appropriate, therefore, to examine the extent, frequency, and apparent origin of these phenomena and to attempt to predict the effects on man of similar events in the future. The present report was prompted by a contrast that we noted during a study of surficial geologic deposits in Mount Rainier National Park, between the present tranquil landscape adjacent to the volcano and the violent events that shaped parts of that same landscape in the recent past. Natural catastrophes that have geologic causes - such as eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and floods - all too often are disastrous primarily because man has not understood and made allowance for the geologic environment he occupies. Assessment of the potential hazards of a volcanic environment is especially difficult, for prediction of the time and kind of volcanic activity is still an imperfect art, even at active volcanoes whose behavior has been closely observed for many years. Qualified predictions, however, can be used to plan ways in which hazards to life and property can be minimized. The prediction of eruptions is handicapped because volcanism results from conditions far beneath the surface of the earth, where the causative factors cannot be seen and, for the most part, cannot be measured. Consequently, long-range predictions at Mount Rainier can be based only on the past behavior of the volcano, as revealed by study of the deposits that resulted from previous eruptions. Predictions of this sort, of course, cannot be specific as to time and locale of future events, and clearly are valid only if the past behavior is, as we believe, a reliable guide. The purpose of this report is to infer the events recorded by certain postglacial deposits at Mount Rainier and to suggest what bearing similar events in the future might have on land use within and near the park. In addition, table 2 (page 22) gives possible warning signs of an impending eruption. We want to increase man's understanding of a possibly hazardous geologic environment around Mount Rainier volcano, yet we do not wish to imply for certain that the hazards described are either immediate or inevitable. However, we do believe that hazards exist, that some caution is warranted, and that some major hazards can be avoided by judicious planning. Most of the events with which we are concerned are sporadic phenomena that have resulted directly or indirectly from volcanic eruptions. Although no eruptions (other than steam emission) of the volcano in historic time are unequivocally known (Hopson and others, 1962), pyroclastic (air-laid) deposits of pumice and rock debris attest to repeated, widely spaced eruptions during the 10,000 years or so of postglacial time. In addition, the constituents of some debris flows indicate an origin during eruptions of molten rock; other debris flows, because of their large size and constituents, are believed to have been caused by steam explosions. Some debris flows, however, are not related to volcanism at all.

Late Pleistocene and Holocene Geology and Hazards at Glacier Peak Volcano, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallance, J. W.; Van Eaton, A. R.; Ramsey, D. W.

2015-12-01

Recent fieldwork, improved radiocarbon dating, and mapping on recently acquired LiDAR base have better delineated timing, frequency, and style of volcanism at Glacier Peak. The work shows that, after Mount St. Helens, Glacier Peak is one of the most frequently active Cascade volcanoes. The volcano has erupted multiple times 13-14 ka, 5­-7 ka, 1-2.5 ka, and perhaps as recently as a few hundred years ago. The plinian eruptions of ~13.5 ka were much more voluminous than those of Mount St. Helens in 1980 and show that Glacier Peak is among the most explosive of Cascade volcanoes. These eruptions dispersed ash fallout hundreds of kilometers downwind in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming; produced a partly welded ignimbrite and a small debris avalanche; and caused lahars and flooding far across Puget Sound lowland. Numerous more recent eruptions during the periods 5-7 ka and 1-2.5 ka extruded lava domes whose hot rock avalanched across snow and ice to produce pyroclastic flows and lahars. These eruptions dispersed ash tens of to a hundred or more kilometers downwind. Resulting lahars and floods inundated as far as Puget Sound lowland. Glacier Peak is remote and hidden from most areas of the densely populated Puget Sound lowland; hence, it gets less attention than other prominent Cascade volcanoes like Mounts Rainier, Baker, and St. Helens. Despite its remote location, Glacier Peak poses substantial hazard because even small eruptions on ice-clad volcanoes can have devastating consequences. Distal threats include hazard to air traffic owing to ash plumes. Lahars and potential long-term sedimentation and flooding downstream pose threats to communities near rivers along Skagit and Stillaguamish River drainages. Farther downstream, sedimentation is likely to decrease channel capacity, increasing likelihood of floods. Lava flows, pyroclastic flows, and debris avalanches will threaten hikers in the wilderness near Glacier Peak.

Volcanology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClelland, Lindsay; Simkin, Tom

1983-01-01

Consequences of major and minor volcanic eruptions which took place during 1982 are discussed. These include lava flows, explosive activity, cloud production, and earthquakes of such volcanoes as Mount St. Helens, El-Chichon (Mexico), and Galunggung (Indonesia). Books, conferences, and publications focusing on volcanology are highlighted. (JN)

Volatiles of Mount St. Helens and their origins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnes, I.

1984-01-01

Analyses have been made of gases in clouds apparently emanating from Mount St. Helens. Despite appearances, most of the water in these clouds does not issue from the volcano. Even directly above a large fumarole ??D and ?? 18O data indicate that only half the water can come from the volcano. Isotopic and chemical evidence also shows the steam in the volcano (-33.0 per mol ??D) from which a condensate of 0.2 N HCI was obtained is not a major cause of the explosions. The steam in the volcano is derived from a metamorphic brine in the underlying Tertiary meta andesite. The gas that caused the explosive eruptions is carbon dioxide. ?? 1984.

Volcano monitoring using short wavelength infrared data from satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothery, D. A.; Francis, P. W.; Wood, C. A.

1988-01-01

It is shown that Landsat TM and MSS data provide useful and sometimes unique information on magmatic and fumarolic events at poorly monitored active volcanoes. The digital number data recorded in each spectral band by TM and MSS can be converted into spectral radiance, measured in W/sq m per micron per sr, using calibration data such as those provided by Markham and Barker (1986) and can provide temperature information on the lava fountain, lava lakes, pahoehoe flows, blocky lava, pyroclastic flow, and fumarole. The examples of Landsat data documenting otherwise unobserved precursors and/or activity include the September 1986 eruption of Lascar volcano, Chile; the continued presence of lava lakes at Erta 'Ale, Ethiopia (in the absence of any ground-based observations); and minor eruptions at Mount Erebus, Antarctica.

Recent eruptive history of Mount Hood, Oregon, and potential hazards from future eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, Dwight Raymond

1980-01-01

Each of three major eruptive periods at Mount Hood (12,000-15,000(?), 1,500-1,800, and 200-300 years ago) produced dacite domes, pyroclastic flows, and mudflows, but virtually no pumice. Most of the fine lithic ash that mantles the slopes of the volcano and the adjacent mountains fell from ash clouds that accompanied the pyroclastic flows. Widely scattered pumice lapilli that are present at the ground surface on the south, east, and north sides of Mount Hood may have been erupted during the mid-1800's, when the last known activity of the volcano occurred. The geologically recent history of Mount Hood suggests that the most likely eruptive event in the future will be the formation of another dome, probably within the present south-facing crater. The principal hazards that could accompany dome formation include pyroclastic flows and mudflows moving from the upper slopes of the volcano down the floors of valleys. Ash clouds which accompany pyroclastic flows may deposit as much as a meter of fine ash close to their source, and as much as 20 centimeters at a distance of 11 kilometers downwind from the pyroclastic flows. Other hazards that could result from such eruptions include laterally directed explosive blasts that could propel rock fragments outward from the sides of a dome at high speed, and toxic volcanic gases. The scarcity of pumiceous ash erupted during the last 15,000 years suggests that explosive pumice eruptions are not a major hazard at Mount Hood; thus, there seems to be little danger that such an eruption will significantly affect the Portland (Oregon) metropolitan area in the near future.

Volcano ecology: flourishing on the flanks of Mount St. Helens

Treesearch

Rhonda Mazza; Charlie Crisafulli

2016-01-01

Mount St. Helens’ explosive eruption on May 18, 1980, was a pivotal moment in the field of disturbance ecology. The subsequent sustained, integrated research effort has shaped the development of volcano ecology, an emerging field of focused research. Excessive heat, burial, and impact force are some of the disturbance mechanisms following an eruption. They are also...

Plant succession on the Mount St. Helens debris-avalanche deposit.

Treesearch

Virginia H. Dale; Daniel R. Campbell; Wendy M. Adams; Charles M. Crisafulli; Virginia I. Dains; Peter M. Frenzen; Robert F. Holland

2005-01-01

Debris avalanches occasionally occur with the partial collapse of a volcano, and their ecological impacts have been studied worldwide. Examples include Mt. Taranaki in New Zealand (Clarkson 1990), Ksudach in Russia (Grishin et al. 19961, the Ontake volcano in Japan (Nakashizuka et al. 1993), and Mount Katmai in the state of Alaska in the United States (Griggs 1918a,b,...

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 41 crewmember

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-09-30

ISS041-E-049111 (30 Sept. 2014) --- One of the Expedition 41 crew members onboard the International Space Station, flying at an altitude of 226 nautical miles, exposed this image of Mount Egmont Volcano, New Zealand, using a focal length setting of 200mm. Sometimes referred to as Mount Taranaki, the land feature is a young stratovolcano that began to form 70,000 years ago, according to volcanists. Located in southwest North Island, New Zealand, Mount Egmont, at 8,261 feet (2,518 meters) is the second tallest volcanic mountain in New Zealand. Perpetually snow-capped, the volcano last erupted in 1755. Mount Egmont has a history of a major size eruption occurring every 340 years, with numerous minor ones in between. The volcano has had three major cone collapses in the last 25,000 years with the last collapse occurring 6,970 years ago. With each collapse, thick layers of ash and lava crumbled into thick, muddy avalanches called lahars. These lahars have reached the coastline 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the west and north of the volcano. Egmont is surrounded by forest, especially on its lower flanks, which is part of a National Park. The pastureland that circles the park is used for dairy farming.

Lava flow risk maps at Mount Cameroon volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favalli, M.; Fornaciai, A.; Papale, P.; Tarquini, S.

2009-04-01

Mount Cameroon, in the southwest Cameroon, is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa. Rising 4095 m asl, it has erupted nine times since the beginning of the past century, more recently in 1999 and 2000. Mount Cameroon documented eruptions are represented by moderate explosive and effusive eruptions occurred from both summit and flank vents. A 1922 SW-flank eruption produced a lava flow that reached the Atlantic coast near the village of Biboundi, and a lava flow from a 1999 south-flank eruption stopped only 200 m from the sea, threatening the villages of Bakingili and Dibunscha. More than 450,000 people live or work around the volcano, making the risk from lava flow invasion a great concern. In this work we propose both conventional hazard and risk maps and novel quantitative risk maps which relate vent locations to the expected total damage on existing buildings. These maps are based on lava flow simulations starting from 70,000 different vent locations, a probability distribution of vent opening, a law for the maximum length of lava flows, and a database of buildings. The simulations were run over the SRTM Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using DOWNFLOW, a fast DEM-driven model that is able to compute detailed invasion areas of lava flows from each vent. We present three different types of risk maps (90-m-pixel) for buildings around Mount Cameroon volcano: (1) a conventional risk map that assigns a probability of devastation by lava flows to each pixel representing buildings; (2) a reversed risk map where each pixel expresses the total damage expected as a consequence of vent opening in that pixel (the damage is expressed as the total surface of urbanized areas invaded); (3) maps of the lava catchments of the main towns around the volcano, within every catchment the pixels are classified according to the expected impact they might produce on the relative town in the case of a vent opening in that pixel. Maps of type (1) and (3) are useful for long term planning. Maps of type (2) and (3) are useful at the onset of a new eruption, when a vent forms. The combined use of these maps provides an efficient tool for lava flow risk assessment at Mount Cameroon.

(abstract) Mount Rainier: New Remote Sensing Observations of a Decade Volcano

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Realmuto, V. J.; Zebker, H. A.; Frank, D.

1994-01-01

Mount Rainier was selected as a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior. The purpose of this selection is to focus scientific and public attention on Mount Rainier during the current decade, the United Nations-designated International Decade of Natural Hazard Reduction. The Mount Rainier science plan calls for remote sensing surveys to monitor the volcano. To date, we have conducted airborne surveys with visible and near-infrared, thermal infrared, and interferometric radar instruments. Our preliminary analysis of some night-time time-series thermal infrared survey data sets of the summit suggests that, aside from seasonal variations in snow cover, there have been no qualitative changes in the size or pattern of the summit hot spots. Day-time airborne surveys were done to record the current surface appearance of the volcano and map hydrothermal alteration in the summit region. An interferometric radar survey yielded a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) which serves as a base for the registration of the other remote sensing data sets. More importantly, the DEM documents the current topography of glaciers and valleys. Planned biannual radar survey of mount rainier will produce a data set from which seasonal changes in glacier and valley topography can be characterized. Such characterization is essential if we are to recognize geothermally induced changes in snow and ice cover.

Amplitude and recurrence time analysis of LP activity at Mount Etna, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauchie, Léna; Saccorotti, Gilberto; Bean, Christopher J.

2015-09-01

The aim of this work is to improve our understanding of the long-period (LP) source mechanism at Mount Etna (Italy) through a statistical analysis of detailed LP catalogues. The behavior of LP activity is compared with the empirical laws governing earthquake recurrence, in order to investigate whether any relationships exist between these two apparently different earthquake classes. We analyzed a family of 8894 events detected during a temporary experiment in August 2005. For that time interval, the LP activity is sustained in time and the volcano did not exhibit any evident sign of unrest. The completeness threshold of the catalogue is established through a detection test based on synthetic waveforms. The retrieved amplitude distribution differs significantly from the Gutenberg-Richter law, and the interevent times distribution does not follow the typical γ law, expected for tectonic activity. In order to compare these results with a catalogue for which the source mechanism is well established, we applied the same procedure to a data set from Stromboli Volcano, where recurrent LP activity is closely related to very-long-period pulses, in turn associated with the summit explosions. Our results indicate that the two catalogues exhibit similar behavior in terms of amplitude and interevent time distributions. This suggests that the Etna's LP signals are most likely driven by stress changes caused by an intermittent degassing process occurring at depth, similar to that which drives the summit explosions at Stromboli Volcano.

Geochronology and eruptive history of the Katmai volcanic cluster, Alaska Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, Wes; Lanphere, Marvin A.; Fierstein, Judy

2003-01-01

In the Katmai district of the Alaska Peninsula, K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages have been determined for a dozen andesite–dacite stratocones on the arc front and for 11 rear-arc volcanoes, 10 of which are monogenetic. Tied to mapping and stratigraphic studies, our dating emphasized proximal basal lavas that rest on basement rocks, in order to estimate ages of inception of each polygenetic cone. Oldest among arc-front cones is Alagogshak Volcano (690–43 ka), succeeded in the Holocene by the active Mount Martin cone. Mount Mageik consists of four overlapping subedifices, basal lavas of which give ages of 93, 71, and 59 ka, and Holocene. The three small prehistoric cones of Trident Volcano yield ages of 143, 101–58, and 44 ka. Falling Mountain and Mount Cerberus, dacite domes near the 1912 Novarupta vent, are related compositionally to the Trident group and give ages of 70 ka and 114 ka. Mount Katmai, which underwent caldera collapse in 1912, consists of two subedifices that overlapped in space and time, and is the only arc-front center here to include basalt and rhyolite; one cone began by 90 ka, the other by 47 ka. Snowy Mountain also consists of two contiguous cones, which started around 200 and 171 ka, respectively, the younger remaining active into the Holocene. Devils Desk, the only mafic cone on the arc front, was short-lived at about 245 ka. In the rear-arc, (1) Mount Griggs produced mafic-to-silicic andesite in several episodes between 292 ka and the Holocene; (2) the Savonoski River cluster includes a Pliocene dacite dome and five small mafic cones (390–88 ka); (3) Gertrude Creek cone (49.8% SiO2) yields an age of 500 ka; and (4) the Saddlehorn Creek cluster includes five Pliocene basalt-to-andesite remnants. Eruptive volumes were reconstructed, permitting estimates of average eruption rates for edifice lifetimes. Since the mid Pleistocene, total volume erupted along the arc front here is 210±47 km3 and in the rear-arc 39±6 km3, of which Mount Griggs alone accounts for 35±5 km3. Most productive has been Mount Katmai at 70±18 km3, yielding a rate of ∼1 km3/kyr, followed by Mount Mageik (0.33 km3/kyr) and Mount Griggs (0.3 km3/kyr since 50 ka).  

Monitoring eruption activity using temporal stress changes at Mount Ontake volcano.

PubMed

Terakawa, Toshiko; Kato, Aitaro; Yamanaka, Yoshiko; Maeda, Yuta; Horikawa, Shinichiro; Matsuhiro, Kenjiro; Okuda, Takashi

2016-02-19

Volcanic activity is often accompanied by many small earthquakes. Earthquake focal mechanisms represent the fault orientation and slip direction, which are influenced by the stress field. Focal mechanisms of volcano-tectonic earthquakes provide information on the state of volcanoes via stresses. Here we demonstrate that quantitative evaluation of temporal stress changes beneath Mt. Ontake, Japan, using the misfit angles of focal mechanism solutions to the regional stress field, is effective for eruption monitoring. The moving average of misfit angles indicates that during the precursory period the local stress field beneath Mt. Ontake was deviated from the regional stress field, presumably by stress perturbations caused by the inflation of magmatic/hydrothermal fluids, which was removed immediately after the expulsion of volcanic ejecta. The deviation of the local stress field can be an indicator of increases in volcanic activity. The proposed method may contribute to the mitigation of volcanic hazards.

Monitoring eruption activity using temporal stress changes at Mount Ontake volcano

PubMed Central

Terakawa, Toshiko; Kato, Aitaro; Yamanaka, Yoshiko; Maeda, Yuta; Horikawa, Shinichiro; Matsuhiro, Kenjiro; Okuda, Takashi

2016-01-01

Volcanic activity is often accompanied by many small earthquakes. Earthquake focal mechanisms represent the fault orientation and slip direction, which are influenced by the stress field. Focal mechanisms of volcano-tectonic earthquakes provide information on the state of volcanoes via stresses. Here we demonstrate that quantitative evaluation of temporal stress changes beneath Mt. Ontake, Japan, using the misfit angles of focal mechanism solutions to the regional stress field, is effective for eruption monitoring. The moving average of misfit angles indicates that during the precursory period the local stress field beneath Mt. Ontake was deviated from the regional stress field, presumably by stress perturbations caused by the inflation of magmatic/hydrothermal fluids, which was removed immediately after the expulsion of volcanic ejecta. The deviation of the local stress field can be an indicator of increases in volcanic activity. The proposed method may contribute to the mitigation of volcanic hazards. PMID:26892716

Seismic-monitoring changes and the remote deployment of seismic stations (seismic spider) at Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005: Chapter 7 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

McChesney, Patrick J.; Couchman, Marvin R.; Moran, Seth C.; Lockhart, Andrew B.; Swinford, Kelly J.; LaHusen, Richard G.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The instruments in place at the start of volcanic unrest at Mount St. Helens in 2004 were inadequate to record the large earthquakes and monitor the explosions that occurred as the eruption developed. To remedy this, new instruments were deployed and the short-period seismic network was modified. A new method of establishing near-field seismic monitoring was developed, using remote deployment by helicopter. The remotely deployed seismic sensor was a piezoelectric accelerometer mounted on a surface-coupled platform. Remote deployment enabled placement of stations within 250 m of the active vent.

Laboratory simulation of volcano seismicity.

PubMed

Benson, Philip M; Vinciguerra, Sergio; Meredith, Philip G; Young, R Paul

2008-10-10

The physical processes generating seismicity within volcanic edifices are highly complex and not fully understood. We report results from a laboratory experiment in which basalt from Mount Etna volcano (Italy) was deformed and fractured. The experiment was monitored with an array of transducers around the sample to permit full-waveform capture, location, and analysis of microseismic events. Rapid post-failure decompression of the water-filled pore volume and damage zone triggered many low-frequency events, analogous to volcanic long-period seismicity. The low frequencies were associated with pore fluid decompression and were located in the damage zone in the fractured sample; these events exhibited a weak component of shear (double-couple) slip, consistent with fluid-driven events occurring beneath active volcanoes.

[Volcanoes: A Compilation of Four Articles Appearing in Issues of "Instructor,""Science and Children," and "Science Teacher" Magazines in September 1980 and March 1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Mateo County Office of Education, Redwood City, CA. SMERC Information Center.

This compilation of four journal articles (Instructor, September 1980; Science and Children, September 1980; and Science Teacher, September 1980 and March 1981) focuses on volcanoes, particularly Mount St. Helens in Oregon. The first article, "The Earth is Alive!" describes the eruptions of Mount St. Helens, provides basic information on…

Seismic evidence for a cold serpentinized mantle wedge beneath Mount St Helens

PubMed Central

Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.; Levander, A.; Kiser, E.; Vidale, J. E.; Abers, G. A.; Creager, K. C.

2016-01-01

Mount St Helens is the most active volcano within the Cascade arc; however, its location is unusual because it lies 50 km west of the main axis of arc volcanism. Subduction zone thermal models indicate that the down-going slab is decoupled from the overriding mantle wedge beneath the forearc, resulting in a cold mantle wedge that is unlikely to generate melt. Consequently, the forearc location of Mount St Helens raises questions regarding the extent of the cold mantle wedge and the source region of melts that are responsible for volcanism. Here using, high-resolution active-source seismic data, we show that Mount St Helens sits atop a sharp lateral boundary in Moho reflectivity. Weak-to-absent PmP reflections to the west are attributed to serpentinite in the mantle-wedge, which requires a cold hydrated mantle wedge beneath Mount St Helens (<∼700 °C). These results suggest that the melt source region lies east towards Mount Adams. PMID:27802263

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 14 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-11

ISS014-E-11872 (11 Jan. 2007) --- Pagan Island, Northern Mariana Islands, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. According to scientists, the Mariana Islands are part a volcanic island arc -- surface volcanoes formed from magma generation as one tectonic plate is overridden (or subducted) beneath another. In the case of the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Plate along the famously deep Mariana Trench (more than 11 kilometers below sea level). Pagan Island (right) is comprised of two stratovolcanoes (tall, typically cone-shaped structures formed by layers of dense crystallized lava and less-dense ash and pumice) connected by a narrow isthmus of land. Mount Pagan, the larger of the two volcanoes, forms the northeastern portion of the island and has been the most active historically. The most recent major eruption took place in 1981, but since then numerous steam- and ash-producing events have been observed at the volcano -- the latest reported one occurring between Dec. 5-8, 2006. This image records volcanic activity on Jan. 11, 2007 that produced a thin plume (most probably steam, say NASA scientists, possibly with minor ash content) that extended westwards away from Mount Pagan. The island is sparsely populated, and monitored for volcanic activity by the United States Geological Survey and the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands.

Three-dimensional geophysical mapping of rock alteration and water content at Mount Adams, Washington: Implications for lahar hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, C.A.; Deszcz-Pan, M.; Anderson, E.D.; John, D.A.

2007-01-01

Hydrothermally altered rocks, particularly if water saturated, can weaken stratovolcanoes, thereby increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to far-traveled, destructive debris flows. Evaluating the hazards associated with such alteration is difficult because alteration has been mapped on few active volcanoes and the distribution and intensity of subsurface alteration are largely unknown on any active volcano. At Mount Adams, some Holocene debris flows contain abundant hydrothermal minerals derived from collapse of the altered, edifice. Intense hydrothermal alteration significantly reduces the resistivity and magnetization of volcanic rock, and therefore hydrothermally altered rocks can be identified with helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic measurements. Electromagnetic and magnetic data, combined with geological mapping and rock property measurements, indicate the presence of appreciable thicknesses of hydrothermally altered rock in the central core of Mount Adams north of the summit. We identify steep cliffs at the western edge of this zone as the likely source for future large debris flows. In addition, the electromagnetic data identified water in the brecciated core of the upper 100-200 m of the volcano. Water helps alter the rocks, reduces the effective stress, thereby increasing the potential for slope failure, and acts, with entrained melting ice, as a lubricant to transform debris avalanches into lahars. Therefore knowing the distribution of water is also important for hazard assessments. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution geophysical and geological observations can yield unprecedented views of the three-dimensional distribution of altered rock and shallow pore water aiding evaluation of the debris avalanche hazard.

Airborne Magnetic and Electromagnetic Data map Rock Alteration and Water Content at Mount Adams, Mount Baker and Mount Rainier, Washington: Implications for Lahar Hazards and Hydrothermal Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C. A.; Deszcz-Pan, M.; Horton, R.; Breit, G.; John, D.

2007-12-01

High resolution helicopter-borne magnetic and electromagnetic (EM) data flown over the rugged, ice-covered, highly magnetic and mostly resistive volcanoes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Baker, along with rock property measurements, reveal the distribution of alteration, water and hydrothermal fluids that are essential to evaluating volcanic landslide hazards and understanding hydrothermal systems. Hydrothermally altered rocks, particularly if water saturated, can weaken stratovolcanoes, thereby increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to far-traveled, destructive debris flows. Intense hydrothermal alteration significantly reduces the magnetization and resistivity of volcanic rock resulting in clear recognition of altered rock by helicopter magnetic and EM measurements. Magnetic and EM data, combined with geological mapping and rock property measurements, indicate the presence of appreciable thicknesses of hydrothermally altered rock west of the modern summit of Mount Rainier in the Sunset Amphitheater region, in the central core of Mount Adams north of the summit, and in much of the central cone of Mount Baker. We identify the Sunset Amphitheater region and steep cliffs at the western edge of the central altered zone at Mount Adams as likely sources for future debris flows. In addition, the EM data identified water-saturated rocks in the upper 100-200 m of the three volcanoes. The water-saturated zone could extend deeper, but is beyond the detection limits of the EM data. Water in hydrothermal fluids reacts with the volcanic rock to produce clay minerals. The formation of clay minerals and presence of free water reduces the effective stress, thereby increasing the potential for slope failure, and acts, with entrained melting ice, as a lubricant to transform debris avalanches into lahars. Therefore, knowing the distribution of water is also important for hazard assessments. Finally, modeling requires extremely low resistivities (< 20 ohm-m) that laboratory electrical resistivity measurements indicate are most easily explained by sulfuric acid solutions permeating altered rocks. The acid is the result of oxidation of magmatic H2S to sulfuric acid and highlights the continued alteration of volcanoes during periods of relative quiescence. Our results demonstrate that high resolution geophysical and geological observations can yield unprecedented views of the three-dimensional distribution of altered rock and shallow pore water and hydrothermal fluids within active stratovolcanoes.

Moessbauer/XRF MIMOS Instrumentation and Operation During the 2012 Analog Field Test on Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Trevor G.; Morris, R. V.; Klingelhofer, G.; Blumers, M.

2013-01-01

Field testing and scientific investigations were conducted on the Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii, as part of the 2012 Moon and Mars Analog Mission Activities (MMAMA). Measurements were conducted using both stand-alone and rover-mounted instruments to determine the geophysical and geochemical properties of the field site, as well as provide operational constraints and science considerations for future robotic and human missions [1]. Reported here are the results from the two MIMOS instruments deployed as part of this planetary analog field test.

Pattern Matching for Volcano Status Assessment: what monitoring data alone can say about Mt. Etna activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannavo, F.; Cannata, A.; Cassisi, C.

2017-12-01

The importance of assessing the ongoing status of active volcanoes is crucial not only for exposures to the local population but due to possible presence of tephra also for airline traffic. Adequately monitoring of active volcanoes, hence, plays a key role for civil protection purposes. In last decades, in order to properly monitor possible threats, continuous measuring networks have been designed and deployed on most of potentially hazardous volcanos. Nevertheless, at the present, volcano real-time surveillance is basically delegated to one or more human experts in volcanology, who interpret data coming from different kind of monitoring networks using their experience and non-measurable information (e.g. information from the field) to infer the volcano status. In some cases, raw data are used in some models to obtain more clues on the ongoing activity. In the last decades, with the development of volcano monitoring networks, huge amount of data of different geophysical, geochemical and volcanological types have been collected and stored in large databases. Having such big data sets with many examples of volcanic activity allows us to study volcano monitoring from a machine learning perspective. Thus, exploiting opportunities offered by the abundance of volcano monitoring time-series data we can try to address the following questions: Are the monitored parameters sufficient to discriminate the volcano status? Is it possible to infer/distinguish the volcano status only from the multivariate patterns of measurements? Are all the kind of measurements in the pattern equally useful for status assessment? How accurate would be an automatic system of status inference based only on pattern recognition of data? Here we present preliminary results of the data analysis we performed on a set of data and activity covering the period 2011-2017 at Mount Etna (Italy). In the considered period, we had 52 events of lava fountaining and long periods of Strombolian activity. We consider different state-of-the-art techniques of pattern recognition to try to answer the above questions. Results are objectively evaluated by using a cross-validation approach.

Instrumentation in remote and dangerous settings; examples using data from GPS “spider” deployments during the 2004-2005 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Chapter 16 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

LaHusen, Richard G.; Swinford, Kelly J.; Logan, Matthew; Lisowski, Michael; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Self-contained, single-frequency GPS instruments fitted on lightweight stations suitable for helicopter-sling payloads became a critical part of volcano monitoring during the September 2004 unrest and subsequent eruption of Mount St. Helens. Known as “spiders” because of their spindly frames, the stations were slung into the crater 29 times from September 2004 to December 2005 when conditions at the volcano were too dangerous for crews to install conventional equipment. Data were transmitted in near-real time to the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. Each fully equipped unit cost about $2,500 in materials and, if not destroyed by natural events, was retrieved and redeployed as needed. The GPS spiders have been used to track the growth and decay of extruding dacite lava (meters per day), thickening and accelerated flow of Crater Glacier (meters per month), and movement of the 1980-86 dome from pressure and relaxation of the newly extruding lava dome (centimeters per day).

Tracking Pyroclastic Flows at Soufrière Hills Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ripepe, Maurizio; De Angelis, Silvio; Lacanna, Giorgio; Poggi, Pasquale; Williams, Carlisle; Marchetti, Emanuele; Delle Donne, Dario; Ulivieri, Giacomo

2009-07-01

Explosive volcanic eruptions typically show a huge column of ash and debris ejected into the stratosphere, crackling with lightning. Yet equally hazardous are the fast moving avalanches of hot gas and rock that can rush down the volcano's flanks at speeds approaching 280 kilometers per hour. Called pyroclastic flows, these surges can reach temperatures of 400°C. Fast currents and hot temperatures can quickly overwhelm communities living in the shadow of volcanoes, such as what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum after the 79 C.E. eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius or to Saint-Pierre after Martinique's Mount Pelée erupted in 1902.

Predicting and validating the motion of an ash cloud during the 2006 eruption of Mount Augustine volcano

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, Richard L.; Fochesatto, Javier; Sassen, Kenneth; Webley, Peter W.; Atkinson, David E.; Dean, Kenneson G.; Cahill, Catherine F.; Mizutani, Kohei

2007-01-01

On 11 January 2006, Mount Augustine volcano in southern Alaska began erupting after 20- year repose. The Anchorage Forecast Office of the National Weather Service (NWS) issued an advisory on 28 January for Kodiak City. On 31 January, Alaska Airlines cancelled all flights to and from Anchorage after multiple advisories from the NWS for Anchorage and the surrounding region. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) had reported the onset of the continuous eruption. AVO monitors the approximately 100 active volcanoes in the Northern Pacific. Ash clouds from these volcanoes can cause serious damage to an aircraft and pose a serious threat to the local communities, and to transcontinental air traffic throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. Within AVO, a dispersion model has been developed to track the dispersion of volcanic ash clouds. The model, Puff, was used operational by AVO during the Augustine eruptive period. Here, we examine the dispersion of a volcanic ash (or aerosol) cloud from Mount Augustine across Alaska from 29 January through the 2 February 2006. We present the synoptic meteorology, the Puff predictions, and measurements from aerosol samplers, laser radar (or lidar) systems, and satellites. Aerosol samplers revealed the presence of volcanic aerosols at the surface at sites where Puff predicted the ash clouds movement. Remote sensing satellite data showed the development of the ash cloud in close proximity to the volcano consistent with the Puff predictions. Two lidars showed the presence of volcanic aerosol with consistent characteristics aloft over Alaska and were capable of detecting the aerosol, even in the presence of scattered clouds and where the ash cloud is too thin/disperse to be detected by remote sensing satellite data. The lidar measurements revealed the different trajectories of ash consistent with the Puff predictions. Dispersion models provide a forecast of volcanic ash cloud movement that might be undetectable by any other means but are still a significant hazard. Validation is the key to assessing the accuracy of any predictions. The study highlights the use of multiple and complementary observations used in detecting the trajectory ash cloud, both at the surface and aloft in the atmosphere.

Real-time Seismic Amplitude Measurement (RSAM): a volcano monitoring and prediction tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Endo, E.T.; Murray, T.

1991-01-01

Seismicity is one of the most commonly monitored phenomena used to determine the state of a volcano and for the prediction of volcanic eruptions. Although several real-time earthquake-detection and data acquisition systems exist, few continuously measure seismic amplitude in circumstances where individual events are difficult to recognize or where volcanic tremor is prevalent. Analog seismic records provide a quick visual overview of activity; however, continuous rapid quantitative analysis to define the intensity of seismic activity for the purpose of predicing volcanic eruptions is not always possible because of clipping that results from the limited dynamic range of analog recorders. At the Cascades Volcano Observatory, an inexpensive 8-bit analog-to-digital system controlled by a laptop computer is used to provide 1-min average-amplitude information from eight telemetered seismic stations. The absolute voltage level for each station is digitized, averaged, and appended in near real-time to a data file on a multiuser computer system. Raw realtime seismic amplitude measurement (RSAM) data or transformed RSAM data are then plotted on a common time base with other available volcano-monitoring information such as tilt. Changes in earthquake activity associated with dome-building episodes, weather, and instrumental difficulties are recognized as distinct patterns in the RSAM data set. RSAM data for domebuilding episodes gradually develop into exponential increases that terminate just before the time of magma extrusion. Mount St. Helens crater earthquakes show up as isolated spikes on amplitude plots for crater seismic stations but seldom for more distant stations. Weather-related noise shows up as low-level, long-term disturbances on all seismic stations, regardless of distance from the volcano. Implemented in mid-1985, the RSAM system has proved valuable in providing up-to-date information on seismic activity for three Mount St. Helens eruptive episodes from 1985 to 1986 (May 1985, May 1986, and October 1986). Tiltmeter data, the only other telemetered geophysical information that was available for the three dome-building episodes, is compared to RSAM data to show that the increase in RSAM data was related to the transport of magma to the surface. Thus, if tiltmeter data is not available, RSAM data can be used to predict future magmatic eruptions at Mount St. Helens. We also recognize the limitations of RSAm data. Two examples of RSAM data associated with phreatic or shallow phreatomagmatic explosions were not preceded by the same increases in RSAM data or changes in tilt associated with the three dome-building eruptions. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

The changing shapes of active volcanoes: History, evolution, and future challenges for volcano geodesy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael P.; Hamburger, Michael W.; Newman, Andrew V.

2006-01-01

At the very heart of volcanology lies the search for the 'plumbing systems' that form the inner workings of Earth’s active volcanoes. By their very nature, however, the magmatic reservoirs and conduits that underlie these active volcanic systems are elusive; mostly they are observable only through circumstantial evidence, using indirect, and often ambiguous, surficial measurements. Of course, we can infer much about these systems from geologic investigation of materials brought to the surface by eruptions and of the exposed roots of ancient volcanoes. But how can we study the magmatic processes that are occurring beneath Earth’s active volcanoes? What are the geometry, scale, physical, and chemical characteristics of magma reservoirs? Can we infer the dynamics of magma transport? Can we use this information to better forecast the future behavior of volcanoes? These questions comprise some of the most fundamental, recurring themes of modern research in volcanology. The field of volcano geodesy is uniquely situated to provide critical observational constraints on these problems. For the past decade, armed with a new array of technological innovations, equipped with powerful computers, and prepared with new analytical tools, volcano geodesists have been poised to make significant advances in our fundamental understanding of the behavior of active volcanic systems. The purpose of this volume is to highlight some of these recent advances, particularly in the collection and interpretation of geodetic data from actively deforming volcanoes. The 18 papers that follow report on new geodetic data that offer valuable insights into eruptive activity and magma transport; they present new models and modeling strategies that have the potential to greatly increase understanding of magmatic, hydrothermal, and volcano-tectonic processes; and they describe innovative techniques for collecting geodetic measurements from remote, poorly accessible, or hazardous volcanoes. To provide a proper context for these studies, we offer a short review of the evolution of volcano geodesy, as well as a case study that highlights recent advances in the field by comparing the geodetic response to recent eruptive episodes at Mount St. Helens. Finally, we point out a few areas that continue to challenge the volcano geodesy community, some of which are addressed by the papers that follow and which undoubtedly will be the focus of future research for years to come.

Mount Pinatubo, Philippine Islands as seen from STS-59

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-04-10

STS059-L14-170 (9-20 April 1994) --- Orient with the sea at the left. Then Subic Bay is at the lower left corner, and Clark Air Force Base (abandoned after the eruption) is to the lower right of the volcano. A turquoise lake occupies the caldera just below the center of the photograph. Mount Pinatubo erupted in June, 1991 after several hundred years of quiescence. Eruptive activity has nearly ceased, but every torrential rain in this monsoonal climate causes renewed mud flows of a viscous slurry composed of volcanic ash and pumice. Shuttle crews have been photographing the mountain at every opportunity, to add documentation to unmanned-satellite, aerial, and ground-based observations of changes. SRL scientists will use the excellent radar imagery obtained during STS-59 to help discriminate among different kinds of volcanic material, and to extend their observations to other volcanoes around the world using future, perhaps unmanned, radar satellites. Linhof photograph.

Progress made in understanding Mount Rainier's hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sisson, T.W.; Vallance, J.W.; Pringle, P.T.

2001-01-01

At 4392 m high, glacier-clad Mount Rainier dominates the skyline of the southern Puget Sound region and is the centerpiece of Mount Rainier National Park. About 2.5 million people of the greater Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area can see Mount Rainier on clear days, and 150,000 live in areas swept by lahars and floods that emanated from the volcano during the last 6,000 years (Figure 1). These lahars include the voluminous Osceola Mudflow that floors the lowlands south of Seattle and east of Tacoma, and which was generated by massive volcano flank-collapse. Mount Rainier's last eruption was a light dusting of ash in 1894; minor pumice last erupted between 1820 and 1854; and the most recent large eruptions we know of were about 1100 and 2300 years ago, according to reports from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Hydrologic consequences of hot-rock/snowpack interactions at Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierson, Thomas C.

1999-01-01

Emplacement of hot volcanic debris onto a thick snowpack can trigger hazardous rapid flows of sediment (including ice grains) and water, which can travel far beyond the flanks of a volcano. Five papers in this volume document aspects of rapid-snowmelt events that occurred in Mount St. Helens between 1982 and 1984; one paper offers a theoretical explanation of features present at depositional contacts between hot rock and snow.

Volcano Hazards Assessment for Medicine Lake Volcano, Northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Nathenson, Manuel; Champion, Duane E.; Ramsey, David W.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Ewert, John W.

2007-01-01

Medicine Lake volcano (MLV) is a very large shield-shaped volcano located in northern California where it forms part of the southern Cascade Range of volcanoes. It has erupted hundreds of times during its half-million-year history, including nine times during the past 5,200 years, most recently 950 years ago. This record represents one of the highest eruptive frequencies among Cascade volcanoes and includes a wide variety of different types of lava flows and at least two explosive eruptions that produced widespread fallout. Compared to those of a typical Cascade stratovolcano, eruptive vents at MLV are widely distributed, extending 55 km north-south and 40 km east-west. The total area covered by MLV lavas is >2,000 km2, about 10 times the area of Mount St. Helens, Washington. Judging from its long eruptive history and its frequent eruptions in recent geologic time, MLV will erupt again. Although the probability of an eruption is very small in the next year (one chance in 3,600), the consequences of some types of possible eruptions could be severe. Furthermore, the documented episodic behavior of the volcano indicates that once it becomes active, the volcano could continue to erupt for decades, or even erupt intermittently for centuries, and very likely from multiple vents scattered across the edifice. Owing to its frequent eruptions, explosive nature, and proximity to regional infrastructure, MLV has been designated a 'high threat volcano' by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Volcano Early Warning System assessment. Volcanic eruptions are typically preceded by seismic activity, but with only two seismometers located high on the volcano and no other USGS monitoring equipment in place, MLV is at present among the most poorly monitored Cascade volcanoes.

Volcano collapse promoted by hydrothermal alteration and edifice shape, Mount Rainier, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, M.E.; Sisson, T.W.; Brien, D.L.

2001-01-01

Catastrophic collapses of steep volcano flanks threaten many populated regions, and understanding factors that promote collapse could save lives and property. Large collapses of hydrothermally altered parts of Mount Rainier have generated far-traveled debris flows; future flows would threaten densely populated parts of the Puget Sound region. We evaluate edifice collapse hazards at Mount Rainier using a new three-dimensional slope stability method incorporating detailed geologic mapping and subsurface geophysical imaging to determine distributions of strong (fresh) and weak (altered) rock. Quantitative three-dimensional slope stability calculations reveal that sizeable flank collapse (>0.1 km3) is promoted by voluminous, weak, hydrothermally altered rock situated high on steep slopes. These conditions exist only on Mount Rainier's upper west slope, consistent with the Holocene debris-flow history. Widespread alteration on lower flanks or concealed in regions of gentle slope high on the edifice does not greatly facilitate collapse. Our quantitative stability assessment method can also provide useful hazard predictions using reconnaissance geologic information and is a potentially rapid and inexpensive new tool for aiding volcano hazard assessments.

Alaska volcanoes guidebook for teachers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adleman, Jennifer N.

2011-01-01

Alaska’s volcanoes, like its abundant glaciers, charismatic wildlife, and wild expanses inspire and ignite scientific curiosity and generate an ever-growing source of questions for students in Alaska and throughout the world. Alaska is home to more than 140 volcanoes, which have been active over the last 2 million years. About 90 of these volcanoes have been active within the last 10,000 years and more than 50 of these have been active since about 1700. The volcanoes in Alaska make up well over three-quarters of volcanoes in the United States that have erupted in the last 200 years. In fact, Alaska’s volcanoes erupt so frequently that it is almost guaranteed that an Alaskan will experience a volcanic eruption in his or her lifetime, and it is likely they will experience more than one. It is hard to imagine a better place for students to explore active volcanism and to understand volcanic hazards, phenomena, and global impacts. Previously developed teachers’ guidebooks with an emphasis on the volcanoes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Mattox, 1994) and Mount Rainier National Park in the Cascade Range (Driedger and others, 2005) provide place-based resources and activities for use in other volcanic regions in the United States. Along the lines of this tradition, this guidebook serves to provide locally relevant and useful resources and activities for the exploration of numerous and truly unique volcanic landscapes in Alaska. This guidebook provides supplemental teaching materials to be used by Alaskan students who will be inspired to become educated and prepared for inevitable future volcanic activity in Alaska. The lessons and activities in this guidebook are meant to supplement and enhance existing science content already being taught in grade levels 6–12. Correlations with Alaska State Science Standards and Grade Level Expectations adopted by the Alaska State Department of Education and Early Development (2006) for grades six through eleven are listed at the beginning of each activity. A complete explanation, including the format of the Alaska State Science Standards and Grade Level Expectations, is available at the beginning of each grade link at http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/GLEHome.html.

Learning to recognize volcanic non-eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael P.

2010-01-01

An important goal of volcanology is to answer the questions of when, where, and how a volcano will erupt—in other words, eruption prediction. Generally, eruption predictions are based on insights from monitoring data combined with the history of the volcano. An outstanding example is the A.D. 1980–1986 lava dome growth at Mount St. Helens, Washington (United States). Recognition of a consistent pattern of precursors revealed by geophysical, geological, and geochemical monitoring enabled successful predictions of more than 12 dome-building episodes (Swanson et al., 1983). At volcanic systems that are more complex or poorly understood, probabilistic forecasts can be useful (e.g., Newhall and Hoblitt, 2002; Marzocchi and Woo, 2009). In such cases, the probabilities of different types of volcanic events are quantified, using historical accounts and geological studies of a volcano's past activity, supplemented by information from similar volcanoes elsewhere, combined with contemporary monitoring information.

Volcanic evolution of central Basse-Terre Island revisited on the basis of new geochronology and geomorphology data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricci, J.; Quidelleur, X.; Lahitte, P.

2015-10-01

Twenty-six new and seven previous K-Ar ages obtained on groundmass separates for samples from the Axial Chain massif (Guadeloupe, F.W.I.), associated with geomorphological investigations, allow us to propose a new model of the volcanic evolution of the central part of Basse-Terre Island. The Axial Chain is composed of four edifices, Moustique, Matéliane, Capesterre, and Icaque mounts, showing coeval activity from 681 ± 12 to 509 ± 10 ka, which contradicts a previous hypothesis that flank collapse affected them successively. Our geomorphological reconstruction shows that the Axial Chain can be considered as a single large volcano, named the Southern Axial Chain volcano (SCA), rather than a succession of several smaller volcanoes. It raises questions regarding the formation of a large depression within the SCA volcano, prior to the construction of the Sans-Toucher volcano between 451 ± 13 and 412 ± 8 ka. Given presently available evidence, a slump affecting the western part of the SCA volcano is the most probable scenario to reconcile the complete age dataset and the present-day morphology of central Basse-Terre. Finally, our study shows that the SCA volcano had a post-activity volume of 90 km3, implying a construction rate of 0.5 km3/kyr. This value strongly constrains interpretations of magma generation processes throughout the Lesser Antilles arc.

Volcanoes and climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, O. B.

1982-01-01

The evidence that volcanic eruptions affect climate is reviewed. Single explosive volcanic eruptions cool the surface by about 0.3 C and warm the stratosphere by several degrees. Although these changes are of small magnitude, there have been several years in which these hemispheric average temperature changes were accompanied by severely abnormal weather. An example is 1816, the "year without summer" which followed the 1815 eruption of Tambora. In addition to statistical correlations between volcanoes and climate, a good theoretical understanding exists. The magnitude of the climatic changes anticipated following volcanic explosions agrees well with the observations. Volcanoes affect climate because volcanic particles in the atmosphere upset the balance between solar energy absorbed by the Earth and infrared energy emitted by the Earth. These interactions can be observed. The most important ejecta from volcanoes is not volcanic ash but sulfur dioxide which converts into sulfuric acid droplets in the stratosphere. For an eruption with its explosive magnitude, Mount St. Helens injected surprisingly little sulfur into the stratosphere. The amount of sulfuric acid formed is much smaller than that observed following significant eruptions and is too small to create major climatic shifts. However, the Mount St. Helens eruption has provided an opportunity to measure many properties of volcanic debris not previously measured and has therefore been of significant value in improving our knowledge of the relations between volcanic activity and climate.

Rapid, low-cost photogrammetry to monitor volcanic eruptions: an example from Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, Angela K.; Crider, Juliet G.; Schilling, Steve P.; Dzurisin, Daniel

2012-01-01

We describe a low-cost application of digital photogrammetry using commercially available photogrammetric software and oblique photographs taken with an off-the-shelf digital camera to create sequential digital elevation models (DEMs) of a lava dome that grew during the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH) volcano. Renewed activity at MSH provided an opportunity to devise and test this method, because it could be validated against other observations of this well-monitored volcano. The datasets consist of oblique aerial photographs (snapshots) taken from a helicopter using a digital single-lens reflex camera. Twelve sets of overlapping digital images of the dome taken during 2004–2007 were used to produce DEMs and to calculate lava dome volumes and extrusion rates. Analyses of the digital images were carried out using photogrammetric software to produce three-dimensional coordinates of points identified in multiple photos. The evolving morphology of the dome was modeled by comparing successive DEMs. Results were validated by comparison to volume measurements derived from traditional vertical photogrammetric surveys by the US Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory. Our technique was significantly less expensive and required less time than traditional vertical photogrammetric techniques; yet, it consistently yielded volume estimates within 5% of the traditional method. This technique provides an inexpensive, rapid assessment tool for tracking lava dome growth or other topographic changes at restless volcanoes.

Emitted short wavelength infrared radiation for detection and monitoring of volcanic activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothery, D. A.; Francis, P. W.; Wood, C. A.

1988-01-01

Thematic Mapper images from LANDSAT were used to monitor volcanoes. Achievements include: (1) the discovery of a magmatic precursor to the 16 Sept. 1986 eruption of Lascar, northern Chile, on images from Mar. and July 1985 and of continuing fumarolic activity after the eruption; (2) the detection of unreported major changes in the distribution of lava lakes on Erta'Ale, Ethiopia; and (3) the mapping of a halo of still-hot spatter surrounding a vent on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, on an image acquired 5 min after a minor eruption otherwise known only from seismic records. A spaceborne short wavelength infrared sensor for observing hot phenomena of volcanoes is proposed. A polar orbit is suggested.

Evolution of deep crustal magma structures beneath Mount Baekdu volcano (MBV) intraplate volcano in northeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhie, J.; Kim, S.; Tkalcic, H.; Baag, S. Y.

2017-12-01

Heterogeneous features of magmatic structures beneath intraplate volcanoes are attributed to interactions between the ascending magma and lithospheric structures. Here, we investigate the evolution of crustal magmatic stuructures beneath Mount Baekdu volcano (MBV), which is one of the largest continental intraplate volcanoes in northeast Asia. The result of our seismic imaging shows that the deeper Moho depth ( 40 km) and relatively higher shear wave velocities (>3.8 km/s) at middle-to-lower crustal depths beneath the volcano. In addition, the pattern at the bottom of our model shows that the lithosphere beneath the MBV is shallower (< 100 km) compared to surrounding regions. Togather with previous P-wave velocity models, we interpret the observations as a compositional double layering of mafic underplating and a overlying cooled felsic structure due to fractional crystallization of asthenosphere origin magma. To achieve enhanced vertical and horizontal model coverage, we apply two approaches in this work, including (1) a grid-search based phase velocity measurement using real-coherency of ambient noise data and (2) a transdimensional Bayesian joint inversion using multiple ambient noise dispersion data.

Mount St. Helens and Kilauea volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrat, J.

1989-01-01

From the south, snow-covered Mount St. Helens looms proudly under a fleecy halo of clouds, rivaling the majestic beauty of neighboring Mount Rainer, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams. Salmon fishermen dot the shores of lakes and streams in the mountain's shadow, trucks loaded with fresh-cut timber barrel down backroads, and deer peer out from stands of tall fir trees. 

Glacier quakes mimicking volcanic earthquakes: The challenge of monitoring ice-clad volcanoes and some solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allstadt, K.; Carmichael, J. D.; Malone, S. D.; Bodin, P.; Vidale, J. E.; Moran, S. C.

2012-12-01

Swarms of repeating earthquakes at volcanoes are often a sign of volcanic unrest. However, glaciers also can generate repeating seismic signals, so detecting unrest at glacier-covered volcanoes can be a challenge. We have found that multi-day swarms of shallow, low-frequency, repeating earthquakes occur regularly at Mount Rainier, a heavily glaciated stratovolcano in Washington, but that most swarms had escaped recognition until recently. Typically such earthquakes were too small to be routinely detected by the seismic network and were often buried in the noise on visual records, making the few swarms that had been detected seem more unusual and significant at the time they were identified. Our comprehensive search for repeating earthquakes through the past 10 years of continuous seismic data uncovered more than 30 distinct swarms of low-frequency earthquakes at Rainier, each consisting of hundreds to thousands of events. We found that these swarms locate high on the glacier-covered edifice, occur almost exclusively between late fall and early spring, and that their onset coincides with heavy snowfalls. We interpret the correlation with snowfall to indicate a seismically observable glacial response to snow loading. Efforts are underway to confirm this by monitoring glacier motion before and after a major snowfall event using ground based radar interferometry. Clearly, if the earthquakes in these swarms reflect a glacial source, then they are not directly related to volcanic activity. However, from an operational perspective they make volcano monitoring difficult because they closely resemble earthquakes that often precede and accompany volcanic eruptions. Because we now have a better sense of the background level of such swarms and know that their occurrence is seasonal and correlated with snowfall, it will now be easier to recognize if future swarms at Rainier are unusual and possibly related to volcanic activity. To methodically monitor for such unusual activity, we are implementing an automatic detection algorithm to continuously search for repeating earthquakes at Mount Rainier, an algorithm that we eventually intend to apply to other Cascade volcanoes. We propose that a comprehensive routine that characterizes background levels of repeating earthquakes and the degree of correlation with weather and seasonal forcing, combined with real-time monitoring for repeating earthquakes, will provide a means to more rapidly discriminate between glacier seismicity and seismicity related to volcanic activity on monitored glacier-clad volcanoes.

Mount St. Helens Volcano, WA, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Mount St. Helens Volcano (46.0N, 122.0W) and its blast zone can be seen in this northeast looking infrared view. Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams can also be seen in the near area. The Columbia River can be seen at the bottom of the view. When Mt. St. Helens erupted on 18 May 80, the top 1300 ft. disappeared within minutes. The blast area covered an area of more than 150 sq. miles and sent thousands of tons of ash into the upper atmosphere.

Lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newhall, Christopher G.; Stauffer, Peter H.; Hendley, James W.

1997-01-01

On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines exploded in the second largest volcanic eruption on Earth this century. This eruption deposited more than 1 cubic mile (5 cubic kilometers) of volcanic ash and rock fragments on the volcano's slopes. Within hours, heavy rains began to wash this material down into the surrounding lowlands in giant, fast-moving mudflows called lahars. In the next four rainy seasons, lahars carried about half of the deposits off the volcano, causing even more destruction in the lowlands than the eruption itself.

The Geologic Story of Mount Rainier

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, Dwight Raymond

1969-01-01

Ice-clad Mount Rainier, towering over the landscape of western Washington, ranks with Fuji-yama in Japan, Popocatepeti in Mexico, and Vesuvius in Italy among the great volcanoes of the world. At Mount Rainier, as at other inactive volcanoes, the ever-present possibility of renewed eruptions gives viewers a sense of anticipation, excitement, and apprehension not equaled by most other mountains. Even so, many of us cannot imagine the cataclysmic scale of the eruptions that were responsible for building the giant cone which now stands in silence. We accept the volcano as if it had always been there, and we appreciate only the beauty of its stark expanses of rock and ice, its flower-strewn alpine meadows, and its bordering evergreen forests.Mount Rainier owes its scenic beauty to many features. The broad cone spreads out on top of a major mountain range - the Cascades. The volcano rises about 7,000 feet above its 7,000-foot foundation, and stands in solitary splendor - the highest peak in the entire Cascade Range. Its rocky ice-mantled slopes above timberline contrast with the dense green forests and give Mount Rainier the appearance of an arctic island in a temperate sea, an island so large that you can see its full size and shape only from the air. The mountain is highly photogenic because of the contrasts it offers among bare rock, snowfields, blue sky, and the incomparable flower fields that color its lower slopes, shadows cast by the multitude of cliffs, ridges, canyons, and pinnacles change constantly from sunrise to sunset, endlessly varying the texture and mood of the mountain. The face of the mountain also varies from day to day as its broad snowfields melt during the summer. The melting of these frozen reservoirs makes Mount Rainier a natural resource in a practical as well as in an esthetic sense, for it ensures steady flows of water for hydroelectric power in the region, regardless of season.Seen from the Puget Sound country to the west, Mount Rainier has an unreal quality - its white summit, nearly 3 miles high, seems to float among the clouds. We share with the populace of the entire lowland a thrill as we watch skyward the evening's setting sun reddens the volcano's western snowfields. When you approach the mountain in its lovely setting, you may find something that appeals especially to you - the scenery, the wildlife, the glaciers, or the wildflowers. Or you may feel challenged to climb to the summit. Mount Rainier and its neighboring mountains have a special allure for a geologist because he visualizes the event - some ordinary, some truly spectacular - that made the present landscape. Such is the fascination of geology. A geologist becomes trained to see 'in his mind's eye' geologic events of thousands or even millions of years ago. And, most remarkable, he can 'see' these events by studying rocks in a cliff or roadcut, or perhaps by examining earthy material that looks like common soil beneath pastureland many miles away from the volcano.Our key to understanding the geology of Mount Rainier is that each geologic event can be reconstructed - or imagined - from the rocks formed at the time of the event. With this principle as our guide, we will review the geologic ancestry of this majestic volcano and learn what is behind its scenery.

Full waveform ambient noise tomography of Mount Rainer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flinders, A. F.; Shen, Y.

2014-12-01

Mount Rainier towers over the landscape of western Washington, ranking with Fuji-yama in Japan, Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Mt. Vesuvius in Italy, as one of the great stratovolcanoes of the world. Notwithstanding it's picturesque stature, Mt. Rainier is potentially the most devastating stratovolcano in North America, with more than 3.5 million people living beneath its shadow in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The primary hazard posed by the volcano is in the form of highly destructive volcanic debris flows (lahars). These lahars form when water and/or melted ice erode away and entrain preexisting volcanic sediment. At Mt. Rainier these flows are often initiated by sector collapse of the volcano's hydrothermally rotten flanks and compounded from Mt. Rainier's extensive snow and glacial ice coverage. It is therefore imperative to ascertain the extent of summit hydrothermal alteration within the volcano, and determine areas prone to collapse. Despite being one of the sixteen volcanoes globally designated by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior as warranting detailed and focused study, Mt. Rainier remains enigmatic both in terms of shallow internal structure and the degree of summit hydrothermal alteration. We image this shallow internal structure and areas of possible summit alteration using ambient noise tomography. Our full waveform forward modeling includes high-resolution topography, allowing us to accurately account for the effects of topography on the propagation of short-period Rayleigh waves. Empirical Green's functions were extracted from 80 stations within 200 km of Mount Rainier and compared with synthetic greens functions over multiple frequency bands from 2-28 seconds. The preliminary model shows a broad (60 km wide) low shear-wave velocity anomaly in the mid-crust beneath the volcano. The mid-crust low-velocity body extends to the surface beneath the volcano summit in a narrow near-vertical conduit, the likely path of magma ascent. There is a peculiar aseismic high Vs and low Vp/Vs zone (possibly indicative of a high quartz bearing lithology) beneath the eastern edifice. We interpret it as a possible remnant of a more felsic (and perhaps more explosive) proto Mount Rainier volcano.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 20 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-03

ISS020-E-006563 (3 June 2009) --- Mount Tambora Volcano, Sumbawa Island in Indonesia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member on the International Space Station. On April 10, 1815 the Tambora volcano produced the largest eruption in history. An estimated 150 cubic kilometers of tephra ? exploded rock and ash ? was produced, with ash from the eruption recognized at least 1,300 kilometers away to the northwest. While the April 10 eruption was catastrophic, historical records and geological analysis of eruption deposits indicate that the volcano had been active between 1812 and 1815. Enough ash was input into the atmosphere from the April 10 eruption to reduce incident sunlight on Earth?s surface and cause global cooling, resulting in the 1816 ?year without a summer?. This detailed photograph depicts the summit caldera of the volcano. The huge caldera ? six kilometers in diameter and 1,100 meters deep ? formed when Tambora?s estimated 4,000 meter-high peak was removed, and the magma chamber below emptied, during the April 10 eruption. Today the crater floor is occupied by an ephemeral fresh-water lake, recent sedimentary deposits, and minor lava flows and domes emplaced during the 19th and 20th centuries. Layered tephra deposits are visible along the northwestern crater rim. Active fumaroles, or steam vents, are still present within the caldera. In 2004 scientists discovered the remains of a village and two adults buried under approximately three meters of ash in a gully on Tambora?s flank - remnants of the former Kingdom of Tambora preserved by the 1815 eruption that destroyed it. The similarity of the Tambora remains to those associated with the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius has led to the site being called ?the Pompeii of the East.?

Magmatic inflation at a dormant stratovolcano: 1996-1998 activity at Mount Peulik volcano, Alaska, revealed by satellite radar interferometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Zhong; Wicks, Charles W.; Dzurisin, Daniel; Power, John A.; Moran, Seth C.; Thatcher, Wayne R.

2002-01-01

A series of ERS radar interferograms that collectively span the time interval from July 1992 to August 2000 reveal that a presumed magma body located 6.6 ??? 0.5 km beneath the southwest flank of the Mount Peulik volcano inflated 0.051 ??? 0.005 km3 between October 1996 and September 1998. Peulik has been active only twice during historical time, in 1814 and 1852, and the volcano was otherwise quiescent during the 1990s. The inflation episode spanned at least several months because separate interferograms show that the associated ground deformation was progressive. The average inflation rate of the magma body was ???0.003 km3/month from October 1996 to September 1997, peaked at 0.005 km3/month from 26 June to 9 October 1997, and dropped to ???0.001 km3/month from October 1997 to September 1998. An intense earthquake swarm, including three ML 4.8 - 5.2 events, began on 8 May 1998 near Becharof Lake, ???30 km northwest of Peulik. More than 400 earthquakes with a cumulative moment of 7.15 ?? 1017 N m were recorded in the area through 19 October 1998. Although the inflation and earthquake swarm occured at about the same time, the static stress changes that we calculated in the epicentral area due to inflation beneath Peulik appear too small to provide a causal link. The 1996-1998 inflation episode at Peulik confirms that satellite radar interferometry can be used to detect magma accumulation beneath dormant volcanoes at least several months before other signs of unrest are apparent. This application represents a first step toward understanding the eruption cycle at Peulik and other stratovolcanoes with characteristically long repose periods.

Broadband characteristics of earthquakes recorded during a dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington, between October 2004 and May 2005: Chapter 5 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horton, Stephen P.; Norris, Robert D.; Moran, Seth C.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

From October 2004 to May 2005, the Center for Earthquake Research and Information of the University of Memphis operated two to six broadband seismometers within 5 to 20 km of Mount St. Helens to help monitor recent seismic and volcanic activity. Approximately 57,000 earthquakes identified during the 7-month deployment had a normal magnitude distribution with a mean magnitude of 1.78 and a standard deviation of 0.24 magnitude units. Both the mode and range of earthquake magnitude and the rate of activity varied during the deployment. We examined the time domain and spectral characteristics of two classes of events seen during dome building. These include volcano-tectonic earthquakes and lower-frequency events. Lower-frequency events are further classified into hybrid earthquakes, low-frequency earthquakes, and long-duration volcanic tremor. Hybrid and low-frequency earthquakes showed a continuum of characteristics that varied systematically with time. A progressive loss of high-frequency seismic energy occurred in earthquakes as magma approached and eventually reached the surface. The spectral shape of large and small earthquakes occurring within days of each other did not vary with magnitude. Volcanic tremor events and lower-frequency earthquakes displayed consistent spectral peaks, although higher frequencies were more favorably excited during tremor than earthquakes.

Angry Indonesian Volcano Imaged by NASA Spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-11

This image acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft is of Mount Sinabung, a stratovolcano located in Indonesia. In late 2013, a lava dome formed on the summit. In early January 2014, the volcano erupted, and it erupted again in early February.

Earth observations taken from Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-80 mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-11-24

STS080-706-044 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- This view shows Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano in the Zambales Mountains range of western Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Mud flows radiate out from the active volcano, which has erupted in recent years, coming down the mountain. After the eruption a lot of the vegetation was removed, causing the mountain to erode at a more rapid pace than an older mountain that has its vegetation in place. In two cases the flows reach the South China Sea, and flow down three valleys to the east. The now abandoned Clark Air Force Base is to the upper left corner. Pinatubo is about 80 miles northwest of Manila.

Catalog of Mount St. Helens 2004-2007 Dome Samples with Major- and Trace-Element Chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thornber, Carl R.; Pallister, John S.; Rowe, Michael C.; McConnell, Siobhan; Herriott, Trystan M.; Eckberg, Alison; Stokes, Winston C.; Cornelius, Diane Johnson; Conrey, Richard M.; Hannah, Tammy; Taggart, Joseph E.; Adams, Monique; Lamothe, Paul J.; Budahn, James R.; Knaack, Charles M.

2008-01-01

Sampling and analysis of eruptive products at Mount St. Helens is an integral part of volcano monitoring efforts conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey?s Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO). The objective of our eruption sampling program is to enable petrological assessments of pre-eruptive magmatic conditions, critical for ascertaining mechanisms for eruption triggering and forecasting potential changes in eruption behavior. This report provides a catalog of near-vent lithic debris and new dome-lava collected during 34 intra-crater sampling forays throughout the October 2004 to October 2007 (2004?7) eruptive interval at Mount St. Helens. In addition, we present comprehensive bulk-rock geochemistry for a time-series of representative (2004?7) eruption products. This data, along with that in a companion report on Mount St. Helens 2004 to 2006 tephra by Rowe and others (2008), are presented in support of the contents of the U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1750 (Sherrod and others, eds., 2008). Readers are referred to appropriate chapters in USGS Professional Paper 1750 for detailed narratives of eruptive activity during this time period and for interpretations of sample characteristics and geochemical data. The suite of rock samples related to the 2004?7 eruption of Mount St. Helens and presented in this catalog are archived at the David A. Johnson Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Wash. The Mount St. Helens 2004?7 Dome Sample Catalogue with major- and trace-element geochemistry is tabulated in 3 worksheets of the accompanying Microsoft Excel file, of2008-1130.xls. Table 1 provides location and sampling information. Table 2 presents sample descriptions. In table 3, bulk-rock major and trace-element geochemistry is listed for 44 eruption-related samples with intra-laboratory replicate analyses of 19 dacite lava samples. A brief overview of the collection methods and lithology of dome samples is given below as an aid to deciphering the dome sample catalog. This is followed by an explanation of the categories of sample information (column headers) in Tables 1 and 2. A summary of the analytical methods used to obtain the geochemical data in this report introduces the presentation of major- and trace-element geochemistry of 2004?7 Mount St. Helens dome samples in table 3. Intra-laboratory results for the USGS AGV-2 standard are presented (tables 4 and 5), which demonstrate the compatibility of chemical data from different sources.

Temperature estimation for the most upper part of magmatic chamber of the Elbrus volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likhodeev, Dmitry

2013-04-01

The results of theoretical and experimental studies on thermal processes in the Elbrus volcanic center and adjacent territories are presented. Distributed temperature measurements on the Elbrus volcano and near the Maloye Azau glacier by means of temperature data loggers («High Capacity Temperature Loggers iButton» and «Rejim-avtomat-termo-10-100») have been performed. The comparative time series analysis is provided. On the basis of the Geophysical Observatory in Northern Caucasus, in the laboratory located some 20 km from the Elbrus volcano in the tunnel at a depth of 4 km the array of temperature sensors has been deployed. Results of continuous observations over variations of underground temperatures, including pin-point measurements in the vicinity of sources of carbonaceous mineral waters are presented and discussed. Temperature estimations for the most upper part of the shallow magmatic chamber of the of the Elbrus volcano were obtained on the basis of experimental measurements in the 180-meter deep borehole drilled through the glacier on the western plateau of Mount Elbrus. The estimations of deep temperatures have confirmed the possibility of existence of the magmatic chamber at depths of 0-1 km below sea level. At the same time the magnitudes of local heat flux were identified with enhanced precision. Thus, the original scientific results provide significant extension to our knowledge on possible resumption of volcanic activity in the vicinity of Mount Elbrus.

Sedimentology, Behavior, and Hazards of Debris Flows at Mount Rainier, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, K.M.; Vallance, J.W.; Pringle, P.T.

1995-01-01

Mount Rainier is potentially the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range because of its great height, frequent earthquakes, active hydrothermal system, and extensive glacier mantle. Many debris flows and their distal phases have inundated areas far from the volcano during postglacial time. Two types of debris flows, cohesive and noncohesive, have radically different origins and behavior that relate empirically to clay content. The two types are the major subpopulations of debris flows at Mount Rainier. The behavior of cohesive flows is affected by the cohesion and adhesion of particles; noncohesive flows are dominated by particle collisions to the extent that particle cataclasis becomes common during near-boundary shear. Cohesive debris flows contain more than 3 to 5 percent of clay-size sediment. The composition of these flows changed little as they traveled more than 100 kilometers from Mount Rainier to inundate parts of the now-populated Puget Sound lowland. They originate as deep-seated failures of sectors of the volcanic edifice, and such failures are sufficiently frequent that they are the major destructional process of Mount Rainier's morphologic evolution. In several deposits of large cohesive flows, a lateral, megaclast-bearing facies (with a mounded or hummocky surface) contrasts with a more clay-rich facies in the center of valleys and downstream. Cohesive flows at Mount Rainier do not correlate strongly with volcanic activity and thus can recur without warning, possibly triggered by non-magmatic earthquakes or by changes in the hydrothermal system. Noncohesive debris flows contain less than 3 to 5 percent clay-size sediment. They form most commonly by bulking of sediment in water surges, but some originate directly or indirectly from shallow slope failures that do not penetrate the hydrothermally altered core of the volcano. In contrast with cohesive flows, most noncohesive flows transform both from and to other flow types and are, therefore, the middle segments of flow waves that begin and end as flood surges. Proximally, through the bulking of poorly sorted volcaniclastic debris on the flanks of the volcano, flow waves expand rapidly in volume by transforming from water surges through hyperconcentrated stream flow (20 to 60 percent sediment by volume) to debris flow. Distally, the transformations occur more slowly in reverse order - from debris flow, to hyperconcentrated flow, and finally to normal streamflow with less than 20 percent sediment by volume. During runout of the largest noncohesive flows, hyperconcentrated flow has continued for as much as 40 to 70 kilometers. Lahars (volcanic debris flows and their deposits) have occurred frequently at Mount Rainier over the past several thousand years, and generally they have not clustered within discrete eruptive periods as at Mount St. Helens. An exception is a period of large noncohesive flows during and after construction of the modern summit cone. Deposits from lahar-runout flows, the hyperconcentrated distal phases of lahars, document the frequency and extent of noncohesive lahars. These deposits also record the following transformations of debris flows: (1) the direct, progressive dilution of debris flow to hyperconcentrated flow, (2) deposition of successively finer grained lobes of debris until only the hyperconcentrated tail of the flow remains to continue downstream, and (3) dewatering of coarse debris flow deposits to yield fine-grained debris flow or hyperconcentrated flow. Three planning or design case histories represent different lengths of postglacial time. Case I is representative of large, infrequent (500 to 1,000 years on average) cohesive debris flows. These flows need to be considered in long-term planning in valleys around the volcano. Case II generalizes the noncohesive debris flows of intermediate size and recurrence (100 to 500 years). This case is appropriate for consideration in some structural design. Case III flows are

Surficial Geologic Map of Mount Veniaminof Volcano, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waythomas, C. F.; Miller, T. P.; Wallace, K.

2015-12-01

Mount Veniaminof volcano is a >300 km3 andesite to dacite stratovolcano, characterized by an 8 x 11 km diameter ice-filled summit caldera. Veniaminof is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc and has erupted at least 15 times in the past 200 years. The volcano is located on the Alaska Peninsula (56.1979° N, 159.3931° W) about 780 km SW of Anchorage. Our geologic investigations have documented two large (>VEI 5) caldera-forming or -modifying eruptions (V1, V2) of Holocene age whose eruptive products make up most of the surficial deposits around the volcano. These deposits and other unconsolidated glacial, fluvial, and colluvial deposits are depicted on the accompanying map. The the V2 eruption occurred 4.1-4.4 ka (cal 2-sigma age range) and produced an extensive landscape-mantling sequence of pyroclastic deposits >50 km3 in volume that cover or partly obscure older unconsolidated eruptive products. The V1 eruption occurred 8-9 ka and its deposits lie stratigraphically below the pyroclastic deposits associated with the V2 eruption and a prominent, widespread tephra fall deposit erupted from nearby Black Peak volcano 4.4-4.6 ka. The V2 pyroclastic-flow deposits range from densely welded, columnar jointed units exposed along the main valley floors, to loose, unconsolidated, blanketing accumulations of scoriaceous (55-57% SiO2) and lithic material found as far as 75 km from the edifice. Large lahars also formed during the V2 eruption and flowed as far as 50 km from the volcano. The resulting deposits are present in all glacial valleys that head on the volcano and are 10-15 m thick in several locations. Lahar deposits cover an area of about 800-1000 km2, have an approximate volume of 1-2 km3, and record substantial inundation of the major valleys on all flanks of the edifice. Significant amounts of water are required to form lahars of this size, which suggests that an ice-filled summit caldera probably existed when the V2 eruption occurred.

A lava flow simulation model for the development of volcanic hazard maps for Mount Etna (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damiani, M. L.; Groppelli, G.; Norini, G.; Bertino, E.; Gigliuto, A.; Nucita, A.

2006-05-01

Volcanic hazard assessment is of paramount importance for the safeguard of the resources exposed to volcanic hazards. In the paper we present ELFM, a lava flow simulation model for the evaluation of the lava flow hazard on Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy), the most important active volcano in Europe. The major contributions of the paper are: (a) a detailed specification of the lava flow simulation model and the specification of an algorithm implementing it; (b) the definition of a methodological framework for applying the model to the specific volcano. For what concerns the former issue, we propose an extended version of an existing stochastic model that has been applied so far only to the assessment of the volcanic hazard on Lanzarote and Tenerife (Canary Islands). Concerning the methodological framework, we claim model validation is definitely needed for assessing the effectiveness of the lava flow simulation model. To that extent a strategy has been devised for the generation of simulation experiments and evaluation of their outcomes.

Helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic surveys at Mounts Adams, Baker and Rainier, Washington: implications for debris flow hazards and volcano hydrology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Carol A.; Deszcz-Pan, Maria

2011-01-01

High‐resolution helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic (HEM) data flown over the rugged, ice‐covered Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier volcanoes (Washington), reveal the distribution of alteration, water and ice thickness essential to evaluating volcanic landslide hazards. These data, combined with geological mapping and rock property measurements, indicate the presence of appreciable thicknesses (>500 m) of water‐saturated hydrothermally altered rock west of the modern summit of Mount Rainier in the Sunset Amphitheater region and in the central core of Mount Adams north of the summit. Alteration at Mount Baker is restricted to thinner (<300 m) zones beneath Sherman Crater and the Dorr Fumarole Fields. The EM data identified water‐saturated rocks from the surface to the detection limit (100–200 m) in discreet zones at Mt. Rainier and Mt Adams and over the entire summit region at Mt. Baker. The best estimates for ice thickness are obtained over relatively low resistivity (<800 ohm‐m) ground for the main ice cap on Mt. Adams and over most of the summit of Mt. Baker. The modeled distribution of alteration, pore fluids and partial ice volumes on the volcanoes helps identify likely sources for future alteration‐related debris flows, including the Sunset Amphitheater region at Mt. Rainier, steep cliffs at the western edge of the central altered zone at Mount Adams and eastern flanks of Mt. Baker.

Long-term changes in quiescent degassing at Mount Baker Volcano, Washington, USA; Evidence for a stalled intrusion in 1975 and connection to a deep magma source

USGS Publications Warehouse

Werner, Cynthia A.; Evans, William C.; Poland, Michael P.; Doukas, Michael P.; Tucker, D.S.

2009-01-01

Long-term changes have occurred in the chemistry, isotopic ratios, and emission rates of gas at Mount Baker volcano following a major thermal perturbation in 1975. In mid-1975 a large pulse in sulfur and carbon dioxide output was observed both in emission rates and in fumarole samples. Emission rates of CO2 and H2S were ??? 950 and 112??t/d, respectively, in 1975; these decreased to ??? 150 and < 1??t/d by 2007. During the peak of the activity the C/S ratio was the lowest ever observed in the Cascade Range and similar to magmatic signatures observed at other basaltic-andesite volcanoes worldwide. Increases in the C/S ratio and decreases in the CO2/CH4 ratio since 1975 suggest a long steady trend back toward a more hydrothermal gas signature. The helium isotope ratio is very high (> 7??Rc/RA), but has declined slightly since the mid-1970s, and ??13C-CO2 has decreased by ??? 1??? over time. Both trends are expected from a gradually crystallizing magma. While other scenarios are investigated, we conclude that magma intruded the mid- to shallow-crust beneath Mount Baker during the thermal awakening of 1975. Since that time, evidence for fresh magma has waned, but the continued emission of CO2 and the presence of a long-term hydrothermal system leads us to suspect some continuing connection between the surface and deep convecting magma.

Sheet intrusions and deformation of Piton des Neiges, and their implication for the volcano-tectonics of La Réunion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaput, Marie; Famin, Vincent; Michon, Laurent

2017-10-01

To understand the volcano-tectonic history of Piton des Neiges (the dormant volcano of La Réunion), we measured in the field the orientation of sheeted intrusions and deformation structures, and interpreted the two datasets separately with a paleostress inversion. Results show that the multiple proposed rift zones may be simplified into three trends: (1) a N30°E, 5 km wide linear rift zone running to the south of the edifice, active in the shield building (≥ 2.48-0.43 Ma) and terminal stages (190-22 ka); (2) a curved N110 to N160°E rift zone, widening from 5 km to 10 km toward the NW flank, essentially active during the early emerged shield building (≥ 1.3 Ma); and (3) two sill zones, ≤ 1 km thick in total, in the most internal parts of the volcano, active in the shield building and terminal stages. In parallel, deformation structures reveal that the tectonics of the edifice consisted in three end-member stress regimes sharing common stress axes: (1) NW-SE extension affecting in priority the south of the edifice near the N30°E rift zone; (2) NNE-SSW extension on the northern half of the volcano near the N110-160°E rift zone; (3) compression occurring near the sill zones, with a NE-SW or NW-SE maximum principal stress. These three stress regimes are spatially correlated and mechanically compatible with the injection trends. Combined together, our data show that the emerged Piton des Neiges underwent sector spreading delimited by perpendicular rift zones, as observed on Piton de la Fournaise (the active volcano of La Réunion). Analogue experiments attribute such sector spreading to brittle edifices built on a weaker substratum. We therefore conclude that La Réunion volcanoes are both brittle, as opposed to Hawaiian volcanoes or Mount Etna whose radial spreading is usually attributed to a ductile body within the edifices.

Volcanic conduit migration over a basement landslide at Mount Etna (Italy).

PubMed

Nicolosi, I; Caracciolo, F D'Ajello; Branca, S; Ventura, G; Chiappini, M

2014-06-13

The flanks of volcanoes may slide in response to the loading of the edifice on a weak basement, magma push, and/or to tectonic stress. However, examples of stratovolcanoes emplaced on active landslides are lacking and the possible effects on the volcano dynamics unknown. Here, we use aeromagnetic data to construct a three-dimensional model of the clay-rich basement of Etna volcano (Italy). We provide evidence for a large stratovolcano growing on a pre-existing basement landslide and show that the eastern Etna flank, which slides toward the sea irrespective of volcanic activity, moves coherently with the underlying landslide. The filling of the landslide depression by lava flows through time allows the formation of a stiffness barrier, which is responsible for the long-term migration of the magma pathways from the coast to the present-day Etna summit. These unexpected results provide a new interpretation clue on the causes of the volcanic instability processes and of the mechanisms of deflection and migration of volcanic conduits.

Volcanic conduit migration over a basement landslide at Mount Etna (Italy)

PubMed Central

Nicolosi, I.; Caracciolo, F. D'Ajello; Branca, S.; Ventura, G.; Chiappini, M.

2014-01-01

The flanks of volcanoes may slide in response to the loading of the edifice on a weak basement, magma push, and/or to tectonic stress. However, examples of stratovolcanoes emplaced on active landslides are lacking and the possible effects on the volcano dynamics unknown. Here, we use aeromagnetic data to construct a three-dimensional model of the clay-rich basement of Etna volcano (Italy). We provide evidence for a large stratovolcano growing on a pre-existing basement landslide and show that the eastern Etna flank, which slides toward the sea irrespective of volcanic activity, moves coherently with the underlying landslide. The filling of the landslide depression by lava flows through time allows the formation of a stiffness barrier, which is responsible for the long-term migration of the magma pathways from the coast to the present-day Etna summit. These unexpected results provide a new interpretation clue on the causes of the volcanic instability processes and of the mechanisms of deflection and migration of volcanic conduits. PMID:24924784

A comparison of gas geochemistry of fumaroles in the 1912 ash-flow sheet and on active stratovolcanoes, Katmai National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sheppard, D.S.; Janik, C.J.; Keith, T.E.C.

1992-01-01

Fumarolic gas samples collected in 1978 and 1979 from the stratovolcanoes Mount Griggs, Mount Mageik, and the 1953-68 SW Trident cone in Katmai National Park, Alaska, have been analysed and the results presented here. Comparison with recalculated analyses of samples collected from the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS) in 1917 and 1919 demonstrates differences between gases from the short-lived VTTS fumaroles, which were not directly magma related, and the fumaroles on the volcanic peaks. Fumarolic gases of Mount Griggs have an elevated total He content, suggesting a more direct deep crustal or mantle source for these gases than those from the other volcanoes. ?? 1992.

Eruptive history and tectonic setting of Medicine Lake Volcano, a large rear-arc volcano in the southern Cascades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Grove, T.L.; Lanphere, M.A.; Champion, D.E.; Ramsey, D.W.

2008-01-01

Medicine Lake Volcano (MLV), located in the southern Cascades ??? 55??km east-northeast of contemporaneous Mount Shasta, has been found by exploratory geothermal drilling to have a surprisingly silicic core mantled by mafic lavas. This unexpected result is very different from the long-held view derived from previous mapping of exposed geology that MLV is a dominantly basaltic shield volcano. Detailed mapping shows that < 6% of the ??? 2000??km2 of mapped MLV lavas on this southern Cascade Range shield-shaped edifice are rhyolitic and dacitic, but drill holes on the edifice penetrated more than 30% silicic lava. Argon dating yields ages in the range ??? 475 to 300??ka for early rhyolites. Dates on the stratigraphically lowest mafic lavas at MLV fall into this time frame as well, indicating that volcanism at MLV began about half a million years ago. Mafic compositions apparently did not dominate until ??? 300??ka. Rhyolite eruptions were scarce post-300??ka until late Holocene time. However, a dacite episode at ??? 200 to ??? 180??ka included the volcano's only ash-flow tuff, which was erupted from within the summit caldera. At ??? 100??ka, compositionally distinctive high-Na andesite and minor dacite built most of the present caldera rim. Eruption of these lavas was followed soon after by several large basalt flows, such that the combined area covered by eruptions between 100??ka and postglacial time amounts to nearly two-thirds of the volcano's area. Postglacial eruptive activity was strongly episodic and also covered a disproportionate amount of area. The volcano has erupted 9 times in the past 5200??years, one of the highest rates of late Holocene eruptive activity in the Cascades. Estimated volume of MLV is ??? 600??km3, giving an overall effusion rate of ??? 1.2??km3 per thousand years, although the rate for the past 100??kyr may be only half that. During much of the volcano's history, both dry HAOT (high-alumina olivine tholeiite) and hydrous calcalkaline basalts erupted together in close temporal and spatial proximity. Petrologic studies indicate that the HAOT magmas were derived by dry melting of spinel peridotite mantle near the crust mantle boundary. Subduction-derived H2O-rich fluids played an important role in the generation of calcalkaline magmas. Petrology, geochemistry and proximity indicate that MLV is part of the Cascades magmatic arc and not a Basin and Range volcano, although Basin and Range extension impinges on the volcano and strongly influences its eruptive style. MLV may be analogous to Mount Adams in southern Washington, but not, as sometimes proposed, to the older distributed back-arc Simcoe Mountains volcanic field.

Mount Etna InSAR Time Series Animation

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-06

This animation depicts a time-series of ground deformation at Mount Etna Volcano between 1992 and 2001. The deformation results from changes in the volume of a shallow chamber centered approximately 5 km 3 miles below sea level.

Catastrophic eruptions of the directed-blast type at Mount St. Helens, bezymianny and Shiveluch volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bogoyavlenskaya, G.E.; Braitseva, O.A.; Melekestsev, I.V.; Kiriyanov, V. Yu; Dan, Miller C.

1985-01-01

This paper describes catastrophic eruptions of Mount St. Helens (1980), Bezymianny (1955-1956), and Shiveluch (1964) volcanoes. A detailed description of eruption stages and their products, as well as the quantitative characteristics of the eruptive process are given. The eruptions under study belong to the directed-blast type. This type is characterized by the catastrophic character of the climatic stage during which a directed blast, accompanied by edifice destruction, the profound ejection of juvenile pyroclastics and the formation of pyroclastic flows, occur. The climatic stage of all three eruptions has similar characteristics, such as duration, kinetic energy of blast (1017-1018 J), the initial velocity of debris ejection, morphology and size of newly-formed craters. But there are also certain differences. At Mount St. Helens the directed blast was preceeded by failure of the edifice and these events produced separable deposits, namely debris avalanche and directed blast deposits which are composed of different materials and have different volumes, thickness and distribution. At Bezymianny, failure did not precede the blast and the whole mass of debris of the old edifice was outburst only by blast. The resulting deposits, represented by the directed blast agglomerate and sand facies, have characteristics of both the debris avalanche and the blast deposit at Mount St. Helens. At Shiveluch directed-blast deposits are represented only by the directed-blast agglomerate; the directed-blast sand facies, or blast proper, seen at Mount St. Helens is absent. During the period of Plinian activity, the total volumes of juvenile material erupted at Mount St. Helens and at Besymianny were roughly comparable and exceeded the volume of juvenile material erupted at Shiveluch, However, the volume of pyroclastic-flow deposits erupted at Mount St. Helens was much less. The heat energy of all three eruptions is comparable: 1.3 ?? 1018, 3.8-4.8 ?? 1018 and 1 ?? 1017 J for Shiveluch, Bezymianny, and Mount St. Helens, respectively. ?? 1985.

Incorporating the eruptive history in a stochastic model for volcanic eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bebbington, Mark

2008-08-01

We show how a stochastic version of a general load-and-discharge model for volcanic eruptions can be implemented. The model tracks the history of the volcano through a quantity proportional to stored magma volume. Thus large eruptions can influence the activity rate for a considerable time following, rather than only the next repose as in the time-predictable model. The model can be fitted to data using point-process methods. Applied to flank eruptions of Mount Etna, it exhibits possible long-term quasi-cyclic behavior, and to Mauna Loa, a long-term decrease in activity. An extension to multiple interacting sources is outlined, which may be different eruption styles or locations, or different volcanoes. This can be used to identify an 'average interaction' between the sources. We find significant evidence that summit eruptions of Mount Etna are dependent on preceding flank eruptions, with both flank and summit eruptions being triggered by the other type. Fitted to Mauna Loa and Kilauea, the model had a marginally significant relationship between eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, consistent with the invasion of the latter's plumbing system by magma from the former.

Catalog of earthquake hypocenters at Alaskan volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dixon, James P.; Stihler, Scott D.; Power, John A.; Searcy, Cheryl

2008-01-01

Between January 1 and December 31, 2006, AVO located 8,666 earthquakes of which 7,783 occurred on or near the 33 volcanoes monitored within Alaska. Monitoring highlights in 2006 include: an eruption of Augustine Volcano, a volcanic-tectonic earthquake swarm at Mount Martin, elevated seismicity and volcanic unrest at Fourpeaked Mountain, and elevated seismicity and low-level tremor at Mount Veniaminof and Korovin Volcano. A new seismic subnetwork was installed on Fourpeaked Mountain. This catalog includes: (1) descriptions and locations of seismic instrumentation deployed in the field during 2006, (2) a description of earthquake detection, recording, analysis, and data archival systems, (3) a description of seismic velocity models used for earthquake locations, (4) a summary of earthquakes located in 2006, and (5) an accompanying UNIX tar-file with a summary of earthquake origin times, hypocenters, magnitudes, phase arrival times, location quality statistics, daily station usage statistics, and all files used to determine the earthquake locations in 2006.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-07-19

ISS013-E-54243 (19 July 2006) --- Crater Lake, Oregon is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. Crater Lake is formed from the caldera (collapsed magma chamber) of a former volcano known as Mount Mazama. Part of the Cascades volcanic chain, Mount Mazama is situated between the Three Sisters volcanoes to the north and Mount Shasta to the south. While considered a dormant volcano, Crater Lake is part of the United States Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory seismic monitoring network. The dark blue water coloration is typical of the 592 meter (1943 feet) deep Crater Lake; light blue-green areas to the southeast of Wizard Island (along the southern crater rim) most probably correspond to particulates either on or just below the water surface. A light dusting of snow fills the summit cone of Wizard Island. Some of the older lava flows in the area are associated with Mount Scott to the east-southeast of the Lake. Water is lost only by evaporation and seepage, and is only replenished by rainwater and snowmelt from the surrounding crater walls. These processes help maintain minimal sediment input into the lake and exceptional water clarity. The Crater Lake ecosystem is of particular interest to ecologists because of its isolation from the regional landscape, and its overall pristine quality is important to recreational users of Crater Lake National Park (447,240 visitors in 2005). The United States National Park Service maintains programs to monitor changes (both natural and human impacts) to Crater Lake.

Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts in the Congo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Mount Nyiragongo, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, erupted today (January 17, 2002), ejecting a large cloud of smoke and ash high into the sky and spewing lava down three sides of the volcano. Mount Nyiragongo is located roughly 10 km (6 miles) north of the town of Goma, near the Congo's border with Rwanda. According to news reports, one river of lava is headed straight toward Goma, where international aid teams are evacuating residents. Already, the lava flows have burned through large swaths of the surrounding jungle and have destroyed dozens of homes. This false-color image was acquired today (January 17) by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) roughly 5 hours after the eruption began. Notice Mount Nyiragongo's large plume (bright white) can be seen streaming westward in this scene. The plume appears to be higher than the immediately adjacent clouds and so it is colder in temperature, making it easy for MODIS to distinguish the volcanic plume from the clouds by using image bands sensitive to thermal radiation. Images of the eruption using other band combinations are located on the MODIS Rapid Response System. Nyiragongo eruptions are extremely hazardous because the lava tends to be very fluid and travels down the slopes of the volcano quickly. Eruptions can be large and spectacular, and flows can reach up to 10s of kilometers from the volcano very quickly. Also, biomass burned from Nyriagongo, and nearby Mount Nyamuragira, eruptions tends to create clouds of smoke that adversely affect the Mountain Gorillas living in the adjacent mountain chain. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Shallow repeating seismic events under an alpine glacier at Mount Rainier, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thelen, Weston A.; Allstadt, Kate E.; De Angelis, Silvio; Malone, Stephen D.; Moran, Seth C.; Vidale, John

2013-01-01

We observed several swarms of repeating low-frequency (1–5 Hz) seismic events during a 3 week period in May–June 2010, near the summit of Mount Rainier, Washington, USA, that likely were a result of stick–slip motion at the base of alpine glaciers. The dominant set of repeating events ('multiplets') featured >4000 individual events and did not exhibit daytime variations in recurrence interval or amplitude. Volcanoes and glaciers around the world are known to produce seismic signals with great variability in both frequency content and size. The low-frequency character and periodic recurrence of the Mount Rainier multiplets mimic long-period seismicity often seen at volcanoes, particularly during periods of unrest. However, their near-surface location, lack of common spectral peaks across the recording network, rapid attenuation of amplitudes with distance, and temporal correlation with weather systems all indicate that ice-related source mechanisms are the most likely explanation. We interpret the low-frequency character of these multiplets to be the result of trapping of seismic energy under glacial ice as it propagates through the highly heterogeneous and attenuating volcanic material. The Mount Rainier multiplet sequences underscore the difficulties in differentiating low-frequency signals due to glacial processes from those caused by volcanic processes on glacier-clad volcanoes.

Station corrections for the Katmai Region Seismic Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Searcy, Cheryl K.

2003-01-01

Most procedures for routinely locating earthquake hypocenters within a local network are constrained to using laterally homogeneous velocity models to represent the Earth's crustal velocity structure. As a result, earthquake location errors may arise due to actual lateral variations in the Earth's velocity structure. Station corrections can be used to compensate for heterogeneous velocity structure near individual stations (Douglas, 1967; Pujol, 1988). The HYPOELLIPSE program (Lahr, 1999) used by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to locate earthquakes in Cook Inlet and the Aleutian Islands is a robust and efficient program that uses one-dimensional velocity models to determine hypocenters of local and regional earthquakes. This program does have the capability of utilizing station corrections within it's earthquake location proceedure. The velocity structures of Cook Inlet and Aleutian volcanoes very likely contain laterally varying heterogeneities. For this reason, the accuracy of earthquake locations in these areas will benefit from the determination and addition of station corrections. In this study, I determine corrections for each station in the Katmai region. The Katmai region is defined to lie between latitudes 57.5 degrees North and 59.00 degrees north and longitudes -154.00 and -156.00 (see Figure 1) and includes Mount Katmai, Novarupta, Mount Martin, Mount Mageik, Snowy Mountain, Mount Trident, and Mount Griggs volcanoes. Station corrections were determined using the computer program VELEST (Kissling, 1994). VELEST inverts arrival time data for one-dimensional velocity models and station corrections using a joint hypocenter determination technique. VELEST can also be used to locate single events.

Active high-resolution seismic tomography of compressional wave velocity and attenuation structure at Medicine Lake Volcano, northern California Cascade Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, J.R.; Zucca, J.J.

1988-01-01

Medicine Lake volcano is a basalt through rhyolite shield volcano of the Cascade Range, lying east of the range axis. The Pg wave from eight explosive sources which has traveled upward through the target volume to a dense array of 140 seismographs provides 1- to 2-km resolution in the upper 5 to 7 km of the crust beneath the volcano. The experiment tests the hypothesis that Cascade Range volcanoes of this type are underlain only by small silicic magma chambers. We image a low-velocity low-Q region not larger than a few tens of cubic kilometers in volume beneath the summit caldera, supporting the hypothesis. A shallower high-velocity high-density feature, previously known to be present, is imaged for the first time in full plan view; it is east-west elongate, paralleling a topographic lineament between Medicine Lake volcano and Mount Shasta. Differences between this high-velocity feature and the equivalent feature at Newberry volcano, a volcano in central regon resembling Medicine Lake volcano, may partly explain the scarcity of surface hydrothermal features at Medicine Lake volcano. A major low-velocity low-Q feature beneath the southeast flank of the volcano, in an area with no Holocene vents, is interpreted as tephra, flows, and sediments from the volcano deeply ponded on the downthrown side of the Gillem fault. A high-Q normal-velocity feature beneath the north rim of the summit caldera may be a small, possibly hot, subsolidus intrusion. A high-velocity low-Q region beneath the eastern caldera may be an area of boiling water between the magma chamber and the ponded east flank material. -from Authors

Living with volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Thomas L.; Pierson, Thomas C.

1992-01-01

The 1980 cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens (Lipman and Mullineaux, 1981) in southwestern Washington ushered in a decade marked by more worldwide volcanic disasters and crises than any other in recorded history. Volcanoes killed more people (over 28,500) in the 1980's than during the 78 years following 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee (Martinique). Not surprisingly, volcanic phenomena and attendant hazards received attention from government authorities, the news media, and the general public. As part of this enhanced global awareness of volcanic hazards, the U.S. Geological Survey (Bailey and others, 1983) in response to the eruptions or volcanic unrest during the 1980's at Mount St. Helens and Redoubt are still erupting intermittently, and the caldera unrest at Long Valley also continues, albeit less energetically than during the early 1980's.

Constraints and conundrums resulting from ground-deformation measurements made during the 2004-2005 dome-building eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Chapter 14 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Lisowski, Michael; Poland, Michael P.; Sherrod, David R.; LaHusen, Richard G.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Lack of precursory inflation suggests that the volcano was poised to erupt magma already stored in a crustal reservoir when JRO1 was installed in 1997. Trilateration and campaign GPS data indicate surface dilatation, presumably caused by reservoir expansion between 1982 and 1991, but no measurable deformation between 1991 and 2003. We conclude that all three of the traditionally reliable eruption precursors (seismicity, ground deformation, and volcanic gas emission) failed to provide warning that an eruption was imminent until a few days before a visible welt appeared at the surface--a situation reminiscent of the 1980 north-flank bulge at Mount St. Helens.

The Pleistocene eruptive history of Mount St. Helens, Washington, from 300,000 to 12,800 years before present: Chapter 28 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clynne, Michael A.; Calvert, Andrew T.; Wolfe, Edward W.; Evarts, Russell C.; Fleck, Robert J.; Lanphere, Marvin A.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Preliminary petrographic analysis of these older rocks suggests that the volcano’s magmatic system was simpler during the Ape Canyon stage than during subsequent stages and that the magmatic system has evolved from relatively simple to more complex as the volcano matured. Compositional cycles as envisioned by C.A. Hopson and W.G. Melson for the Spirit Lake stage probably did not occur during the Ape Canyon stage but developed later during the Cougar and Swift Creek stages.

The danger of collapsing lava domes; lessons for Mount Hood, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brantley, S.R.; Scott, W.E.

1993-01-01

Nestled in the crater of Oregon's majestic Mount Hood volcano is Crater Rock, a prominent feature known to thousands of skiers, climbers, and tourists who journey each year to the famous Timberline Lodge located high on the volcano's south flank. Crater Rock stands about 100m above the sloping crater floor and warm fumaroles along its base emit sulfur gases and a faint steam plume that is sometimes visible from the lodge. What most visitors do not know, however, is that Crater Rock is a volcanic lava dome only 200 years old. 

Hydrothermal monitoring in a quiescent volcanic arc: Cascade Range, northwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ingebritsen, S.E.; Randolph-Flagg, N. G.; Gelwick, K.D.; Lundstrom, E.A.; Crankshaw, I.M.; Murveit, A.M.; Schmidt, M.E.; Bergfeld, D.; Spicer, K.R.; Tucker, D.S.; Mariner, R.H.; Evans, William C.

2014-01-01

Ongoing (1996–present) volcanic unrest near South Sister, Oregon, is accompanied by a striking set of hydrothermal anomalies, including elevated temperatures, elevated major ion concentrations, and 3He/4He ratios as large as 8.6 RA in slightly thermal springs. These observations prompted the US Geological Survey to begin a systematic hydrothermal-monitoring effort encompassing 25 sites and 10 of the highest-risk volcanoes in the Cascade volcanic arc, from Mount Baker near the Canadian border to Lassen Peak in northern California. A concerted effort was made to develop hourly, multiyear records of temperature and/or hydrothermal solute flux, suitable for retrospective comparison with other continuous geophysical monitoring data. Targets included summit fumarole groups and springs/streams that show clear evidence of magmatic influence in the form of high 3He/4He ratios and/or anomalous fluxes of magmatic CO2 or heat. As of 2009–2012, summit fumarole temperatures in the Cascade Range were generally near or below the local pure water boiling point; the maximum observed superheat was 3 during periods of hourly record. Hydrothermal responses to these small seismic stimuli were generally undetectable or ambiguous. Evaluation of multiyear to multidecadal trends indicates that whereas the hydrothermal system at Mount St. Helens is still fast-evolving in response to the 1980–present eruptive cycle, there is no clear evidence of ongoing long-term trends in hydrothermal activity at other Cascade Range volcanoes that have been active or restless during the past century (Baker, South Sister, and Lassen). Experience gained during the Cascade Range hydrothermal-monitoring experiment informs ongoing efforts to capture entire unrest cycles at more active but generally less accessible volcanoes such as those in the Aleutian arc.

The ionospheric disturbances caused by the explosion of the Mount Tongariro volcano in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Po Cheng, C.; Lin, C.; Chang, L. C.; Chen, C.

2013-12-01

Volcanic explosions are known to trigger acoustic waves that propagate in the atmosphere at infrasonic speeds. At ionospheric heights, coupling between neutral particles and free electrons induces variations of electron density detectable by dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. In November 21 2012, the explosion of the Mount Tongariro volcano in New Zealand occurred at UT 0:20, when there were active synoptic waves passing over north New Zealand. The New Zealand dense array of Global Positioning System recorded ionospheric disturbances reflected in total electron content (TEC) ~10 minutes after the eruption, and the concentric spread of disturbances also can be observed this day. The velocity of disturbances varies from 130m/s to 700m/s. A spectral analysis of the rTEC time series shows two peaks. The larger amplitudes are centered at 800 and 1500 seconds, in the frequency range of acoustic waves and gravity waves. On the other hand, to model the rTEC perturbation created by the acoustic wave caused by the explosive eruption of the Mount Tongariro, we perform acoustic ray tracing and obtain sound speed at subionospheric height in a horizontally stratified atmosphere model (MSIS-E-90). The result show that the velocity of the disturbances is slower than sound speed range. Through using the MSIS-E-90 Atmosphere Model and Horizontal Wind Model(HWM), we obtain the vertical wave number and indicate that the gravity waves could propagate at subionospheric height for this event, suggesting that the ionospheric disturbances caused by the explosive eruption is gravity-wave type. This work demonstrates that GPS are useful for near real-time ionospheric disturbances monitoring, and help to understand the mechanism of the gravity wave caused by volcano eruption in the future.

Instrumentation Recommendations for Volcano Monitoring at U.S. Volcanoes Under the National Volcano Early Warning System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, Seth C.; Freymueller, Jeff T.; LaHusen, Richard G.; McGee, Kenneth A.; Poland, Michael P.; Power, John A.; Schmidt, David A.; Schneider, David J.; Stephens, George; Werner, Cynthia A.; White, Randall A.

2008-01-01

As magma moves toward the surface, it interacts with anything in its path: hydrothermal systems, cooling magma bodies from previous eruptions, and (or) the surrounding 'country rock'. Magma also undergoes significant changes in its physical properties as pressure and temperature conditions change along its path. These interactions and changes lead to a range of geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The goal of volcano monitoring is to detect and correctly interpret such phenomena in order to provide early and accurate warnings of impending eruptions. Given the well-documented hazards posed by volcanoes to both ground-based populations (for example, Blong, 1984; Scott, 1989) and aviation (for example, Neal and others, 1997; Miller and Casadevall, 2000), volcano monitoring is critical for public safety and hazard mitigation. Only with adequate monitoring systems in place can volcano observatories provide accurate and timely forecasts and alerts of possible eruptive activity. At most U.S. volcanoes, observatories traditionally have employed a two-component approach to volcano monitoring: (1) install instrumentation sufficient to detect unrest at volcanic systems likely to erupt in the not-too-distant future; and (2) once unrest is detected, install any instrumentation needed for eruption prediction and monitoring. This reactive approach is problematic, however, for two reasons. 1. At many volcanoes, rapid installation of new ground-1. based instruments is difficult or impossible. Factors that complicate rapid response include (a) eruptions that are preceded by short (hours to days) precursory sequences of geophysical and (or) geochemical activity, as occurred at Mount Redoubt (Alaska) in 1989 (24 hours), Anatahan (Mariana Islands) in 2003 (6 hours), and Mount St. Helens (Washington) in 1980 and 2004 (7 and 8 days, respectively); (b) inclement weather conditions, which may prohibit installation of new equipment for days, weeks, or even months, particularly at midlatitude or high-latitude volcanoes; (c) safety factors during unrest, which can limit where new instrumentation can safely be installed (particularly at near-vent sites that can be critical for precursor detection and eruption forecasting); and (d) the remoteness of many U.S. volcanoes (particularly those in the Aleutians and the Marianas Islands), where access is difficult or impossible most of the year. Given these difficulties, it is reasonable to anticipate that ground-based monitoring of eruptions at U.S. volcanoes will likely be performed primarily with instruments installed before unrest begins. 2. Given a growing awareness of previously undetected 2. phenomena that may occur before an eruption begins, at present the types and (or) density of instruments in use at most U.S. volcanoes is insufficient to provide reliable early warning of volcanic eruptions. As shown by the gap analysis of Ewert and others (2005), a number of U.S. volcanoes lack even rudimentary monitoring. At those volcanic systems with monitoring instrumentation in place, only a few types of phenomena can be tracked in near-real time, principally changes in seismicity, deformation, and large-scale changes in thermal flux (through satellite-based remote sensing). Furthermore, researchers employing technologically advanced instrumentation at volcanoes around the world starting in the 1990s have shown that subtle and previously undetectable phenomena can precede or accompany eruptions. Detection of such phenomena would greatly improve the ability of U.S. volcano observatories to provide accurate early warnings of impending eruptions, and is a critical capability particularly at the very high-threat volcanoes identified by Ewert and others (2005). For these two reasons, change from a reactive to a proactive volcano-monitoring strategy is clearly needed at U.S. volcanoes. Monitoring capabilities need to be expanded at virtually every volcanic center, regardless of its current state of

Short Magma Residence Times at Mt. Rainier and the Probable Absence of a Large, Integrated, and Long-lived Magma Reservoir System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisson, T. W.; Lanphere, M. A.

2003-12-01

Intensive, high-precision K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology have proven essential for producing modern geologic maps of volcanoes and from these determining the volcanoes' time-volume histories. If sufficiently abundant, these data can also reveal aspects of the magma supply system. For Cascade volcanoes a general result has been the demonstration that edifice growth is highly episodic. Mount Rainier grew in the last 500,000 years atop the remains of an ancestral edifice that was active in the same location 1 - 2 Myr ago. The 500,000 year history of the modern edifice falls into four stages of alternating high and low magmatic output of subequal duration, but major and trace element compositions of eruptives show no correlation with volcano growth stages. Instead, the same spectrum of magmas (andesite to low-Si dacite) erupted throughout the history of the volcano with compositions in the same relative abundances. Superimposed on this seemingly null result are at least 6 brief but pronounced excursions in magma trace-element compositions. Concentrations of Zr, Ba, or Sr can double and then return to background values passing into and out of a single flow or flow-group. Some excursions are tightly bracketed by mapping and by measured ages and have durations no more than the geochronologic measurement precision of about 10,000 years. True excursion durations are potentially much shorter. The brevity and abrupt onsets and cessations of these compositional excursions are evidence against the presence of a sizeable, long-lived magma reservoir anywhere beneath the volcano, including a MASH zone in the lower crust, that would have attenuated, dampened, and homogenized compositional excursions introduced into the magmatic system. Instead, we take 10,000 years as a probable upper limit to the average residence time of magma batches transiting the crustal portion of Mount Rainier's plumbing system. A consistent scenario is that parental magmas enter the crust, differentiate, assimilate, and either erupt or solidify in less than 10,000 years. Geochronologic evidence from much larger magmatic systems (Reid and coworkers, Long Valley, Yellowstone) suggests that more productive systems can have much longer average residence times than modestly active arc stratovolcanoes like Mt. Rainier.

Increased mortality of respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, in the area with large amount of ashfall from Mount Sakurajima volcano.

PubMed

Higuchi, Kenta; Koriyama, Chihaya; Akiba, Suminori

2012-01-01

Mount Sakurajima in Japan is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This work was conducted to examine the effect of volcanic ash on the chronic respiratory disease mortality in the vicinity of Mt. Sakurajima. The present work examined the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of respiratory diseases during the period 1968-2002 in Sakurajima town and Tarumizu city, where ashfall from the volcano recorded more than 10.000 g/m2/yr on average in the 1980s. The SMR of lung cancer in the Sakurajima-Tarumizu area was 1.61 (95% CI=1.44-1.78) for men and 1.67 (95% CI=1.39-1.95) for women while it was nearly equal to one in Kanoya city, which neighbors Tarumizu city but located at the further position from Mt. Sakurajima, and therefore has much smaller amounts of ashfall. Sakurajima-Tarumizu area had elevated SMRs for COPDs and acute respiratory diseases while Kanoya did not. Cristobalite is the most likely cause of the increased deaths from those chronic respiratory diseases since smoking is unlikely to explain the increased mortality of respiratory diseases among women since the proportion of smokers in Japanese women is less than 20%, and SPM levels in the Sakurajima-Tarumizu area were not high. Further studies seem warranted.

Under trees and water at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Joel E.; Bacon, Charles R.; Wayne, Chris

2012-01-01

Crater Lake partially fills the caldera that formed approximately 7,700 years ago during the eruption of a 12,000-ft-high volcano known as Mount Mazama. The caldera-forming, or climactic, eruption of Mount Mazama devastated the surrounding landscape, left a thick deposit of pumice and ash in adjacent valleys, and spread a blanket of volcanic ash as far away as southern Canada. Prior to the climactic event, Mount Mazama had a 400,000-year history of volcanic activity similar to other large Cascade volcanoes such as Mounts Shasta, Hood, and Rainier. Since the caldera formed, many smaller, less violent eruptions occurred at volcanic vents below Crater Lake's surface, including Wizard Island. A survey of Crater Lake National Park with airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) resulted in a digital elevation map of the ground surface beneath the forest canopy. The average resolution is 1.6 laser returns per square meter yielding vertical and horizontal accuracies of ±5 cm. The map of the floor beneath the surface of the 1,947-ft-deep (593-m-deep) Crater Lake was developed from a multibeam sonar bathymetric survey and was added to the map to provide a continuous view of the landscape from the highest peak on Mount Scott to the deepest part of Crater Lake. Four enlarged shaded-relief views provide a sampling of features that illustrate the resolution of the LiDAR survey and illustrate its utility in revealing volcanic landforms and subtle features of the climactic eruption deposits. LiDAR's high precision and ability to "see" through the forest canopy reveal features that may not be easily recognized-even when walked over-because their full extent is hidden by vegetation, such as the 1-m-tall arcuate scarp near Castle Creek.

Glacier volume estimation of Cascade Volcanoes—an analysis and comparison with other methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, Carolyn L.; Kennard, P.M.

1986-01-01

During the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the occurrence of floods and mudflows made apparent a need to assess mudflow hazards on other Cascade volcanoes. A basic requirement for such analysis is information about the volume and distribution of snow and ice on these volcanoes. An analysis was made of the volume-estimation methods developed by previous authors and a volume estimation method was developed for use in the Cascade Range. A radio echo-sounder, carried in a backpack, was used to make point measurements of ice thickness on major glaciers of four Cascade volcanoes (Mount Rainier, Washington; Mount Hood and the Three Sisters, Oregon; and Mount Shasta, California). These data were used to generate ice-thickness maps and bedrock topographic maps for developing and testing volume-estimation methods. Subsequently, the methods were applied to the unmeasured glaciers on those mountains and, as a test of the geographical extent of applicability, to glaciers beyond the Cascades having measured volumes. Two empirical relationships were required in order to predict volumes for all the glaciers. Generally, for glaciers less than 2.6 km in length, volume was found to be estimated best by using glacier area, raised to a power. For longer glaciers, volume was found to be estimated best by using a power law relationship, including slope and shear stress. The necessary variables can be estimated from topographic maps and aerial photographs.

Real Time Tracking of Magmatic Intrusions by means of Ground Deformation Modeling during Volcanic Crises.

PubMed

Cannavò, Flavio; Camacho, Antonio G; González, Pablo J; Mattia, Mario; Puglisi, Giuseppe; Fernández, José

2015-06-09

Volcano observatories provide near real-time information and, ultimately, forecasts about volcano activity. For this reason, multiple physical and chemical parameters are continuously monitored. Here, we present a new method to efficiently estimate the location and evolution of magmatic sources based on a stream of real-time surface deformation data, such as High-Rate GPS, and a free-geometry magmatic source model. The tool allows tracking inflation and deflation sources in time, providing estimates of where a volcano might erupt, which is important in understanding an on-going crisis. We show a successful simulated application to the pre-eruptive period of May 2008, at Mount Etna (Italy). The proposed methodology is able to track the fast dynamics of the magma migration by inverting the real-time data within seconds. This general method is suitable for integration in any volcano observatory. The method provides first order unsupervised and realistic estimates of the locations of magmatic sources and of potential eruption sites, information that is especially important for civil protection purposes.

Real Time Tracking of Magmatic Intrusions by means of Ground Deformation Modeling during Volcanic Crises

PubMed Central

Cannavò, Flavio; Camacho, Antonio G.; González, Pablo J.; Mattia, Mario; Puglisi, Giuseppe; Fernández, José

2015-01-01

Volcano observatories provide near real-time information and, ultimately, forecasts about volcano activity. For this reason, multiple physical and chemical parameters are continuously monitored. Here, we present a new method to efficiently estimate the location and evolution of magmatic sources based on a stream of real-time surface deformation data, such as High-Rate GPS, and a free-geometry magmatic source model. The tool allows tracking inflation and deflation sources in time, providing estimates of where a volcano might erupt, which is important in understanding an on-going crisis. We show a successful simulated application to the pre-eruptive period of May 2008, at Mount Etna (Italy). The proposed methodology is able to track the fast dynamics of the magma migration by inverting the real-time data within seconds. This general method is suitable for integration in any volcano observatory. The method provides first order unsupervised and realistic estimates of the locations of magmatic sources and of potential eruption sites, information that is especially important for civil protection purposes. PMID:26055494

Bay of Naples, Italy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The modern city of Naples (41.0N, 14.5E) and the ancient volcano of Mount Vesuvius on the shores of the Bay of Naples, Italy are the most striking features in this scene. The Roman city of Pompei, buried in the AD 79 volcano eruption can be seen on the coast just to the south of Vesuvius.

Overview for geologic field-trip guides to Mount Mazama, Crater Lake Caldera, and Newberry Volcano, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, Charles R.; Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Jensen, Robert A.; Wright, Heather M.

2017-08-16

These field-trip guides were written for the occasion of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) quadrennial scientific assembly in Portland, Oregon, in August 2017. The guide to Mount Mazama and Crater Lake caldera is an updated and expanded version of the guide (Bacon, 1989) for part of an earlier IAVCEI trip to the southern Cascade Range. The guide to Newberry Volcano describes the stops included in the 2017 field trip. Crater Lake and Newberry are the two best-preserved and most recent calderas in the Cascades Volcanic Arc. Although located in different settings in the arc, with Crater Lake on the arc axis and Newberry in the rear-arc, both volcanoes are located at the intersection of the arc and the northwest corner region of the extensional Basin and Range Province.

Space Radar Image of Mt. Etna, Italy

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-15

The summit of the Mount Etna volcano on the island of Sicily, Italy, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is shown near the center of this radar image. Lava flows of different ages and surface roughness appear in shades of purple, green, yellow and pink surrounding the four small craters at the summit. Etna is one of the best-studied volcanoes in the world and scientists are using this radar image to identify and distinguish a variety of volcanic features. Etna has erupted hundreds of times in recorded history, with the most recent significant eruption in 1991-1993. Scientists are studying Etna as part of the international "Decade Volcanoes" project, because of its high level of activity and potential threat to local populations. This image was acquired on October 11, 1994 by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and the United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The image is centered at 37.8 degrees North latitude and 15.1 degrees East longitude and covers an area of 51.2 kilometers by 22.6 kilometers (31.7 miles by 14.0 miles). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01776

Volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, Robert I.; ,

1998-01-01

Volcanoes destroy and volcanoes create. The catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, made clear the awesome destructive power of a volcano. Yet, over a time span longer than human memory and record, volcanoes have played a key role in forming and modifying the planet upon which we live. More than 80 percent of the Earth's surface--above and below sea level--is of volcanic origin. Gaseous emissions from volcanic vents over hundreds of millions of years formed the Earth's earliest oceans and atmosphere, which supplied the ingredients vital to evolve and sustain life. Over geologic eons, countless volcanic eruptions have produced mountains, plateaus, and plains, which subsequent erosion and weathering have sculpted into majestic landscapes and formed fertile soils.

Overview for geologic field-trip guides to volcanoes of the Cascades Arc in northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muffler, L. J. Patrick; Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Grove, Timothy L.; Clynne, Michael A.; Christiansen, Robert L.; Calvert, Andrew T.; Ryan-Davis, Juliet

2017-08-15

The California Cascades field trip is a loop beginning and ending in Portland, Oregon. The route of day 1 goes eastward across the Cascades just south of Mount Hood, travels south along the east side of the Cascades for an overview of the central Oregon volcanoes (including Three Sisters and Newberry Volcano), and ends at Klamath Falls, Oregon. Day 2 and much of day 3 focus on Medicine Lake Volcano. The latter part of day 3 consists of a drive south across the Pit River into the Hat Creek Valley and then clockwise around Lassen Volcanic Center to the town of Chester, California. Day 4 goes from south to north across Lassen Volcanic Center, ending at Burney, California. Day 5 and the first part of day 6 follow a clockwise route around Mount Shasta. The trip returns to Portland on the latter part of day 6, west of the Cascades through the Klamath Mountains and the Willamette Valley. Each of the three sections of this guidebook addresses one of the major volcanic regions: Lassen Volcanic Center (a volcanic field that spans the volcanic arc), Mount Shasta (a fore-arc stratocone), and Medicine Lake Volcano (a rear-arc, shield-shaped edifice). Each section of the guide provides (1) an overview of the extensive field and laboratory studies, (2) an introduction to the literature, and (3) directions to the most important and accessible field localities. The field-trip sections contain far more stops than can possibly be visited in the actual 6-day 2017 IAVCEI excursion from Portland. We have included extra stops in order to provide a field-trip guide that will have lasting utility for those who may have more time or may want to emphasize one particular volcanic area.

Low-Cost Photogrammetric Technique Used to Measure Dome Growth at Mount St. Helens Volcano, 2007-2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diefenbach, A. K.; Crider, J. G.; Schilling, S. P.; Dzurisin, D.

2007-12-01

We describe a low-cost application of digital photogrammetry using commercial grade software, an off-the-shelf digital camera, a laptop computer and oblique photographs to reconstruct volcanic dome morphology during the on-going eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington. Renewed activity at Mount St. Helens provides a rare opportunity to devise and test new methods for better understanding and predicting volcanic events, because the new method can be validated against other observations on this well-instrumented volcano. Uncalibrated, oblique aerial photographs (snap shots) taken from a helicopter are the raw data. Twelve sets of overlapping digital images of the dome taken during 2004-2007 were used to produce digital elevation models (DEMs) from which dome height, eruption volume and extrusion rate can be derived. Analyses of the digital images were carried out using PhotoModeler software, which produces three dimensional coordinates of points identified in multiple photos. The steps involved include: (1) calibrating the digital camera using this software package, (2) establishing control points derived from existing DEMs, (3) identifying tie points located in each photo of any given model date, and (4) identifying points in pairs of photos to build a three dimensional model of the evolving dome at each photo date. Text files of three-dimensional points encompassing the dome at each date were imported into ArcGIS and three-dimensional models (triangulated irregular network or TINs) were generated. TINs were then converted to 2 m raster DEMs. The evolving morphology of the growing dome was modeled by comparison of successive DEMs. The volume of extruded lava visible in each DEM was calculated using the 1986 pre-eruption crater floor topography as a basal surface. Results were validated by comparing volume measurements derived from traditional aerophotogrammetric surveys run by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory. Our new "quick and cheap" technique yields estimates of eruptive volume consistently within 5% of the volumes estimated with traditional surveys. The end result of this project is a new technique that provides an inexpensive, rapid assessment tool for tracking lava dome growth or other topographic changes at restless volcanoes.

Managing public and media response to a reawakening volcano: lessons from the 2004 eruptive activity of Mount St. Helens: Chapter 23 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frenzen, Peter M.; Matarrese, Michael T.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Volcanic eruptions and other infrequent, large-scale natural disturbances pose challenges and opportunities for public-land managers. In the days and weeks preceding an eruption, there can be considerable uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and areal extent of eruptive effects. At the same time, public and media interest in viewing developing events is high and concern for public safety on the part of local land managers and public safety officials is elevated. Land managers and collaborating Federal, State, and local officials must decide whether evacuations or restrictions to public access are necessary, the appropriate level of advance preparation, and how best to coordinate between overlapping jurisdictions. In the absence of a formal Federal or State emergency declaration, there is generally no identified source of supplemental funding for emergency-response preparation or managing extraordinary public and media response to developing events. In this chapter, we examine responses to escalating events that preceded the 2004 Mount St. Helens eruption and changes in public perception during the extended period of the largely nonexplosive, dome-building eruption that followed. Lessons learned include the importance of maintaining up-to-date emergency-response plans, cultivating close working relationships with collaborating agencies, and utilizing an organized response framework that incorporates clearly defined roles and responsibilities and effective communication strategies.

Making sense of Mount St. Helens

Treesearch

Steve Nash

2010-01-01

The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 resulted in "a grand experiment that you could never have gotten anybody to fund," says Forest Service ecologist Charles Crisafulli. "Everything's new. It's a new landform." Unlike most misbehaving volcanoes, this one provided an accessible laboratory right along the Interstate-5 corridor, with the...

iss009e26364

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-10-01

ISS009-E-26364 (1 October 2004) --- Mount Saint Helens, Washington, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 9 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). The USGS has been monitoring Mount Saint Helens closely since last Thursday, when the volcano began to belch steam and swarms of tiny earthquakes were first recorded.

The Southern Washington Cascades magmatic system imaged with magnetotellurics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles-martinez, E.; Bedrosian, P.; Schultz, A.; Hill, G. J.; Peacock, J.

2016-12-01

The goal of the interdisciplinary iMUSH project (Imaging Magma Under Saint Helens) is to image the magmatic system of Mount Saint Helens (MSH), and to determine the relationship of this system to the greater Cascades volcanic arc. We are especially interested in an anomalously conductive crustal zone between MSH and Mount Adams known as the Southern Washington Cascades Conductor (SWCC), which early studies interpreted as accreted sediments, but more recently has been interpreted as a broad region of partial melt. MSH is located 50 km west of the main arc and is the most active of the Cascade volcanoes. Its 1980 eruption highlighted the need to understand this potentially hazardous volcanic system. We use wideband magnetotelluric (MT) data collected in 2014-2015 along with data from earlier studies to create a 3D model of the electrical resistivity throughout the region, covering MSH as well as Mount Adams and Mount Rainier along the main volcanic arc. We look at not only the volcanoes themselves, but also their relationship to one another and to regional geologic structures. Preliminary modeling identifies several conductive features, including a mid-crustal conductive region between MSH and Mount Adams that passes below Indian Heaven Volcanic Field and coincides with a region with a high Vp/Vs ratio identified in the seismic component of iMUSH. This suggests that it could be magmatic, but does not preclude the possibility of conductive sediments. Synthesis of seismic and MT data to address this question is ongoing. We also note a conductive zone running north-south just west of MSH that is likely associated with fluids within faults of the Saint Helens Seismic Zone. We finally note that curvature of the conductive lineament that defines the main Cascade arc suggests that the boundary of magmatism is influenced by compression within the Yakima Fold and Thrust Belt, east and southeast of Mount Adams.

ASTER Images Mt. Usu Volcano

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-26

On April 3, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra Satellite captured this image of the erupting Mt. Usu volcano in Hokkaido, Japan. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image the Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. This false color infrared image of Mt Usu volcano is dominated by Lake Toya, an ancient volcanic caldera. On the south shore is the active Usu volcano. On Friday, March 31, more than 11,000 people were evacuated by helicopter, truck and boat from the foot of Usu, that began erupting from the northwest flank, shooting debris and plumes of smoke streaked with blue lightning thousands of feet in the air. Although no lava gushed from the mountain, rocks and ash continued to fall after the eruption. The region was shaken by thousands of tremors before the eruption. People said they could taste grit from the ash that was spewed as high as 2,700 meters (8,850 ft) into the sky and fell to coat surrounding towns with ash. "Mount Usu has had seven significant eruptions that we know of, and at no time has it ended quickly with only a small scale eruption," said Yoshio Katsui, a professor at Hokkaido University. This was the seventh major eruption of Mount Usu in the past 300 years. Fifty people died when the volcano erupted in 1822, its worst known eruption. In the image, most of the land is covered by snow. Vegetation, appearing red in the false color composite, can be seen in the agricultural fields, and forests in the mountains. Mt. Usu is crossed by three dark streaks. These are the paths of ash deposits that rained out from eruption plumes two days earlier. The prevailing wind was from the northwest, carrying the ash away from the main city of Date. Ash deposited can be traced on the image as far away as 10 kilometers (16 miles) from the volcano. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02608

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webley, Peter W.; Atkinson, D.; Collins, Richard L.

On 11 January 2006, Mount Augustine volcano in southern Alaska began erupting after 20-year repose. The Anchorage Forecast Office of the National Weather Service (NWS) issued an advisory on 28 January for Kodiak City. On 31 January, Alaska Airlines cancelled all flights to and from Anchorage after multiple advisories from the NWS for Anchorage and the surrounding region. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) had reported the onset of the continuous eruption. AVO monitors the approximately 100 active volcanoes in the Northern Pacific. Ash clouds from these volcanoes can cause serious damage to an aircraft and pose a serious threat tomore » the local communities, and to transcontinental air traffic throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. Within AVO, a dispersion model has been developed to track the dispersion of volcanic ash clouds. The model, Puff, was used operational by AVO during the Augustine eruptive period. Here, we examine the dispersion of a volcanic ash cloud from Mount Augustine across Alaska from 29 January through the 2 February 2006. We present the synoptic meteorology, the Puff predictions, and measurements from aerosol samplers, laser radar (or lidar) systems, and satellites. UAF aerosol samplers revealed the presence of volcanic aerosols at the surface at sites where Puff predicted the ash clouds movement. Remote sensing satellite data showed the development of the ash cloud in close proximity to the volcano and a sulfur-dioxide cloud further from the volcano consistent with the Puff predictions. Lidars showed the presence of volcanic aerosol with consistent characteristics aloft over Alaska and were capable of detecting the aerosol, even in the presence of scattered clouds and where the cloud is too thin/disperse to be detected by remote sensing satellite data. The lidar measurements revealed the different trajectories of ash consistent with the Puff predictions. Dispersion models provide a forecast of volcanic ash cloud movement that might be undetectable by any other means but are still a significant hazard. Validation is the key to assessing the accuracy of any future predictions. The study highlights the use of multiple and complementary observations used in detecting the trajectory ash cloud, both at the surface and aloft within the atmosphere.« less

Earth Observation taken during the Expedition 37 mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-30

ISS037-E-005089 (30 Sept. 2013) --- Ruapehu volcano and Tongariro volcanic complex in New Zealand are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 37 crew member on the International Space Station. Mount Ruapehu is one of several volcanic centers on the North Island of New Zealand, but is the largest and historically most active. The 2,797-meter elevation volcano is also the highest mountain on North Island and is covered with snow on its upper slopes. Scientists believe while there are three summit craters that have been active during the last 10,000 years, South Crater is the only historically active one. This vent is currently filled with a lake (Crater Lake), visible at left; eruptions from the vent, mixed with water from the lake can lead to the formation of lahars – destructive gravity flows of mixed fluid and volcanic debris that form a hazard to ski areas on the upper slopes and lower river valleys. The most recent significant eruption of Ruapehu took place in 2007 and formed both an eruption plume and lahars. The volcano is surrounded by a 100-cubic-kilometer ring plain of volcaniclastic debris that appears dark grey in the image, whereas vegetated areas appear light to dark green. Located to the northeast of the Ruapehu volcanic structure, the Tongariro volcanic complex (lower right) is currently in an active eruptive phase – the previous eruptive phase ended in 1897. Explosive eruptions occurred in 2012, which have been followed by steam and gas plumes observed almost daily. According to scientists, the volcanic complex contains multiple cones constructed over the past 275,000 years. The most prominent of these, Mount Ngauruhoe, last erupted in 1975. Like Ruapehu, the upper slopes of both Ngauruhoe and the upper peaks of Tongariro are snow-covered. Scattered cloud cover is also visible near Tongariro at lower right.

CLUTO - A Clustering Toolkit

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-23

poach m ine disast ti earthquak alum...center energi batteri qtag frnew lin am end pjg volcano itag x insur loss ban cn tp eleph satellit electr m ount gentlem an leo rep ash m ine disast ti...relief speaker pre center energi batteri qtag frnewlin amend pjg volcano itag x insur loss ban cn tp eleph satellit electr mount gentleman leo rep

Surtsey and Mount St. Helens: a comparison of early succession rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Moral, R.; Magnússon, B.

2014-04-01

Surtsey and Mount St. Helens are celebrated but very different volcanoes. Permanent plots allow for comparisons that reveal mechanisms that control succession and its rate and suggest general principles. We estimated rates from structure development, species composition using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), changes in Euclidean distance (ED) of DCA vectors, and by principal components analysis (PCA) of DCA. On Surtsey, rates determined from DCA trajectory analyses decreased as follows: gull colony on lava with sand > gull colony on lava, no sand ≫ lava with sand > sand spit > block lava > tephra. On Mount St. Helens, plots on lahar deposits near woodlands were best developed. The succession rates of open meadows declined as follows: Lupinus-dominated pumice > protected ridge with Lupinus > other pumice and blasted sites > isolated lahar meadows > barren plain. Despite the prominent contrasts between the volcanoes, we found several common themes. Isolation restricted the number of colonists on Surtsey and to a lesser degree on Mount St. Helens. Nutrient input from outside the system was crucial. On Surtsey, seabirds fashioned very fertile substrates, while on Mount St. Helens wind brought a sparse nutrient rain, then Lupinus enhanced fertility to promote succession. Environmental stress limits succession in both cases. On Surtsey, bare lava, compacted tephra and infertile sands restrict development. On Mount St. Helens, exposure to wind and infertility slow succession.

Surtsey and Mount St. Helens: a comparison of early succession rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Moral, R.; Magnússon, B.

2013-12-01

Surtsey and Mount St. Helens are celebrated, but very different volcanoes. Permanent plots allow comparisons that reveal mechanisms that control succession and its rate and suggest general principles. We estimated rates from structure development, species composition using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), changes in Euclidean distance (ED) of DCA vectors and by principal components analysis (PCA) of DCA. On Surtsey, rates determined from DCA trajectory analyses decreased as follows: gull colony on lava with sand > gull colony on lava, no sand ≫ lava with sand > sand spit > block lava > tephra. On Mount St. Helens, plots on lahar deposits near woodlands were best developed. The succession rates of open meadows declined as follows: Lupinus-dominated pumice > protected ridge with Lupinus > other pumice and blasted sites > isolated lahar meadows > barren plain. Despite the prominent contrasts between the volcanoes, common themes were revealed. Isolation restricted the number of colonists on Surtsey and to a lesser degree on Mount St. Helens. Nutrient input from outside the system was crucial. On Surtsey, seabirds fashioned very fertile substrates, while on Mount St. Helens wind brought a sparse nutrient rain, then Lupinus enhanced fertility to promote succession. Environmental stress limits succession in both cases. On Surtsey, bare lava, compacted tephra and infertile sands restrict development. On Mount St. Helens, exposure to wind and infertility slow succession.

A New Perspective on Mount St. Helens - Dramatic Landform Change and Associated Hazards at the Most Active Volcano in the Cascade Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramsey, David W.; Driedger, Carolyn L.; Schilling, Steve P.

2008-01-01

Mount St. Helens has erupted more frequently than any other volcano in the Cascade Range during the past 4,000 years. The volcano has exhibited a variety of eruption styles?explosive eruptions of pumice and ash, slow but continuous extrusions of viscous lava, and eruptions of fluid lava. Evidence of the volcano?s older eruptions is recorded in the rocks that build and the deposits that flank the mountain. Eruptions at Mount St. Helens over the past three decades serve as reminders of the powerful geologic forces that are reshaping the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. On May 18, 1980, a massive landslide and catastrophic explosive eruption tore away 2.7 cubic kilometers of the mountain and opened a gaping, north-facing crater. Lahars flowed more than 120 kilometers downstream, destroying bridges, roads, and buildings. Ash from the eruption fell as far away as western South Dakota. Reconstruction of the volcano began almost immediately. Between 1980 and 1986, 80 million cubic meters of viscous lava extruded episodically onto the crater floor, sometimes accompanied by minor explosions and small lahars. A lava dome grew to a height of 267 meters, taller than the highest buildings in the nearby city of Portland, Oregon. Crater Glacier formed in the deeply shaded niche between the 1980-86 lava dome and the south crater wall. Its tongues of ice flowed around the east and west sides of the dome. Between 1989 and 1991, multiple explosions of steam and ash rocked the volcano, possibly a result of infiltrating rainfall being heated in the still-hot interior of the dome and underlying crater floor. In September 2004, rising magma caused earthquake swarms and deformation of the crater floor and glacier, which indicated that Mount St. Helens might erupt again soon. On October 1, 2004, a steam and ash explosion signaled the beginning of a new phase of eruptive activity at the volcano. On October 11, hot rock reached the surface and began building a new lava dome immediately south of the 1980-86 lava dome. The erupting lava cleaved Crater Glacier in half and bulldozed it aside, causing thickening, crevassing, and rapid northward advance of the glacier?s east and west arms. Intermittent steam and ash explosions, some generating plumes that rose up to 11 kilometers, preceded and accompanied extrusion of the new lava dome, but ceased by early 2005. As the new dome grew, a series of large fins or spines of hot lava rose, some more than 100 meters high, and then crumbled producing sometimes spectacular rock falls. The largest of these rock falls generated dust or steam plumes that rose high above the crater rim. By February 2006, the new dome had grown to a volume similar to that of the 1980-86 lava dome; and by July 2007, the new dome had grown to a volume of 93 million cubic meters, exceeding the volume of the 1980-86 lava dome. The height of the new dome also exceeded that of the 1980-86 lava dome, and at its highest point (before collapse in 2005) reached to within 2 meters of the lowest point on the south crater rim. At this height, the new dome was taller than the Empire State Building in New York City. The new lava dome initially grew very quickly, at rates of 2 to 3 cubic meters (one small dump truck load) per second. If it had continued to grow at these rates for about 100 years, it would have replaced the volume of rock removed from the volcano during the May 18, 1980, eruption. However, the lava extrusion rate slowed throughout the eruption, and, by July 2007, it was oozing at a rate of 0.1 cubic meters per second. At that rate, it would take over 700 years to replace the volume of rock lost in 1980. Lava dome extrusion has continued into early 2008.

Distribution of melt beneath Mount St Helens and Mount Adams inferred from magnetotelluric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Graham J.; Caldwell, T. Grant; Heise, Wiebke; Chertkoff, Darren G.; Bibby, Hugh M.; Burgess, Matt K.; Cull, James P.; Cas, Ray A. F.

2009-11-01

Three prominent volcanoes that form part of the Cascade mountain range in Washington State (USA)-Mounts St Helens, Adams and Rainier-are located on the margins of a mid-crustal zone of high electrical conductivity. Interconnected melt can increase the bulk conductivity of the region containing the melt, which leads us to propose that the anomalous conductivity in this region is due to partial melt associated with the volcanism. Here we test this hypothesis by using magnetotelluric data recorded at a network of 85 locations in the area of the high-conductivity anomaly. Our data reveal that a localized zone of high conductivity beneath this volcano extends downwards to join the mid-crustal conductor. As our measurements were made during the recent period of lava extrusion at Mount St Helens, we infer that the conductivity anomaly associated with the localized zone, and by extension with the mid-crustal conductor, is caused by the presence of partial melt. Our interpretation is consistent with the crustal origin of silicic magmas erupting from Mount St Helens, and explains the distribution of seismicity observed at the time of the catastrophic eruption in 1980 (refs 9, 10).

Precursor slope distress leading up to the 2010 Mount Meager landslide, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberti, Gioachino; Ward, Brent; van Wyk de Vries, Benjamin; Friele, Pierre; Clague, John; Perotti, Luigi; Giardino, Marco

2017-04-01

Volcanoes are highly prone to landslides, in part due to erosion of the flanks by glaciers and streams. Mount Meager (British Columbia, Canada) is a glacier-clad volcano that is one of the most landslide-prone areas in Canada, due in part to glacial erosion. In 2010, the south flank of the volcano failed catastrophically, generating one of the largest (˜50 x 106 m 3) landslides in Canadian history. We document the evolution of the edifice up to the time of this failure using an archive of historic aerial photographs spanning the period from 1948 to 2006. Oblique digital photos taken after the landslide yielded information on the geology and internal structure of the volcano. All photos were processed with Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. We used the SfM products to produce pre-and post-failure geomorphic maps that document glacier and edifice changes. The maps show that a glacier below the 2010 landslide source area re-advanced in the 1980s, then rapidly retreated up to the present. Our photographic reconstruction documents 60 years of progressive development of tension cracks, bulging, and precursor failures (1998, 2009) at the toe of the 2010 failure zone. The final 2010 collapse was conditioned by glacial debuttressing and triggered by hot summer weather accompanied by ice and snow melt. Meltwater increased porewater pressures in fragmented and fractured material at the base of the 2010 failure zone, causing it to mobilize, which in turn triggered several secondary failures controlled by lithology and faults. The landslide retrogressed from the base of the slope to near the peak of Mount Meager and involved basement rock and the overlying volcanic sequence. Elsewhere on the flanks of Mount Meager, large fractures have developed in recently deglaciated areas, conditioning these slopes for collapse and debris avalanches. Potential failures in these areas have larger volumes than the 2010 landslide. Atmospheric warming over the next several decades will cause further loss of snow and glacier ice, and induce additional slope instability. Satellite- and ground-based monitoring of these slopes might provide advanced warning of future landslides and could be used to reduce risk in regions downstream of the volcano.

Dome growth at Mount Cleveland, Aleutian Arc, quantified by time-series TerraSAR-X imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Teng; Poland, Michael; Lu, Zhong

2016-01-01

Synthetic aperture radar imagery is widely used to study surface deformation induced by volcanic activity; however, it is rarely applied to quantify the evolution of lava domes, which is important for understanding hazards and magmatic system characteristics. We studied dome formation associated with eruptive activity at Mount Cleveland, Aleutian Volcanic Arc, in 2011–2012 using TerraSAR-X imagery. Interferometry and offset tracking show no consistent deformation and only motion of the crater rim, suggesting that ascending magma may pass through a preexisting conduit system without causing appreciable surface deformation. Amplitude imagery has proven useful for quantifying rates of vertical and areal growth of the lava dome within the crater from formation to removal by explosive activity to rebirth. We expect that this approach can be applied at other volcanoes that host growing lava domes and where hazards are highly dependent on dome geometry and growth rates.

Perennial snow and ice volumes on Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, estimated with ice radar and volume modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trabant, Dennis C.

1999-01-01

The volume of four of the largest glaciers on Iliamna Volcano was estimated using the volume model developed for evaluating glacier volumes on Redoubt Volcano. The volume model is controlled by simulated valley cross sections that are constructed by fitting third-order polynomials to the shape of the valley walls exposed above the glacier surface. Critical cross sections were field checked by sounding with ice-penetrating radar during July 1998. The estimated volumes of perennial snow and glacier ice for Tuxedni, Lateral, Red, and Umbrella Glaciers are 8.6, 0.85, 4.7, and 0.60 cubic kilometers respectively. The estimated volume of snow and ice on the upper 1,000 meters of the volcano is about 1 cubic kilometer. The volume estimates are thought to have errors of no more than ?25 percent. The volumes estimated for the four largest glaciers are more than three times the total volume of snow and ice on Mount Rainier and about 82 times the total volume of snow and ice that was on Mount St. Helens before its May 18, 1980 eruption. Volcanoes mantled by substantial snow and ice covers have produced the largest and most catastrophic lahars and floods. Therefore, it is prudent to expect that, during an eruptive episode, flooding and lahars threaten all of the drainages heading on Iliamna Volcano. On the other hand, debris avalanches can happen any time. Fortunately, their influence is generally limited to the area within a few kilometers of the summit.

An alternative modeling framework for better interpretation of the observed volcano-hydrothermal system data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Z. Q. Q.

2015-12-01

Many phenomena and data related to volcanoes and volcano eruptions have been observed and collected over the past four hundred years. They have been interpreted with the conventional and widely accepted hypothesis or theory of hot magma fluid from mantle. However, the prediction of volcano eruption sometimes is incorrect. For example, the devastating eruption of the Mount Ontake on Sept. 27, 2014 was not predicted and/or warned at all, which caused 55 fatalities, 9 missing and more than 60 injured. Therefore, there is a need to reconsider the cause and mechanism of active volcano and its hydrothermal system. On the basis of more than 30 year study and research in geology, volcano, earthquake, geomechanics, geophysics, geochemistry and geohazards, the author has developed a new and alternative modeling framework (or hypothesis) to better interpret the observed volcano-hydrothermal system data and to more accurately predict the occurrence of volcano explosion. An active volcano forms a cone-shape mountain and has a crater with vertical pipe conduit to allow hot lava, volcanic ash and gases to escape or erupt from its chamber (Figure). The chamber locates several kilometers below the ground rocks. The active volcanos are caused by highly compressed and dense gases escaped from the Mantle of the Earth. The gases are mainly CH4 and further trapped in the upper crustal rock mass. They make chemical reactions with the surrounding rocks in the chamber. The chemical reactions are the types of reduction and decomposition. The reactions change the gas chemical compounds into steam water gas H2O, CO2, H2S, SO2 and others. The oxygen in the chemical reaction comes from the surrounding rocks. So, the product lava has a less amount of oxygen than that of the surrounding rocks. The gas-rock chemical reactions produce heat. The gas expansion and penetration power and the heat further break and crack the surrounding rock mass and make them into lavas, fragments, ashes or bombs. The pyroclastic deposits are carried out of the chamber by the gas expansion and uplift power and form the cone-shape mountain. The crust loses its rocks and the chamber becomes larger and larger. Eventually, the last eruption occurs and breaks the upper rocks and the cone mountain. The pyroclatic rocks collapse into the chamber space and leave a basin or lake.

The post-Mazama northwest rift zone eruption at Newberry Volcano, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKay, Daniele; Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Jensen, Robert A.; Champion, Duane E.

2009-01-01

The northwest rift zone (NWRZ) eruption took place at Newberry Volcano ~7000 years ago after the volcano was mantled by tephra from the catastrophic eruption that destroyed Mount Mazama and produced the Crater Lake caldera. The NWRZ eruption produced multiple lava flows from a variety of vents including cinder cones, spatter vents, and fissures, possibly in more than one episode. Eruptive behaviors ranged from energetic Strombolian, which produced significant tephra plumes, to low-energy Hawaiian-style. This paper summarizes and in part reinterprets what is known about the eruption and presents information from new and ongoing studies. Total distance spanned by the eruption is 32 km north-south. The northernmost flow of the NWRZ blocked the Deschutes River upstream from the city of Bend, Oregon, and changed the course of the river. Renewed mafic activity in the region, particularly eruptions such as the NWRZ with tephra plumes and multiple lava flows from many vents, would have significant impacts for the residents of Bend and other central Oregon communities.

Mount St. Helens 30 years later: a landscape reconfigured.

Treesearch

Rhonda Mazza

2010-01-01

On May 18, 1980, after two months of tremors, Mount St. Helens erupted spectacularly and profoundly changed a vast area surrounding the volcano. The north slope of the mountain catastrophically failed, forming the largest landslide witnessed in modern times. The largest lobe of this debris avalanche raced 14 miles down the Toutle River...

Spreading and slope instability at the continental margin offshore Mt Etna, imaged by high-resolution 2D seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Felix; Krastel, Sebastian; Behrmann, Jan-Hinrich; Papenberg, Cord; Geersen, Jacob; Ridente, Domenico; Latino Chiocci, Francesco; Urlaub, Morelia; Bialas, Jörg; Micallef, Aaron

2015-04-01

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. Its volcano edifice is located on top of continental crust close to the Ionian shore in east Sicily. Instability of the eastern flank of the volcano edifice is well documented onshore. The continental margin is supposed to deform as well. Little, however, is known about the offshore extension of the eastern volcano flank and its adjacent continental margin, which is a serious shortcoming in stability models. In order to better constrain the active tectonics of the continental margin offshore the eastern flank of the volcano, we acquired and processed a new marine high-resolution seismic and hydro-acoustic dataset. The data provide new detailed insights into the heterogeneous geology and tectonics of shallow continental margin structures offshore Mt Etna. In a similiar manner as observed onshore, the submarine realm is characterized by different blocks, which are controlled by local- and regional tectonics. We image a compressional regime at the toe of the continental margin, which is bound to an asymmetric basin system confining the eastward movement of the flank. In addition, we constrain the proposed southern boundary of the moving flank, which is identified as a right lateral oblique fault movement north of Catania Canyon. From our findings, we consider a major coupled volcano edifice instability and continental margin gravitational collapse and spreading to be present at Mt Etna, as we see a clear link between on- and offshore tectonic structures across the entire eastern flank. The new findings will help to evaluate hazards and risks accompanied by Mt Etna's slope- and continental margin instability and will be used as a base for future investigations in this region.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sherrod, D.R.; Smith, J.G.

Quaternary (2-0 Ma) extrusion rates change significantly along the Cascade Range volcanic arc. The extrusion rate north of Mount Rainier is about 0.21 km{sup 3} km{sup {minus}1} m.y.{sup {minus}1}; the rate in southern Washington and northern Oregon south to Mount Hood is about 1.6 km{sup 3} km{sup {minus}1} m.y.{sup {minus}1}; in central Oregon the rate is 3-6 km{sup 3} km{sup {minus}1}; and in northern California, the rate is 3.2 km{sup 3} km{sup {minus}1} m.y.{sup {minus}1}. Eruption style also changes along the arc but at latitudes different from rate changes. At the ends of the arc, volcanism is focused at isolatedmore » intermediate to silicic composite volcanoes. The composite volcanoes represent {approximately}30% of the total volume of the arc. Mafic volcanic fields partly ring some composite volcanoes, especially in the south. In contrast, volcanism is diffused in the middle of the arc, where numerous overlapping mafic shields and a few composite volcanoes have built a broad ridge. Contrasting eruption style may signify diffuse versus focused heat sources or may reflect changes in permeability to ascending magma along the arc.« less

Quaternary extrusion rates of the Cascade Range, northwestern United States and southern British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrod, David R.; Smith, James G.

1990-11-01

Quaternary (2-0 Ma) extrusion rates change significantly along the Cascade Range volcanic arc. The extrusion rate north of Mount Rainier is about 0.21 km3 km-1 m.y.-1; the rate in southern Washington and northern Oregon south to Mount Hood is about 1.6 km3 km-1 m.y.-1; in central Oregon the rate is 3-6 km3 km-1 m.y.-1; and in northern California, the rate is 3.2 km3 km-1 m.y.-1. Eruption style also changes along the arc but at latitudes different from rate changes. At the ends of the arc, volcanism is focused at isolated intermediate to silicic composite volcanoes. The composite volcanoes represent ˜30% of the total volume of the arc. Mafic volcanic fields partly ring some composite volcanoes, especially in the south. In contrast, volcanism is diffused in the middle of the arc, where numerous overlapping mafic shields and a few composite volcanoes have built a broad ridge. Contrasting eruption style may signify diffuse versus focused heat sources or may reflect changes in permeability to ascending magma along the arc.

MOUNT SHASTA WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, CALIFORNIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Robert L.; Tuchek, Ernest T.

1984-01-01

The Mount Shasta Wilderness lies wholly on the slopes and summit area of Mount Shasta and consists almost entirely of the products of geologically young volcanism. Small deposits of volcanic cinders and pumice are present. The volcanic system of Mount Shasta is judged to have probable resource potential for geothermal energy but that potential is least within the wilderness study area boundaries. Because any geothermal energy resource beneath the volcano would lie at considerable depths, exploration or development would be most likely at lower altitudes on the gentler slopes outside the study area.

Tectonic context of moderate to large historical earthquakes in the Lesser Antilles and mechanical coupling with volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feuillet, Nathalie; Beauducel, FrançOis; Tapponnier, Paul

2011-10-01

The oblique convergence between North American and Caribbean plates is accommodated in a bookshelf faulting manner by active, oblique-normal faults in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles arc. In the last 20 years, two M > 6 earthquakes occurred along a large, arc parallel, en echelon fault system, the 16 March 1985 in Redonda and 21 November 2004 in Les Saintes. A better understanding of active faulting in this region permit us to review the location and magnitude of historical earthquakes by using a regional seismic attenuation law. Several others moderate earthquakes may have occurred along the en echelon fault system implying a strong seismic hazard along the arc. These faults control the effusion of volcanic products and some earthquakes seem to be correlated in time with volcanic unrest. Shallow earthquakes on intraplate faults induced normal stress and pressure changes around neighboring volcano and may have triggered volcanic activity. The Redonda earthquake could have initiated the 1995 eruption of Montserrat's Soufrière Hills by compressing its plumbing system. Conversely, pressure changes under the volcano increased Coulomb stress changes and brought some faults closer to failure, promoting seismicity. We also discuss the magnitude of the largest 11 January 1839 and 8 February 1843 megathrust interplate earthquakes. We calculate that they have increased the stress on some overriding intraplate faults and the extensional strain beneath several volcanoes. This may explain an increase of volcanic and seismic activity in the second half of the 19th century culminating with the devastating, 1902 Mount Pelée eruption.

The limits of seaward spreading and slope instability at the continental margin offshore Mt Etna, imaged by high-resolution 2D seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Felix; Krastel, Sebastian; Geersen, Jacob; Behrmann, Jan Hinrich; Ridente, Domenico; Chiocci, Francesco Latino; Bialas, Jörg; Papenberg, Cord; Cukur, Deniz; Urlaub, Morelia; Micallef, Aaron

2016-01-01

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. Instability of its eastern flank is well documented onshore, and continuously monitored by geodetic and InSAR measurements. Little is known, however, about the offshore extension of the eastern volcano flank, defining a serious shortcoming in stability models. In order to better constrain the active tectonics of the continental margin offshore the eastern flank of the volcano, we acquired a new high-resolution 2D reflection seismic dataset. The data provide new insights into the heterogeneous geology and tectonics at the continental margin offshore Mt Etna. The submarine realm is characterized by different blocks, which are controlled by local- and regional tectonics. A compressional regime is found at the toe of the continental margin, which is bound to a complex basin system. Both, the clear link between on- and offshore tectonic structures as well as the compressional regime at the easternmost flank edge, indicate a continental margin gravitational collapse as well as spreading to be present at Mt Etna. Moreover, we find evidence for the offshore southern boundary of the moving flank, which is identified as a right lateral oblique fault north of Catania Canyon. Our findings suggest a coupled volcano edifice/continental margin instability at Mt Etna, demonstrating first order linkage between on- and offshore tectonic processes.

If You Don't Have a Good Laboratory, Find a Good Volcano: Mount Vesuvius as a Natural Chemical Laboratory in Eighteenth-Century Italy.

PubMed

Guerra, Corinna

2015-08-01

This essay that examines the role of the volcano as a chemical site in the late eighteenth century, as the "new chemistry" spread throughout the southern Italian Kingdom of Naples, resulting in lively debates. In Naples itself, these scientific debates were not confined to academies, courts, and urban spaces. In the absence of well-equipped chemical laboratories, Neapolitan scholars also carried out research on chemistry on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, a natural site that furnished them with all the tools and substances necessary for practising chemistry. By examining various Neapolitan publications on Vesuvius and the chemical reactions and products associated with its periodic eruptions, I argue that the volcano's presence contributed to a distinctive, local approach to chemical theory and practice. Several case studies examine the ways in which proximity to Vesuvius was exploited by Neapolitan scholars as they engaged with the new chemistry, including Giuseppe Vairo, Michele Ferrara, Francesco Semmola, and Emanuele Scotti.

Perspective View, Mt. Etna, Italy

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-11-01

Italy's Mount Etna is the focus of this perspective view made from an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal and Emission Radiometer (ASTER) image from NASA's Terra spacecraft overlaid on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) topography. The image is looking south with dark lava flows from the 1600's (center) to 1981 (long flow at lower right) visible in the foreground and the summit of Etna above. The city of Catania is barely visible behind Etna on the bay at the upper left. In late October 2002, Etna erupted again, sending lava flows down the north and south sides of the volcano. The north flows are near the center of this view, but the ASTER image is from before the eruption. In addition to the terrestrial applications of these data for understanding active volcanoes and hazards associated with them such as lava flows and explosive eruptions, geologists studying Mars find these data useful as an analog to martian landforms and geologic processes. In late September 2002, a field conference with the theme of Terrestrial Analogs to Mars focused on Mount Etna, allowing Mars geologists to see in person the types of features they can only sample remotely. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03371

Explosive eruptive record in the Katmai region, Alaska Peninsula: an overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fierstein, Judy

2007-01-01

At least 15 explosive eruptions from the Katmai cluster of volcanoes and another nine from other volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula are preserved as tephra layers in syn- and post-glacial (Last Glacial Maximum) loess and soil sections in Katmai National Park, AK. About 400 tephra samples from 150 measured sections have been collected between Kaguyak volcano and Mount Martin and from Shelikof Strait to Bristol Bay (∼8,500 km2 ). Five tephra layers are distinctive and widespread enough to be used as marker horizons in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes area, and 140 radiocarbon dates on enclosing soils have established a time framework for entire soil–tephra sections to 10 ka; the white rhyolitic ash from the 1912 plinian eruption of Novarupta caps almost all sections. Stratigraphy, distribution and tephra characteristics have been combined with microprobe analyses of glass and Fe– Ti oxide minerals to correlate ash layers with their source vents. Microprobe analyses (typically 20–50 analyses per glass or oxide sample) commonly show oxide compositions to be more definitive than glass in distinguishing one tephra from another; oxides from the Kaguyak caldera-forming event are so compositionally coherent that they have been used as internal standards throughout this study. Other than the Novarupta and Trident eruptions of the last century, the youngest locally derived tephra is associated with emplacement of the Snowy Mountain summit dome (<250 14C years B.P.). East Mageik has erupted most frequently during Holocene time with seven explosive events (9,400 to 2,400 14C years B.P.) preserved as tephra layers. Mount Martin erupted entirely during the Holocene, with lava coulees (>6 ka), two tephras (∼3,700 and ∼2,700 14C years B.P.), and a summit scoria cone with a crater still steaming today. Mount Katmai has three times produced very large explosive plinian to sub-plinian events (in 1912; 12– 16 ka; and 23 ka) and many smaller pyroclastic deposits show that explosive activity has long been common there. Mount Griggs, fumarolically active and moderately productive during postglacial time (mostly andesitic lavas), has three nested summit craters, two of which are on top of a Holocene central cone. Only one ash has been found that is (tentatively) correlated with the most recent eruptive activity on Griggs (<3,460 14C years B.P.). Eruptions from other volcanoes NE and SW beyond the Katmai cluster represented in this area include: (1) coignimbrite ash from Kaguyak’s caldera-forming event (5,800 14C years B.P.); (2) the climactic event from Fisher caldera (∼9,100 14C years B.P.—tentatively correlated); (3) at least three eruptions most likely from Mount Peulik (∼700, ∼7,700 and ∼8,500 14C years B.P.); and (4) a phreatic fallout most likely from the Gas Rocks (∼2,300 14C years B.P.). Most of the radiocarbon dating has been done on loess, soil and peat enclosing this tephra. Ash correlations supported by stratigraphy and microprobe data are combined with radiocarbon dating to show that variably organics-bearing substrates can provide reliable limiting ages for ash layers, especially when data for several sites is available.>(<3,460 14C years B.P.).  Eruptions from other volcanoes NE and SW beyond the Katmai cluster represented in this area include: (1) coignimbrite ash from Kaguyak’s caldera-forming event (5,800 14C years B.P.); (2) the climactic event from Fisher caldera (∼9,100 14C years B.P.—tentatively correlated); (3) at least three eruptions most likely from Mount Peulik (∼700, ∼7,700 and ∼8,500 14C years B.P.); and (4) a phreatic fallout most likely from the Gas Rocks (∼2,300 14C years B.P.). Most of the radiocarbon dating has been done on loess, soil and peat enclosing this tephra. Ash correlations supported by stratigraphy and microprobe data are combined with radiocarbon dating to show that variably organics-bearing substrates can provide reliable limiting ages for ash layers, especially when data for several sites is available.

The January 2006 Volcanic-Tectonic Earthquake Swarm at Mount Martin, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dixon, James P.; Power, John A.

2009-01-01

On January 8, 2006, a swarm of volcanic-tectonic earthquakes began beneath Mount Martin at the southern end of the Katmai volcanic cluster. This was the first recorded swarm at Mount Martin since continuous seismic monitoring began in 1996. The number of located earthquakes increased during the next four days, reaching a peak on January 11. For the next two days, the seismic activity decreased, and on January 14, the number of events increased to twice the previous day's total. Following this increase in activity, seismicity declined, returning to background levels by the end of the month. The Alaska Volcano Observatory located 860 earthquakes near Mount Martin during January 2006. No additional signs of volcanic unrest were noted in association with this earthquake swarm. The earthquakes in the Mount Martin swarm, relocated using the double difference technique, formed an elongated cluster dipping to the southwest. Focal mechanisms beneath Mount Martin show a mix of normal, thrust, and strike-slip solutions, with normal focal mechanisms dominating. For earthquakes more than 1 km from Mount Martin, all focal mechanisms showed normal faulting. The calculated b-value for the Mount Martin swarm is 0.98 and showed no significant change before, during, or after the swarm. The triggering mechanism for the Mount Martin swarm is unknown. The time-history of earthquake occurrence is indicative of a volcanic cause; however, there were no low-frequency events or observations, such as increased steaming associated with the swarm. During the swarm, there was no change in the b-value, and the distribution and type of focal mechanisms were similar to those in the period before the anomalous activity. The short duration of the swarm, the similarity in observed focal mechanisms, and the lack of additional signs of unrest suggest this swarm did not result from a large influx of magma within the shallow crust beneath Mount Martin.

The 2013 Eruptions of Pavlof and Mount Veniaminof Volcanoes, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, D. J.; Waythomas, C. F.; Wallace, K.; Haney, M. M.; Fee, D.; Pavolonis, M. J.; Read, C.

2013-12-01

Pavlof Volcano and Mount Veniaminof on the Alaska Peninsula erupted during the summer of 2013 and were monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) using seismic data, satellite and web camera images, a regional infrasound array and observer reports. An overview of the work of the entire AVO staff is presented here. The 2013 eruption of Pavlof Volcano began on May 13 after a brief and subtle period of precursory seismicity. Two volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes at depths of 6-8 km on April 24 preceded the onset of the eruption by 3 weeks. Given the low background seismicity at Pavlof, the VTs were likely linked to the ascent of magma. The onset of the eruption was marked by subtle pulsating tremor that coincided with elevated surface temperatures in satellite images. Activity during May and June was characterized by lava fountaining and effusion from a vent near the summit. Seismicity consisted of fluctuating tremor and numerous explosions that were detected on an infrasound array (450 km NE) and as ground-coupled airwaves at local and distant seismic stations (up to 650 km). Emissions of ash and sulfur dioxide were observed in satellite data extending as far as 300 km downwind at altitudes of 5-7 km above sea level. Ash collected in Sand Point (90 km E) were well sorted, 60-150 micron diameter juvenile glass shards, many of which had fluidal forms. Automated objective ash cloud detection and cloud height retrievals from the NOAA volcanic cloud alerting system were used to evaluate the hazard to aviation. A brief reconnaissance of Pavlof in July found that lava flows on the NW flank consist of rubbly, clast rich, 'a'a flows composed of angular blocks of agglutinate and rheomorphic lava. There are at least three overlapping flows, the longest of which extends about 5 km from the vent. Eruptive activity continued through early July, and has since paused or stopped. Historical eruptions of Mount Veniaminof volcano have been from an intracaldera cone within a 10-km summit caldera. Subtle pulsating tremor also signaled unrest at Veniaminof on June 7, a week prior to satellite observations of elevated surface temperatures within the caldera that indicated the presence of lava at the surface. Eruptive activity consisted of lava fountaining and effusion, and numerous explosive events that produced small ash clouds that typically reached only several hundred meters above the vent, and rarely were observed extending beyond the summit caldera. Seismicity was characterized by energetic tremor, and accompanied at times by numerous explosions that were heard by local residents at distances of 20-50 km, and detected as ground coupled airwaves at distant seismic stations (up to 200 km) and by an infrasound array (350 km distance). Because infrasound can propagate over great distances with little signal degradation or distortion, it was possible to correlate the ground-coupled airwaves between seismometers separated by 100's of km and thus identify their source. A helicopter fly over in July found that lava flows erupted from the intracaldera cone consist of 3-5 small lobes of rubbly spatter-rich lava up to 800 m in length on the southwest flank of the cone. The distal ends of the flows melted snow and ice adjacent to the cone to produce a water-rich plume, but there was no evidence for outflow of water from the caldera. Volcanic unrest has continued through early August, 2013.

The December 2015 Mount Etna eruption: An analysis of inflation/deflation phases and faulting processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloisi, Marco; Jin, Shuanggen; Pulvirenti, Fabio; Scaltrito, Antonio

2017-06-01

During the first days of December 2015, there were four paroxysmal events at the ;Voragine; crater on Mount Etna, which were among the most violent observed during the last two decades. A few days after the ;Voragine; paroxysms, the Pernicana - Provenzana fault system, located near the crater area, underwent an intense seismic swarm with a maximum ;local; magnitude ML of 3.6. This paper investigates the relationship between the eruptive phenomenon and the faulting process in terms of Coulomb stress changes. The recorded seismicity is compatible with a multicausal stress redistribution inside the volcano edifice, occurring after the four paroxysmal episodes that interrupted the usual trend of inflation observed at Mt. Etna. The recorded seismicity falls within the framework of a complex chain of various and intercorrelated processes that started with the inflation preparing the ;Voragine; magmatic activity. This was followed with the rapid deflation of the volcano edifice during the paroxysmal episodes. We determined that the recorded deflation was not the direct cause of the seismic swarm. In fact, the associated Coulomb stress change, in the area of seismic swarm, was of about -1 [bar]. Instead, the fast deflation caused the rarely observed inversion of dislocation in the eastern flank at the same time as intense hydrothermal activity that, consequently, underwent an alteration. This process probably reduced the friction along the fault system. Then, the new phase of inflation, observed at the end of the magmatic activity, triggered the faulting processes.

Systematic detection of seismic events at Mount St. Helens with an ultra-dense array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, X.; Hartog, J. R.; Schmandt, B.; Hotovec-Ellis, A. J.; Hansen, S. M.; Vidale, J. E.; Vanderplas, J.

2016-12-01

During the summer of 2014, an ultra-dense array of 900 geophones was deployed around the crater of Mount St. Helens and continuously operated for 15 days. This dataset provides us an unprecedented opportunity to systematically detect seismic events around an active volcano and study their underlying mechanisms. We use a waveform-based matched filter technique to detect seismic events from this dataset. Due to the large volume of continuous data ( 1 TB), we performed the detection on the GPU cluster Stampede (https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/systems/stampede). We build a suite of template events from three catalogs: 1) the standard Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) catalog (45 events); 2) the catalog from Hansen&Schmandt (2015) obtained with a reverse-time imaging method (212 events); and 3) the catalog identified with a matched filter technique using the PNSN permanent stations (190 events). By searching for template matches in the ultra-dense array, we find 2237 events. We then calibrate precise relative magnitudes for template and detected events, using a principal component fit to measure waveform amplitude ratios. The magnitude of completeness and b-value of the detected catalog is -0.5 and 1.1, respectively. Our detected catalog shows several intensive swarms, which are likely driven by fluid pressure transients in conduits or slip transients on faults underneath the volcano. We are currently relocating the detected catalog with HypoDD and measuring the seismic velocity changes at Mount St. Helens using the coda wave interferometry of detected repeating earthquakes. The accurate temporal-spatial migration pattern of seismicity and seismic property changes should shed light on the physical processes beneath Mount St. Helens.

Monitoring eruptive activity at Mount St. Helens with TIR image data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughan, R.G.; Hook, S.J.; Ramsey, M.S.; Realmuto, V.J.; Schneider, D.J.

2005-01-01

Thermal infrared (TIR) data from the MASTER airborne imaging spectrometer were acquired over Mount St. Helens in Sept and Oct, 2004, before and after the onset of recent eruptive activity. Pre-eruption data showed no measurable increase in surface temperatures before the first phreatic eruption on Oct 1. MASTER data acquired during the initial eruptive episode on Oct 14 showed maximum temperatures of ???330??C and TIR data acquired concurrently from a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera showed maximum temperatures ???675??C, in narrow (???1-m) fractures of molten rock on a new resurgent dome. MASTER and FLIR thermal flux calculations indicated a radiative cooling rate of ???714 J/m2/S over the new dome, corresponding to a radiant power of ???24 MW. MASTER data indicated the new dome was dacitic in composition, and digital elevation data derived from LIDAR acquired concurrently with MASTER showed that the dome growth correlated with the areas of elevated temperatures. Low SO2 concentrations in the plume combined with sub-optimal viewing conditions prohibited quantitative measurement of plume SO2. The results demonstrate that airborne TIR data can provide information on the temperature of both the surface and plume and the composition of new lava during eruptive episodes. Given sufficient resources, the airborne instrumentation could be deployed rapidly to a newly-awakening volcano and provide a means for remote volcano monitoring. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Languages of volcanic landscapes

Treesearch

Frederick J. Swanson

2008-01-01

As a young geologist in 1980, I felt a powerful attraction to volcanoes, and I thought I knew volcanoes rather well. I had studied volcanology. I had climbed volcanic peaks in the Cascades. And I had tried to be an attentive citizen of my volcanic region, the Pacific Northwest. But when I had a chance to go with other scientists to Mount St. Helens within days of its...

Crustal P-Wave Speed Structure Under Mount St. Helens From Local Earthquake Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waite, G. P.; Moran, S. C.

2006-12-01

We used local earthquake data to model the P-wave speed structure of Mount St. Helens with the aim of improving our understanding of the active magmatic system. Our study used new data recorded by a dense array of 19 broadband seismographs that were deployed during the current eruption together with permanent network data recorded since the May 18, 1980 eruption. Most earthquakes around Mount St. Helens during the last 25 years were clustered in a narrow vertical column beneath the volcano from the surface to a depth of about 10 km. Earthquakes also occurred in a well-defined zone extending to the NNW from the volcano known as the St. Helens Seismic Zone (SHZ). During the current eruption, earthquakes have been confined to within 3 km of the surface beneath the crater floor. These earthquakes apparently radiate little shear-wave energy and the shear arrivals are usually contaminated by surface waves. Thus, we focused on developing an improved P- wave speed model. We used two data sources: (1) the short-period, vertical-component Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network and (2) new data recorded on a temporary array between June 2005 and February 2006. We first solved for a minimum one-dimensional model, incorporating the Moho depth found during an earlier wide-aperture refraction study. The three-dimensional model was solved simultaneously with hypocenter locations using the computer code SIMULPS14, extended for full three-dimensional ray shooting. We modified the code to force raypaths to remain below the ground surface. We began with large grid spacing and progressed to smaller grid spacing where the earthquakes and stations were denser. In this way we achieve a 40 km by 40 km regional model as well as a 10 km by 10 km fine-scale model directly beneath Mount St. Helens. The large-scale model is consistent with mapped geology and other geophysical data in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens. For example, there is a zone of relatively low velocities (-2% to -5% lower than background model) from 3 to at least 10 km depth extending NNW from the volcano parallel to the SHZ. The low-wave- speed zone coincides with a linear magnetic low, the western edge of a magnetotelluric conductive anomaly, and a localized gravity low. The coincidence of the volcano and these anomalies indicates this preexisting zone of weakness may control the location of Mount St. Helens, as has been suggested by previous investigators. Prominent high-wave-speed anomalies (+3% to +6% relative to background) on either side of this zone are due to plutons, which are also imaged with other geophysical data. Fine-scale modeling of the upper crust directly beneath Mount St. Helens reveals subtle structures not seen in the larger-scale model. The key structure is a cylindrical volume with speeds almost 10% slower than the background model extending from 6 to at least 10 km depth. The vertical, cylindrical volume of earthquakes, which reaches from the surface to more than 10 km depth, splits around this low-wave-speed volume creating an aseismic zone coincident with the low P-wave speeds. We interpret this volume as a melt-rich reservoir surrounded by hot rock.

Summit crater lake observations, and the location, chemistry, and pH of water samples near Mount Chiginagak volcano, Alaska: 2004-2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaefer, Janet R.; Scott, William E.; Evans, William C.; Wang, Bronwen; McGimsey, Robert G.

2013-01-01

Mount Chiginagak is a hydrothermally active volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, approximately 170 km south–southwest of King Salmon, Alaska (fig. 1). This small stratovolcano, approximately 8 km in diameter, has erupted through Tertiary to Permian sedimentary and igneous rocks (Detterman and others, 1987). The highest peak is at an elevation of 2,135 m, and the upper ~1,000 m of the volcano are covered with snow and ice. Holocene activity consists of debris avalanches, lahars, and lava flows. Pleistocene pyroclastic flows and block-and-ash flows, interlayered with andesitic lava flows, dominate the edifice rocks on the northern and western flanks. Historical reports of activity are limited and generally describe “steaming” and “smoking” (Coats, 1950; Powers, 1958). Proximal tephra collected during recent fieldwork suggests there may have been limited Holocene explosive activity that resulted in localized ash fall. A cluster of fumaroles on the north flank, at an elevation of ~1,750 m, commonly referred to as the “north flank fumarole” have been emitting gas throughout historical time (location shown in fig. 2). The only other thermal feature at the volcano is the Mother Goose hot springs located at the base of the edifice on the northwestern flank in upper Volcano Creek, at an elevation of ~160 m (fig. 2, near sites H1, H3, and H4). Sometime between November 2004 and May 2005, a ~400-m-wide, 100-m-deep lake developed in the snow- and ice-filled summit crater of the volcano (Schaefer and others, 2008). In early May 2005, an estimated 3 million cubic meters (3×106 m3) of sulfurous, clay-rich debris and acidic water exited the crater through tunnels at the base of a glacier that breaches the south crater rim. More than 27 km downstream, these acidic flood waters reached approximately 1.3 m above normal water levels and inundated a fertile, salmon-spawning drainage, acidifying the entire water column of Mother Goose Lake from its surface waters to its maximum depth of 45 m (resulting pH ~2.9), and preventing the annual salmon run in the King Salmon River. A simultaneous release of gas and acidic aerosols from the crater caused widespread vegetation damage along the flow path. Since 2005, we have been monitoring the crater lake water that continues to flow into Mother Goose Lake by collecting surface water samples for major cation and anion analysis, measuring surface-water pH of affected drainages, and photo-documenting the condition of the summit crater lake. This report describes water sampling locations, provides a table of chemistry and pH measurements, and documents the condition of the summit crater between 2004 and 2011. In September 2013, the report was updated with results of water-chemistry samples collected in 2011 and 2012, which were added as an addendum.

Mass Addition at Mount St. Helens, Washington, Inferred From Repeated Gravity Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Lisowski, M.; Dzurisin, D.; Poland, M. P.; Schilling, S.; Diefenbach, A.; Wynn, J.

2018-02-01

Relative gravity measurements were made at 12 sites on Mount St. Helens and 4 sites far afield during the summers of 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. Positive residual gravity changes of 0.05-0.06 ± 0.01 mGal from 2010 to 2016—a sign of mass addition—remain at proximal sites after accounting for the effects of changes in Crater Glacier shape and mass. Modeling of the 2010-2016 monitoring data indicates mass addition in the volcano magma reservoir, the volcano conduit, and/or the shallow hydrothermal aquifer. Magma intrusion in the volcano's known reservoir is suggested by the joint inversion of GPS and gravity data (d = 5800 ± 710 m below sea level, ΔVm = 49.8 ± 8.6 × 106m3, ρ = 1930 ± 300 kg/m3); the modeled depth and location are consistent with that of the reservoir that fed the 2004-2008 eruption, and its mass change can explain up to 19% of the residual gravity. The other two potential sources—the conduit and shallow aquifer—are not well constrained. Magma addition along the volcano conduit can explain up to 62% of the residual gravity (ΔVm ≅ 31 × 106m3, ρm ≅ 2, 300 kg/m3). However, such an intrusion should have produced a measurable surface deformation, which is not observed in the GPS time series. Changes in the level of the volcano's shallow hydrothermal system (ρw = 1, 000 kg/m3) can explain 17% (ΔVrecharge ≅ 9 × 106m3) to 61% (ΔVrecharge ≅ 30 × 106m3) of the residual gravity. It would therefore seem that the bulk of the mass change measured at Mount St. Helens during 2010-2016 was caused by shallow accumulation of water beneath the floor of the crater.

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Naturals Hazards in the Caldera of Mount Bambouto (West Cameroon)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zangmo Tefogoum, G.; Kagou Dongmo, A.; Nkouathio, D. G.; Wandji, P.

2009-04-01

Mount Bambouto is polygenic stratovolcano of the Cameroon Volcanic Line, build between 21 Ma and 4,5Ma (Nkouathio et al., 2008). It is situated at about 200 km NE of mount Cameroon, at 09°55' and 10°15' East and, 05°25' and 05°50' Nord. This volcano covers an area of 500 Km2 and culminates at 2740 m at Meletan hill and bears a collapse caldera (13 x 8 km). Fissural, extrusive and explosive dynamism are responsible of the construction in three main stages this volcano including the edification of a sommital large rim caldera. Mount Bambouto structure gives rise to different natural hazards, of volcanological origin and meteorological origin. In the past time, landslides, floodings, firebush, blocks collapse took place in this area with catastrophic impact on the population. New research program had been carried out in the caldera concerning qualitative and quantitative evaluation of natural risks and catastrophes. The main factors of instability are rain, structure of the basement, slopes, lithology and anthropic activities; particularly, the occurrence of exceptional rainfall due to global change are relevant; this gives opportunity to draw landslides hazards zonation map of the Bambouto caldera which is the main risk in this area. We evaluate the financial potential of the caldera base on the average income of breeding, farming, school fees and the cost of houses and equipments for each family. The method of calculation revealed that, the yearly economy of the mounts Bambouto caldera represents about 2 billions FCFA. Some recommendations have been made in order to prevent and reduced the potential losses and the number of victims in particular by better land use planning. These help us to estimate the importance of destruction of the environment and biodiversity in case of catastrophes. We conclude that in the Bambouto caldera there is moderate to high probability that destructive phenomena due to landslides occurs within the upcoming years with enormous financial and human losses.

Preliminary Geologic Map of Mount Pagan Volcano, Pagan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trusdell, Frank A.; Moore, Richard B.; Sako, Maurice K.

2006-01-01

Pagan Island is the subaerial portion of two adjoining Quaternary stratovolcanoes near the middle of the active Mariana Arc, [FAT1]north of Saipan. Pagan and the other volcanic islands that constitute part of the Arc form the northern half of the East Mariana Ridge[FAT2], which extends about 2-4 km above the ocean floor. The > 6-km-deep Mariana Trench adjoins the East Mariana Ridge on the east, and the Mariana Trough, partly filled with young lava flows and volcaniclastic sediment, lies on the west of the Northern Mariana Islands (East Mariana Ridge. The submarine West Mariana Ridge, Tertiary in age, bounds the western side of the Mariana Trough. The Mariana Trench and Northern Mariana Islands (East Mariana Ridge) overlie an active subduction zone where the Pacific Plate, moving northwest at about 10.3 cm/year, is passing beneath the Philippine Plate, moving west-northwest at 6.8 cm/year. Beneath the Northern Mariana Islands, earthquake hypocenters at depths of 50-250 km identify the location of the west-dipping subduction zone, which farther west becomes nearly vertical and extends to 700 km depth. During the past century, more than 40 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5-8.1 have shaken the Mariana Trench. The Mariana Islands form two sub-parallel, concentric, concave-west arcs. The southern islands comprise the outer arc and extend north from Guam to Farallon de Medinilla. They consist of Eocene to Miocene volcanic rocks and uplifted Tertiary and Quaternary limestone. The nine northern islands extend from Anatahan to Farallon de Pajaros and form part of the inner arc. The active inner arc extends south from Anatahan, where volcanoes, some of which are active, form seamounts west of the older outer arc. Other volcanic seamounts of the active arc surmount the East Mariana Ridge in the vicinity of Anatahan and Sarigan and north and south of Farallon de Pajaros. Six volcanoes (Farallon de Pajaros, Asuncion, Agrigan, Mount Pagan, Guguan, and Anatahan) in the northern islands have erupted during the past century, and Ruby Seamount erupted in 1996.

Quiescent hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide degassing from Mount Baker, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGee, K.A.; Doukas, M.P.; Gerlach, T.M.

2001-01-01

Volcanic H2S emission rate data are scant despite their importance in understanding magma degassing. We present results from direct airborne plume measurements of H2S and CO2 on a 21-orbit survey at eleven different altitudes around Mount Baker volcano in September 2000 utilizing instrumentation mounted in a light aircraft. Measured emission rates of H2S and CO2 were 5.5 td-1 and 187 td-1 respectively. Maximum concentrations of H2S and CO2 encountered within the 4-km-wide plume were 75 ppb and 2 ppm respectively. Utilizing the H2S signal as a marker for the plume allows the corresponding CO2 signal to be more easily and accurately distinguished from ambient CO2 background. This technique is sensitive enough for monitoring weakly degassing volcanoes in a pre-eruptive condition when scrubbing by hydrothermal fluid or aquifers might mask the presence of more acid magmatic gases such as SO2.

Posteruption arthropod succession on the Mount St. Helens volcano: the ground-dwelling beetle fauna (Coleoptera).

Treesearch

R.R. Parmenter; C.M. Crisafulli; N. Korbe; G. Parsons; M. Edgar; J.A. MacMahon

2005-01-01

The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens created a complex mosaic of disturbance types over a 600 km2 area. From 1980 through 2000 we monitored beetle species relative abundance and faunal composition of assemblages at undisturbed reference sites and in areas subjected to tephra-fall, blowdown, and pyroclastic flow volcanic disturbance. We...

Changes in Seismic Velocity During the 2004 - 2008 Eruption of Mount St. Helens Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hotovec-Ellis, A. J.; Vidale, J. E.; Gomberg, J. S.; Moran, S. C.; Thelen, W. A.

2013-12-01

Mount St. Helens (MSH) effusively erupted in late 2004, following an 18-year quiescence. Many swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion and in some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, possibly reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to quantify these changes in terms of small (usually <1%) changes in seismic velocity structure by determining how relatively condensed or stretched the coda is between two similar earthquakes. We then utilize several hundred distinct families of repeating earthquakes at once to create a continuous function of velocity change observed at any station in the seismic network. The rate of earthquakes allows us to track these changes on a daily or even hourly time scale. Following years of no seismic velocity changes larger than those due to climatic processes (tenths of a percent), we observed decreases in seismic velocity of >1% coincident with the onset of increased earthquake activity beginning September 23, 2004. These changes are largest near the summit of the volcano, and likely related to shallow deformation as magma first worked its way to the surface. Changes in velocity are often attributed to deformation, especially volumetric strain and the opening or closing of cracks, but also with nonlinear responses to ground shaking and fluid intrusion. We compare velocity changes across the eruption with other available observations, such as deformation (e.g., GPS, tilt, photogrammetry), to better constrain the relationships between velocity change and its possible causes.

Near-ridge seamount chains in the northeastern Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clague, David A.; Reynolds, Jennifer R.; Davis, Alicé S.

2000-07-01

High-resolution bathymetry and side-scan data of the Vance, President Jackson, and Taney near-ridge seamount chains in the northeast Pacific were collected with a hull-mounted 30-kHz sonar. The central volcanoes in each chain consist of truncated cone-shaped volcanoes with steep sides and nearly flat tops. Several areas are characterized by frequent small eruptions that result in disorganized volcanic regions with numerous small cones and volcanic ridges but no organized truncated conical structure. Several volcanoes are crosscut by ridge-parallel faults, showing that they formed within 30-40 km of the ridge axis where ridge-parallel faulting is still active. Magmas that built the volcanoes were probably transported through the crust along active ridge-parallel faults. The volcanoes range in volume from 11 to 187 km3, and most have one or more multiple craters and calderas that modify their summits and flanks. The craters (<1 km diameter) and calderas (>1 km diameter) range from small pit craters to calderas as large as 6.5×8.5 km, although most are 2-4 km across. Crosscutting relationships commonly show a sequence of calderas stepping toward the ridge axis. The calderas overlie crustal magma chambers at least as large as those that underlie Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes in Hawaii, perhaps 4-5 km in diameter and ˜1-3 km below the surface. The nearly flat tops of many of the volcanoes have remnants of centrally located summit shields, suggesting that their flat tops did not form from eruptions along circumferential ring faults but instead form by filling and overflowing of earlier large calderas. The lavas retain their primitive character by residing in such chambers for only short time periods prior to eruption. Stored magmas are withdrawn, probably as dikes intruded into the adjacent ocean crust along active ridge-parallel faults, triggering caldera collapse, or solidified before the next batch of magma is intruded into the volcano, probably 1000-10,000 years later. The chains are oriented parallel to subaxial asthenospheric flow rather than absolute or relative plate motion vectors. The subaxial asthenospheric flow model yields rates of volcanic migration of 3.4, 3.3 and 5.9 cm yr-1 for the Vance, President Jackson, and Taney Seamounts, respectively. The modeled lifespans of the individual volcanoes in the three chains vary from 75 to 95 kyr. These lifespans, coupled with the geologic observations based on the bathymetry, allow us to construct models of magma supply through time for the volcanoes in the three chains.

Model for determining logistic distribution center: case study of Mount Merapi eruption disaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, T. J.; Wigati, S. S.

2017-01-01

As one of the most active volcano in the earth, Mount Merapi is periodically erupted and it is considered as a natural disaster for the surrounding area. Kabupaten Sleman as one of the nearest location to this mount has to be always prepared to this disaster. The local government already set three different groups of region, in which potentially affected by Mount Merapi eruption, called KRB I, KRB II, and KRB III. Region KRB III is the closest area to the mount crater and most often affected by the eruption disaster. Whenever KRB III is affected, people live in that area usually being transfer to the next region set that is KRB II. The case presented in this paper is located at the KRB II region, which is the second closest region to the mount crater. A humanitarian distribution system has to be set in this region, since usually this region is became the location of shelters for KRB III population whenever a ‘big’ eruption is happened. A mathematical model is proposed in this paper, for determining the location of distribution center, vehicle route, and the amount of goods delivered to each customer. Some numerical illustration are presented in order to know the behavior of the proposed model.

Geothermal segmentation of the Cascade Range in the USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guffanti, Marianne; Muffler, L.J.; Mariner, R.H.; Sherrod, D.R.; Smith, James G.; Blackwell, D.D.; Weaver, C.S.

1990-01-01

Characteristics of the crustal thermal regime of the Quaternary Cascades vary systematically along the range. Spatially congruent changes in volcanic vent distribution, volcanic extrusion rate, hydrothermal discharge rate, and regional conductive heat flow define 5 geothermal segments. These segments are, from north to south: (1) the Washington Cascades north of Mount Rainier, (2) the Cascades from Mount Rainier to Mount Hood, (3) the Oregon Cascades from south of Mount Hood to the California border, (4) northernmost California, including Mount Shasta and Medicine Lake volcano, and (5) the Lassen region of northern California. This segmentation indicates that geothermal resource potential is not uniform in the Cascade Range. Potential varies from high in parts of Oregon to low in Washington north of Mount Rainier.

Theoretical and practical considerations for the design of the iMUSH active-source seismic experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiser, E.; Levander, A.; Harder, S. H.; Abers, G. A.; Creager, K. C.; Vidale, J. E.; Moran, S. C.; Malone, S. D.

2013-12-01

The multi-disciplinary imaging of Magma Under St. Helens (iMUSH) experiment seeks to understand the details of the magmatic system that feeds Mount St. Helens using active- and passive-source seismic, magnetotelluric, and petrologic data. The active-source seismic component of this experiment will take place in the summer of 2014 utilizing all of the 2600 PASSCAL 'Texan' Reftek instruments which will record twenty-four 1000-2000 lb shots distributed around the Mount St. Helens region. The instruments will be deployed as two consecutive refraction profiles centered on the volcano, and a series of areal arrays. The actual number of areal arrays, as well as their locations, will depend strongly on the length of the experiment (3-4 weeks), the number of instrument deployers (50-60), and the time it will take per deployment given the available road network. The current work shows how we are balancing these practical considerations against theoretical experiment designs in order to achieve the proposed scientific goals with the available resources. One of the main goals of the active-source seismic experiment is to image the magmatic system down to the Moho (35-40 km). Calculating sensitivity kernels for multiple shot/receiver offsets shows that direct P waves should be sensitive to Moho depths at offsets of 150 km, and therefore this will likely be the length of the refraction profiles. Another primary objective of the experiment is to estimate the locations and volumes of different magma accumulation zones beneath the volcano using the areal arrays. With this in mind, the optimal locations of these arrays, as well as their associated shots, are estimated using an eigenvalue analysis of the approximate Hessian for each possible experiment design. This analysis seeks to minimize the number of small eigenvalues of the approximate Hessian that would amplify the propagation of data noise into regions of interest in the model space, such as the likely locations of magma reservoirs. In addition, this analysis provides insight into the tradeoff between the number of areal array deployments and the information that will be gained from the experiment. An additional factor incorporated into this study is the expected data quality in different regions around Mount St. Helens. Expected data quality is determined using the signal-to-noise ratios of data from existing seismometers in the region, and from forward modeling the wavefields from different experiment designs using SPECFEM3D software. In particular, we are interested in evaluating how topography near the volcano and low velocity volcaniclastic layers affect data quality. This information is especially important within 5 km of the volcano where only hiking trails are available for instrument deployment, and in a large area north of the volcano where road maintenance has lagged since the 1980 eruption. Instrument deployment will be slow in these regions, and therefore it is essential to understand if deployment of instruments here is a reasonable use of resources. A final step of this study will be validating different experiment designs based upon the above criteria by inverting synthetic data from velocity models that contain a generalized representation of the magma system to confirm that the main features of the models can be recovered.

Field-trip guide to Mount Hood, Oregon, highlighting eruptive history and hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, William E.; Gardner, Cynthia A.

2017-06-22

This guidebook describes stops of interest for a geological field trip around Mount Hood volcano. It was developed for the 2017 International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) Scientific Assembly in Portland, Oregon. The intent of this guidebook and accompanying contributions is to provide an overview of Mount Hood, including its chief geologic processes, magmatic system, eruptive history, local tectonics, and hazards, by visiting a variety of readily accessible localities. We also describe coeval, largely monogenetic, volcanoes in the region. Accompanying the field-trip guidebook are separately authored contributions that discuss in detail the Mount Hood magmatic system and its products and behavior (Kent and Koleszar, this volume); Mount Hood earthquakes and their relation to regional tectonics and the volcanic system (Thelen and Moran, this volume); and young surface faults cutting the broader Mount Hood area whose extent has come to light after acquisition of regional light detection and ranging coverage (Madin and others, this volume).The trip makes an approximately 175-mile (280-kilometer) clockwise loop around Mount Hood, starting and ending in Portland. The route heads east on Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The guidebook points out only a few conspicuous features of note in the gorge, but many other guides to the gorge are available. The route continues south on the Mount Hood National Scenic Byway on Oregon Route 35 following Hood River, and returns to Portland on U.S. Highway 26 following Sandy River. The route traverses rocks as old as the early Miocene Eagle Creek Formation and overlying Columbia River Basalt Group of middle Miocene age, but chiefly lava flows and clastic products of arc volcanism of late Miocene to Holocene age.

Use of digital aerophotogrammetry to determine rates of lava dome growth, Mount St. Helens, Washington, 2004-2005: Chapter 8 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, Steve P.; Thompson, Ren A.; Messerich, James A.; Iwatsubo, Eugene Y.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Successful application of aerophotogrammetry was possible during the critical earliest parts of the eruption because we had baseline data and photogrammetric infrastructure in place before the eruption began. The vertical aerial photographs, including the DEMs and calculations derived from them, were one of the most widely used data sets collected during the 2004-5 eruption, as evidenced in numerous contributions to this volume. These data were used to construct photogeologic maps, deformation vector fields, and profiles of the evolving dome and glacier. Extruded volumes and rates proved to be critical parameters to constrain models and hypotheses of eruption dynamics and thus helped to assess volcano hazards.

The eruption of Mount Pagan volcano, Mariana Islands, 15 May 1981

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Norman G.; Koyanagi, Robert Y.; Sinton, John M.; Honma, Kenneth T.

1984-10-01

A major explosive eruption occurred 15 May 1981 at Mount Pagan Volcano, the larger of two historic eruptive centers on Pagan Island, Mariana Islands. The eruption was preceded by increased numbers of locally felt earthquakes beginning in late March or early April and by new ground cracks, new sublimates, and increased gas emissions. A swarm of felt earthquakes began at 0745h (local time = UCT+10 hours) 15 May, and at 0915 h, closely following a loud sonic boom, a strong plinian column issued from the volcano. The high-altitude ash cloud (at least 13.5 km) travelled south-southeast, but ash and scoria deposits were thickest (> 2 m) in the NW sector of the island because of the prevailing low-altitude southeasterly winds. The early activity of 15 May probably involved magmatic eruption along a fissure system oriented about N10°E. However, the eruption became hydromagmatic, possibly within minutes, and was largely restricted to three long-lived vents. The northernmost of these built a substantial new scoria-ash cinder cone. Flows and air-fall deposits, consisting almost entirely of juvenile material, exceeded 105 × 10 6 m 3 in volume (75 × 10 6 m 3 of magma) on land and at least 70-100 × 60 6 m 3 at sea. An unknown volume was carried away by stratospheric winds. Lithic blocks and juvenile bombs as large as 1 m in diameter were thrown more than 2 km from the summit, and evidence for base-surge was observed in restricted corridors as low as 200 m elevation on the north and south slopes of the volcano. Neither of these events resulted in serious injuries to the 54 residents of the island, nor did the eruption produce serious chemical hazards in their water supply. Weak eruptions occurred during the ensuing month, and some of these were monitored by ground observations, seismic monitoring, and deformation studies. Precursory seismicity and possibly deformation occurred with some of the observed eruptions. More vigorous eruptions were reported by visiting residents in late 1981 and early 1982, but these were of lesser magnitude than the 15 May 1981 event. The 15 May lava is predominantly aa and ranges from 3 to > 30 m in thickness. In composition, it is a high-alumina basalt with small (< 1 mm long) phenocrysts of plagioclase and clinopyroxene (7%) that is more or less typical of basalt of the northern Marianas volcanoes. It contains slightly more SiO 2 (52%), K 2O, TiO 2, and less Al 2O 3 and CaO than does the basalt of the last eruptive event of Mount Pagan Volcano in 1925. Gas analyses indicate that a large portion of air was introduced into the vent system through the porous volcanic edifice and that the carbon gases were not in equilibrium with the magma or each other.

The eruption of Mount Pagan volcano, Mariana Islands, 15 May 1981

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, N.G.; Koyanagi, R.Y.; Sinton, J.M.; Honma, K.T.

1984-01-01

A major explosive eruption occurred 15 May 1981 at Mount Pagan Volcano, the larger of two historic eruptive centers on Pagan Island, Mariana Islands. The eruption was preceded by increased numbers of locally felt earthquakes beginning in late March or early April and by new ground cracks, new sublimates, and increased gas emissions. A swarm of felt earthquakes began at 0745h (local time = UCT+10 hours) 15 May, and at 0915 h, closely following a loud sonic boom, a strong plinian column issued from the volcano. The high-altitude ash cloud (at least 13.5 km) travelled south-southeast, but ash and scoria deposits were thickest (> 2 m) in the NW sector of the island because of the prevailing low-altitude southeasterly winds. The early activity of 15 May probably involved magmatic eruption along a fissure system oriented about N10??E. However, the eruption became hydromagmatic, possibly within minutes, and was largely restricted to three long-lived vents. The northernmost of these built a substantial new scoria-ash cinder cone. Flows and air-fall deposits, consisting almost entirely of juvenile material, exceeded 105 ?? 106 m3 in volume (75 ?? 106 m3 of magma) on land and at least 70-100 ?? 606 m3 at sea. An unknown volume was carried away by stratospheric winds. Lithic blocks and juvenile bombs as large as 1 m in diameter were thrown more than 2 km from the summit, and evidence for base-surge was observed in restricted corridors as low as 200 m elevation on the north and south slopes of the volcano. Neither of these events resulted in serious injuries to the 54 residents of the island, nor did the eruption produce serious chemical hazards in their water supply. Weak eruptions occurred during the ensuing month, and some of these were monitored by ground observations, seismic monitoring, and deformation studies. Precursory seismicity and possibly deformation occurred with some of the observed eruptions. More vigorous eruptions were reported by visiting residents in late 1981 and early 1982, but these were of lesser magnitude than the 15 May 1981 event. The 15 May lava is predominantly aa and ranges from 3 to > 30 m in thickness. In composition, it is a high-alumina basalt with small (< 1 mm long) phenocrysts of plagioclase and clinopyroxene (7%) that is more or less typical of basalt of the northern Marianas volcanoes. It contains slightly more SiO2 (52%), K2O, TiO2, and less Al2O3 and CaO than does the basalt of the last eruptive event of Mount Pagan Volcano in 1925. Gas analyses indicate that a large portion of air was introduced into the vent system through the porous volcanic edifice and that the carbon gases were not in equilibrium with the magma or each other. ?? 1984.

From dome to dust: shallow crystallization and fragmentation of conduit magma during the 2004-2006 dome extrusion of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Chapter 19 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cashman, Katharine V.; Thornber, Carl R.; Pallister, John S.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Comparison of eruptive conditions during the 2004-6 activity at Mount St. Helens with those of other spine-forming eruptions suggests that magma ascent rates of about 10-4 m/s or less allow sufficient degassing and crystallization within the conduit to form large volcanic spines of intermediate composition (andesite to dacite). Solidification deep within the conduit, in turn, requires transport of the solid plug over long distances (hundreds of meters); resultant large strains are responsible for extensive brittle breakage and development of thick gouge zones. Moreover, similarities between gouge textures and those of ash emitted by explosions from spine margins indicate that fault gouge is the origin for the ash. As the comminution and generation of ash-sized particles was clearly a multistep process, this observation suggests that fragmentation preceded, rather than accompanied, these explosions.

Thermal surveillance of active volcanoes using the LANDSAT-1 data collection system. Part 3: Heat discharge from Mount St. Helens, Washington

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, J. D.; Frank, D. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Two thermal anomalies, A at 2740 m altitude on the north slope, and B between 2650 and 2750 m altitude on the southwest slope at the contact of the dacite summit dome of Mount St. Helens, Washington were confirmed by aerial infrared scanner surveys between 1971 and 1973. LANDSAT 1 data collection platform 6166, emplaced at site B anomaly, transmitted 482 sets of temperature values in 1973 and 1974, suitable for estimating the differential radiatin emission as 84 W/sq m, approximately equivalent to the Fourier conductive flux of 89 W/sq m in the upper 15 cm below the surface. The differential geothermal flux, including heat loss via evaporation and convection, was estimated at 376 W/sq m. Total energy yield of Mount St. Helens probably ranges between 0.1 and 0.4 x 10 to the 6th power W.

Will Mount Etna erupt before EGU General Assembly 2017?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloisi, Marco; Cannavo', Flavio; Palano, Mimmo

2017-04-01

Mount Etna has historically recorded a long and very various series of eruptions. The eruptions have mostly shown an episodic character, despite a near continuous supply of magma. In the last years, activity at Mount Etna seems to follow a recurrent pattern characterized by very similar "inflation/paroxysmal events/deflation" dynamic. The paroxysms occurred in December 2015 and May 2016, which involved the "Voragine" crater, can be considered among the most violent observed during the last two decades. These events showed high lava fountains, in the order of hundreds of meters in height, and eruption columns, several kilometres high. A new cycle, characterized by a clear similar inflation of the whole volcano edifice is currently underway. Here, we analyse these recent volcanic cycles and discuss about a) a possible upper bound for the inflation dynamic, above which a paroxysmal event occurs, b) the comparison of the models generating the considered lava fountains and c) a possible time-predictable model of the expected paroxysmal event.

Petrology of the 2004-2006 Mount St. Helens lava dome -- implications for magmatic plumbing and eruption triggering: Chapter 30 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pallister, John S.; Thornber, Carl R.; Cashman, Katharine V.; Clynne, Michael A.; Lowers, Heather; Mandeville, Charles W.; Brownfield, Isabelle K.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The question of new versus residual magma has implications for the long-term eruptive behavior of Mount St. Helens, because arrival of a new batch of dacitic magma from the deep crust could herald the beginning of a new long-term cycle of eruptive activity. It is also important to our understanding of what triggered the eruption and its future course. Two hypotheses for triggering are considered: (1) top-down fracturing related to the shallow groundwater system and (2) an increase in reservoir pressure brought about by recent magmatic replenishment. With respect to the future course of the eruption, similarities between textures and character of eruption of the 2004-6 dome and the long-duration (greater than 100 years) pre-1980 summit dome, along with the low eruptive rate of the current eruption, suggest that the eruption could continue sluggishly or intermittently for years to come.

The 19 March 1982 Eruption and Lahar at Mount Saint Helens: Implications for Martian Outlfow Channels?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, G. L.

1984-01-01

A small explosive eruption of Mount St. Helens set into motion an unusually complex series of geomorphic and hydrologic processes that had not previously been described in the literature. This event was unusual in that a laterally-directed eruption dislodged and mobilized a thick snowpack from the surrounding crater floor and walls, resulting in the formation of a temporary lake. Catastrophic release of this self-impounded lake spawned a series of destructive debris avalanches and debris flows that moved rapidly down the volcano's north flank and into the North Toutle River valley. Catastrophic release of volatiles mobilized by volcanic activity has been discussed as a possible mechanism to explain a class of outflow channels on Mars. The eruption of Mount St. Helens provides a unique opportunity to study the deposits and landforms created by such an event; a more detailed field study and examination of Viking photographs of martian outflow channels is underway.

Mount Saint Helens, Washington, USA, SRTM Perspective: Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Mount Saint Helens is a prime example of how Earth's topographic form can greatly change even within our lifetimes. The mountain is one of several prominent volcanoes of the Cascade Range that stretches from British Columbia, Canada, southward through Washington, Oregon, and into northern California. Mount Adams (left background) and Mount Hood (right background) are also seen in this view, which was created entirely from elevation data produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission.

Prior to 1980, Mount Saint Helens had a shape roughly similar to other Cascade peaks, a tall, bold, irregular conic form that rose to 2950 meters (9677 feet). However, the explosive eruption of May 18, 1980, caused the upper 400 meters (1300 feet) of the mountain to collapse, slide, and spread northward, covering much of the adjacent terrain (lower left), leaving a crater atop the greatly shortened mountain. Subsequent eruptions built a volcanic dome within the crater, and the high rainfall of this area lead to substantial erosion of the poorly consolidated landslide material.

Eruptions at Mount Saint Helens subsided in 1986, but renewed volcanic activity here and at other Cascade volcanoes is inevitable. Predicting such eruptions still presents challenges, but migration of magma within these volcanoes often produces distinctive seismic activity and minor but measurable topographic changes that can give warning of a potential eruption.

Three visualization methods were combined to produce this image: shading of topographic slopes, color coding of topographic height, and then projection into a perspective view. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northeast-southwest (left to right) direction, so that northeast slopes appear bright and southwest slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations. The perspective view simulates the geometry of the surface as it would be viewed on a clear day.

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C.

Size: View distance about 150 km (about 100 miles) Location: 46.2 degrees North latitude, 122.2 degrees West longitude Orientation: View Southeast Image Data: Shaded and colored SRTM elevation model Date Acquired: February 2000

Inflation Leading to a Slow Slip Event and Volcanic Unrest at Mount Etna in 2016: Insights From CGPS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, V.; Mattia, M.; Montgomery-Brown, E.; Rossi, M.; Scandura, D.

2017-12-01

Global Positioning System (CGPS) data from Mount Etna between May 2015 and September 2016 show intense inflation and a concurrent Slow Slip Event (SSE) from 11 December 2015 to 17 May 2016. In May 2016, an eruptive phase started from the summit craters, temporarily stopping the ongoing inflation. The CGPS data presented here give us the opportunity to determine (1) the source of the inflating body, (2) the strain rate parameters highlighting shear strain rate accumulating along NE Rift and S Rift, (3) the magnitude of the SSE, and (4) possible interaction between modeled sources and other flank structures through stress calculations. By analytical inversion, we find an inflating source 5.5 km under the summit (4.4 km below sea level) and flank slip in a fragmented shallow structure accommodating displacements equivalent to a magnitude Mw6.1 earthquake. These large displacements reflect a complex mechanism of rotations indicated by the inversion of CGPS data for strain rate parameters. At the scale of the volcano, these processes can be considered precursors of seismic activity in the eastern flank of the volcano but concentrated mainly on the northern boundary of the mobile eastern flank along the Pernicana Fault and in the area of the Timpe Fault System.

Towards Developing Systematics for Using Periodic Studies of the Hydrothermal Manifestations as Effective Tool for Monitoring Largely 'inaccessible' Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, M.

2010-12-01

The San José and Tupungatito volcanoes, located near Santiago (Chile), are the potential hazards, given their geological and historical record of explosive eruptions with pyroclastic flows, most recently in 1960 and 1987 respectively (Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution). What aggravates the potential risk of these very high (>5290m elevation) snow- and ice-covered volcanoes is their location at the source of relatively narrow mountain drainage systems that feed into the Maipo River, flowing through the southern outskirts of Santiago. Sector-collapse and debris-flow, as a result of volcano-ice/snow interaction, can form lahars causing immense destruction to the life and property in the Maipo Valley (Cajón del Maipo). These lahars can cause submergence and burial of vast downstream areas under several meters thick sediment, as in the case of 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, USA. In the event of a major eruption, Santiago city will be at peril, with all the drinking water supply installations either destroyed or contaminated to the extent of being abandoned. Besides, ash and tephra will halt the air traffic in the region, particularly in Santiago-Mendoza sector between Chile and Argentina. In a proposed research project (for which funding is awaited from CONICYT, Chile under its Initiation into Research Funding Competition), hydrothermal systems associated with the aforementioned volcanoes will be periodically studied to monitor these volcanoes, in order to develop a Systematics for using the peripheral hydrothermal manifestations, together with nearby surface water bodies, as means for monitoring the activities of the volcano(es). Basic premise of this proposal is to use the relationship between volcanic and hydrothermal activities. Although this association has been observed at many volcanic centers, no attempt has been made to use this relation effectively as a tool for monitoring the volcanoes. Before an eruption or even with increased solfataric activities, the geochemical signatures of the peripheral hydrothermal systems and nearby surface water bodies change significantly. These geochemical changes can be correlated and verified with the observed volcanic activities. Ground deformation of the volcanoes will be studied through Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry (InSAR), while thermal infrared remote sensing will be used for monitoring thermal anomalies. The reason for choosing these remote methods over the conventional ground based on-site monitoring, is the difficulty in accessing the aforementioned volcanic centers and risk involved in carrying such instruments for frequent observations, as required for the proposed work. In fact, the idea of developing such a Systematics is because of the risk involved in ground based monitoring of these volcanoes. However, microgravity study, which is relatively easier and safer, will be done to validate the results of the remote sensing studies. The expected outcome of the proposed work will not only help in the mitigation of potential hazard of the aforementioned volcanoes, which are currently unmonitored for the reasons mentioned earlier; but will also serve as a model for monitoring remote and largely ‘inaccessible’ volcanoes elsewhere.

Volcano surveillance by ACR silver fox

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patterson, M.C.L.; Mulligair, A.; Douglas, J.; Robinson, J.; Pallister, J.S.

2005-01-01

Recent growth in the business of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) both in the US and abroad has improved their overall capability, resulting in a reduction in cost, greater reliability and adoption into areas where they had previously not been considered. Uses in coastal and border patrol, forestry and agriculture have recently been evaluated in an effort to expand the observed area and reduce surveillance and reconnaissance costs for information gathering. The scientific community has both contributed and benefited greatly in this development. A larger suite of light-weight miniaturized sensors now exists for a range of applications which in turn has led to an increase in the gathering of information from these autonomous vehicles. In October 2004 the first eruption of Mount St Helens since 1986 caused tremendous interest amoUg people worldwide. Volcanologists at the U.S. Geological Survey rapidly ramped up the level of monitoring using a variety of ground-based sensors deployed in the crater and on the flanks of the volcano using manned helicopters. In order to develop additional unmanned sensing methods that can be used in potentially hazardous and low visibility conditions, a UAV experiment was conducted during the ongoing eruption early in November. The Silver Fox UAV was flown over and inside the crater to perform routine observation and data gathering, thereby demonstrating a technology that could reduce physical risk to scientists and other field operatives. It was demonstrated that UAVs can be flown autonomously at an active volcano and can deliver real time data to a remote location. Although still relatively limited in extent, these initial flights provided information on volcanic activity and thermal conditions within the crater and at the new (2004) lava dome. The flights demonstrated that readily available visual and infrared video sensors mounted in a small and relatively low-cost aerial platform can provide useful data on volcanic phenomena. This was made possible by utilizing GPS and computer-controlled flight direction and stabilization to acquire and track target areas within the Mount St. Helens crater. It was also determined that additional light-weight sensor development will be needed to enable autonomous measurements of volcanic gasses and imaging in poor-weather conditions. Copyright ?? 2005 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring the Sumatra volcanic arc with InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaussard, E.; Hong, S.; Amelung, F.

2009-12-01

The Sumatra volcanic arc is the result of the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate under the Sunda plate. The arc consists of 35 known volcanic centers, subaerials on the west coast of the Sumatra and Andaman Islands and submarines between these islands. Six active centers are known in the Sumatra volcanic arc. Surface deformation in volcanic areas usually indicates movement of magma or hydrothermal fluids at depth. Here we present a satellite-based Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) survey of the Sumatra volcanic arc using ALOS data. Spanning the years 2007 to beginning of 2009, our survey reveals the background level of activity of the 35 volcanoes. We processed data from 40 tracks (24 in descending orbit and 16 in ascending orbit) to cover the whole Sumatra arc. In the first results five of these six known active centers show no sign of activity: Dempo, Kaba, Marapi, Talang and Peuet. The remaining active volcano, Mount Kerinci, has an ambiguous signal. We used pair-wise logic and InSAR time series of the available ALOS data to determine if the observed InSAR signal is caused by ground deformation or by atmospheric delays.

Monitoring Eruptive Activity at Mount St. Helens with TIR Image Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, R. G.; Hook, S. J.; Ramsey, M. S.; Realmuto, V. J.; Schneider, D. J.

2005-01-01

Thermal infrared (TIR) data from the MASTER airborne imaging spectrometer were acquired over Mount St. Helens in Sept and Oct, 2004, before and after the onset of recent eruptive activity. Pre-eruption data showed no measurable increase in surface temperatures before the first phreatic eruption on Oct 1. MASTER data acquired during the initial eruptive episode on Oct 14 showed maximum temperatures of similar to approximately 330 C and TIR data acquired concurrently from a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera showed maximum temperatures similar to approximately 675 C, in narrow (approximately 1-m) fractures of molten rock on a new resurgent dome. MASTER and FLIR thermal flux calculations indicated a radiative cooling rate of approximately 714 J/m(exp 2)/s over the new dome, corresponding to a radiant power of approximately 24 MW. MASTER data indicated the new dome was dacitic in composition, and digital elevation data derived from LIDAR acquired concurrently with MASTER showed that the dome growth correlated with the areas of elevated temperatures. Low SO2 concentrations in the plume combined with sub-optimal viewing conditions prohibited quantitative measurement of plume SO2. The results demonstrate that airborne TIR data can provide information on the temperature of both the surface and plume and the composition of new lava during eruptive episodes. Given sufficient resources, the airborne instrumentation could be deployed rapidly to a newly-awakening volcano and provide a means for remote volcano monitoring.

A model for the magmatic-hydrothermal system at Mount Rainier, Washington, from seismic and geochemical observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, S.C.; Zimbelman, D.R.; Malone, S.D.

2000-01-01

Mount Rainier is one of the most seismically active volcanoes in the Cascade Range, with an average of one to two high-frequency volcano-tectonic (or VT) earthquakes occurring directly beneath the summit in a given month. Despite this level of seismicity, little is known about its cause. The VT earthquakes occur at a steady rate in several clusters below the inferred base of the Quaternary volcanic edifice. More than half of 18 focal mechanisms determined for these events are normal, and most stress axes deviate significantly from the regional stress field. We argue that these characteristics are most consistent with earthquakes in response to processes associated with circulation of fluids and magmatic gases within and below the base of the edifice. Circulation of these fluids and gases has weakened rock and reduced effective stress to the point that gravity-induced brittle fracture, due to the weight of the overlying edifice, can occur. Results from seismic tomography and rock, water, and gas geochemistry studies support this interpretation. We combine constraints from these studies into a model for the magmatic system that includes a large volume of hot rock (temperatures greater than the brittle-ductile transition) with small pockets of melt and/or hot fluids at depths of 8-18 km below the summit. We infer that fluids and heat from this volume reach the edifice via a narrow conduit, resulting in fumarolic activity at the summit, hydrothermal alteration of the edifice, and seismicity.

Space Radar Image of Karisoke & Virunga Volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This is a false-color composite of Central Africa, showing the Virunga volcano chain along the borders of Rwanda, Zaire and Uganda. This area is home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The image was acquired on October 3, 1994, on orbit 58 of the space shuttle Endeavour by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). In this image red is the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received) polarization; green is the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received) polarization; and blue is the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received) polarization. The area is centered at about 2.4 degrees south latitude and 30.8 degrees east longitude. The image covers an area 56 kilometers by 70 kilometers (35 miles by 43 miles). The dark area at the top of the image is Lake Kivu, which forms the border between Zaire (to the right) and Rwanda (to the left). In the center of the image is the steep cone of Nyiragongo volcano, rising 3,465 meters (11,369 feet) high, with its central crater now occupied by a lava lake. To the left are three volcanoes, Mount Karisimbi, rising 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) high; Mount Sabinyo, rising 3,600 meters (12,000 feet) high; and Mount Muhavura, rising 4,100 meters (13,500 feet) high. To their right is Nyamuragira volcano, which is 3,053 meters (10,017 feet) tall, with radiating lava flows dating from the 1950s to the late 1980s. These active volcanoes constitute a hazard to the towns of Goma, Zaire and the nearby Rwandan refugee camps, located on the shore of Lake Kivu at the top left. This radar image highlights subtle differences in the vegetation of the region. The green patch to the center left of the image in the foothills of Karisimbi is a bamboo forest where the mountain gorillas live. The vegetation types in this area are an important factor in the habitat of mountain gorillas. Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in London will use this data to produce vegetation maps of the area to aid in their studies of the last 650 mountain gorillas in the world. The faint lines above the bamboo forest are the result of agricultural terracing by the people who live in the region. Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X-Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The radars illuminate Earth with microwaves, allowing detailed observations at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. SIR-C/X-SAR uses three microwave wavelengths: L-band (24 cm), C-band (6 cm) and X-band (3 cm). The multi-frequency data will be used by the international scientific community to better understand the global environment and how it is changing. The SIR-C/X-SAR data, complemented by aircraft and ground studies, will give scientists clearer insights into those environmental changes which are caused by nature and those changes which are induced by human activity. SIR-C was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. X-SAR was developed by the Dornier and Alenia Spazio companies for the German space agency, Deutsche Agentur fuer Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA), and the Italian space agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), with the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), the major partner in science, operations and data processing of X-SAR.

Multiple scattering from icequakes at Erebus volcano, Antarctica: Implications for imaging at glaciated volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaput, J.; Campillo, M.; Aster, R. C.; Roux, P.; Kyle, P. R.; Knox, H.; Czoski, P.

2015-02-01

We examine seismic coda from an unusually dense deployment of over 100 short-period and broadband seismographs in the summit region of Mount Erebus volcano on a network with an aperture of approximately 5 km. We investigate the energy-partitioning properties of the seismic wavefield generated by thousands of small icequake sources originating on the upper volcano and use them to estimate Green's functions via coda cross correlation. Emergent coda seismograms suggest that this locale should be particularly amenable to such methods. Using a small aperture subarray, we find that modal energy partition between S and P wave energy between ˜1 and 4 Hz occurs in just a few seconds after event onset and persists for tens of seconds. Spatially averaged correlograms display clear body and surface waves that span the full aperture of the array. We test for stable bidirectional Green's function recovery and note that good symmetry can be achieved at this site even with a geographically skewed distribution of sources. We estimate scattering and absorption mean free path lengths and find a power law decrease in mean free path between 1.5 and 3.3 Hz that suggests a quasi-Rayleigh or Rayleigh-Gans scattering situation. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of coherent backscattering (weak localization) for this coda wavefield. The remarkable properties of scattered seismic wavefields in the vicinity of active volcanoes suggests that the abundant small icequake sources may be used for illumination where temporal monitoring of such dynamic structures is concerned.

Degassing dynamics at Mount Etna inferred from radioactive disequilibria (210Pb-210Bi-210Po) in volcanic gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terray, Luca; Gauthier, Pierre-Jean; Salerno, Giuseppe; La Spina, Alessandro; Giammanco, Salvatore; Sellitto, Pasquale; Briole, Pierre

2016-04-01

Volcanic gases are significantly enriched in the last short-half-life radionuclides of the 238U series, namely the so-called Radon daughters 210Pb, 210Bi and 210Po. Because of their contrasted volatilities, these isotopes are strongly fractionated upon degassing, which gives rise to significant radioactive disequilibria between them in the gas phase. These disequilibria carry precious information on shallow degassing processes beneath active volcanoes: they remarkably constrain the magma residence time in the degassing reservoir and the duration of gas extraction from magma to surface. On Mount Etna (Sicily), where the study of these disequilibria was initiated thirty years ago (Lambert et al., EPSL, 1985-86), no measurement of 210Pb, 210Bi and 210Po in the gases has been performed for the last twenty years. Here we present new 210Pb-210Bi-210Po radioactive disequilibria measurements in volcanic plume gases of Mount Etna. Samples were collected in the bulk diluted plume at kilometric distance from the summit area during the May 2015 eruption, then in more concentrated plumes arising from each summit crater of Etna during quiescent degassing in July 2015. We found values of (210Bi/210Pb) = 7.0 ± 0.3 and (210Po/210Pb) = 80 ± 6 during both periods. These results suggest that 210Pb, 210Bi and 210Po are not significantly fractionated during the transport of the plume from the crater rim to close-downslope sites (<1 km). None of the previous degassing models (Lambert et al., EPSL, 1985-86 ; Gauthier et al., JVGR, 2000) satisfactorily explain measured activity ratios. We propose here a new degassing model based on the previous conceptualization designed for basaltic open-conduit volcanoes, like Stromboli. This model considers extreme Radon enrichments in volcanic gases as a source of 210Pb atoms produced by radioactive decay of 222Rn within gas bubbles travelling to surface. We constrain a magma residence time of 470 ± 170 days and an extraction time of the gases of 4.9 ± 0.8 days. Along with SO2 fluxes, we also derive a volume of the degassing reservoir of 0.2-0.6 km3 in good agreement with previous estimates. Results gathered from these campaigns have intriguing implication for potential routine survey of the plume radioactivity, as part of the monitoring network of active volcanoes.

Trace element and Pb isotope composition of plagioclase from dome samples from the 2004-2005 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Chapter 35 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kent, Adam J.R.; Rowe, Michael C.; Thornber, Carl R.; Pallister, John S.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Plagioclase crystals from gabbronorite inclusions in three dacite samples have markedly different trace-element and Pbisotope compositions from those of plagioclase phenocrysts, despite having a similar range of anorthite contents. Inclusions show some systematic differences from each other but typically have higher Ti, Ba, LREE, and Pb and lower Sr and have lower 208Pb/206Pb and 207Pb/206Pb ratios than coexisting plagioclase phenocrysts. The compositions of plagioclase from inclusions cannot be related to phenocryst compositions by any reasonable petrologic model. From this we suggest that they are unlikely to represent magmatic cumulates or restite inclusions but instead are samples of mafic Tertiary basement from beneath the volcano.

Genetic structure among coastal tailed frog populations of Mount St. Helens is moderated by post-disturbance management

Treesearch

Stephen F. Spear; Charles M. Crisafulli; Andrew Storfer

2012-01-01

Catastrophic disturbances often provide “natural laboratories” that allow for greater understanding of ecological processes and response of natural populations. The 1980 eruption of the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington, USA, provided a unique opportunity to test biotic effects of a large-scale stochastic disturbance, as well as the influence of post-disturbance...

Analysis of GPS-measured deformation associated with the 2004-2006 dome-building eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Chapter 15 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lisowski, Michael; Dzurisin, Daniel; Denlinger, Roger P.; Iwatsubo, Eugene Y.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

. The discrepancy between the estimated cavity-volume loss and the >83×106-m3 volume of the erupted dome can be explained, for the most part, by exsolution of gas in the stored magma and by minor input of new magma during the eruption.

A Mars Rover Mission Simulation on Kilauea Volcano

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoker, Carol; Cuzzi, Jeffery N. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

A field experiment to simulate a rover mission on Mars was performed using the Russian Marsokhod rover deployed on Kilauea Volcano HI in February, 1995. A Russian Marsokhod rover chassis was equipped with American avionics equipment, stereo cameras on a pan and tilt platform, a digital high resolution body-mounted camera, and a manipulator arm on which was mounted a camera with a close-up lens. The six wheeled rover is 2 meters long and has a mass of 120 kg. The imaging system was designed to simulate that used on the planned "Mars Together" mission. The rover was deployed on Kilauea Volcano HI and operated from NASA Ames by a team of planetary geologists and exobiologists. Two modes of mission operations were simulated for three days each: (1) long time delay, low data bandwidth (simulating a Mars mission), and (2) live video, wide-bandwidth data (allowing active control simulating a Lunar rover mission or a Mars rover mission controlled from on or near the Martian surface). Simulated descent images (aerial photographs) were used to plan traverses to address a detailed set of science questions. The actual route taken was determined by the science team and the traverse path was frequently changed in response to the data acquired and to unforeseen operational issues. Traverses were thereby optimized to efficiently answer scientific questions. During the Mars simulation, the rover traversed a distance of 800 m. Based on the time delay between Earth and Mars, we estimate that the same operation would have taken 30 days to perform on Mars. This paper will describe the mission simulation and make recommendations about incorporating rovers into the Mars surveyor program.

Tracking the movement of Hawaiian volcanoes; Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dvorak, J.J.

1992-01-01

At some well-studied volcanoes, surface movements of at least several centimeters take place out to distances of about 10 km from the summit of the volcano. Widespread deformation of this type is relatively easy to monitor, because the necessary survey stations can be placed at favorable sites some distance from the summit of the volcano. Examples of deformation of this type include Kilauea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii, Krafla in Iceland, Long Valley in California, Camp Flegrei in Italy, and Sakurajima in Japan. In contrast, surface movement at some other volcanoes, usually volcanoes with steep slopes, is restricted to places within about 1 km of their summits. Examples of this class of volcanoes include Mount St. Helens in Washington, Etna in Italy, and Tangkuban Parahu in Indonesia. Local movement on remote, rugged volcanoes of this type is difficult to observe using conventional methods of measuring ground movement, which generally require a clear line-of-sight between points of interest. However, a revolutionary new technique, called the Global Positional System (GPS), provides a very efficient, alternative method of making such measurements. GPS, which uses satellites and ground-based receivers to accurately record slight crustal movements, is rapidly becoming the method of choice to measure deformation at volcanoes. 

Mount Ararat, Turkey, Perspective with Landsat Image Overlay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This perspective view shows Mount Ararat in easternmost Turkey, which has been the site of several searches for the remains of Noah's Ark. The main peak, known as Great Ararat, is the tallest peak in Turkey, rising to 5165 meters (16,945 feet). This southerly, near horizontal view additionally shows the distinctly conically shaped peak known as 'Little Ararat' on the left. Both peaks are volcanoes that are geologically young, but activity during historic times is uncertain.

This image was generated from a Landsat satellite image draped over an elevation model produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The view uses a 1.25-times vertical exaggeration to enhance topographic expression. Natural colors of the scene are enhanced by image processing, inclusion of some infrared reflectance (as green) to highlight the vegetation pattern, and inclusion of shading of the elevation model to further highlight the topographic features.

Volcanoes pose hazards for people, the most obvious being the threat of eruption. But other hazards are associated with volcanoes too. In 1840 an earthquake shook the Mount Ararat region, causing an unstable part of mountain's north slope to tumble into and destroy a village. Visualizations of satellite imagery when combined with elevation models can be used to reveal such hazards leading to disaster prevention through improved land use planning.

But the hazards of volcanoes are balanced in part by the benefits they provide. Over geologic time volcanic materials break down to form fertile soils. Cultivation of these soils has fostered and sustained civilizations, as has occurred in the Mount Ararat region. Likewise, tall volcanic peaks often catch precipitation, providing a water supply to those civilizations. Mount Ararat hosts an icefield and set of glaciers, as seen here in this late summer scene, that are part of this beneficial natural process

Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC.

View Size: 124 kilometers (77 miles) wide, 148 kilometers (92 miles) distance Location: 39.7 degrees North latitude, 44.3 degrees East longitude Orientation: Looking South, 2 degrees down from horizontal, 1.25X vertical exaggeration Image Data: Landsat Bands 1, 2+4, 3 as blue, green, red respectively Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), August 31, 1989 (Landsat)

Geologic field trip guide to Mount Mazama and Crater Lake Caldera, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, Charles R.; Wright, Heather M.

2017-08-08

Crater Lake partly fills one of the most spectacular calderas of the world—an 8 by 10 kilometer (km) basin more than 1 km deep formed by collapse of the Mount Mazama volcano during a rapid series of explosive eruptions ~7,700 years ago. Having a maximum depth of 594 meters (m), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake National Park, dedicated in 1902, encompasses 645 square kilometers (km2) of pristine forested and alpine terrain, including the lake itself, and virtually all of Mount Mazama. The geology of the area was first described in detail by Diller and Patton (1902) and later by Williams (1942), whose vivid account led to international recognition of Crater Lake as the classic collapse caldera. Because of excellent preservation and access, Mount Mazama, Crater Lake caldera, and the deposits formed by the climactic eruption constitute a natural laboratory for study of volcanic and magmatic processes. For example, the climactic ejecta are renowned among volcanologists as evidence for systematic compositional zonation within a subterranean magma chamber. Mount Mazama’s climactic eruption also is important as the source of the widespread Mazama ash, a useful Holocene stratigraphic marker throughout the Pacific Northwest United States, adjacent Canada, and offshore. A detailed bathymetric survey of the floor of Crater Lake in 2000 (Bacon and others, 2002) provides a unique record of postcaldera eruptions, the interplay between volcanism and filling of the lake, and sediment transport within this closed basin. Knowledge of the geology and eruptive history of the Mount Mazama edifice, enhanced by the caldera wall exposures, gives exceptional insight into how large volcanoes of magmatic arcs grow and evolve. In addition, many smaller volcanoes of the High Cascades beyond the limits of Mount Mazama provide information on the flux of mantle-derived magma through the region. General principles of magmatic and eruptive processes revealed by geologic research at Crater Lake have been incorporated not only in scientific investigations elsewhere, but also in the practical evaluation of local hazards (Bacon and others, 1997b) and geothermal resources (Bacon and Nathenson, 1996). The 1:24,000-scale geologic map of Mount Mazama and Crater Lake caldera (Bacon, 2008) is unusual because it portrays bedrock (outcrop), surficial, and lake floor geology. Caldera wall geology is depicted in detail on the accompanying geologic panoramas, and bedrock geology is shown in a 1:50,000-scale geologic map. This field guide supersedes earlier geology guides of Crater Lake (Bacon, 1987, 1989).

Geologic Map of Mount Mazama and Crater Lake Caldera, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, Charles R.

2008-01-01

Crater Lake partly fills one of the most spectacular calderas of the world, an 8-by-10-km basin more than 1 km deep formed by collapse of the volcano known as Mount Mazama (fig. 1) during a rapid series of explosive eruptions about 7,700 years ago. Having a maximum depth of 594 m, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake National Park, dedicated in 1902, encompasses 645 km2 of pristine forested and alpine terrain, including the lake itself, virtually all of Mount Mazama, and most of the area of the geologic map. The geology of the area was first described in detail by Diller and Patton (1902) and later by Williams (1942), whose vivid account led to international recognition of Crater Lake as the classic collapse caldera. Because of excellent preservation and access, Mount Mazama, Crater Lake caldera, and the deposits formed by the climactic eruption constitute a natural laboratory for study of volcanic and magmatic processes. For example, the climactic ejecta are renowned among volcanologists as evidence for systematic compositional zonation within a subterranean magma chamber. Mount Mazama's climactic eruption also is important as the source of the widespread Mazama ash, a useful Holocene stratigraphic marker throughout the Pacific Northwest, adjacent Canada, and offshore. A detailed bathymetric survey of the floor of Crater Lake in 2000 (Bacon and others, 2002) provides a unique record of postcaldera eruptions, the interplay between volcanism and filling of the lake, and sediment transport within this closed basin. Knowledge of the geology and eruptive history of the Mount Mazama edifice, greatly enhanced by the caldera wall exposures, gives exceptional insight into how large volcanoes of magmatic arcs grow and evolve. Lastly, the many smaller volcanoes of the High Cascades beyond the limits of Mount Mazama are a source of information on the flux of mantle-derived magma through the region. General principles of magmatic and eruptive processes revealed by the present study have been incorporated not only in scientific investigations elsewhere, but in the practical evaluation of hazards (Bacon and others, 1997b) and geothermal resources (Bacon and Nathenson, 1996) in the Crater Lake region. In addition to papers in scientific journals, field trip guides, and the hazard and geothermal reports, the major product of this long-term study of Mount Mazama is the geologic map. The map is unusual because it portrays bedrock (outcrop), surficial, and lake floor geology. Caldera wall geology is depicted in detail on the accompanying geologic panoramas.

An overview of the dynamics of the Volcanic Paroxysmal Explosive Activity, and related seismicity, at andesitic and dacitic volcanoes (1960-2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zobin, Vyacheslav M.

2018-05-01

Understanding volcanic paroxysmal explosive activity requires the knowledge of many associated processes. An overview of the dynamics of paroxysmal explosive eruptions (PEEs) at andesitic and dacitic volcanoes occurring between 1960 and 2010 is presented here. This overview is based mainly on a description of the pre-eruptive and eruptive events, as well as on the related seismic measurements. The selected eruptions are grouped according to their Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). A first group includes three eruptions of VEI 5-6 (Mount St. Helens, 1980; El Chichón, 1982, and Pinatubo, 1991) and a second group includes three eruptions of VEI 3 (Usu volcano, 1977; Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV), 1996, and Volcán de Colima, 2005). The PEEs of the first group have similarity in their developments that allows to propose a 5-stage scheme of their dynamics process. Between these stages are: long (more than 120 years) period of quiescence (stage 1), preliminary volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquake swarm (stage 2), period of phreatic explosions (stage 3) and then, PEE appearance (stage 4). It was shown also that the PEEs of this group during their Plinian stage "triggered" the earthquake sequences beneath the volcanic structures with the maximum magnitude of earthquakes proportional to the volume of ejecta of PEEs (stage 5). Three discussed PEEs of the second group with lower VEI developed in more individual styles, not keeping within any general scheme. Among these, one PEE (SHV) may be considered as partly following in development to the PEEs of the first group, having stages 1, 3 and 4. The PEEs of Usu volcano and of Volcán de Colima had no preliminary long-term stages of quiescence. The PEE at Usu volcano came just at the end of the preceding short swarm of VT earthquakes. At Volcán de Colima, no preceding swarm of VT occurred. This absence of any regularity in development of lower VEI eruptions may refer, among other reasons, to different conditions of opening of the magmatic conduit during these eruptions.

Clustering and classification of infrasonic events at Mount Etna using pattern recognition techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannata, A.; Montalto, P.; Aliotta, M.; Cassisi, C.; Pulvirenti, A.; Privitera, E.; Patanè, D.

2011-04-01

Active volcanoes generate sonic and infrasonic signals, whose investigation provides useful information for both monitoring purposes and the study of the dynamics of explosive phenomena. At Mt. Etna volcano (Italy), a pattern recognition system based on infrasonic waveform features has been developed. First, by a parametric power spectrum method, the features describing and characterizing the infrasound events were extracted: peak frequency and quality factor. Then, together with the peak-to-peak amplitude, these features constituted a 3-D ‘feature space’; by Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise algorithm (DBSCAN) three clusters were recognized inside it. After the clustering process, by using a common location method (semblance method) and additional volcanological information concerning the intensity of the explosive activity, we were able to associate each cluster to a particular source vent and/or a kind of volcanic activity. Finally, for automatic event location, clusters were used to train a model based on Support Vector Machine, calculating optimal hyperplanes able to maximize the margins of separation among the clusters. After the training phase this system automatically allows recognizing the active vent with no location algorithm and by using only a single station.

Investigation of Volcanic Seismo-Acoustic Signals: Applying Subspace Detection to Lava Fountain Activity at Etna Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciotto, M.; Rowe, C. A.; Cannata, A.; Arrowsmith, S.; Privitera, E.; Gresta, S.

2011-12-01

The current eruption of Mount Etna, which began in January, 2011, has produced numerous energetic episodes of lava fountaining, which have bee recorded by the INGV seismic and acoustic sensors located on and around the volcano. The source of these events was the pit crater on the east flank of the Southeast crater of Etna. Simultaneously, small levels of activity were noted in the Bocca Nuova as well, prior to its lava fountaining activity. We will present an analysis of seismic and acoustic signals related to the 2011 activity wherein we apply the method of subspace detection to determine whether the source exhibits a temporal evolution within or between fountaining events, or otherwise produces repeating, classifiable events occurring through the continuous explosive degassing. We will examine not only the raw waveforms, but also spectral variations in time as well as time-varying statistical functions such as signal skewness and kurtosis. These results will be compared to straightforward cross-correlation analysis. In addition to classification performance, the subspace method has promise to outperform standard STA/LTA methods for real-time event detection in cases where similar events can be expected.

Eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to 1917

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clynne, Michael A.; Christiansen, Robert L.; Felger, Tracey J.; Stauffer, Peter H.; Hendley, James W.

1999-01-01

On May 22, 1915, an explosive eruption at Lassen Peak, California, the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range, devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a 1914–17 series of eruptions that were the last to occur in the Cascades before the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington. Recent work by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the National Park Service is shedding new light on these eruptions.

Digital Geologic Map Database of Medicine Lake Volcano, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsey, D. W.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Felger, T. J.

2010-12-01

Medicine Lake volcano, located in the southern Cascades ~55 km east-northeast of Mount Shasta, is a large rear-arc, shield-shaped volcano with an eruptive history spanning nearly 500 k.y. Geologic mapping of Medicine Lake volcano has been digitally compiled as a spatial database in ArcGIS. Within the database, coverage feature classes have been created representing geologic lines (contacts, faults, lava tubes, etc.), geologic unit polygons, and volcanic vent location points. The database can be queried to determine the spatial distributions of different rock types, geologic units, and other geologic and geomorphic features. These data, in turn, can be used to better understand the evolution, growth, and potential hazards of this large, rear-arc Cascades volcano. Queries of the database reveal that the total area covered by lavas of Medicine Lake volcano, which range in composition from basalt through rhyolite, is about 2,200 km2, encompassing all or parts of 27 U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000-scale topographic quadrangles. The maximum extent of these lavas is about 80 km north-south by 45 km east-west. Occupying the center of Medicine Lake volcano is a 7 km by 12 km summit caldera in which nestles its namesake, Medicine Lake. The flanks of the volcano, which are dotted with cinder cones, slope gently upward to the caldera rim, which reaches an elevation of nearly 2,440 m. Approximately 250 geologic units have been mapped, only half a dozen of which are thin surficial units such as alluvium. These volcanic units mostly represent eruptive events, each commonly including a vent (dome, cinder cone, spatter cone, etc.) and its associated lava flow. Some cinder cones have not been matched to lava flows, as the corresponding flows are probably buried, and some flows cannot be correlated with vents. The largest individual units on the map are all basaltic in composition, including the late Pleistocene basalt of Yellowjacket Butte (296 km2 exposed), the largest unit on the map, whose area is partly covered by a late Holocene andesite flow. Silicic lava flows are mostly confined to the main edifice of the volcano, with the youngest rhyolite flows found in and near the summit caldera, including the rhyolitic Little Glass Mountain (~1,000 yr B.P.) and Glass Mountain (~950 yr B.P.) flows, which are the youngest eruptions at Medicine Lake volcano. In postglacial time, 17 eruptions have added approximately 7.5 km3 to the volcano’s total estimated volume of 600 km3, which may be the largest by volume among Cascade Range volcanoes. The volcano has erupted nine times in the past 5,200 years, a rate more frequent than has been documented at all other Cascade volcanoes except Mount St. Helens.

Detection, Source Location, and Analysis of Volcano Infrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKee, Kathleen F.

The study of volcano infrasound focuses on low frequency sound from volcanoes, how volcanic processes produce it, and the path it travels from the source to our receivers. In this dissertation we focus on detecting, locating, and analyzing infrasound from a number of different volcanoes using a variety of analysis techniques. These works will help inform future volcano monitoring using infrasound with respect to infrasonic source location, signal characterization, volatile flux estimation, and back-azimuth to source determination. Source location is an important component of the study of volcano infrasound and in its application to volcano monitoring. Semblance is a forward grid search technique and common source location method in infrasound studies as well as seismology. We evaluated the effectiveness of semblance in the presence of significant topographic features for explosions of Sakurajima Volcano, Japan, while taking into account temperature and wind variations. We show that topographic obstacles at Sakurajima cause a semblance source location offset of 360-420 m to the northeast of the actual source location. In addition, we found despite the consistent offset in source location semblance can still be a useful tool for determining periods of volcanic activity. Infrasonic signal characterization follows signal detection and source location in volcano monitoring in that it informs us of the type of volcanic activity detected. In large volcanic eruptions the lowermost portion of the eruption column is momentum-driven and termed the volcanic jet or gas-thrust zone. This turbulent fluid-flow perturbs the atmosphere and produces a sound similar to that of jet and rocket engines, known as jet noise. We deployed an array of infrasound sensors near an accessible, less hazardous, fumarolic jet at Aso Volcano, Japan as an analogue to large, violent volcanic eruption jets. We recorded volcanic jet noise at 57.6° from vertical, a recording angle not normally feasible in volcanic environments. The fumarolic jet noise was found to have a sustained, low amplitude signal with a spectral peak between 7-10 Hz. From thermal imagery we measure the jet temperature ( 260 °C) and estimate the jet diameter ( 2.5 m). From the estimated jet diameter, an assumed Strouhal number of 0.19, and the jet noise peak frequency, we estimated the jet velocity to be 79 - 132 m/s. We used published gas data to then estimate the volatile flux at 160 - 270 kg/s (14,000 - 23,000 t/d). These estimates are typically difficult to obtain in volcanic environments, but provide valuable information on the eruption. At regional and global length scales we use infrasound arrays to detect signals and determine their source back-azimuths. A ground coupled airwave (GCA) occurs when an incident acoustic pressure wave encounters the Earth's surface and part of the energy of the wave is transferred to the ground. GCAs are commonly observed from sources such as volcanic eruptions, bolides, meteors, and explosions. They have been observed to have retrograde particle motion. When recorded on collocated seismo-acoustic sensors, the phase between the infrasound and seismic signals is 90°. If the sensors are separated wind noise is usually incoherent and an additional phase is added due to the sensor separation. We utilized the additional phase and the characteristic particle motion to determine a unique back-azimuth solution to an acoustic source. The additional phase will be different depending on the direction from which a wave arrives. Our technique was tested using synthetic seismo-acoustic data from a coupled Earth-atmosphere 3D finite difference code and then applied to two well-constrained datasets: Mount St. Helens, USA, and Mount Pagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Volcanoes. The results from our method are within <1° - 5° of the actual and traditional infrasound array processing determined back-azimuths. Ours is a new method to detect and determine the back-azimuth to infrasonic signals, which will be useful when financial and spatial resources are limited.

Eruptive pattern classification on Mount Etna (Sicily) and Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falsaperla, Susanna; Langer, Horst; Ferrazzini, Valérie

2016-04-01

In the framework of the European MEDiterrranean Supersite Volcanoes (MED­SUV) project, Mt. Etna (Italy) and Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion) were chosen as "European Supersite Demonstrator" and test site, respectively, to promote the transfer and implementation of efficient tools for the identification of impending volcanic activity. Both are "open-conduit volcanoes", forming ideal sites for the test and validation of innovative concepts, which can contribute to minimize volcanic hazard. One of the aims of the MED-SUV project was the development of software for machine learning applicable to data processing for early-warning purposes. Near-real time classification of continuous seismic data stream has been carried out in the control room of INGV Osservatorio Etneo since 2010. Subsequently, automatic alert procedures were activated. In the light of the excellent results for the 24/7 surveillance of Etna, we examine the portability of tools developed in the framework of the project when applied to seismic data recorded at Piton de la Fournaise. In the present application to data recorded at Piton de la Fournaise, the classifier aims at highlighting changes in the frequency content of the background seismic signal heralding the activation of the volcanic source and the imminent eruption. We describe the preliminary results of this test on a set of data of nearly two years starting on January 2014. This period follows three years of inactivity and deflation of the volcano and marks a renewal of the volcano activity with inflation, deep seismicity (-7km bsl) and five eruptions with fountains and lava flows that lasted from a few hours to more than two months. We discuss here the necessary tuning for the implementation of the software to the new dataset analyzed. We also propose a comparison with the results of pattern classification regarding recent eruptive activity at Etna.

Eruptive history and geochronology of the Mount Baker volcanic field, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, W.; Fierstein, J.; Lanphere, M.

2003-01-01

Mount Baker, a steaming, ice-mantled, andesitic stratovolcano, is the most conspicuous component of a multivent Quaternary volcanic field active almost continuously since 1.3 Ma. More than 70 packages of lava flows and ~110 dikes have been mapped, ???500 samples chemically analyzed, and ~80 K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages determined. Principal components are (1) the ignimbrite-filled Kulshan caldera (1.15 Ma) and its precaldera and postcaldera rhyodacite lavas and dikes (1.29-0.99 Ma); (2)~60 intracaldera, hydrothermally altered, andesite-dacite dikes and pods-remnants of a substantial early-postcaldera volcanic center (1.1-0.6 Ma); (3) unaltered intracaldera andesite lavas and dikes, including those capping Ptarmigan and Lasiocarpa Ridges and Table Mountain (0.5-0.2 Ma); (4) the long-lived Chowder Ridge focus (1.29-0.1 Ma)-an andesite to rhyodacite eruptive complex now glacially reduced to ~50 dikes and remnants of ~10 lava flows; (5) Black Buttes stratocone, basaltic to dacitic, and several contemporaneous peripheral volcanoes (0.5-0.2 Ma); and (6) Mount Baker stratocone and contemporaneous peripheral volcanoes (0.1 Ma to Holocene). Glacial ice has influenced eruptions and amplified erosion throughout the lifetime of the volcanic field. Although more than half the material erupted has been eroded, liberal and conservative volume estimates for 77 increments of known age yield cumulative curves of volume erupted vs. time that indicate eruption rates in the range 0.17-0.43 km3/k.y. for major episodes and longterm background rates of 0.02-0.07 km3/k.y. Andesite and rhyodacite each make up nearly half of the 161 ?? 56 km3 of products erupted, whereas basalt and dacite represent only a few cubic kilometers, each representing 1%-3% the total. During the past 4 m.y., the principal magmatic focus has migrated stepwise 25 km southwestward, from the edge of the Chilliwack batholith to present-day Mount Baker.

Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for the Katmai volcanic cluster, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fierstein, Judy; Hildreth, Wes

2000-01-01

The world’s largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century broke out at Novarupta (fig. 1) in June 1912, filling with hot ash what came to be called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and spreading downwind more fallout than all other historical Alaskan eruptions combined. Although almost all the magma vented at Novarupta, most of it had been stored beneath Mount Katmai 10 km away, which collapsed during the eruption. Airborne ash from the 3-day event blanketed all of southern Alaska, and its gritty fallout was reported as far away as Dawson, Ketchikan, and Puget Sound (fig. 21). Volcanic dust and sulfurous aerosol were detected within days over Wisconsin and Virginia; within 2 weeks over California, Europe, and North Africa; and in latter-day ice cores recently drilled on the Greenland ice cap. There were no aircraft in Alaska in 1912—fortunately! Corrosive acid aerosols damage aircraft, and ingestion of volcanic ash can cause abrupt jet-engine failure. Today, more than 200 flights a day transport 20,000 people and a fortune in cargo within range of dozens of restless volcanoes in the North Pacific. Air routes from the Far East to Europe and North America pass over and near Alaska, many flights refueling in Anchorage. Had this been so in 1912, every airport from Dillingham to Dawson and from Fairbanks to Seattle would have been enveloped in ash, leaving pilots no safe option but to turn back or find refuge at an Aleutian airstrip west of the ash cloud. Downwind dust and aerosol could have disrupted air traffic anywhere within a broad swath across Canada and the Midwest, perhaps even to the Atlantic coast. The great eruption of 1912 focused scientific attention on Novarupta, and subsequent research there has taught us much about the processes and hazards associated with such large explosive events (Fierstein and Hildreth, 1992). Moreover, work in the last decade has identified no fewer than 20 discrete volcanic vents within 15 km of Novarupta (Hildreth and others, 1999, 2000, 2001; Hildreth and Fierstein, 2000), only half of which had been named previously—the four stratovolcanoes Mounts Katmai, Mageik, Martin, and Griggs; the cone cluster called Trident Volcano; Snowy Mountain; and the three lava domes Novarupta, Mount Cerberus, and Falling Mountain. The most recent eruptions were from Trident Volcano (1953–74), but there have been at least eight other, probably larger, explosive events from the volcanoes of this area in the past 10,000 years. This report summarizes what has been learned about the volcanic histories and styles of eruption of all these volcanoes. Many large earthquakes occurred before and during the 1912 eruption, and the cluster of Katmai volcanoes remains seismically active. Because we expect an increase in seismicity before eruptions, seismic monitoring efforts to detect volcanic unrest and procedures for eruption notification and dissemination of information are included in this report. Most at risk from future eruptions of the Katmai volcanic cluster are (1) air-traffic corridors of the North Pacific, including those approaching Anchorage, one of the Pacific’s busiest international airports, (2) several regional airports and military air bases, (3) fisheries and navigation on the Naknek Lake system and Shelikof Strait, (4) pristine wildlife habitat, particularly that of the Alaskan brown bear, and (5) tourist facilities in and near Katmai National Park.

Spontaneous involution of keratoacanthoma, iconographic documentation and similarity with volcanoes of nature.

PubMed

Enei Gahona, Maria Leonor; Machado Filho, Carlos d' Aparecida Santos

2012-01-01

Through iconography, we show a case of keratoacanthoma (KA) on the nasal dorsum at two different stages of evolution (maturation and regression) and its similarity with images of the Mount St. Helens volcano and the Orcus Patera crater. Using these illustrations, we highlight why the crateriform aspect of this tumor is included in its classic clinical description. Moreover, we photographically documented the self-involuting tendency of KA, an aspect that is seldom documented in the literature.

Reducing volcanic risk; are we winning some battles but losing the war?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, R.I.

1991-01-01

Historically, significant advances in volcanology have been catalyzed by volcanic disasters or crises, reflecting the the simple fact that volcanoes seem to receive serious scientific and public attention only when they cause, or threaten to cause, trouble. For example, three deadly eruptions in 1902, Mount Pelee, Santa Maria, and Soufriere (St.Vincent), spurred the movement to establish permanent volcano observatories there. Profoundly impresses by the devastation cused by Mont Pelee, Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr. founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) in 1912. Since then, studies conducted at HVO and new observatories have been pivotal in transforming the nascent science of volcanology into the multidisciplinary science that it is today. 

Remote Monitoring of Post-eruption Volcano Environment Based-On Wireless Sensor Network (WSN): The Mount Sinabung Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soeharwinto; Sinulingga, Emerson; Siregar, Baihaqi

2017-01-01

An accurate information can be useful for authorities to make good policies for preventive and mitigation after volcano eruption disaster. Monitoring of environmental parameters of post-eruption volcano provides an important information for authorities. Such monitoring system can be develop using the Wireless Network Sensor technology. Many application has been developed using the Wireless Sensor Network technology, such as floods early warning system, sun radiation mapping, and watershed monitoring. This paper describes the implementation of a remote environment monitoring system of mount Sinabung post-eruption. The system monitor three environmental parameters: soil condition, water quality and air quality (outdoor). Motes equipped with proper sensors, as components of the monitoring system placed in sample locations. The measured value from the sensors periodically sends to data server using 3G/GPRS communication module. The data can be downloaded by the user for further analysis.The measurement and data analysis results generally indicate that the environmental parameters in the range of normal/standard condition. The sample locations are safe for living and suitable for cultivation, but awareness is strictly required due to the uncertainty of Sinabung status.

Origin of the pulse-like signature of shallow long-period volcano seismicity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chouet, Bernard A.; Dawson, Phillip B.

2016-01-01

Short-duration, pulse-like long-period (LP) events are a characteristic type of seismicity accompanying eruptive activity at Mount Etna in Italy in 2004 and 2008 and at Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica and Ubinas Volcano in Peru in 2009. We use the discrete wave number method to compute the free surface response in the near field of a rectangular tensile crack embedded in a homogeneous elastic half space and to gain insights into the origin of the LP pulses. Two source models are considered, including (1) a vertical fluid-driven crack and (2) a unilateral tensile rupture growing at a fixed sub-Rayleigh velocity with constant opening on a vertical crack. We apply cross correlation to the synthetics and data to demonstrate that a fluid-driven crack provides a natural explanation for these data with realistic source sizes and fluid properties. Our modeling points to shallow sources (<1 km depth), whose signatures are representative of the Rayleigh pulse sampled at epicentral distances >∼1 km. While a slow-rupture failure provides another potential model for these events, the synthetics and resulting fits to the data are not optimal in this model compared to a fluid-driven source. We infer that pulse-like LP signatures are parts of the continuum of responses produced by shallow fluid-driven sources in volcanoes.

Long-term autonomous volcanic gas monitoring with Multi-GAS at Mount St. Helens, Washington, and Augustine Volcano, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, P. J.; Ketner, D. M.; Kern, C.; Lahusen, R. G.; Lockett, C.; Parker, T.; Paskievitch, J.; Pauk, B.; Rinehart, A.; Werner, C. A.

2015-12-01

In recent years, the USGS Volcano Hazards Program has worked to implement continuous real-time in situ volcanic gas monitoring at volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska. The main goal of this ongoing effort is to better link the compositions of volcanic gases to other real-time monitoring data, such as seismicity and deformation, in order to improve baseline monitoring and early detection of volcanic unrest. Due to the remote and difficult-to-access nature of volcanic-gas monitoring sites in the Cascades and Alaska, we developed Multi-GAS instruments that can operate unattended for long periods of time with minimal direct maintenance from field personnel. Our Multi-GAS stations measure H2O, CO2, SO2, and H2S gas concentrations, are comprised entirely of commercial off-the-shelf components, and are powered by small solar energy systems. One notable feature of our Multi-GAS stations is that they include a unique capability to perform automated CO2, SO2, and H2S sensor verifications using portable gas standards while deployed in the field, thereby allowing for rigorous tracking of sensor performances. In addition, we have developed novel onboard data-processing routines that allow diagnostic and monitoring data - including gas ratios (e.g. CO2/SO2) - to be streamed in real time to internal observatory and public web pages without user input. Here we present over one year of continuous data from a permanent Multi-GAS station installed in August 2014 in the crater of Mount St. Helens, Washington, and several months of data from a station installed near the summit of Augustine Volcano, Alaska in June 2015. Data from the Mount St. Helens Multi-GAS station has been streaming to a public USGS site since early 2015, a first for a permanent Multi-GAS site. Neither station has detected significant changes in gas concentrations or compositions since they were installed, consistent with low levels of seismicity and deformation.

A Volcanic Terror and Wonder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shomon, Joseph James

1985-01-01

Recounts the dramatic eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano in 1980. Details the force of the blast, extent of damage, changes in landscape, death toll, vulcanism, and ecosystem recovery. Several black-and-white photographs of the area are included. (DH)

14. Photocopied 1973 from original owned by Albert M. Stiles, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photocopied 1973 from original owned by Albert M. Stiles, Jr., Parkersburg, WV, 1907. MOUNT FARM OIL COMPANY. - West Oil Company Endless Wire Pumping Station, U.S. Route 50 (Volcano vicinity), Petroleum, Ritchie County, WV

Hazard information management during the autumn 2004 reawakening of Mount St. Helens volcano, Washington: Chapter 24 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driedger, Carolyn L.; Neal, Christina A.; Knappenberger, Tom H.; Needham, Deborah H.; Harper, Robert B.; Steele, William P.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The 2004 reawakening of Mount St. Helens quickly caught the attention of government agencies as well as the international news media and the public. Immediate concerns focused on a repeat of the catastrophic landslide and blast event of May 18, 1980, which remains a vivid memory for many individuals. Within several days of the onset of accelerating seismicity, media inquiries increased exponentially. Personnel at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest soon handled hundreds of press inquiries and held several press briefings per day. About one week into the event, a Joint Information Center was established to help maintain a consistent hazard message and to provide a centralized information source about volcanic activity, hazards, area closures, and media briefings. Scientists, public-affairs specialists, and personnel from emergency-management, health, public-safety, and land-management agencies answered phones, helped in press briefings and interviews, and managed media access to colleagues working on science and safety issues. For scientists, in addition to managing the cycle of daily fieldwork, challenges included (1) balancing accurate interpretations of data under crisis conditions with the need to share information quickly, (2) articulating uncertainties for a variety of volcanic scenarios, (3) minimizing scientific jargon, and (4) frequently updating and effectively distributing talking points. Success of hazard information management during a volcanic crisis depends largely on scientists’ clarity of communication and thorough preplanning among interagency partners. All parties must commit to after-action evaluation and improvement of communication plans, incorporating lessons learned during each event.

Eruption of Trident Volcano, Katmai National Monument, Alaska, February-June 1953

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, George L.

1954-01-01

Trident Volcano, one of several 'extinct' volcanoes in Katmai National Monument, erupted on February 15, 1953. Observers in a U. S. Navy plane, 50 miles away, and in King Salmon, 75 miles away, reported an initial column of smoke that rose to an estimated 30, 000 feet. Thick smoke and fog on the succeeding 2 days prevented observers from identifying the erupting volcano or assessing the severity of the eruption. It is almost certain, however, that during the latter part of this foggy period, either Mount Martin or Mount Mageik, or both, were also erupting sizable ash clouds nearby. The first close aerial observations were made in clear weather on February 18. At this time a thick, blocky lava flow was seen issuing slowly from a new vent at an altitude of 3,600 feet on the southwest flank of Trident Volcano. Other volcanic orifices in the area were only steaming mildly on this and succeeding days. Observations made in the following weeks from Naval aircraft patrolling the area indicated that both gas and ash evolution and lava extrusion from the Trident vent were continuing without major interruption. By March 11 an estimated 80-160 million cubic yards of rock material had been extruded. Air photographs taken in April and June show that the extrusion of lava had continued intermittently and, by June 17, the volume of the pile was perhaps 300-400 million cubic yards of rock material. Ash eruptions also apparently occurred sporadically during this period, the last significant surge taking place June 30. No civilian or military installations have been endangered by this eruption at the date of writing.

Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hotovec-Ellis, A. J.; Vidale, J. E.; Gomberg, J.; Thelen, W.; Moran, S. C.

2015-09-01

Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18 year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next 4 years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to quantify small changes in seismic velocity structure (usually <1%) between two similar earthquakes and employed waveforms from several hundred families of repeating earthquakes together to create a continuous function of velocity change observed at permanent stations operated within 20 km of the volcano. The high rate of earthquakes allowed tracking of velocity changes on an hourly time scale. Changes in velocity were largest near the newly extruding dome and likely related to shallow deformation as magma first worked its way to the surface. We found strong correlation between velocity changes and the inverse of real-time seismic amplitude measurements during the first 3 weeks of activity, suggesting that fluctuations of pressure in the shallow subsurface may have driven both seismicity and velocity changes. Velocity changes during the remainder of the eruption likely result from a complex interplay of multiple effects and are not well explained by any single factor alone, highlighting the need for complementary geophysical data when interpreting velocity changes.

Mount St. Helens Flyover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image of Mt. St. Helens volcano in Washington State was acquired on August 8, 2000 and covers an area of 37 by 51 km. Mount Saint Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Range of southwestern Washington that had been dormant since 1857, began to show signs of renewed activity in early 1980. On 18 May 1980, it erupted with such violence that the top of the mountain was blown off, spewing a cloud of ash and gases that rose to an altitude of 19 kilometers. The blast killed about 60 people and destroyed all life in an area of some 180 square kilometers (some 70 square miles), while a much larger area was covered with ash and debris. It continues to spit forth ash and steam intermittently. As a result of the eruption, the mountain's elevation decreased from 2,950 meters to 2,549 meters. The simulated fly-over was produced by draping ASTER visible and near infrared image data over a digital topography model, created from ASTER's 3-D stereo bands. The color was computer enhanced to create a 'natural' color image, where the vegetation appears green. The topography has been exaggerated 2 times to enhance the appearance of the relief. Landsat7 aquired an image of Mt. St. Helens on August 22, 1999. Image and animation courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.

Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hotovec-Ellis, A.J.; Vidale, J.E.; Gomberg, Joan S.; Thelen, Weston A.; Moran, Seth C.

2015-01-01

Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18 year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next 4 years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to quantify small changes in seismic velocity structure (usually <1%) between two similar earthquakes and employed waveforms from several hundred families of repeating earthquakes together to create a continuous function of velocity change observed at permanent stations operated within 20 km of the volcano. The high rate of earthquakes allowed tracking of velocity changes on an hourly time scale. Changes in velocity were largest near the newly extruding dome and likely related to shallow deformation as magma first worked its way to the surface. We found strong correlation between velocity changes and the inverse of real-time seismic amplitude measurements during the first 3 weeks of activity, suggesting that fluctuations of pressure in the shallow subsurface may have driven both seismicity and velocity changes. Velocity changes during the remainder of the eruption likely result from a complex interplay of multiple effects and are not well explained by any single factor alone, highlighting the need for complementary geophysical data when interpreting velocity changes.

Swarms of repeating stick-slip icequakes triggered by snow loading at Mount Rainier volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allstadt, Kate; Malone, Stephen D.

2014-05-01

We have detected over 150,000 small (M < 1) low-frequency ( 1-5 Hz) repeating earthquakes over the past decade at Mount Rainier volcano, most of which were previously undetected. They are located high (>3000 m) on the glacier-covered edifice and occur primarily in weeklong to monthlong swarms composed of simultaneous distinct families of events. Each family contains up to thousands of earthquakes repeating at regular intervals as often as every few minutes. Mixed polarity first motions, a linear relationship between recurrence interval and event size, and strong correlation between swarm activity and snowfall suggest the source is stick-slip basal sliding of glaciers. The sudden added weight of snow during winter storms triggers a temporary change from smooth aseismic sliding to seismic stick-slip sliding in locations where basal conditions are favorable to frictional instability. Coda wave interferometry shows that source locations migrate over time at glacial speeds, starting out fast and slowing down over time, indicating a sudden increase in sliding velocity triggers the transition to stick-slip sliding. We propose a hypothesis that this increase is caused by the redistribution of basal fluids rather than direct loading because of a 1-2 day lag between snow loading and earthquake activity. This behavior is specific to winter months because it requires the inefficient drainage of a distributed subglacial drainage system. Identification of the source of these frequent signals offers a view of basal glacier processes, discriminates against alarming volcanic noises, documents short-term effects of weather on the cryosphere, and has implications for repeating earthquakes, in general.

GPS Signal Feature Analysis to Detect Volcanic Plume on Mount Etna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannavo', Flavio; Aranzulla, Massimo; Scollo, Simona; Puglisi, Giuseppe; Imme', Giuseppina

2014-05-01

Volcanic ash produced during explosive eruptions can cause disruptions to aviation operations and to population living around active volcanoes. Thus, detection of volcanic plume becomes a crucial issue to reduce troubles connected to its presence. Nowadays, the volcanic plume detection is carried out by using different approaches such as satellites, radars and lidars. Recently, the capability of GPS to retrieve volcanic plumes has been also investigated and some tests applied to explosive activity of Etna have demonstrated that also the GPS may give useful information. In this work, we use the permanent and continuous GPS network of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo (Italy) that consists of 35 stations located all around volcano flanks. Data are processed by the GAMIT package developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here we investigate the possibility to quantify the volcanic plume through the GPS signal features and to estimate its spatial distribution by means of a tomographic inversion algorithm. The method is tested on volcanic plumes produced during the lava fountain of 4-5 September 2007, already used to confirm if weak explosive activity may or may not affect the GPS signals.

Virtual Investigations of an Active Deep Sea Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sautter, L.; Taylor, M. M.; Fundis, A.; Kelley, D. S.; Elend, M.

2013-12-01

Axial Seamount, located on the Juan de Fuca spreading ridge 300 miles off the Oregon coast, is an active volcano whose summit caldera lies 1500 m beneath the sea surface. Ongoing construction of the Regional Scale Nodes (RSN) cabled observatory by the University of Washington (funded by the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative) has allowed for exploration of recent lava flows and active hydrothermal vents using HD video mounted on the ROVs, ROPOS and JASON II. College level oceanography/marine geology online laboratory exercises referred to as Online Concept Modules (OCMs) have been created using video and video frame-captured mosaics to promote skill development for characterizing and quantifying deep sea environments. Students proceed at their own pace through a sequence of short movies with which they (a) gain background knowledge, (b) learn skills to identify and classify features or biota within a targeted environment, (c) practice these skills, and (d) use their knowledge and skills to make interpretations regarding the environment. Part (d) serves as the necessary assessment component of the laboratory exercise. Two Axial Seamount-focused OCMs will be presented: 1) Lava Flow Characterization: Identifying a Suitable Cable Route, and 2) Assessing Hydrothermal Vent Communities: Comparisons Among Multiple Sulfide Chimneys.

MATLAB tools for improved characterization and quantification of volcanic incandescence in Webcam imagery; applications at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patrick, Matthew R.; Kauahikaua, James P.; Antolik, Loren

2010-01-01

Webcams are now standard tools for volcano monitoring and are used at observatories in Alaska, the Cascades, Kamchatka, Hawai'i, Italy, and Japan, among other locations. Webcam images allow invaluable documentation of activity and provide a powerful comparative tool for interpreting other monitoring datastreams, such as seismicity and deformation. Automated image processing can improve the time efficiency and rigor of Webcam image interpretation, and potentially extract more information on eruptive activity. For instance, Lovick and others (2008) provided a suite of processing tools that performed such tasks as noise reduction, eliminating uninteresting images from an image collection, and detecting incandescence, with an application to dome activity at Mount St. Helens during 2007. In this paper, we present two very simple automated approaches for improved characterization and quantification of volcanic incandescence in Webcam images at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i. The techniques are implemented in MATLAB (version 2009b, Copyright: The Mathworks, Inc.) to take advantage of the ease of matrix operations. Incandescence is a useful indictor of the location and extent of active lava flows and also a potentially powerful proxy for activity levels at open vents. We apply our techniques to a period covering both summit and east rift zone activity at Kilauea during 2008?2009 and compare the results to complementary datasets (seismicity, tilt) to demonstrate their integrative potential. A great strength of this study is the demonstrated success of these tools in an operational setting at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) over the course of more than a year. Although applied only to Webcam images here, the techniques could be applied to any type of sequential images, such as time-lapse photography. We expect that these tools are applicable to many other volcano monitoring scenarios, and the two MATLAB scripts, as they are implemented at HVO, are included in the appendixes. These scripts would require minor to moderate modifications for use elsewhere, primarily to customize directory navigation. If the user has some familiarity with MATLAB, or programming in general, these modifications should be easy. Although we originally anticipated needing the Image Processing Toolbox, the scripts in the appendixes do not require it. Thus, only the base installation of MATLAB is needed. Because fairly basic MATLAB functions are used, we expect that the script can be run successfully by versions earlier than 2009b.

Reducing the risk of potential hazard in tourist activities of Mount Bromo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meilani, R.; Muthiah, J.; Muntasib, E. K. S. H.

2018-05-01

Mount Bromo has been crowned as one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, having a particular landscape uniqueness. Not only volcano, Bromo also has savanna, sea of sands, and culture of Tengger tribe. Its panoramic landscape has attracted a large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign, despites the threat of eruption. To ensure tourists safety and satisfaction, the potentials hazard, both from eruption and other features should be managed carefully. The study objective was to identify and map hazard potentials and identify the existing hazard management. It was carried out in Mei – June 2017. Lava, tephra, eruption cloud, ash, earthquake, land sliding, extreme weather, slope, transportation modes (jeep, motorcycle, and horse), human, and land fire were found as potential hazards in Mount Bromo. Five locations had been identified as hazard area in the tourism areas, i.e. savanna, sea of sand, Bromo caldera and Pananjakan I trail and viewing point. Early warning system should be developed as part of hazard management in the area. Capacity building of local stakeholders and visitors would be needed to reduce risk of the hazard.

Optimized Autonomous Space In-situ Sensor-Web for volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Song, W.-Z.; Shirazi, B.; Kedar, S.; Chien, S.; Webb, F.; Tran, D.; Davis, A.; Pieri, D.; LaHusen, R.; Pallister, J.; Dzurisin, D.; Moran, S.; Lisowski, M.

2008-01-01

In response to NASA's announced requirement for Earth hazard monitoring sensor-web technology, a multidisciplinary team involving sensor-network experts (Washington State University), space scientists (JPL), and Earth scientists (USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory (CVO)), is developing a prototype dynamic and scaleable hazard monitoring sensor-web and applying it to volcano monitoring. The combined Optimized Autonomous Space -In-situ Sensor-web (OASIS) will have two-way communication capability between ground and space assets, use both space and ground data for optimal allocation of limited power and bandwidth resources on the ground, and use smart management of competing demands for limited space assets. It will also enable scalability and seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensor-web. The prototype will be focused on volcano hazard monitoring at Mount St. Helens, which has been active since October 2004. The system is designed to be flexible and easily configurable for many other applications as well. The primary goals of the project are: 1) integrating complementary space (i.e., Earth Observing One (EO-1) satellite) and in-situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensor-web; 2) advancing sensor-web power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enabling scalability for seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensor-web. To meet these goals, we are developing: 1) a test-bed in-situ array with smart sensor nodes capable of making autonomous data acquisition decisions; 2) efficient self-organization algorithm of sensor-web topology to support efficient data communication and command control; 3) smart bandwidth allocation algorithms in which sensor nodes autonomously determine packet priorities based on mission needs and local bandwidth information in real-time; and 4) remote network management and reprogramming tools. The space and in-situ control components of the system will be integrated such that each element is capable of autonomously tasking the other. Sensor-web data acquisition and dissemination will be accomplished through the use of the Open Geospatial Consortium Sensorweb Enablement protocols. The three-year project will demonstrate end-to-end system performance with the in-situ test-bed at Mount St. Helens and NASA's EO-1 platform. ??2008 IEEE.

Imaging the Mount St. Helens Magmatic Systems using Magnetotellurics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, G. J.; Caldwell, T. G.; Heise, W.; Bibby, H. M.; Chertkoff, D. G.; Burgess, M. K.; Cull, J. P.; Cas, R. A.

2009-05-01

A detailed magnetotelluric survey of Mount St. Helens shows that a conduit like zone of high electrical conductivity beneath the volcano is connected to a larger zone of high conductivity at 15 km depth that extends eastward to Mount Adams. We interpret this zone to be a region of connected melt that acts as the reservoir for the silicic magma being extruded at the time of the magnetotelluric survey. This interpretation is consistent with a mid-crustal origin for the silicic component of the Mount St. Helens' magmas and provides an elegant explanation for a previously unexplained feature of the seismicity observed at the time of the catastrophic eruption in 1980. This zone of high mid-crustal conductivity extends northwards to near Mount Rainier suggesting a single region of connected melt comparable in size to the largest silicic volcanic systems known.

A retrospective study on acute health effects due to volcanic ash exposure during the eruption of Mount Etna (Sicily) in 2002.

PubMed

Lombardo, Daniele; Ciancio, Nicola; Campisi, Raffaele; Di Maria, Annalisa; Bivona, Laura; Poletti, Venerino; Mistretta, Antonio; Biggeri, Annibale; Di Maria, Giuseppe

2013-08-07

Mount Etna, located in the eastern part of Sicily (Italy), is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. During the sustained eruption that occurred in October-November 2002 huge amounts of volcanic ash fell on a densely populated area south-east of Mount Etna in Catania province. The volcanic ash fall caused extensive damage to infrastructure utilities and distress in the exposed population. This retrospective study evaluates whether or not there was an association between ash fall and acute health effects in exposed local communities. We collected the number and type of visits to the emergency department (ED) for diseases that could be related to volcanic ash exposure in public hospitals of the Province of Catania between October 20 and November 7, 2002. We compared the magnitude of differences in ED visits between the ash exposure period in 2002 and the same period of the previous year 2001. We observed a significant increase of ED visits for acute respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and ocular disturbances during the ash exposure time period. There was a positive association between exposure to volcanic ash from the 2002 eruption of Mount Etna and acute health effects in the Catania residents. This study documents the need for public health preparedness and response initiatives to protect nearby populations from exposure to ash fall from future eruptions of Mount Etna.

Frequent eruptions of Mount Rainier over the last ˜2,600 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisson, T. W.; Vallance, J. W.

2009-08-01

Field, geochronologic, and geochemical evidence from proximal fine-grained tephras, and from limited exposures of Holocene lava flows and a small pyroclastic flow document ten-12 eruptions of Mount Rainier over the last 2,600 years, contrasting with previously published evidence for only 11-12 eruptions of the volcano for all of the Holocene. Except for the pumiceous subplinian C event of 2,200 cal year BP, the late-Holocene eruptions were weakly explosive, involving lava effusions and at least two block-and-ash pyroclastic flows. Eruptions were clustered from ˜2,600 to ˜2,200 cal year BP, an interval referred to as the Summerland eruptive period that includes the youngest lava effusion from the volcano. Thin, fine-grained tephras are the only known primary volcanic products from eruptions near 1,500 and 1,000 cal year BP, but these and earlier eruptions were penecontemporaneous with far-traveled lahars, probably created from newly erupted materials melting snow and glacial ice. The most recent magmatic eruption of Mount Rainier, documented geochemically, was the 1,000 cal year BP event. Products from a proposed eruption of Mount Rainier between AD 1820 and 1854 (X tephra of Mullineaux (US Geol Surv Bull 1326:1-83, 1974)) are redeposited C tephra, probably transported onto young moraines by snow avalanches, and do not record a nineteenth century eruption. We found no conclusive evidence for an eruption associated with the clay-rich Electron Mudflow of ˜500 cal year BP, and though rare, non-eruptive collapse of unstable edifice flanks remains as a potential hazard from Mount Rainier.

The preliminary results: Internal seismic velocity structure imaging beneath Mount Lokon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Firmansyah, Rizky, E-mail: rizkyfirmansyah@hotmail.com; Nugraha, Andri Dian, E-mail: nugraha@gf.itb.ac.id; Kristianto, E-mail: kris@vsi.esdm.go.id

2015-04-24

Historical records that before the 17{sup th} century, Mount Lokon had been dormant for approximately 400 years. In the years between 1350 and 1400, eruption ever recorded in Empung, came from Mount Lokon’s central crater. Subsequently, in 1750 to 1800, Mount Lokon continued to erupt again and caused soil damage and fall victim. After 1949, Mount Lokon dramatically increased in its frequency: the eruption interval varies between 1 – 5 years, with an average interval of 3 years and a rest interval ranged from 8 – 64 years. Then, on June 26{sup th}, 2011, standby alert set by the Centermore » for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. Peak activity happened on July 4{sup th}, 2011 that Mount Lokon erupted continuously until August 28{sup th}, 2011. In this study, we carefully analyzed micro-earthquakes waveform and determined hypocenter location of those events. We then conducted travel time seismic tomographic inversion using SIMULPS12 method to detemine Vp, Vs and Vp/Vs ratio structures beneath Lokon volcano in order to enhance our subsurface geological structure. During the tomographic inversion, we started from 1-D seismic velocities model obtained from VELEST33 method. Our preliminary results show low Vp, low Vs, and high Vp/Vs are observed beneath Mount Lokon-Empung which are may be associated with weak zone or hot material zones. However, in this study we used few station for recording of micro-earthquake events. So, we suggest in the future tomography study, the adding of some seismometers in order to improve ray coverage in the region is profoundly justified.« less

Infrasound's capability to detect and characterise volcanic events, from local to regional scale.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taisne, Benoit; Perttu, Anna

2017-04-01

Local infrasound and seismic networks have been successfully used for identification and quantification of explosions at single volcanoes. However the February, 2014 eruption of Kelud volcano, Indonesia, destroyed most of the local monitoring network. The use of remote seismic and infrasound sensors proved to be essential in the reconstruction of the eruptive sequence. The first recorded explosive event, with relatively weak seismic and infrasonic signature, was followed by a 2 hour sustained signal detected as far away as 11,000 km by infrasound sensors and up to 2,300 km away by seismometers. The volcanic intensity derived from these observations places the 2014 Kelud eruption between the intensity of the 1980 Mount St. Helens and the 1991 Pinatubo eruptions. The use of remote seismic stations and infrasound arrays in deriving valuable information about the onset, evolution, and intensity of volcanic eruptions is clear from the Kelud example. After this eruption the Singapore Infrasound Array became operational. This array, along with the other regional infrasound arrays which are part of the International Monitoring System, have recorded events from fireballs and regional volcanoes. The detection capability of this network for any specific volcanic event is not only dependent on the amplitude of the source, but also the propagation effects, noise level at each station, and characteristics of the regional persistent noise sources (like the microbarum). Combining the spatial and seasonal characteristics of this noise, within the same frequency band as significant eruptive events, with the probability of such events to occur, gives us a comprehensive understanding of detection capability for any of the 750 active or potentially active volcanoes in Southeast Asia.

Ruiz Volcano: Preliminary report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz Volcano, Colombia (4.88°N, 75.32°W). All times are local (= GMT -5 hours).An explosive eruption on November 13, 1985, melted ice and snow in the summit area, generating lahars that flowed tens of kilometers down flank river valleys, killing more than 20,000 people. This is history's fourth largest single-eruption death toll, behind only Tambora in 1815 (92,000), Krakatau in 1883 (36,000), and Mount Pelée in May 1902 (28,000). The following briefly summarizes the very preliminary and inevitably conflicting information that had been received by press time.

Parallel adaptive discontinuous Galerkin approximation for thin layer avalanche modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, A. K.; Nichita, C. C.; Bauer, A. C.; Pitman, E. B.; Bursik, M.; Sheridan, M. F.

2006-08-01

This paper describes the development of highly accurate adaptive discontinuous Galerkin schemes for the solution of the equations arising from a thin layer type model of debris flows. Such flows have wide applicability in the analysis of avalanches induced by many natural calamities, e.g. volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. These schemes are coupled with special parallel solution methodologies to produce a simulation tool capable of very high-order numerical accuracy. The methodology successfully replicates cold rock avalanches at Mount Rainier, Washington and hot volcanic particulate flows at Colima Volcano, Mexico.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-05-20

ISS013-E-23272 (8 June 2006) --- Tenerife Island, Spain is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, a Spanish possession located off the northwestern coast of Africa. According to scientists, the islands in the chain could have been produced by eruptions of basaltic shield volcanoes as the African tectonic plate moved over a stationary "hot spot" much like the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. A different hypothesis relates the Canary Islands to magma rise along underwater faults during the uplift of the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa. The island of Tenerife exhibits many excellent volcanic features. The central feature of this image is the elliptical depression of the Las Ca?adas caldera that measures 170 square kilometers in area. A caldera is typically formed when the magma chamber underneath a volcano is completely emptied (usually following a massive eruptive event), and the overlying materials collapse into the newly formed void beneath the surface. A large landslide may have also contributed to (or been the primary cause of) formation of the caldera structure. In this model, part of the original shield volcano forming the bedrock of the island collapsed onto the adjacent sea floor, forming the large depression of the caldera. According to scientists, following formation of the caldera approximately 0.17 million years ago, the composite volcanoes of Mount Teide and Pico Viejo formed. Teide is the highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean with a summit elevation of 3,715 meters. This type of volcano is formed by alternating layers of dense lava flows and more fragmented explosive eruption products, and can build high cones. Many linear flow levees are visible along the flanks of Teide volcano extending from the summit to the base, while a large circular explosion crater marks the summit of Pico Viejo. The floor of the Las Ca?adas caldera is covered with tan, red-brown, and black irregularly-lobed lava flows, the eruptions of which have been observed by settlers and seamen since 1402. The most recent eruption occurred in 1909. The island of Tenerife is actively monitored for further activity.

Earth observations during Space Shuttle mission STS-28 - 8-13 August 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitehead, Victor S.; Helfert, M. R.; Lulla, K. P.; Amsbury, D. L.; Runco, S. K.

1990-01-01

An overview of the STS-28 earth observation is provided with attention given to meteorology, oceanographic phenomena, and human activity such as urban environments and related land uses. Environmental observations discussed include evidence of a monsoon, vegetation changes such as deforestation, and water pollution and eutrophication of major rivers. Particular attention is paid to atmospheric palls in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Discussion of geological observations focuses on the Mount St. Helens volcano and the little-recognized landform type, the immense illuvial cone. Observation techniques include use of color infrared film and two types of polarization observations.

Refining the Workflow of UV Camera Measurements: Data Collection from Low Emission Rate Volcanoes under Variable Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brewer, I. D.; Werner, C. A.; Nadeau, P. A.

2010-12-01

UV camera systems are gaining popularity worldwide for quantifying SO2 column abundances and emission rates from volcanoes, which serve as primary measures of volcanic hazard and aid in eruption forecasting. To date many of the investigations have focused on fairly active and routinely monitored volcanoes under optimal conditions. Some recent studies have begun to recommend protocols and procedures for data collection, but additional questions still need to be addressed. In this study we attempt to answer these questions, and also present results from volcanoes that are rarely monitored. Conditions at these volcanoes are typically sub-optimal for UV camera measurements. Discussion of such data is essential in the assessment of the wider applicability of UV camera measurements for SO2 monitoring purposes. Data discussed herein consists of plume images from volcanoes with relatively low emission rates, with varying weather conditions and from various distances (2-12 km). These include Karangatang Volcano (Indonesia), Mount St. Helens (Washington, USA), and Augustine and Redoubt Volcanoes (Alaska, USA). High emission rate data were also collected at Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii, USA), and blue sky test images with no plume were collected at Mammoth Mountain (California, USA). All data were collected between 2008 and 2010 using both single-filter (307 nm) and dual-filter (307 nm/326 nm) systems and were accompanied by FLYSPEC measurements. With the dual-filter systems, both a filter wheel setup and a synchronous-imaging dual-camera setup were employed. Data collection and processing questions included (1) what is the detection limit of the camera, (2) how large is the variability in raw camera output, (3) how do camera optics affect the measurements and how can this be corrected, (4) how much variability is observed in calibration under various conditions, (5) what is the optimal workflow for image collection and processing, and (6) what is the range of camera operating conditions? Besides emission rates from these infrequently monitored volcanoes, the results of this study include a recommended workflow and procedure for image collection and calibration, and a MATLAB-based algorithm for batch processing, thereby enabling accurate emission rates at 1 Hz when a synchronous-imaging dual-camera setup is used.

Seismicity associated with renewed dome building at Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005: Chapter 2 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, Seth C.; Malone, Stephen D.; Qamar, Anthony I.; Thelen, Weston A.; Wright, Amy K.; Caplan-Auerbach, Jacqueline; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

2.0-3.4) dominated seismic energy release. Over time there were significant variations in drumbeat size, spacing, and spectra that correlated with changes in the style of extrusion at the surface. Changes in drumbeat character did not correspond to variations in magma flux at the conduit, indicating that drumbeat size and spacing may be more a function of the mechanics of extrusion than of the extrusion rate.

51F earth observations

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

51F-37-097 (29 July-6 Aug 1985) --- The snow capped peaks of the Oregon Cascades are clearly seen. From bottom to top we see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and the Three Sisters volcanos. The Columbia River is at the bottom. The Deschutes River system and canyon, the scene of railroad wars nearly a century ago, is at the left side. The Cascades make a very distinct rain shadow between the moist forests to the right and the semiario lands to the east (left) of these great mountains.

Effects of topography on the interpretation of the deformation field of prominent volcanoes - Application to Etna

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cayol, V.; Cornet, F.H.

1998-01-01

We have investigated the effects of topography on the surface-deformation field of volcanoes. Our study provides limits to the use of classical half-space models. Considering axisymmetrical volcanoes, we show that interpreting ground-surface displacements with half-space models can lead to erroneous estimations of the shape of the deformation source. When the average slope of the flanks of a volcano exceeds 20??, tilting in the summit area is reversed to that expected for a flat surface. Thus, neglecting topography may lead to misinterpreting an inflation of the source as a deflation. Comparisons of Mogi's model with a three-dimensional model shows that ignoring topography may lead to an overestimate of the source-volume change by as much as 50% for a slope of 30??. This comparison also shows that the depths calculated by using Mogi's solution for prominent volcanoes should be considered as depths from the summit of the edifices. Finally, we illustrate these topographic effects by analyzing the deformation field measured by radar interferometry at Mount Etna during its 1991-1993 eruption. A three-dimensional modeling calculation shows that the flattening of the deflation field near the volcano's summit is probably a topographic effect.

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) by Expedition Five Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-25

ISS005-E-18511 (25 October 2002) --- Mount Saint Helens, Washington, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 5 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens volcano erupted. A series of earthquakes preceded the eruption, triggering a collapse of the north side of the mountain into a massive landslide. This avalanche coincided with a huge explosion that destroyed over 270 square miles of forest in a few seconds, and sent a billowing cloud of ash and smoke 80,000 feet into the atmosphere. The crewmembers on the Station captured this detailed image of the volcano’s summit caldera. In the center of the crater sits a lava dome that is 876 feet above the crater floor and is about 3,500 feet in diameter. The upper slopes of the 1980 blast zone begin at the gray colored region that extends north (upper left) from the summit of the volcano. The deeply incised valley to the left (west) is the uppermost reach of the South Fork of the Toutle River. Devastating mudslides buried the original Toutle River Valley to an average depth of 150 feet, but in places up to 600 feet. The dark green area south of the blast zone is the thickly forested region of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Seismic intensity monitoring: from mature basins in the North Sea to sample-scale porosity measurements.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Siena, Luca; Sketsiou, Panayiota

2017-04-01

We plan the application of a joint velocity, attenuation, and scattering tomography to the North Sea basins. By using seismic phases and intensities from previous passive and active surveys our aim is to image and monitor fluids under the subsurface. Seismic intensities provide unique solutions to the problem of locating/tracking gas/fluid movements in the volcanoes and depicting sub-basalt and sub-intrusives in volcanic reservoirs. The proposed techniques have been tested in volcanic Islands (Deception Island), continental calderas (Campi Flegrei) and Quaternary Volcanoes (Mount. St. Helens) and have been proved effective at monitoring fracture opening, imaging buried fluid-filled bodies, and tracking water/gas interfaces. These novel seismic attributes are modelled in space and time and connected with the lithology of the sampled medium, specifically density and permeability, with as key output a novel computational code with strong commercial potential. Data are readily available in the framework of the NERC CDT Oil & Gas project.

Mount Etna, Sicily taken from Atlantis during STS-106

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-10-04

STS106-706-055 (8-20 September 2000) --- One of the STS-106 crew members on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis used a handheld 70mm camera to photograph this image of the Etna Volcano on Sicily. Mt. Etna is known as the volcano with the longest record of volcanic activity with the first being in 1500 BC. It has erupted many times since then and is almost continuously venting gas and steam, as shown in this view. Astronauts can almost be assured of seeing some venting whenever they fly in orbit. Mt. Etna appears as a cone with an almost circular base in this near-vertical view. The Salso River winds around the western and southern flanks of the volcano. The city of Catania appears as a diffuse gray patch at the foot of the volcano where the river meets the Mediterranean Sea. Mt. Etna has a complex of cones at its summit, which is nearly 3300 meters above sea level. Its slopes are a patchwork of colors, the darker colors being lava flows of different ages. Greens are patches of forest on slopes which have not been disrupted by lava and ash in the last few decades. Mt. Etna is a constructional landform which has been built upwards for millennia; it contrasts subtly but distinctly in this view with the surrounding lower hills which are water-eroded landforms everywhere sculpted into V-shaped valleys by the erosive power of flowing water of streams.

Ground-coupled acoustic airwaves from Mount St. Helens provide constraints on the May 18, 1980 eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Jeffrey B.; Malone, Stephen D.

2007-06-01

The May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption perturbed the atmosphere and generated atmosphere-to-ground coupled airwaves, which were recorded on at least 35 seismometers operated by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network (PNSN). From 102 distinct travel time picks we identify coherent airwaves crossing Washington State primarily to the north and east of the volcano. The travel time curves provide evidence for both stratospheric refractions (at 200 to 300 km from the volcano) as well as probable thermospheric refractions (at 100 to 350 km). The very few first-hand reports of audible volcano sounds within about 80 km of the volcano coincide with a general absence of ground-coupled acoustic arrivals registered within about 100 km and are attributed to upward refraction of sound waves. From the coherent refracted airwave arrivals, we identify at least four distinct sources which we infer to originate 10 s, 114 s, ˜ 180 s and 319 s after the onset of an 8:32:11 PDT landslide. The first of these sources is attributed to resultant depressurization and explosion of the cryptodome. Most of the subsequent arrivals also appear to be coincident with a source located at or near the presumed volcanic conduit, but at least one of the later arrivals suggests an epicenter displaced about 9 km to the northwest of the vent. This dislocation is compatible with the direction of the sector collapse and lateral blast. We speculate that this concussion corresponds to a northern explosion event associated with hot cryptodome entering the Toutle River Valley.

California's Vulnerability to Volcanic Hazards: What's at Risk?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangan, M.; Wood, N. J.; Dinitz, L.

2015-12-01

California is a leader in comprehensive planning for devastating earthquakes, landslides, floods, and tsunamis. Far less attention, however, has focused on the potentially devastating impact of volcanic eruptions, despite the fact that they occur in the State about as frequently as the largest earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault Zone. At least 10 eruptions have occurred in the past 1,000 years—most recently in northern California (Lassen Peak 1914 to 1917)—and future volcanic eruptions are inevitable. The likelihood of renewed volcanism in California is about one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually. Eight young volcanoes, ranked as Moderate to Very High Threat [1] are dispersed throughout the State. Partially molten rock (magma) resides beneath at least seven of these—Medicine Lake Volcano, Mount Shasta, Lassen Volcanic Center, Clear Lake Volcanic Field, Long Valley Volcanic Region, Coso Volcanic Field, and Salton Buttes— causing earthquakes, toxic gas emissions, hydrothermal activity, and (or) ground deformation. Understanding the hazards and identifying what is at risk are the first steps in building community resilience to volcanic disasters. This study, prepared in collaboration with the State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Management and the California Geological Survey, provides a broad perspective on the State's exposure to volcano hazards by integrating mapped volcano hazard zones with geospatial data on at-risk populations, infrastructure, and resources. The study reveals that ~ 16 million acres fall within California's volcano hazard zones, along with ~ 190 thousand permanent and 22 million transitory populations. Additionally, far-field disruption to key water delivery systems, agriculture, utilities, and air traffic is likely. Further site- and sector-specific analyses will lead to improved hazard mitigation efforts and more effective disaster response and recovery. [1] "Volcanic Threat and Monitoring Capabilities in the United States," http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1164/

Mt. St. Helens

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-10-22

This 3-D anaglyph image of Mt. St. Helens volcano combines the nadir-looking and back-looking band 3 images of ASTER. To view the image in stereo, you will need blue-red glasses. Make sure to look through the red lens with your left eye. This ASTER image of Mt. St. Helens volcano in Washington was acquired on August 8, 2000 and covers an area of 37 by 51 km. Mount Saint Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Range of southwestern Washington that had been dormant since 1857, began to show signs of renewed activity in early 1980. On 18 May 1980, it erupted with such violence that the top of the mountain was blown off, spewing a cloud of ash and gases that rose to an altitude of 19 kilometers. The blast killed about 60 people and destroyed all life in an area of some 180 square kilometers (some 70 square miles), while a much larger area was covered with ash and debris. It continues to spit forth ash and steam intermittently. As a result of the eruption, the mountain's elevation decreased from 2,950 meters to 2,549 meters. The image is centered at 46.2 degrees north latitude, 122.2 degrees west longitude. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11160

Repeat AUV Mapping and ROV Observations of Active Mud Volcanos on the Canadian Beaufort Sea Continental Slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caress, D. W.; Paull, C. K.; Dallimore, S.; Lundsten, E. M.; Anderson, K.; Gwiazda, R.; Melling, H.; Lundsten, L.; Graves, D.; Thomas, H. J.; Cote, M.

2017-12-01

Two active submarine mud volcano sites located at 420 and 740 m depths on the margin of the Canadian Beaufort Sea were mapped in 2013 and again in 2016 using the same survey line pattern allowing detection of change over three years. The surveys were conducted using MBARI's mapping AUVs which fields a 200 kHz or 400 kHz multibeam sonar, a 1-6 kHz chirp sub-bottom profiler, and a 110 kHz chirp sidescan from a 50 m altitude. The resulting bathymetry has 1 m lateral resolution and 0.1 m vertical precision and sidescan mosaics have 1 m lateral resolution. Vertical changes of ≥0.2 m are observable by differencing repeat surveys. These features were also visited with MBARI's miniROV, which was outfitted for these dives with a manipulator mounted temperature probe. The 420 m mud volcano is nearly circular, 1100 m across, flat-topped, and superimposed on the pre-existing smooth slope. The central plateau has low relief <3 m consisting of concentric rings and ovoid mounds that appear to reflect distinct eruptions at shifting locations. The 740 m site contains 3 mud volcanoes, most prominently a 630 m wide, 30 m high flat-topped plateau with about 4 m of relief similar to the 420 m feature plus a 5 m high cone on the southern rim. North of this plateau is a smooth-textured conically shaped feature also standing about 30 m above the floor of the subsidence structure. Sidescan mosaics reveal significant changes in backscatter patterns at both mud volcano sites between surveys. Comparison of bathymetry also reveals new flows of up to 1.8 m thickness at both sites, as well as subtle spreading of the flat plateaus rims. An active mudflow was encountered during a miniROV dive on a high backscatter target at the 740 m site. This tongue of mud was observed to be slowly flowing downslope. The ROV temperature probe inserted 2 cm into the flow measured 23°C, compared to ambient water (-0.4°C), indicating the rapid ascent of the mud from considerable subsurface depths. Bubbles (presumably methane) were escaping from the active mudflow. Combining seafloor mapping with ROV observations indicates that new sediment flows with entrained methane bubbles exhibit very high backscatter which rapidly changes to very low backscatter following degassing of the smooth, bare mud. To our knowledge this is the first time an eruption on a submarine mud volcano has been observed.

Reconstruction of Ancestral Hydrothermal Systems on Mount Rainier Using Hydrothermally Altered Rocks in Holocene Debris Flows and Tephras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, D. A.; Breit, G. N.; Sisson, T. W.; Vallance, J. W.; Rye, R. O.

2005-12-01

Mount Rainier is the result of episodic stages of edifice growth during periods of high eruptive activity and edifice destruction during periods of relative magmatic quiescence over the past 500 kyr. Edifice destruction occurred both by slow erosion and by catastrophic collapses, some of which were strongly influenced by hydrothermal alteration. Several large-volume Holocene debris-flow deposits contain abundant clasts of hydrothermally altered rocks, most notably the 4-km3 clay-rich Osceola Mudflow which formed by collapse of the northeast side and upper 1000+ m of the edifice about 5600 ya and flowed >120 km downstream into Puget Sound. Mineral assemblages and stable isotope data of hydrothermal alteration products in Holocene debris-flow deposits indicate formation in distinct hydrothermal environments, including magmatic-hydrothermal, steam-heated (including a large fumarolic component), magmatic steam (including a possible fumarolic component), and supergene. The Osceola Mudflow and phreatic components of coeval tephras contain the highest-temperature and inferred most deeply formed alteration minerals; assemblages include magmatic-hydrothermal quartz-alunite, quartz-topaz, quartz-pyrophyllite and quartz-illite (all +pyrite), in addition to steam-heated opal-alunite-kaolinite and abundant smectite-pyrite. In contrast, the Paradise lahar, which formed by a collapse of the surficial upper south side of the edifice, contains only steam-heated assemblages including those formed largely above the water table from condensation of fumarolic vapor (opal-alunite-jarosite). Younger debris-flow deposits on the west side of the volcano (Round Pass lahar and Electron Mudflow) contain only smectite-pyrite alteration, whereas an early 20th century rock avalanche on Tahoma Glacier also contains magmatic-hydrothermal alteration that is exposed in the avalanche headwall of Sunset Amphitheater. Mineralogy and isotopic composition of the alteration phases, geologic and geophysical data, as well as analog fossil hydrothermal systems in volcanoes elsewhere, constrain hydrothermal alteration geometry on the pre-Osceola-collapse edifice of Mount Rainier. Relatively narrow zones of acid magmatic-hydrothermal alteration in the central core of the volcano grade to more widely distributed smectite-pyrite alteration farther out on the upper flanks, capped by steam-heated alteration with a large component of alteration resulting from condensation of fumarolic vapor above the water table. Alteration was polygenetic in zones formed episodically, and was strongly controlled by fluxes of heat and magmatic fluid and by local permeability.

Precise relocation of earthquakes following the 15 June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglia, J.; Thurber, C.H.; Got, J.-L.; Rowe, C.A.; White, R.A.

2004-01-01

The 15 June 1991 climactic eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) was followed by intense seismicity that remained at a high level for several months. We located 10,839 events recorded between 1 July and mid-December 1991. In contrast to the preeruptive seismicity which was focused in two groups below the summit area, posteruptive events were widely distributed below and around the volcano. The classification of the events indicates the presence of several large multiplets, and the application of relative relocation techniques to the similar events by calculating high-precision delays between traces outlines a number of clear seismogenic structures. We used different methods to confirm the validity of our results; these tests indicate that reliable features can be detected with a small monitoring network. While the main cluster of activity can be attributed to an intrusive process starting from below the 15 June crater, the volcanic origin of the seismic activity in the other areas is more difficult to establish. Away from the summit, relocations define streaks or planes which are oriented predominantly southwest-northeast, with in several cases the presence of northwest-southeast conjugate structures. Most of the composite focal mechanisms that we could determine indicate predominantly strike-slip, right-lateral faulting. Our results indicate that most of the seismicity that occurred after the 15 June eruption is related to the east-west regional compressional stress field related to the subduction. We suggest that the regional stress field induces seismicity along new or preexisting faults in the medium surrounding the volcano where the stress field was locally disturbed by the volcanic eruption. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Volcanic hazards and their mitigation: progress and problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, R.I.

1989-01-01

A review of hazards mitigation approaches and techniques indicates that significant advances have been made in hazards assessment, volcano monioring, and eruption forecasting. For example, the remarkable accuracy of the predictions of dome-building events at Mount St. Helens since June 1980 is unprecedented. Yet a predictive capability for more voluminous and explosive eruptions still has not been achieved. Studies of magma-induced seismicity and ground deformation continue to provide the most systematic and reliable data for early detection of precursors to eruptions and shallow intrusions. In addition, some other geophysical monitoring techniques and geochemical methods have been refined and are being more widely applied and tested. Comparison of the four major volcanic disasters of the 1980s (Mount St. Helens, U.S.A. (1980), El Chichon, Mexico (1982); Galunggung, Indonesia (1982); and Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia (1985)) illustrates the importance of predisaster geoscience studies, volcanic hazards assessments, volcano monitoring, contingency planning, and effective communications between scientists and authorities. -from Author

Volcano collapse promoted by progressive strength reduction: New data from Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, Mark E.; Keith, Terry E.C.; Kayen, Robert E.; Iverson, Neal R.; Iverson, Richard M.; Brien, Dianne

2010-01-01

Rock shear strength plays a fundamental role in volcano flank collapse, yet pertinent data from modern collapse surfaces are rare. Using samples collected from the inferred failure surface of the massive 1980 collapse of Mount St. Helens (MSH), we determined rock shear strength via laboratory tests designed to mimic conditions in the pre-collapse edifice. We observed that the 1980 failure shear surfaces formed primarily in pervasively shattered older dome rocks; failure was not localized in sloping volcanic strata or in weak, hydrothermally altered rocks. Our test results show that rock shear strength under large confining stresses is reduced ∼20% as a result of large quasi-static shear strain, as preceded the 1980 collapse of MSH. Using quasi-3D slope-stability modeling, we demonstrate that this mechanical weakening could have provoked edifice collapse, even in the absence of transiently elevated pore-fluid pressures or earthquake ground shaking. Progressive strength reduction could promote collapses at other volcanic edifices.

ASTER Images Mt. Usu Volcano

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

On April 3, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra Satellite captured this image of the erupting Mt. Usu volcano in Hokkaido, Japan. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image the Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

This false color infrared image of Mt Usu volcano is dominated by Lake Toya, an ancient volcanic caldera. On the south shore is the active Usu volcano. On Friday, March 31, more than 11,000 people were evacuated by helicopter, truck and boat from the foot of Usu, that began erupting from the northwest flank, shooting debris and plumes of smoke streaked with blue lightning thousands of feet in the air. Although no lava gushed from the mountain, rocks and ash continued to fall after the eruption. The region was shaken by thousands of tremors before the eruption. People said they could taste grit from the ash that was spewed as high as 2,700 meters (8,850 ft) into the sky and fell to coat surrounding towns with ash. 'Mount Usu has had seven significant eruptions that we know of, and at no time has it ended quickly with only a small scale eruption,' said Yoshio Katsui, a professor at Hokkaido University. This was the seventh major eruption of Mount Usu in the past 300 years. Fifty people died when the volcano erupted in 1822, its worst known eruption.

In the image, most of the land is covered by snow. Vegetation, appearing red in the false color composite, can be seen in the agricultural fields, and forests in the mountains. Mt. Usu is crossed by three dark streaks. These are the paths of ash deposits that rained out from eruption plumes two days earlier. The prevailing wind was from the northwest, carrying the ash away from the main city of Date. Ash deposited can be traced on the image as far away as 10 kilometers (16 miles) from the volcano.

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. Dr. Anne Kahle at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is the U.S. Science team leader; Moshe Pniel of JPL is the project manager. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The primary goal of the ASTER mission is to obtain high-resolution image data in 14 channels over the entire land surface, as well as black and white stereo images. With revisit time of between 4 and 16 days, ASTER will provide the capability for repeat coverage of changing areas on Earth's surface.

The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.

Characteristics, extent and origin of hydrothermal alteration at Mount Rainier Volcano, Cascades Arc, USA: Implications for debris-flow hazards and mineral deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

John, D.A.; Sisson, T.W.; Breit, G.N.; Rye, R.O.; Vallance, J.W.

2008-01-01

Hydrothermal alteration at Mount Rainier waxed and waned over the 500,000-year episodic growth of the edifice. Hydrothermal minerals and their stable-isotope compositions in samples collected from outcrop and as clasts from Holocene debris-flow deposits identify three distinct hypogene argillic/advanced argillic hydrothermal environments: magmatic-hydrothermal, steam-heated, and magmatic steam (fumarolic), with minor superimposed supergene alteration. The 3.8??km3 Osceola Mudflow (5600??y BP) and coeval phreatomagmatic F tephra contain the highest temperature and most deeply formed hydrothermal minerals. Relatively deeply formed magmatic-hydrothermal alteration minerals and associations in clasts include quartz (residual silica), quartz-alunite, quartz-topaz, quartz-pyrophyllite, quartz-dickite/kaolinite, and quartz-illite (all with pyrite). Clasts of smectite-pyrite and steam-heated opal-alunite-kaolinite are also common in the Osceola Mudflow. In contrast, the Paradise lahar, formed by collapse of the summit or near-summit of the edifice at about the same time, contains only smectite-pyrite and near-surface steam-heated and fumarolic alteration minerals. Younger debris-flow deposits on the west side of the volcano (Round Pass and distal Electron Mudflows) contain only low-temperature smectite-pyrite assemblages, whereas the proximal Electron Mudflow and a < 100??y BP rock avalanche on Tahoma Glacier also contain magmatic-hydrothermal alteration minerals that are exposed in the avalanche headwall of Sunset Amphitheater, reflecting progressive incision into deeper near-conduit alteration products that formed at higher temperatures. The pre-Osceola Mudflow alteration geometry is inferred to have consisted of a narrow feeder zone of intense magmatic-hydrothermal alteration limited to near the conduit of the volcano, which graded outward to more widely distributed, but weak, smectite-pyrite alteration within 1??km of the edifice axis, developed chiefly in porous breccias. The edifice was capped by a steam-heated alteration zone, most of which resulted from condensation of fumarolic vapor and oxidation of H2S in the unsaturated zone above the water table. Weakly developed smectite-pyrite alteration extended into the west and east flanks of the edifice, spatially associated with dikes that are localized in those sectors; other edifice flanks lack dikes and associated alteration. The Osceola collapse removed most of the altered core and upper east flank of the volcano, but intensely altered rocks remain on the uppermost west flank. Major conclusions of this study are that: (1) Hydrothermal-mineral assemblages and distributions at Mount Rainier can be understood in the framework of hydrothermal processes and environments developed from studies of ore deposits formed in analogous settings. (2) Frequent eruptions supplied sufficient hot magmatic fluid to alter the upper interior of the volcano hydrothermally, despite the consistently deep (??? 8??km) magma reservoir which may have precluded formation of economic mineral deposits within or at shallow depths beneath Mount Rainier. The absence of indicator equilibrium alteration-mineral assemblages in the debris flows that effectively expose the volcano to a depth of 1-1.5??km also suggests a low potential for significant high-sulfidation epithermal or porphyry-type mineral deposits at depth. (3) Despite the long and complex history of the volcano, intensely altered collapse-prone rocks were spatially restricted to near the volcano's conduit system and summit, and short distances onto the upper east and west flanks, due to the necessary supply of reactive components carried by ascending magmatic fluids. (4) Intensely altered rocks were removed from the summit, east flank, and edifice interior by the Osceola collapse, but remain on the upper west flank in the Sunset Amphitheater area and present a continuing collapse hazard. (5) Visually conspicuous rocks on the lower east and mid-to-lower

The case of the 1981 eruption of Mount Etna: An example of very fast moving lava flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coltelli, Mauro; Marsella, Maria; Proietti, Cristina; Scifoni, Silvia

2012-01-01

Mount Etna despite being an extremely active volcano which, during the last 400 years, has produced many lava flow flank eruptions has rarely threatened or damaged populated areas. The reconstruction of the temporal evolution of potentially hazardous flank eruptions represents a useful contribution to reducing the impact of future eruptions by and analyzing actions to be taken for protecting sensitive areas. In this work, we quantitatively reconstructed the evolution of the 1981 lava flow field of Mt Etna, which threatened the town of Randazzo. This reconstruction was used to evaluate the cumulated volume, the time averaged discharge rate trend and to estimate its maximum value. The analysis was conducted by comparing pre- and post-eruption topographic surfaces, extracted by processing historical photogrammetric data sets and by utilizing the eruption chronology to establish the lava flow front positions at different times. An unusually high discharge rate (for Etna) of 640 m3/s was obtained, which corresponds well with the very fast advance rate observed for the main lava flow. A comparison with other volcanoes, presenting high discharge rate, was proposed for finding a clue to unveil the 1981 Etna eruptive mechanism. A model was presented to explain the high discharge rate, which includes an additional contribution to the lava discharge caused by the interception of a shallow magma reservoir by a dike rising from depth and the subsequent emptying of the reservoir.

Rear-arc vs. arc-front volcanoes in the Katmai reach of the Alaska Peninsula: A critical appraisal of across-arc compositional variation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, W.; Fierstein, J.; Siems, D.F.; Budahn, J.R.; Ruiz, J.

2004-01-01

Physical and compositional data and K-Ar ages are reported for 14 rear-arc volcanoes that lic 11-22 km behind the narrowly linear volcanic front defined by the Mount Katmai-to-Devils Desk chain on the Alaska Peninsula. One is a 30-km3 stratocone (Mount Griggs; 51-63% SiO2) active intermittently from 292 ka to Holocene. The others are monogenetic cones, domes, lava flows, plugs, and maars, of which 12 were previously unnamed and unstudied; they include seven basalts (48-52% SiO2), four mafic andesites (53-55% SiO2), and three andesite-dacite units. Six erupted in the interval 500-88 ka, one historically in 1977, and five in the interval 3-2 Ma. No migration of the volcanic front is discernible since the late Miocene, so even the older units erupted well behind the front. Discussion explores the significance of the volcanic front and the processes that influence compositional overlaps and differences among mafic products of the rear-arc volcanoes and of the several arc-front edifices nearby. The latter have together erupted a magma volume of about 200 km3, at least four times that of all rear-arc products combined. Correlation of Sr-isotope ratios with indices of fractionation indicates crustal contributions in volcanic-front magmas (0.7033-0.7038), but lack of such trends among the rear-arc units (0.70298-0.70356) suggests weaker and less systematic crustal influence. Slab contributions and mantle partial-melt fractions both appear to decline behind the front, but neither trend is crisp and unambiguous. No intraplate mantle contribution is recognized nor is any systematic across-arc difference in intrinsic mantle-wedge source fertility discerned. Both rear-arc and arc-front basalts apparently issued from fluxing of typically fertile NMORB-source mantle beneath the Peninsular terrane, which docked here in the Mesozoic. ?? Springer-Verlag 2004.

View of eastern coast of Sicily area

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-08-15

SL3-87-355 (July-September 1973) --- A vertical view of the eastern coast of Sicily area is seen in this Skylab 3 Earth Resources Experiments Package S190-B (five-inch earth terrain camera) infrared photograph taken from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe (10,958 feet), is still active as evidenced by the thin plume of smoke emanating from its crest. (The altitude is approximate because the height of the volcano changes with each eruption). On the flanks of Etna recent lava flows appear black in contrast to the older flows and volcanic debris that are red. Numerous small, circular cinder cones on the flanks represent sites of previous eruptions. Catania, on the Mediterranean coast south of Etna, is the largest of several cities and villages which appear as light-gray patches on the lower slopes of the volcano. Plano de Catania, south of the city of Catania, is outlined by polygonal light and dark agricultural tracts. Several lakes, the largest of which is Lake Pozzillo, show up as dark blue in the photograph. The unusual colors in the picture are due to the use of color infrared film in which vegetation appears red. This is very evident on the slopes of Etna, in the Monti Nebrodi area at upper let, and in the local areas in the lower part of the picture. Studies of Mount Etna and related volcanic features will be undertaken by Professor Roberto Cassinis of Servizio Geologio d?Italia, Rome. Federal agencies participating with NASA on the EREP project are the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers. All EREP photography is available to the public through the Department of Interior?s Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198. Photo credit: NASA

Frequent eruptions of Mount Rainier over the last ∼2,600 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sisson, T.W.; Vallance, J.W.

2009-01-01

Field, geochronologic, and geochemical evidence from proximal fine-grained tephras, and from limited exposures of Holocene lava flows and a small pyroclastic flow document ten–12 eruptions of Mount Rainier over the last 2,600 years, contrasting with previously published evidence for only 11–12 eruptions of the volcano for all of the Holocene. Except for the pumiceous subplinian C event of 2,200 cal year BP, the late-Holocene eruptions were weakly explosive, involving lava effusions and at least two block-and-ash pyroclastic flows. Eruptions were clustered from ∼2,600 to ∼2,200 cal year BP, an interval referred to as the Summerland eruptive period that includes the youngest lava effusion from the volcano. Thin, fine-grained tephras are the only known primary volcanic products from eruptions near 1,500 and 1,000 cal year BP, but these and earlier eruptions were penecontemporaneous with far-traveled lahars, probably created from newly erupted materials melting snow and glacial ice. The most recent magmatic eruption of Mount Rainier, documented geochemically, was the 1,000 cal year BP event. Products from a proposed eruption of Mount Rainier between AD 1820 and 1854 (X tephra of Mullineaux (US Geol Surv Bull 1326:1–83, 1974)) are redeposited C tephra, probably transported onto young moraines by snow avalanches, and do not record a nineteenth century eruption. We found no conclusive evidence for an eruption associated with the clay-rich Electron Mudflow of ∼500 cal year BP, and though rare, non-eruptive collapse of unstable edifice flanks remains as a potential hazard from Mount Rainier.

Zircon reveals protracted magma storage and recycling beneath Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Claiborne, L.L.; Miller, C.F.; Flanagan, D.M.; Clynne, M.A.; Wooden, J.L.

2010-01-01

Current data and models for Mount St. Helens volcano (Washington, United States) suggest relatively rapid transport from magma genesis to eruption, with no evidence for protracted storage or recycling of magmas. However, we show here that complex zircon age populations extending back hundreds of thousands of years from eruption age indicate that magmas regularly stall in the crust, cool and crystallize beneath the volcano, and are then rejuvenated and incorporated by hotter, young magmas on their way to the surface. Estimated dissolution times suggest that entrained zircon generally resided in rejuvenating magmas for no more than about a century. Zircon elemental compositions reflect the increasing influence of mafic input into the system through time, recording growth from hotter, less evolved magmas tens of thousands of years prior to the appearance of mafic magmas at the surface, or changes in whole-rock geochemistry and petrology, and providing a new, time-correlated record of this evolution independent of the eruption history. Zircon data thus reveal the history of the hidden, long-lived intrusive portion of the Mount St. Helens system, where melt and crystals are stored for as long as hundreds of thousands of years and interact with fresh influxes of magmas that traverse the intrusive reservoir before erupting. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

A prototype of an automated high resolution InSAR volcano-monitoring system in the MED-SUV project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Tanvir A.; Minet, Christian; Fritz, Thomas

2016-04-01

Volcanic processes which produce a variety of geological and hydrological hazards are difficult to predict and capable of triggering natural disasters on regional to global scales. Therefore it is important to monitor volcano continuously and with a high spatial and temporal sampling rate. The monitoring of active volcanoes requires the reliable measurement of surface deformation before, during and after volcanic activities and it helps for the better understanding and modelling of the involved geophysical processes. Space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR), persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) and small baseline subset algorithm (SBAS) provide a powerful tool for observing the eruptive activities and measuring the surface changes of millimetre accuracy. All the mentioned techniques with deformation time series extraction address the challenges by exploiting medium to large SAR image stacks. The process of selecting, ordering, downloading, storing, logging, extracting and preparing the data for processing is very time consuming has to be done manually for every single data-stack. In many cases it is even an iterative process which has to be done regularly and continuously. Therefore, data processing becomes slow which causes significant delays in data delivery. The SAR Satellite based High Resolution Data Acquisition System, which will be developed at DLR, will automate this entire time consuming tasks and allows an operational volcano monitoring system. Every 24 hours the system runs for searching new acquired scene over the volcanoes and keeps track of the data orders, log the status and download the provided data via ftp-transfer including E-Mail alert. Furthermore, the system will deliver specified reports and maps to a database for review and use by specialists. The user interaction will be minimized and iterative processes will be totally avoided. In this presentation, a prototype of SAR Satellite based High Resolution Data Acquisition System, which is developed and operated by DLR, will be described in detail. The workflow of the developed system is described which allow a meaningful contribution of SAR for monitoring volcanic eruptive activities. A more robust and efficient InSAR data processing in IWAP processor will be introduced in the framework of a remote sensing task of MED-SUV project. An application of the developed prototype system to a historic eruption of Mount Etna and Piton de la Fournaise will be depicted in the last part of the presentation.

Swift snowmelt and floods (lahars) caused by great pyroclastic surge at Mount St Helens volcano, Washington, 18 May 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waitt, R.B.

1989-01-01

The initial explosions at Mount St. Helens, Washington, on the moring of 18 May 1980 developed into a huge pyroclastic surge that generated catastrophic floods off the east and west flanks of the volcano. Near-source surge deposits on the east and west were lithic, sorted, lacking in accretionary lapilli and vesiculated ash, not plastered against upright obstacles, and hot enough to char wood - all attributes of dry pyroclastic surge. Material deposited at the surge base on steep slopes near the volcano transformed into high-concentration lithic pyroclastic flows whose deposits contain charred wood and other features indicating that these flows were hot and dry. Stratigraphy shows that even the tail of the surge had passed the east and west volcano flanks before the geomorphically distinct floods (lahars) arrived. This field evidence undermines hypotheses that the turbulent surge was itself wet and that its heavy components segregated out to transform directly into lahars. Nor is there evidence that meters-thick snow-slab avalanches intimately mixed with the surge to form the floods. The floods must have instead originated by swift snowmelt at the base of a hot and relatively dry turbulent surge. Impacting hot pyroclasts probably transferred downslope momentum to the snow surface and churned snow grains into the surge base. Melting snow and accumulating hot surge debris may have moved initially as thousands of small thin slushflows. As these flows removed the surface snow and pyroclasts, newly uncovered snow was partly melted by the turbulent surge base; this and accumulating hot surge debris in turn began flowing, a self-sustaining process feeding the initial flows. The flows thus grew swiftly over tens of seconds and united downslope into great slushy ejecta-laden sheetfloods. Gravity accelerated the floods to more than 100 km/h as they swept down and off the volcano flanks while the snow component melted to form great debris-rich floods (lahars) channeled into valleys. ?? 1989 Springer-Verlag.

Diffuse volcanic emissions of carbon dioxide from Vulcano Island, Italy.

PubMed

Baubron, J C; Allard, P; Toutain, J P

1990-03-01

RECENT investigations on Mount Etna (Sicily)(1-3) have revealed that volcanoes may release abundant carbon dioxide not only from their active craters, but also from their flanks, as diffuse soil emanations. Here we present analyses of soil gases and air in water wells on Vulcano Island which provide further evidence of such lateral degassing. Nearly pure carbon dioxide, enriched in helium and radon, escapes from the slopes of the Fossa active cone, adding a total output of 30 tonnes per day to the fumarolic crater discharge ( 180 tonnes CO(2) per day). This emanation has similar He/CO(2) and (13)C/(12)C ratios to those of the crater fumaroles (300%ndash;500 degrees C) and therefore a similar volcanic origin. Gases rich in carbon dioxide also escape at sea level along the isthmus between the Fossa and Vulcanello volcanic cones, but their depletion in both He and (13)C suggests a distinct source. Diffuse volcanic gas emanations, once their genetic link with central fumarole degassing has been demonstrated, can be used for continuous volcano monitoring, at safe distances from active craters. Such monitoring has been initiated at Vulcano, where soil and well emanations of nearly pure CO(2) themselves represent a threat to the local population.

A retrospective study on acute health effects due to volcanic ash exposure during the eruption of Mount Etna (Sicily) in 2002

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Mount Etna, located in the eastern part of Sicily (Italy), is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. During the sustained eruption that occurred in October-November 2002 huge amounts of volcanic ash fell on a densely populated area south-east of Mount Etna in Catania province. The volcanic ash fall caused extensive damage to infrastructure utilities and distress in the exposed population. This retrospective study evaluates whether or not there was an association between ash fall and acute health effects in exposed local communities. Methods We collected the number and type of visits to the emergency department (ED) for diseases that could be related to volcanic ash exposure in public hospitals of the Province of Catania between October 20 and November 7, 2002. We compared the magnitude of differences in ED visits between the ash exposure period in 2002 and the same period of the previous year 2001. Results We observed a significant increase of ED visits for acute respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and ocular disturbances during the ash exposure time period. Conclusions There was a positive association between exposure to volcanic ash from the 2002 eruption of Mount Etna and acute health effects in the Catania residents. This study documents the need for public health preparedness and response initiatives to protect nearby populations from exposure to ash fall from future eruptions of Mount Etna. PMID:23924394

Characterization of the Etna volcanic emissions through an active biomonitoring technique (moss-bags): part 2--morphological and mineralogical features.

PubMed

Calabrese, S; D'Alessandro, W

2015-01-01

Volcanic emissions were studied at Mount Etna (Italy) by using moss-bags technique. Mosses were exposed around the volcano at different distances from the active vents to evaluate the impact of volcanic emissions in the atmosphere. Morphology and mineralogy of volcanic particulate intercepted by mosses were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Particles emitted during passive degassing activity from the two active vents, Bocca Nuova and North East Crater (BNC and NEC), were identified as silicates, sulfates and halide compounds. In addition to volcanic particles, we found evidences also of geogenic, anthropogenic and marine spray input. The study has shown the robustness of this active biomonitoring technique to collect particles, very useful in active volcanic areas characterized by continuous degassing and often not easily accessible to apply conventional sampling techniques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geo-electrical and geological strikes of the Mount Lamongan geothermal area, East Java, Indonesia – preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraheni, L. R.; Niasari, S. W.; Nukman, M.

2018-04-01

Geothermal manifestations located in the Tiris, Mount Lamongan, Probolinggo, consist of warm springs. These warm springs have temperature from 35° until 45°C. Tiris fault has NW-SE dominant orientation, similar to some lineaments of maars and cinder cones around Mount Lamongan. The Mount Lamongan geothermal area is situated between Bromo and Argapura volcanoes. This study aims to map the geo-electrical and geological strikes in the study area. Phase tensor analysis has been performed in this study to determine geo-electrical strike of study area. Geological field campaign has been conducted to measure geological strikes. Then, orientation of geo-electrical strike was compared to geological strike. The result presents that the regional geological strike of study area is NW-SE while the orientation of geo-electrical strike is N-S.

Repose time and cumulative moment magnitude: A new tool for forecasting eruptions?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thelen, W.A.; Malone, S.D.; West, M.E.

2010-01-01

During earthquake swarms on active volcanoes, one of the primary challenges facing scientists is determining the likelihood of an eruption. Here we present the relation between repose time and the cumulative moment magnitude (CMM) as a tool to aid in differentiating between an eruption and a period of unrest. In several case studies, the CMM is lower at shorter repose times than it is at longer repose times. The relationship between repose time and CMM may be linear in log-log space, particularly at Mount St. Helens. We suggest that the volume and competence of the plug within the conduit drives the strength of the precursory CMM.

A sight "fearfully grand": eruptions of Lassen Peak, California, 1914 to 1917

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clynne, Michael A.; Christiansen, Robert L.; Stauffer, Peter H.; Hendley, James W.; Bleick, Heather A.

2014-01-01

On May 22, 1915, a large explosive eruption at the summit of Lassen Peak, California, the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range, devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 280 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a series of eruptions during 1914–17 that were the last to occur in the Cascade Range before the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington. A century after the Lassen eruptions, work by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists in cooperation with the National Park Service is shedding new light on these events.

Comparison of Mount Saint Helens Volcanic Eruption to a Nuclear Explosion.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

River to deep-draft ships. The volcano ejected materials for a relatively long period of time--the only tiltmeter that survived the eruption showed...shown because they are not standard microbarograph re- cordings. The sensor includes a high-pass electronic filter so that the output must be

Viewing Volcanoes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wighting, Mervyn J.

2005-01-01

When Mount St. Helens threatened to erupt again in 2004, it grabbed headlines and captured the imagination of the country. Science classrooms nationwide used the event as an opportunity to make real-world connections to Earth science concepts introduced in the classroom. Thanks to modern technology, teachers no longer have to wait for the next…

Characteristics, extent and origin of hydrothermal alteration at Mount Rainier Volcano, Cascades Arc, USA: Implications for debris-flow hazards and mineral deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, David A.; Sisson, Thomas W.; Breit, George N.; Rye, Robert O.; Vallance, James W.

2008-08-01

Hydrothermal alteration at Mount Rainier waxed and waned over the 500,000-year episodic growth of the edifice. Hydrothermal minerals and their stable-isotope compositions in samples collected from outcrop and as clasts from Holocene debris-flow deposits identify three distinct hypogene argillic/advanced argillic hydrothermal environments: magmatic-hydrothermal, steam-heated, and magmatic steam (fumarolic), with minor superimposed supergene alteration. The 3.8 km 3 Osceola Mudflow (5600 y BP) and coeval phreatomagmatic F tephra contain the highest temperature and most deeply formed hydrothermal minerals. Relatively deeply formed magmatic-hydrothermal alteration minerals and associations in clasts include quartz (residual silica), quartz-alunite, quartz-topaz, quartz-pyrophyllite, quartz-dickite/kaolinite, and quartz-illite (all with pyrite). Clasts of smectite-pyrite and steam-heated opal-alunite-kaolinite are also common in the Osceola Mudflow. In contrast, the Paradise lahar, formed by collapse of the summit or near-summit of the edifice at about the same time, contains only smectite-pyrite and near-surface steam-heated and fumarolic alteration minerals. Younger debris-flow deposits on the west side of the volcano (Round Pass and distal Electron Mudflows) contain only low-temperature smectite-pyrite assemblages, whereas the proximal Electron Mudflow and a < 100 y BP rock avalanche on Tahoma Glacier also contain magmatic-hydrothermal alteration minerals that are exposed in the avalanche headwall of Sunset Amphitheater, reflecting progressive incision into deeper near-conduit alteration products that formed at higher temperatures. The pre-Osceola Mudflow alteration geometry is inferred to have consisted of a narrow feeder zone of intense magmatic-hydrothermal alteration limited to near the conduit of the volcano, which graded outward to more widely distributed, but weak, smectite-pyrite alteration within 1 km of the edifice axis, developed chiefly in porous breccias. The edifice was capped by a steam-heated alteration zone, most of which resulted from condensation of fumarolic vapor and oxidation of H 2S in the unsaturated zone above the water table. Weakly developed smectite-pyrite alteration extended into the west and east flanks of the edifice, spatially associated with dikes that are localized in those sectors; other edifice flanks lack dikes and associated alteration. The Osceola collapse removed most of the altered core and upper east flank of the volcano, but intensely altered rocks remain on the uppermost west flank. Major conclusions of this study are that: (1) Hydrothermal-mineral assemblages and distributions at Mount Rainier can be understood in the framework of hydrothermal processes and environments developed from studies of ore deposits formed in analogous settings. (2) Frequent eruptions supplied sufficient hot magmatic fluid to alter the upper interior of the volcano hydrothermally, despite the consistently deep (≥ 8 km) magma reservoir which may have precluded formation of economic mineral deposits within or at shallow depths beneath Mount Rainier. The absence of indicator equilibrium alteration-mineral assemblages in the debris flows that effectively expose the volcano to a depth of 1-1.5 km also suggests a low potential for significant high-sulfidation epithermal or porphyry-type mineral deposits at depth. (3) Despite the long and complex history of the volcano, intensely altered collapse-prone rocks were spatially restricted to near the volcano's conduit system and summit, and short distances onto the upper east and west flanks, due to the necessary supply of reactive components carried by ascending magmatic fluids. (4) Intensely altered rocks were removed from the summit, east flank, and edifice interior by the Osceola collapse, but remain on the upper west flank in the Sunset Amphitheater area and present a continuing collapse hazard. (5) Visually conspicuous rocks on the lower east and mid-to-lower west flanks are not intensely altered and probably have not significantly weakened the rock, and thus do not present significant collapse hazards. (6) Alteration developed most intensely within breccia units, because of their high permeability and porosity. Volcanoes with abundant near-conduit upper-edifice breccias are prone to alteration increasing the possibility of collapse, whereas those that are breccia-poor (e.g., massive domes) are less prone to alteration.

Ground-coupled acoustic airwaves from Mount St. Helens provide constraints on the May 18, 1980 eruption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J.B.; Malone, S.D.

2007-01-01

The May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption perturbed the atmosphere and generated atmosphere-to-ground coupled airwaves, which were recorded on at least 35 seismometers operated by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network (PNSN). From 102 distinct travel time picks we identify coherent airwaves crossing Washington State primarily to the north and east of the volcano. The travel time curves provide evidence for both stratospheric refractions (at 200 to 300 km from the volcano) as well as probable thermospheric refractions (at 100 to 350 km). The very few first-hand reports of audible volcano sounds within about 80 km of the volcano coincide with a general absence of ground-coupled acoustic arrivals registered within about 100 km and are attributed to upward refraction of sound waves. From the coherent refracted airwave arrivals, we identify at least four distinct sources which we infer to originate 10 s, 114 s, ∼ 180 s and 319 s after the onset of an 8:32:11 PDT landslide. The first of these sources is attributed to resultant depressurization and explosion of the cryptodome. Most of the subsequent arrivals also appear to be coincident with a source located at or near the presumed volcanic conduit, but at least one of the later arrivals suggests an epicenter displaced about 9 km to the northwest of the vent. This dislocation is compatible with the direction of the sector collapse and lateral blast. We speculate that this concussion corresponds to a northern explosion event associated with hot cryptodome entering the Toutle River Valley.

Attenuation and scattering tomography of the deep plumbing system of Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

De Siena, Luca; Thomas, Christine; Waite, Greg P.; Moran, Seth C.; Klemme, Stefan

2014-01-01

We present a combined 3-D P wave attenuation, 2-D S coda attenuation, and 3-D S coda scattering tomography model of fluid pathways, feeding systems, and sediments below Mount St. Helens (MSH) volcano between depths of 0 and 18 km. High-scattering and high-attenuation shallow anomalies are indicative of magma and fluid-rich zones within and below the volcanic edifice down to 6 km depth, where a high-scattering body outlines the top of deeper aseismic velocity anomalies. Both the volcanic edifice and these structures induce a combination of strong scattering and attenuation on any seismic wavefield, particularly those recorded on the northern and eastern flanks of the volcanic cone. North of the cone between depths of 0 and 10 km, a low-velocity, high-scattering, and high-attenuation north-south trending trough is attributed to thick piles of Tertiary marine sediments within the St. Helens Seismic Zone. A laterally extended 3-D scattering contrast at depths of 10 to 14 km is related to the boundary between upper and lower crust and caused in our interpretation by the large-scale interaction of the Siletz terrane with the Cascade arc crust. This contrast presents a low-scattering, 4–6 km2 “hole” under the northeastern flank of the volcano. We infer that this section represents the main path of magma ascent from depths greater than 6 km at MSH, with a small north-east shift in the lower plumbing system of the volcano. We conclude that combinations of different nonstandard tomographic methods, leading toward full-waveform tomography, represent the future of seismic volcano imaging.

Anaglyph with Landsat Overlay, Mount Meru, Tanzania

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Mount Meru is an active volcano located just 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 meters (14,978 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast sometime in its distant past, perhaps similar to the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State in 1980. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity. Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park, but Ngurdoto Crater to the east (image top) is also prominent. The fertile slopes of both volcanoes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards, while the floor of Ngurdoto Crater hosts herds of elephants and buffaloes.

The stereoscopic effect of this anaglyph was created by first draping a Landsat satellite image over a digital elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and then generating two differing perspectives, one for each eye. When viewed through special glasses, the result is a vertically exaggerated view of the Earth's surface in its full three dimensions. Anaglyph glasses cover the left eye with a red filter and cover the right eye with a blue filter.

Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and will substantially help in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.

Size: 37.1 kilometers (23.0 miles) by 20.3 kilometers (12.6 miles) Location: 3.2 degrees South latitude, 36.7 degrees East longitude Orientation: East at top Image Data: Landsat Bands 1, 2, 3, and 4 blended as gray. Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arc-second (30 meters or 98 feet) Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), February 21, 2000 (Landsat 7)

High-resolution radon monitoring and hydrodynamics at Mount Vesuvius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cigolini, Corrado; Salierno, Francesco; Gervino, Gianpiero; Bergese, Paolo; Marino, Ciro; Russo, Massimo; Prati, Paolo; Ariola, Vincenzo; Bonetti, Roberto; Begnini, Stefania

A yearlong high-resolution radon survey has been carried on at Mount Vesuvius, starting in May 1998. Radon activities were acquired by exposing charcoal canisters and track-etch detectors. Sampling stations were deployed along two major summit faults and around the caldera bottom. Volcanically-related earthquakes, with MD ≥ 2.5, may be discriminated from regional seismic events since their cumulative radon anomalies are recorded from stations located along all the above structural features. On the contrary, radon anomalies correlated to regional earthquakes, with MD ≥ 4, are essentially recorded by the sampling sites located along the two summit faults (whose roots extend deeper into the Tertiary basement rocks that underlay the volcano). Radon migration to the surface is ruled by convection within a porous medium of relatively low porosity (ϕ ≈ 10-5), suggesting that fluid motion is strongly localised along fractures. It is suggested that fluid pressure build up, followed by fluid release and migration during incipient fracturing of the porous medium, precede the onset of volcanically-induced earthquakes.

Multiphase-flow numerical modeling of the 18 May 1980 lateral blast at Mount St. Helens, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ongaro, T.E.; Widiwijayanti, C.; Clarke, A.B.; Voight, B.; Neri, A.

2011-01-01

Volcanic lateral blasts are among the most spectacular and devastating of natural phenomena, but their dynamics are still poorly understood. Here we investigate the best documented and most controversial blast at Mount St. Helens (Washington State, United States), on 18 May 1980. By means of three-dimensional multiphase numerical simulations we demonstrate that the blast front propagation, fi nal runout, and damage can be explained by the emplacement of an unsteady, stratifi ed pyroclastic density current, controlled by gravity and terrain morphology. Such an interpretation is quantitatively supported by large-scale observations at Mount St. Helens and will infl uence the defi nition and predictive mapping of hazards on blast-dangerous volcanoes worldwide. ?? 2011 Geological Society of America.

Evolving magma storage conditions beneath Mount St. Helens inferred from chemical variations in melt inclusions from the 1980-1986 and current (2004-2006) eruptions: Chapter 33 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blundy, Jon; Cashman, Katharine V.; Berlo, Kim; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

O contents, consistent with magma extraction from shallow depths. Highly enriched Li in melt inclusions suggests that vapor transport of Li is a characteristic feature of Mount St. Helens. Melt inclusions from the current eruption have subtly different trace-element chemistry from all but one of the 1980-86 melt inclusions, with steeper rareearth-element (REE) patterns and low U, Th, and high-fieldstrength elements (HFSE), indicating addition of a new melt component to the magma system. It is anticipated that increasing involvement of the new melt component will be evident as the current eruption proceeds.

Hot pressing in conduit faults during lava dome extrusion: Insights from Mount St. Helens 2004-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Amy G.; Friedlander, Elizabeth A.; Russell, James K.; Heap, Michael J.; Kennedy, Lori A.

2018-01-01

Rhyodacitic volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens (MSH), Soufrière Hills, Mount Unzen and Mount Pelée erupt spines mantled by layers of magma-derived cataclasite and fault gouge. MSH produced seven lava spines from 2004-2008 composed of low-porosity, compositionally uniform, crystalline dacite. Dome extrusion was attended by continuous 'drumbeat' seismicity, derived from faulting along the conduit margin at 0.5-1 km depth, and evidenced by the enveloping gouge layers. We describe the properties of the gouge-derived fault rocks, including laboratory measurements of porosity and permeability. The gouge varies from unconsolidated powder to lithified low-porosity low-permeability fault rocks. We reconstruct the subsurface ascent of the MSH magma using published field observations and create a model that reconciles the diverse properties of the gouge with conditions in the conduit during ascent (i.e. velocity, temperature). We show lithification of the gouge to be driven by 'hot pressing' processes, wherein the combination of elevated temperature, confining pressure and dwell-time cause densification and solid-state sintering of the comminuted, crystal-rich (glass-poor) gouge. The degree of gouge lithification corresponds with residence time in the conduit such that well-lithified materials reflect extended times in the subsurface due to slower ascent rates. With this insight, we suggest that gouge competence can be used as a first-order estimate of lava ascent rates. Furthermore we posit gouge lithification, which reduces porosity and permeability, inhibits volcanic outgassing thereby increasing the potential for explosive events at spine-producing volcanoes.

Distinguishing styles of explosive eruptions at Erebus, Redoubt and Taupo volcanoes using multivariate analysis of ash morphometrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avery, Meredith R.; Panter, Kurt S.; Gorsevski, Pece V.

2017-02-01

The style and dynamics of volcanic eruptions control the level and type of hazards posed for local populations and can have a temporary long-range impact on climate if eruptions are extremely energetic. The purpose of this study is to provide a statistical approach to ash morphometrics in order to provide a means by which to evaluate diverse eruption styles and mechanisms of fragmentation. The methodology presented can be applied to tephra deposits worldwide and may aid volcanic hazard mitigation by better defining a volcano's history of explosive behavior. Ash-sized grains were collected from tephra deposits on Mount Erebus, Antarctica (< 10 ka, phonolitic unit SC4), Mount Redoubt, Alaska (2009, andesitic events 2-4 & 9-18), and the Taupo volcano, New Zealand (1.8 ka, rhyolitic unit 3D). Coarse ash from each deposit was carefully hand-sieved to 1 mm diameter and display diverse morphologies that vary from grains that are moderately vesicular and more rectangular (blocky) to highly vesiculated (spongy) grains that vary from angular to sub-rounded. A total of 264 grains were imaged by scanning electron microscopy. Morphometric properties were determined using image processing software and then evaluated by several statistical methods. Discriminant analysis of all parameters was found to be the best at differentiating the tephra deposits and allowing for interpretation of eruptive styles in conjunction with field observations. A linear array of data forming a positive slope in factor space, which explains > 99% of the total data variance, is interpreted to represent a continuum between fragmentations involving water-magma interaction ("wet") to grains that were formed predominately by magmatic ("dry") fragmentation mechanisms. The Taupo Hatepe ash, which was deposited from a phreatoplinian eruption column, has the highest factor values in the array, which signifies, in part, more rectangular/blocky morphologies with smooth grain edges. Factor values for the 2009 Redoubt eruption (events 2-4) are nearly as high as Hatepe ash and based on this we suggest that it was produced, in part, by phreatomagmatic fragmentation. This is supported by field observations that document melting and eruption through glacial ice during the early phases of the 2009 activity. Redoubt ash grains from later stages of the same eruption (events 9-18) show a significant shift to lower values in factor space (more irregular/vesiculated grains) and are interpreted to be a consequence of 'dryer' conditions. Coarse ash data from Mount Erebus are completely separated from Taupo and Redoubt grains in factor space due primarily to the difference in mean gray value, which is a proxy for vesicle density and size. The vesicle characteristics (larger and deeper) are consistent with documented strombolian-style activity and the scatter in grain shape data support fragmentation by a mixture of wet and dry processes as has previously been proposed based on deposit characteristics and resemblance to tephra produced by current activity.

The Hazard Notification System (HANS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snedigar, S. F.; Venezky, D. Y.

2009-12-01

The Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) has developed a Hazard Notification System (HANS) for distributing volcanic activity information collected by scientists to airlines, emergency services, and the general public. In the past year, data from HANS have been used by airlines to make decisions about diverting or canceling flights during the eruption of Mount Redoubt. HANS was developed to provide a single system that each of the five U.S. volcano observatories could use for communicating and storing volcanic information about the 160+ potentially active U.S. volcanoes. The data that cover ten tables and nearly 100 fields are now stored in similar formats, and the information can be released in styles requested by our agency partners, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Currently, HANS has about 4500 reports stored; on average, two - three reports are added daily. HANS (at its most basic form) consists of a user interface for entering data into one of many release types (Daily Status Reports, Weekly Updates, Volcano Activity Notifications, etc.); a database holding previous releases as well as observatory information such as email address lists and volcano boilerplates; and a transmission system for formatting releases and sending them out by email or other web related system. The user interface to HANS is completely web based, providing access to our observatory scientists from any online PC. The underlying database stores the observatory information and drives the observatory and program websites' dynamic updates and archived information releases. HANS also runs scripts for generating several different feeds including the program home page Volcano Status Map. Each observatory has the capability of running an instance of HANS. There are currently three instances of HANS and each instance is synchronized to all other instances using a master-slave environment. Information can be entered on any node; slave nodes transmit data to the master node, and the master retransmits that data to all slave nodes. All data transfer between instances uses the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) as the envelope in which data are transmitted between nodes. The HANS data synchronization not only works as a backup feature, but also acts as a simple fault-tolerant system. Information from any observatory can be entered on any instance, and still be transmitted to the specified observatory's distribution list, which provides added flexibility if there is a disruption in access from an area that needs to send an update. Additionally, having the same information available on our multiple websites is necessary for communicating our scientists' most up-to-date information.

Gas Concentration Mapping of Arenal Volcano Using AVEMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diaz, J. Andres; Arkin, C. Richard; Griffin, Timothy P.; Conejo, Elian; Heinrich, Kristel; Soto, Carlomagno

2005-01-01

The Airborne Volcanic Emissions Mass Spectrometer (AVEMS) System developed by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and deployed in collaboration with the National Center for Advanced Technology (CENAT) and the University of Costa Rica was used for mapping the volcanic plume of Arenal Volcano, the most active volcano in Costa Rica. The measurements were conducted as part of the second CARTA (Costa Rica Airborne Research and Technology Application) mission conducted in March 2005. The CARTA 2005 mission, involving multiple sensors and agencies, consisted of three different planes collecting data over all of Costa Rica. The WB-57F from NASA collected ground data with a digital camera, an analog photogrametric camera (RC-30), a multispectral scanner (MASTER) and a hyperspectral sensor (HYMAP). The second aircraft, a King Air 200 from DoE, mounted with a LIDAR based instrument, targeted topography mapping and forest density measurements. A smaller third aircraft, a Navajo from Costa Rica, integrated with the AVEMS instrument and designed for real-time measurements of air pollutants from both natural and anthropogenic sources, was flown over the volcanoes. The improved AVEMS system is designed for deployment via aircraft, car or hand-transport. The 85 pound system employs a 200 Da quadrupole mass analyzer, has a volume of 92,000 cubic cm, requires 350 W of power at steady state, can operate up to an altitude of 41,000 feet above sea level (-65 C; 50 torr). The system uses on-board gas bottles on-site calibration and is capable of monitoring and quantifying up to 16 gases simultaneously. The in-situ gas data in this work, consisting of helium, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and acetone, was acquired in conjunction of GPS data which was plotted with the ground imagery, topography and remote sensing data collected by the other instruments, allowing the 3 dimensional visualization of the volcanic plume at Arenal Volcano. The modeling of possible scenarios of Arenal s activity and its direct impact on the surrounding populated areas in now possible with the combined set of data, linking in-situ data with remote sensing data. The study also helps in the understanding of pyroclastic flow behavior in case of a major eruption.

The recent pumice eruptions of Mt. Pelée volcano, Martinique. Part I: Depositional sequences, description of pumiceous deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traineau, Hervé; Westercamp, Denis; Bardintzeff, Jacques-Marie; Miskovsky, Jean-Claude

1989-08-01

Mount Pelée is one of the most active volcanoes of the Lesser Antilles arc, with more than twenty eruptions over the last 5000 years. Both nuée ardente-type eruptions, which are well known, and pumice eruptions, although little known, are very common in the stratigraphic record. The four younger pumice eruptions, P4 (2440 y.B.P.), P3 (2010 y.B.P.), P2 (1670 y.B.P.) and P1 (650 y.B.P.) can be used to reconstruct the eruption sequences. The various pumiceous deposits can be described as fine lithic ash layer, Plinian fall deposits, pumice and ash flow deposits with associated ash cloud fall deposits, and pumice surge deposits. Three kinds of depositional sequences have been defined. The distinctions between them are based on the occurrence of an initial Plinian phase and the generation of intraflow pyroclastic surges. The pumice eruptions of Mt. Pelée are small in intensity and magnitude, as expressed by the dispersal of their products and by the total mass of erupted material which is estimated to be less than 1 km 3 in each case. The pumice fall deposits have dispersal characteristics of small Plinian eruptions, close to the sub-Plinian type. Nevertheless, the probability of an occurrence of a new pumice eruption at Mt. Pelée is high, and the widespread distribution of pumice deposits around the volcano suggests that such an eruption is a major volcanic risk during the present stage of activity.

The results of studies of temperature fields in the Elbrus volcanic center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likhodeev, D. V.

2012-04-01

The results of theoretical and experimental studies on thermal processes in the Elbrus volcanic center and adjacent territories are presented. Distributed temperature measurements on the Elbrus volcano and in the Northern-Caucasus Geophysical Observatory have been performed. Series of measurements were also performed with an aid from autonomous systems for temperature («High Capacity Temperature Loggers iButton» and «Rejim-avtomat-termo-10-100») monitoring in the mountain lake located near the Maloye Azau glacier. The comparative analysis of the results for different years is provided. On the basis of the Geophysical Observatory in Northern Caucasus, in the laboratory located some 20 km from the Elbrus volcano in the tunnel at a depth of 4 km the array of temperature sensors has been deployed. Results of continuous observations over variations of underground temperatures, including pin-point measurements in the vicinity of sources of carbonaceous mineral waters are presented and discussed. Based on the results of temperature measurements in the 180-meter deep borehole drilled in the ice cap on the western plateau of the Elbrus volcano the theoretical estimations of possible deep temperatures and heat flux values have been obtained and corresponded to the proposed location of the peripheral magma chamber. Thus, the original scientific results provide significant extension to our knowledge on possible resumption of volcanic activity in the vicinity of Mount Elbrus.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phelan, J.M.

A high volume sampling system was developed for the collection of volcanic plume aerosols from an aircraft sampling platform. Concentrations of up to 30 elements on particles were determined simultaneously with gas-phase concentrations of S, Cl, and Br in the quiescent plumes of five active volcanoes: Mount St. Helens, US; Arenal and Poas, Costa Rica; Colima and El Chichon, Mexico. Volatile and chalcophilic elements were found to be highly enriched, relative to average crustal and bulk pyroclastic material, in the quiescent plumes of all volcanoes studied. Enriched volatile elements were found to be primarily associated with fine (less than ormore » equal to 3-..mu..m diam) particles, those expected to have the longest residence times in the atmosphere. Samples were also collected using the aircraft sampling system in background, mid-tropospheric air. Analysis of these samples revealed that many of the same elements that are enriched in volcanic plumes are also enriched in clean, relatively remote aerosols collected in the free troposphere (5-7 km). Concentrations of sulfates made in the North American free troposphere (280 ng/m/sup 3/) approach those measured at remote background sites.« less

Evidence of recent volcanic activity on the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel ridge.

PubMed

Edwards, M H; Kurras, G J; Tolstoy, M; Bohnenstiehl, D R; Coakley, B J; Cochran, J R

2001-02-15

Seafloor spreading is accommodated by volcanic and tectonic processes along the global mid-ocean ridge system. As spreading rate decreases the influence of volcanism also decreases, and it is unknown whether significant volcanism occurs at all at ultraslow spreading rates (<1.5 cm yr(-1)). Here we present three-dimensional sonar maps of the Gakkel ridge, Earth's slowest-spreading mid-ocean ridge, located in the Arctic basin under the Arctic Ocean ice canopy. We acquired this data using hull-mounted sonars attached to a nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Hawkbill. Sidescan data for the ultraslow-spreading (approximately 1.0 cm yr(-1)) eastern Gakkel ridge depict two young volcanoes covering approximately 720 km2 of an otherwise heavily sedimented axial valley. The western volcano coincides with the average location of epicentres for more than 250 teleseismic events detected in 1999, suggesting that an axial eruption was imaged shortly after its occurrence. These findings demonstrate that eruptions along the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel ridge are focused at discrete locations and appear to be more voluminous and occur more frequently than was previously thought.

Infrasonic component of volcano-seismic eruption tremor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoza, Robin S.; Fee, David

2014-03-01

Air-ground and ground-air elastic wave coupling are key processes in the rapidly developing field of seismoacoustics and are particularly relevant for volcanoes. During a sustained explosive volcanic eruption, it is typical to record a sustained broadband signal on seismometers, termed eruption tremor. Eruption tremor is usually attributed to a subsurface seismic source process, such as the upward migration of magma and gases through the shallow conduit and vent. However, it is now known that sustained explosive volcanic eruptions also generate powerful tremor signals in the atmosphere, termed infrasonic tremor. We investigate infrasonic tremor coupling down into the ground and its contribution to the observed seismic tremor. Our methodology builds on that proposed by Ichihara et al. (2012) and involves cross-correlation, coherence, and cross-phase spectra between waveforms from nearly collocated seismic and infrasonic sensors; we apply it to datasets from Mount St. Helens, Tungurahua, and Redoubt Volcanoes.

Volcanic crystals as time capsules of eruption history.

PubMed

Ubide, Teresa; Kamber, Balz S

2018-01-23

Crystals formed prior to a volcanic event can provide evidence of processes leading to and timing of eruptions. Clinopyroxene is common in basaltic to intermediate volcanoes, however, its ability as a recorder of pre-eruptive histories has remained comparatively underexplored. Here we show that novel high-resolution trace element images of clinopyroxene track eruption triggers and timescales at Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy). Chromium (Cr) distribution in clinopyroxene from 1974 to 2014 eruptions reveals punctuated episodes of intrusion of primitive magma at depth. Magma mixing efficiently triggered volcanism (success rate up to 90%), within only 2 weeks of arrival of mafic intrusions. Clinopyroxene zonations distinguish between injections of mafic magma and regular recharges with more evolved magma, which often fail to tip the system to erupt. High Cr zonations can therefore be used to reconstruct past eruptions and inform responses to geophysical signals of volcano unrest, potentially offering an additional approach to volcano hazard monitoring.

Generation of pyroclastic flows and surges by hot-rock avalanches from the dome of Mount St. Helens volcano, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mellors, R.A.; Waitt, R.B.; Swanson, D.A.

1988-01-01

Several hot-rock avalanches have occurred during the growth of the composite dome of Mount St. Helens, Washington between 1980 and 1987. One of these occurred on 9 May 1986 and produced a fan-shaped avalanche deposit of juvenile dacite debris together with a more extensive pyroclastic-flow deposit. Laterally thinning deposits and abrasion and baking of wooden and plastic objects show that a hot ash-cloud surge swept beyond the limits of the pyroclastic flow. Plumes that rose 2-3 km above the dome and vitric ash that fell downwind of the volcano were also effects of this event, but no explosion occurred. All the facies observed originated from a single avalanche. Erosion and melting of craterfloor snow by the hot debris caused debris flows in the crater, and a small flood that carried juvenile and other clasts north of the crater. A second, broadly similar event occured in October 1986. Larger events of this nature could present a significant volcanic hazard. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Benefits of volcano monitoring far outweigh costs - the case of Mount Pinatubo

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newhall, Chris G.; Hendley, James W.; Stauffer, Peter H.

1997-01-01

The climactic June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, was the largest volcanic eruption in this century to affect a heavily populated area. Because it was forecast by scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the U.S. Geological Survey, civil and military leaders were able to order massive evacuations and take measures to protect property before the eruption. Thousands of lives were saved and hundreds of millions of dollars in property losses averted. The savings in property alone were many times the total costs of the forecasting and evacuations.

Atmospheric dust contribution to budget of U-series nuclides in weathering profiles. The Mount Cameroon volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelt, E.; Chabaux, F. J.; Innocent, C.; Ghaleb, B.

2009-12-01

Analysis of U-series nuclides in weathering profiles is developed today for constraining time scale of soil and weathering profile formation (e.g., Chabaux et al., 2008). These studies require the understanding of U-series nuclides sources and fractionation in weathering systems. For most of these studies the impact of aeolian inputs on U-series nuclides in soils is usually neglected. Here, we propose to discuss such an assumption, i.e., to evaluate the impact of dust deposition on U-series nuclides in soils, by working on present and paleo-soils collected on the Mount Cameroon volcano. Recent Sr, Nd, Pb isotopic analyses performed on these samples have indeed documented significant inputs of Saharan dusts in these soils (Dia et al., 2006). We have therefore analyzed 238U-234U-230Th nuclides in the same samples. Comparison of U-Th isotopic data with Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data indicates a significant impact of the dust input on the U and Th budget of the soils, around 10% for both U and Th. Using Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data of Saharan dusts given by Dia et al. (2006) we estimate U-Th concentrations and U-Th isotope ratios of dusts compatible with U-Th data obtained on Saharan dusts collected in Barbados (Rydell H.S. and Prospero J.M., 1972). However, the variations of U/Th ratios along the weathering profiles cannot be explained by a simple mixing scenario between material from basalt and from the defined atmospheric dust pool. A secondary uranium migration associated with chemical weathering has affected the weathering profiles. Mass balance calculation suggests that U in soils from Mount Cameroon is affected at the same order of magnitude by both chemical migration and dust accretion. Nevertheless, the Mount Cameroon is a limit case were large dust inputs from continental crust of Sahara contaminate basaltic terrain from Mount Cameroon volcano. Therefore, this study suggests that in other contexts were dust inputs are lower, or the bedrocks more concentrated in U and Th, the dust contribution will not significantly influence U-series dating. Chabaux F., Bourdon B., Riotte J. (2008). U-series Geochemistry in weathering profiles, river waters and lakes. Radioactivity in the Environment, 13, 49-104. Dia A., Chauvel C., Bulourde M. and Gérard M. (2006). Eolian contribution to soils on Mount Cameroon: Isotopic and trace element records. Chem. Geol. 226, 232-252. Rydell H.S. and Prospero J.M. (1972). Uranium and thorium concentrations in wind-borne Saharan dust over the western equatorial north atlantic ocean. EPSL 14, 397-402.

Elevation effects in volcano applications of the COSPEC

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerlach, T.M.

2003-01-01

Volcano applications commonly involve sizeable departures from the reference pressure and temperature of COSPEC calibration cells. Analysis shows that COSPEC SO2 column abundances and derived mass emission rates are independent of pressure and temperature, and thus unaffected by elevation effects related to deviations from calibration cell reference state. However, path-length concentrations are pressure and temperature dependent. Since COSPEC path-length concentration data assume the reference pressure and temperature of calibration cells, they can lead to large errors when used to calculate SO2 mixing ratios of volcanic plumes. Correction factors for COSPEC path-length concentrations become significant (c.10%) at elevations of about 1 km (e.g. Kilauea volcano) and rise rapidly to c.80% at 6 km (e.g. Cotopaxi volcano). Calculating SO2 mixing ratios for volcanic plumes directly from COSPEC path-length concentrations always gives low results. Corrections can substantially increase mixing ratios; for example, corrections increase SO2 ppm concentrations reported for the Mount St Helens, Colima, and Erebus plumes by 25-50%. Several arguments suggest it would be advantageous to calibrate COSPEC measurements in column abundance units rather than path-length concentration units.

Leaching characteristics of ash from the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, David Burl; Zielinski, Robert A.; Taylor, Howard E.

1982-01-01

Leaching of freshly erupted air-fall ash, unaffected by rain, from the May 18, 1.980,eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano, Washington, shows that Ca 2+, Na+, Mg+, SO4 2-, and Cl- are the predominant chemical species released on first exposure of the ash to water. Extremely high correlation of Ca with SO4 and Na with Cl in water leachates suggests the presence of CaSO4 and NaCl salts on the ash. The amount of water soluble material on ash increases with distance from source and with the weight fraction of small (less than 63 micrometers) ash particles of high-surface area. This suggests that surface reactions such as adsorption are responsible for concentrating the soluble material. CaSO4, NaCl, and other salts are probably formed as microscopic crystals in the high-temperature core of the eruption column and are then adsorbed by silicate ash particles. The environmentally important elements Zn, Cu, Cd, F, Pb, and Ba are released by a water leach in concentrations which could pose short-term hazards to some forms of aquatic life. However, calculated concentrations are based on a water-to-ash ratio of 4:1 or less, which is probably an underestimation of the regionally operative ratio. A subsequent leach of ash by warm alkaline solution shows dramatic increases in the amount of dissolved SiO2, U, and V, which are probably caused by increased dissolution of the glassy component of ash. Glass dissolution by alkaline ground water is a mechanism for providing these three elements to sedimentary traps where they may co-accumulate as uraniferous silica or U-V minerals. Leaching characteristics of ash from Mount St. Helens are comparable to characteristics of ash of similar composition from volcanoes in Guatemala. Ashes from each locality show similar ions predominating for a given leachate and similar fractions of a particular element in the ash removed on contact with the leach solution.

A new method for GPS-based wind speed determinations during airborne volcanic plume measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doukas, Michael P.

2002-01-01

Begun nearly thirty years ago, the measurement of gases in volcanic plumes is today an accepted technique in volcano research. Volcanic plume measurements, whether baseline gas emissions from quiescent volcanoes or more substantial emissions from volcanoes undergoing unrest, provide important information on the amount of gaseous output of a volcano to the atmosphere. Measuring changes in gas emission rates also allows insight into eruptive behavior. Some of the earliest volcanic plume measurements of sulfur dioxide were made using a correlation spectrometer (COSPEC). The COSPEC, developed originally for industrial pollution studies, is an upward-looking optical spectrometer tuned to the ultraviolet absorption wavelength of sulfur dioxide (Millán and Hoff, 1978). In airborne mode, the COSPEC is mounted in a fixed-wing aircraft and flown back and forth just underneath a volcanic plume, perpendicular to the direction of plume travel (Casadevall and others, 1981; Stoiber and others, 1983). Similarly, for plumes close to the ground, the COSPEC can be mounted in an automobile and driven underneath a plume if a suitable road system is available (Elias and others, 1998). The COSPEC can also be mounted on a tripod and used to scan a volcanic plume from a fixed location on the ground, although the effectiveness of this configuration declines with distance from the plume (Kyle and others, 1990). In the 1990’s, newer airborne techniques involving direct sampling of volcanic plumes with infrared spectrometers and electrochemical sensors were developed in order to measure additional gases such as CO2 and H2S (Gerlach and others, 1997; Gerlach and others, 1999; McGee and others, 2001). These methods involve constructing a plume cross-section from several measurement traverses through the plume in a vertical plane. Newer instruments such as open-path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers are now being used to measure the gases in volcanic plumes mostly from fixed locations on the ground. Most FTIR studies to date measure only gas compositions or ratios of gas species (Love and others, 1998; Francis and others, 1998; Horrocks and others, 1999). What all of these methods have in common, however, is the necessity to know plume velocities if accurate gas emission rates are to be calculated. Even open-path FTIR studies done in tandem with a COSPEC require knowledge of plume velocity in order to compute emission rates.

ASTER-SRTM Perspective of Mount Oyama Volcano, Miyake-Jima Island, Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Mount Oyama is a 820-meter-high (2,700 feet) volcano on the island of Miyake-Jima, Japan. In late June 2000, a series of earthquakes alerted scientists to possible volcanic activity. On June 27, authorities evacuated 2,600 people, and on July 8 the volcano began erupting and erupted five times over that week. The dark gray blanket covering green vegetation in the image is the ash deposited by prevailing northeasterly winds between July 8 and 17. This island is about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Tokyo and is part of the Izu chain of volcanic islands that runs south from the main Japanese island of Honshu. Miyake-Jima is home to 3,800 people. The previous major eruptions of Mount Oyama occurred in 1983 and 1962, when lava flows destroyed hundreds of houses. An earlier eruption in 1940 killed 11 people.

This image is a perspective view created by combining image data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard NASA's Terra satellite with an elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Vertical relief is exaggerated, and the image includes cosmetic adjustments to clouds and image color to enhance clarity of terrain features.

The ASTER instrument is a cooperative project between NASA, JPL, and the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11,2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise,Washington, DC.

Size: Island is approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter Location: 34.1 deg. North lat., 139.5 deg. East lon. Orientation: View toward the west-southwest. Image Data: ASTER visible and near infrared Date Acquired: February 20, 2000 (SRTM), July 17, 2000 (ASTER)

TOMO-ETNA Experiment -Etna volcano, Sicily, investigated with active and passive seismic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luehr, Birger-G.; Ibanez, Jesus M.; Díaz-Moreno, Alejandro; Prudencio, Janire; Patane, Domenico; Zieger, Toni; Cocina, Ornella; Zuccarello, Luciano; Koulakov, Ivan; Roessler, Dirk; Dahm, Torsten

2017-04-01

The TOMO-ETNA experiment, as part of the European Union project "MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes (MED-SUV)", was devised to image the crustal structure beneath Etna by using state of the art passive and active seismic methods. Activities on-land and offshore are aiming to obtain new high-resolution seismic images to improve the knowledge of crustal structures existing beneath the Etna volcano and northeast Sicily up to the Aeolian Islands. In a first phase (June 15 - July 24, 2014) at Etna volcano and surrounding areas two removable seismic networks were installed composed by 80 Short Period and 20 Broadband stations, additionally to the existing network belonging to the "Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia" (INGV). So in total air-gun shots could be recorded by 168 stations onshore plus 27 ocean bottom instruments offshore in the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. Offshore activities were performed by Spanish and Italian research vessels. In a second phase the broadband seismic network remained operative until October 28, 2014, as well as offshore surveys during November 19 -27, 2014. Active seismic sources were generated by an array of air-guns mounted in the Spanish Oceanographic vessel "Sarmiento de Gamboa" with a power capacity of up to 5.200 cubic inches. In total more than 26.000 shots were fired and more than 450 local and regional earthquakes could be recorded and will be analyzed. For resolving a volcanic structure the investigation of attenuation and scattering of seismic waves is important. In contrast to existing studies that are almost exclusively based on S-wave signals emitted by local earthquakes, here air-gun signals were investigated by applying a new methodology based on the coda energy ratio defined as the ratio between the energy of the direct P-wave and the energy in a later coda window. It is based on the assumption that scattering caused by heterogeneities removes energy from direct P-waves that constitutes the earliest possible arrival to any part later in the seismic wave train. As an independent proxy of the scattering strength along the ray path, we measure the peak delay time of a direct P-wave, which is well correlated with the coda energy ratio. As a result the distribution of heterogeneities around Etna could be visualized as the projection of the observation in directions of incident rays at the stations. Increased seismic scattering could be detected in the volcano and east of it. The strong heterogeneous zone towards the east coast of Sicily supports earlier observations, and is interpreted as a potential signature of the eastward sliding volcano flank. Beside the investigation of P-wave scattering the new seismic tomography software PARTOS (Passive Active Ray Tomography Software) has been developed based on a joint inversion of active and passive seismic sources. With PARTOS real data inversion has been carried out using three different subsets: i) active data; ii) passive data; and iii) joint dataset, permitting to obtain a new tomographic approach of that region.

Dynamic triggering of volcano drumbeat-like seismicity at the Tatun volcano group in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Cheng-Horng

2017-07-01

Periodical seismicity during eruptions has been observed at several volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens and Soufrière Hills. Movement of magma is often considered one of the most important factors in its generation. Without any magma movement, drumbeat-like (or heartbeat-like) periodical seismicity was detected twice beneath one of the strongest fumarole sites (Dayoukeng) among the Tatun volcano group in northern Taiwan in 2015. Both incidences of drumbeat-like seismicity were respectively started after felt earthquakes in Taiwan, and then persisted for 1-2 d afterward with repetition intervals of ∼18 min between any two adjacent events. The phenomena suggest both drumbeat-like (heartbeat-like) seismicity sequences were likely triggered by dynamic waves generated by the two felt earthquakes. Thus, rather than any involvement of magma, a simplified pumping system within a degassing conduit is proposed to explain the generation of drumbeat-like seismicity. The collapsed rocks within the conduit act as a piston, which was repeatedly lifted up by ascending gas from a deeper reservoir and dropped down when the ascending gas was escaping later. These phenomena show that the degassing process is still very strong in the Tatun volcano group in Taiwan, even though it has been dormant for about several thousand years.

Chemical Fluxes from a Recently Erupted Submarine Volcano on the Mariana Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, N. J.; Resing, J. A.; Lupton, J. E.; Larson, B. I.; Walker, S. L.; Baker, E. T.

2016-12-01

While hydrothermal circulation is paramount to the geochemical budget for a wide array of elements, relatively few flux estimates exist in the literature. To date most studies have concentrated on constraining global and vent-field scale inputs originating from ocean spreading ridges. The goal of this study is to directly measure the chemical flux from an active submarine volcano injecting hydrothermal fluids into the surface ocean. Ahyi Seamount, a submarine intraoceanic arc volcano located in the Northern Mariana Islands, has a summit depth <100 m and erupted in May 2014. In November 2014 a hydrothermal plume originating from Ahyi was sampled aboard the R/V Roger Revelle during the Submarine Ring of Fire 2014 Ironman Expedition. Shipboard hull mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profile data was collected to provide current vector measurements to be used in combination with continuous and discrete CTD data. Towed CTD sections were conducted perpendicular to the current direction - a sampling strategy that optimizes chemical flux estimate calculations by reducing complexities introduced by temporal variability in the speed and direction of plume dispersion. The Ahyi plume had a significant optical backscatter signal accompanied by evidence of reduced chemical species and a lowered pH. It was sampled for He isotopes, CH4, H2, H2S, total CO2, nutrients, TSM and total and dissolved Fe and Mn. Laboratory analyses found enriched concentrations of H2, 3He, CO2 and Fe, consistent with a recent eruption. Preliminary flux calculations estimate a Fe input of 16 mmol s-1. This indicates shallow submarine arc volcanoes are capable of supplying appreciable quantities of Fe into the surface ocean. Further laboratory analyses and calculations to characterize and constrain the fluxes of other chemical constituents are underway.

TECTONIC VERSUS VOLCANIC ORIGIN OF THE SUMMIT DEPRESSION AT MEDICINE LAKE VOLCANO, CALIFORNIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark Leon Gwynn

Medicine Lake Volcano is a Quaternary shield volcano located in a tectonically complex and active zone at the transition between the Basin and Range Province and the Cascade Range of the Pacific Province. The volcano is topped by a 7x12 km elliptical depression surrounded by a discontinuous constructional ring of basaltic to rhyolitic lava flows. This thesis explores the possibility that the depression may have formed due to regional extension (rift basin) or dextral shear (pull-apart basin) rather than through caldera collapse and examines the relationship between regional tectonics and localized volcanism. Existing data consisting of temperature and magnetotelluric surveys,more » alteration mineral studies, and core logging were compiled and supplemented with additional core logging, field observations, and fault striae studies in paleomagnetically oriented core samples. These results were then synthesized with regional fault data from existing maps and databases. Faulting patterns near the caldera, extension directions derived from fault striae P and T axes, and three-dimensional temperature and alteration mineral models are consistent with slip across arcuate ring faults related to magma chamber deflation during flank eruptions and/or a pyroclastic eruption at about 180 ka. These results are not consistent with a rift or pull-apart basin. Limited subsidence can be attributed to the relatively small volume of ash-flow tuff released by the only known major pyroclastic eruption and is inconsistent with the observed topographic relief. The additional relief can be explained by constructional volcanism. Striae from unoriented and oriented core, augmented by striae measurements in outcrop suggest that Walker Lane dextral shear, which can be reasonably projected from the southeast, has probably propagated into the Medicine Lake area. Most volcanic vents across Medicine Lake Volcano strike north-south, suggesting they are controlled by crustal weakness related to Basin and Range extension. Interaction of dextral shear, Basin and Range extension, and the zone of crustal weakness expressed as the Mount Shasta-Medicine Lake volcanic highland controlled the location and initiation of Medicine Lake Volcano at about 500 ka.« less

Tectonic versus volcanic origin of the summit depression at Medicine Lake Volcano, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark Leon Gwynn

Medicine Lake Volcano is a Quaternary shield volcano located in a tectonically complex and active zone at the transition between the Basin and Range Province and the Cascade Range of the Pacific Province. The volcano is topped by a 7x12 km elliptical depression surrounded by a discontinuous constructional ring of basaltic to rhyolitic lava flows. This thesis explores the possibility that the depression may have formed due to regional extension (rift basin) or dextral shear (pull-apart basin) rather than through caldera collapse and examines the relationship between regional tectonics and localized volcanism. Existing data consisting of temperature and magnetotelluric surveys,more » alteration mineral studies, and core logging were compiled and supplemented with additional core logging, field observations, and fault striae studies in paleomagnetically oriented core samples. These results were then synthesized with regional fault data from existing maps and databases. Faulting patterns near the caldera, extension directions derived from fault striae P and T axes, and three-dimensional temperature and alteration mineral models are consistent with slip across arcuate ring faults related to magma chamber deflation during flank eruptions and/or a pyroclastic eruption at about 180 ka. These results are not consistent with a rift or pull-apart basin. Limited subsidence can be attributed to the relatively small volume of ash-flow tuff released by the only known major pyroclastic eruption and is inconsistent with the observed topographic relief. The additional relief can be explained by constructional volcanism. Striae from unoriented and oriented core, augmented by striae measurements in outcrop suggest that Walker Lane dextral shear, which can be reasonably projected from the southeast, has probably propagated into the Medicine Lake area. Most volcanic vents across Medicine Lake Volcano strike north-south, suggesting they are controlled by crustal weakness related to Basin and Range extension. Interaction of dextral shear, Basin and Range extension, and the zone of crustal weakness expressed as the Mount Shasta-Medicine Lake volcanic highland controlled the location and initiation of Medicine Lake Volcano at about 500 ka.« less

Punctuated Evolution of Volcanology: An Observatory Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, W. C.; Eichelberger, J. C.

2010-12-01

Volcanology from the perspective of crisis prediction and response-the primary function of volcano observatories-is influenced both by steady technological advances and singular events that lead to rapid changes in methodology and procedure. The former can be extrapolated somewhat, while the latter are surprises or shocks. Predictable advances include the conversion from analog to digital systems and the exponential growth of computing capacity and data storage. Surprises include eruptions such as 1980 Mount St Helens, 1985 Nevado del Ruiz, 1989-1990 Redoubt, 1991 Pinatubo, and 2010 Eyjafjallajokull; the opening of GPS to civilian applications, and the advent of an open Russia. Mount St Helens switched the rationale for volcanology in the USGS from geothermal energy to volcano hazards, Ruiz and Pinatubo emphasized the need for international cooperation for effective early warning, Redoubt launched the effort to monitor even remote volcanoes for purposes of aviation safety, and Eyjafjallajokull hammered home the need for improved ash-dispersion and engine-tolerance models; better GPS led to a revolution in volcano geodesy, and the new Russian Federation sparked an Alaska-Kamchatka scientific exchange. The pattern has been that major funding increases for volcano hazards occur after these unpredictable events, which suddenly expose a gap in capabilities, rather than out of a calculated need to exploit technological advances or meet a future goal of risk mitigation. It is up to the observatory and national volcano hazard program to leverage these sudden funding increases into a long-term, sustainable business model that incorporates both the steadily increasing costs of staff and new technology and prepares for the next volcano crisis. Elements of the future will also include the immediate availability on the internet of all publically-funded volcano data, and subscribable, sophisticated hazard alert systems that run computational, fluid dynamic eruption models. These models will be coupled with risk assessments in which the parameters are adjusted to an emerging situation, while accessing global eruption databases in order to construct eruption event trees with statistically sound probabilities. Design of these alert systems will necessarily require the joint input of scientists and emergency management leaders. All of this can be visualized now, and programs such as VHub, WOVOdat, and NVEWS are working towards its eventual reality. Technological advances will make possible in a crisis the tapping of a global pool of expertise, which may have the effect of diminishing the importance of observatories as physical entities-however, familiarity with the nearby, monitored volcanoes and impacted populations will always require their presence. What is also clear about the future is that there must be more international communication and cooperation. We do this quite well scientifically, but not so well in terms of observatory operations or best practices. While parallel paths can be stimulating through diversity and competition, there is no need for every national program to separately invent the wheel. Changes will also need to be made in institutional expectations of scientists, which currently overemphasize solitary achievement at the expense of community efforts.

Areal distribution, thickness, mass, volume, and grain size of tephra-fall deposits from the 1992 eruptions of Crater Peak vent, Mt. Spurr Volcano, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Neal, Christina A.; Riley, Colleen M.

2001-01-01

The Crater Peak flank vent of Mount Spurr volcano erupted June 27, August 18, and September 16-17, 1992. The three eruptions were similar in intensity (vulcanian to subplinian eruption columns reaching up to 14 km Above Sea Level) and duration (3.5 to 4.0 hours) and produced tephra-fall deposits (12, 14, 15 x 106 m3 Dense Rock Equivalent [DRE]) discernible up to 1,000 km downwind. The June 27 ash cloud traveled north over the rugged, ice- and snow-covered Alaska Range. The August 18 ash cloud was carried southeastward over Anchorage, across Prince William Sound, and down the southeastern shoreline of the Gulf of Alaska. The September 16-17 ash plume was directed eastward over the Talkeetna and Wrangell mountains and into the Yukon Territory of Canada. Over 50 mass-per-unit-area (MPUA) samples were collected for each of the latter two fall deposits at distances ranging from about 2 km to 370 km downwind from the volcano. Only 10 (mostly proximal) samples were collected for the June fall deposit due to inaccessible terrain and funding constraints. MPUA data were plotted and contoured (isomass lines) to graphically display the distribution of each fall deposit. For the August and September eruptions, fallout was concentrated along a narrow (30 to 50 km wide) belt. The fallout was most concentrated (100,000 to greater than 250,000 g/m2) within about 80 km of the volcano. Secondary maxima occur at 200 km (2,620 g/m2) and 300 km (4,659 g/m2), respectively, down axis for the August and September deposits. The maxima contain bimodal grain size distributions (with peaks at 88.4 and 22.1 microns) indicating aggregation within the ash cloud. Combined tephra-volume for the 1992 Mount Spurr eruptions (41 x 106 m3 DRE) is comparable to that (tephra-fall only) of the 1989-90 eruptions of nearby Redoubt volcano (31-49 x 106 m3 DRE).

Deep crustal faults and the origin and long-term flank stability of Mt. Etna : First results from the CIRCEE cruise (Oct. 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutscher, Marc-Andre; Dominguez, Stephane; Mercier de Lepinay, Bernard; Pinheiro, Luis; Babonneau, Nathalie; Cattaneo, Antonio; LeFaou, Yann; Barreca, Giovanni; Micallef, Aaron; Rovere, Marzia

2014-05-01

The relation between deep crustal faults and the origin of Mount Etna, the largest and most active volcano in Europe has long been suspected due to its unusual geodynamic location. Results from a new marine geophysical survey offshore Eastern Sicily reveal the detailed geometry (location, length, dip and orientation) of a two-branched 200-km long, lithospheric scale fault system, long sought for as being the cause of Mount Etna. Using high-resolution bathymetry and seismic profiling, we image a 60-km long, previously unidentified, NW trending fault with evidence of recent displacement at the seafloor, offsetting Holocene sediments. This newly identified fault connects NE of Catania, to a known 40-km long, offshore-onshore fault system dissecting the southeastern flank of Mount Etna, generally interpreted as purely gravitational collapse structures. Geological and morphological field studies together with earthquake focal mechanisms indicate active dextral strike-slip motion along the onshore and shallow offshore portion of this 40 + 60 km long segment. The southern 100 km branch of the fault is associated with a sub-vertical lithospheric scale tear fault showing pure down to the East normal faulting and a 500+m thick elongate basin marked by syn-tectonic Plio-quaternary sediment fill. Together they represent two kinematically distinct strands of the long sought "STEP" (Subduction Tear Edge Propagator) fault, whose expression at depth controls the position of Mount Etna. Both 100-km long branches of the fault system are mechanically capable of generating magnitude 7 earthquakes (e.g. - like the 1693 Catania earthquake, the strongest in Italian history, causing 40,000 deaths). We conclude this deep-rooted lithospheric weakness guides gradual down slope creep of Mount Etna and may lead to long-term catastrophic flank collapse with associated tsunami by large-scale mass wasting.

Introduction

Treesearch

Charles Goodrich

2008-01-01

Landscapes tell stories, if we know how to listen. When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, the story most people heard seemed to be almost entirely about violence, danger, and devastation. But even as rescue efforts continued for the people missing on the mountain, scientists went up to the volcano looking for other stories. They wanted to see how the landscape...

Volcanic-hazards assessments; past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, D.R.

1991-01-01

Worldwide interest in volcanic-hazards assessments was greatly stimulated by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, just 2 years after a hazards assessment of the volcano was published in U.S Geological Survey Bulletin 1383-C. Many climactic eruption on May 18, although the extent of the unprecedented and devastating lateral blast was not anticipated. 

Volcano ecology at Chaiten, Chile: geophysical processes interact with forest ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, F. J.; Crisafulli, C.; Jones, J. A.; Lara, A.

2010-12-01

The May 2008 eruption of Chaiten Volcano (Chile) offers many insights into volcano ecology -ecological responses to volcanic and associated hydrologic processes and ecosystem development in post-eruption landscapes. Varied intensities of pyroclastic density currents (PDC) and thickness of tephra fall deposits (to 50+ cm) created strong gradients of disturbance in several hundred square kilometers of native forest in a sector north to southeast from the volcano. A gradient from tree removal to toppled forest to standing, scorched forest extends 1.5 km northward from the caldera rim along the trajectory of a PDC. Close to the vent (e.g., 2 km NE from rim) a rain of ca. 10 cm of gravel tephra stripped foliage and twigs from tree canopies; farther away (23 km SE) 10 cm of fine tephra loaded the canopy, causing extensive fall of limbs >8 cm diameter. Even in the severely disturbed, north-flank PDC zone, surviving bamboo, ferns, and other herbs sprouted from pre-eruption soil and other refugia; sprouts of new foliage appeared on the boles and major limbs of several species of toppled and scorched, standing trees; animals including vertebrates (rodents and amphibians) and terrestrial invertebrates (e.g., insects and arachnids) either survived or quickly recolonized; and a diverse fungal community began decomposing the vast dead wood resource. During the second growing season we documented the presence of some plant species that had colonized by seed. Within two years after the eruption secondary ecological disturbances resulting from channel change and overbank deposition of fluvially transported tephra created new patches of damaged forest in riparian zones of streams draining the north flank and along the Rio Rayas and Rio Chaiten. These features parallel observations in the intensively-studied, post-1980-eruption landscape of Mount St. Helens over a similar time period. However, several aspects of ecological response to the two eruptions differ because of differences in biota and geophysical processes and products. For example, many tree species at Chaiten are angiosperms (i.e., broadleaf evergreen species) that have an ability to resprout following defoliation, whereas gymnosperms (conifers) that dominated the Mount St. Helens landscape perished immediately. The long-term persistence of severely damaged, but sprouting trees at Chaiten is unclear. Both sites appear to have “hot spots” and “cold spots” of rapid versus slow vegetation regeneration, influenced by initial patterns of survival and secondary disturbances. Many questions remain, such as the role of chemical deposition (e.g., HCl) in foliage damage in either eruption. Our experiences at Mount St. Helens and Chaiten highlight the value of observations made as early as possible after an eruption, long-term continuation of study, work in interdisciplinary teams, and establishment of basic protocols for volcano ecology study.

Petrographic and Geochemical Investigation of Andesitic Arc Volcanism: Mount Kerinci, Sunda Arc, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tully, M.; Saunders, K.; Troll, V. R.; Jolis, E.; Muir, D. D.; Deegan, F. M.; Budd, D. A.; Astbury, R.; Bromiley, G. D.

2014-12-01

Present knowledge of the chain of dominantly andesitic volcanoes, which span the Sumatran portion of the Sunda Arc is extremely limited. Previous studies have focused on Toba and Krakatau, although over 13 further volcanic edifices are known. Several recent explosive eruptions in Sumatra such as that of Mt. Sinabung, 2014, have highlighted the potential hazard that these volcanoes pose to the local and regional communities. Mount Kerinci, is one of the most active of the volcanoes in this region, yet little is known about the petrogenesis of the magma by which it is fed. Kerinci is located approximately mid-way between Toba in the North and Krakatau in the south. Along arc variations are observed in the major, minor and trace elements of whole rock analyses. However, bulk rock approaches produce an average chemical composition for a sample, potentially masking important chemical signatures. In-situ micro-analytical analysis of individual components of samples such as melt inclusions, crystals and groundmass provides chemical signatures of individual components allowing the evolution of volcanic centres to be deciphered in considerably more detail. Examination of whole rock chemistry indicates its location may be key to unravelling the petrogenesis of the arc as significant chemical changes occur between Kerinci and Kaba, 250 km to the south. Kerinci samples are dominantly porphyritic with large crystals of plagioclase, pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides, rare olivine crystals are observed. Plagioclase and pyroxene crystals are chemically zoned and host melt inclusions. Multiple plagioclase populations are observed. A combination of in-situ micro-analysis techniques will be used to characterise the chemical composition of melt inclusions and crystals. These data can be used along with extant geothermobarometric models to help determine the magma source, storage conditions and composition of the evolving melt. Integration of the findings from this study with existing data for the volcanic chain will enable along-arc variations in magmatic processes in Sumatra to be assessed more thoroughly, providing fundamental insights into the evolution of not only Kerinci, but magma genesis in Sumatra in general. Keywords: Sunda Arc, andesite, arc volcanism, petrogenesis.

Stereo Pair with Landsat Overlay, Mount Meru, Tanzania

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Mount Meru is an active volcano located just 70 kilometers (44 miles)west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 meters (14,978 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast sometime in its distant past, perhaps similar to the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State in 1980. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity. Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park, but Ngurdoto Crater to the east (image top) is also prominent. The fertile slopes of both volcanoes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards, while the floor of Ngurdoto Crater hosts herds of elephants and buffaloes.

This stereoscopic image was generated by draping a Landsat satellite image over a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model. Two differing perspectives were then calculated, one for each eye. They can be seen in 3-D by viewing the left image with the right eye and the right image with the left eye (cross-eyed viewing or by downloading and printing the image pair and viewing them with a stereoscope. When stereoscopically merged, the result is a vertically exaggerated view of Earth's surface in its full three dimensions.

Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot)resolution of most Landsat images and will substantially help in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.

Size: 37.1 kilometers (23.0 miles) by 20.3 kilometers (12.6 miles) Location: 3.2 degrees South latitude, 36.7 degrees East longitude Orientation: East at top Image Data: Landsat Bands 3, 2+4, 1 as red, green, blue, respectively. Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arc-second (30 meters or 98 feet) Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), February 21, 2000 (Landsat 7)

Mount St. Helens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image of Mount St. Helens was captured one week after the March 8, 2005, ash and steam eruption, the latest activity since the volcano's reawakening in September 2004. The new lava dome in the southeast part of the crater is clearly visible, highlighted by red areas where ASTER's infrared channels detected hot spots from incandescent lava. The new lava dome is 155 meters (500 feet) higher than the old lava dome, and still growing.

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.

The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Size: 21.9 by 24.4 kilometers (13.6 by 15.1 miles) Location: 46.2 degrees North latitude, 122.2 degrees West longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 8, 3, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: March 15, 2005

Design and performance of an integrated ground and space sensor web for monitoring active volcanoes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahusen, Richard; Song, Wenzhan; Kedar, Sharon; Shirazi, Behrooz; Chien, Steve; Doubleday, Joshua; Davies, Ashley; Webb, Frank; Dzurisin, Dan; Pallister, John

2010-05-01

An interdisciplinary team of computer, earth and space scientists collaborated to develop a sensor web system for rapid deployment at active volcanoes. The primary goals of this Optimized Autonomous Space In situ Sensorweb (OASIS) are to: 1) integrate complementary space and in situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensor web; 2) advance sensor web power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enable scalability for seamless addition sensors and other satellites into the sensor web. This three-year project began with a rigorous multidisciplinary interchange that resulted in definition of system requirements to guide the design of the OASIS network and to achieve the stated project goals. Based on those guidelines, we have developed fully self-contained in situ nodes that integrate GPS, seismic, infrasonic and lightning (ash) detection sensors. The nodes in the wireless sensor network are linked to the ground control center through a mesh network that is highly optimized for remote geophysical monitoring. OASIS also features an autonomous bidirectional interaction between ground nodes and instruments on the EO-1 space platform through continuous analysis and messaging capabilities at the command and control center. Data from both the in situ sensors and satellite-borne hyperspectral imaging sensors stream into a common database for real-time visualization and analysis by earth scientists. We have successfully completed a field deployment of 15 nodes within the crater and on the flanks of Mount St. Helens, Washington. The demonstration that sensor web technology facilitates rapid network deployments and that we can achieve real-time continuous data acquisition. We are now optimizing component performance and improving user interaction for additional deployments at erupting volcanoes in 2010.

Volcanology by Courier: Science in Stamps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, William H.

1981-01-01

Summarized are five activities involving collection of postage stamps picturing volcanoes or related scenes for use as part of or at the conclusion of the study of volcanoes. Activity topics include volcanic features, location of volcanoes, related land features where volcanoes are not located, and making one's own volcano stamps. (DS)

Shallow Repeating Seismic Events Under an Alpine Glacier at Mount Rainier, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allstadt, K.; Thelen, W. A.; Malone, S. D.; Vidale, J. E.; de Angelis, S.; Moran, S. C.

2010-12-01

We observed a swarm of repeating sequences of seismic events during three weeks in May and June 2010 near the summit of Mount Rainier, Washington. These sequences likely marked stick-slip motion at the base of alpine glaciers. The dominant set of nearly identical earthquakes repeated more than 4000 times and had no diurnal variation in recurrence interval nor amplitude. A second set of earthquakes recurred about 500 times with a strong diurnal pattern. We also detected 14 other minor sets of repeating earthquakes of less than 20 occurrences during this time. Due to the low amplitudes of these events, we were able to locate only the dominant sequence by stacking 4000 signals. This event was located about 1km north of the crater, near the top of Winthrop glacier. Both volcanoes and glaciers groan and pop frequently, with great variability and energy. The low-frequency radiation and periodic recurrence of these events mimic more ominous volcano grumbles, but the shallow location, correspondence with weather, and sometimes diurnal patterns indicate ice-related sources. The most likely scenario is that a rapid influx of spring meltwater to the lower portions of these glaciers after several days of warm temperatures overwhelmed underdeveloped subglacial conduits, driving water into basal cavities and till. This decreases effective pressure at the base of the glacier, thus temporarily increasing basal slip rates. The earthquakes we observed may be generated by repeated stick-slip motion over bedrock bumps or other asperities under these glaciers near the summit as they were pulled along by down-glacier acceleration. The low frequency nature of these earthquakes is a path effect due to wave propagation through the glacial ice and surficial rock layers of the volcano. These sequences underline the difficulties in differentiating glacial noise from signs of magmatic unrest while monitoring volcanoes.

Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

All around the world, people live in places where the threat of natural disaster is high. On the North Island of New Zealand, the Mount Ruapehu volcano is just such a threat. A towering, active stratovolcano (the classic cone-shaped volcano), snow-capped Ruapehu Volcano is pictured in this enhanced-color image. The image is made from topography data collected by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000, and imagery collected by the Landsat satellite on October 23, 2002. Ruapehu is one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes, with ten eruptions since 1861. The eruptions aren’t the only threat from the volcano, however. Among the most serious threats is a volcanic mudflow called a lahar. In between eruptions, a lake forms in the volcano’s caldera from melting snow. If a previous eruption has deposited a dam of ash, rocks and mud in the lake’s natural overflow point, then the lake becomes dangerously full, held back only by the temporary dam. In this scene, the lake is nestled among the ridges at the top of the volcano. Eventually, the dam gives way and a massive flow of mud and debris churns down the mountain toward farmland and towns below. Scientists estimate that Ruapehu has experienced 60 lahars in the last 150 years. A devastating lahar in 1953 killed more than 150 people, who died when a passenger train plunged into a ravine when a railroad bridge was taken out by the lahar. The flank of the volcano below the lake is deeply carved by the path of previous lahars; the gouge can be seen just left of image center. Currently scientists in the region are predicting that the lake will overflow in a lahar sometime in the next year. There is great controversy about how to deal with the threat. News reports from the region indicate that the government is planning to invest in a high-tech warning system that will alert those who might be affected well in advance of any catastrophic release. Others feel that the government should combat the threat through engineering at the top of the mountain, for example, by undertaking a controlled release of the lake. Credit Landsat data provided courtesy of the University of Maryland Global Land Cover Facility Landsat processing by Laura Rocchio, Landsat Project Science Office SRTM 3-arcsecond elevation data courtesy of SRTM Team NASA/JPL/NIMA Visualization created by Earth Observatory staff. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Hydrothermal circulation at Mount St. Helens determined by self-potential measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedrosian, P.A.; Unsworth, M.J.; Johnston, M.J.S.

2007-01-01

The distribution of hydrothermal circulation within active volcanoes is of importance in identifying regions of hydrothermal alteration which may in turn control explosivity, slope stability and sector collapse. Self-potential measurements, indicative of fluid circulation, were made within the crater of Mount St. Helens in 2000 and 2001. A strong dipolar anomaly in the self-potential field was detected on the north face of the 1980-86 lava dome. This anomaly reaches a value of negative one volt on the lower flanks of the dome and reverses sign toward the dome summit. The anomaly pattern is believed to result from a combination of thermoelectric, electrokinetic, and fluid disruption effects within and surrounding the dome. Heat supplied from a cooling dacite magma very likely drives a shallow hydrothermal convection cell within the dome. The temporal stability of the SP field, low surface recharge rate, and magmatic component to fumarole condensates and thermal waters suggest the hydrothermal system is maintained by water vapor exsolved from the magma and modulated on short time scales by surface recharge. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three active volcanoes in China and their hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, H.; Sparks, R. S. J.; Liu, R.; Fan, Q.; Wang, Y.; Hong, H.; Zhang, H.; Chen, H.; Jiang, C.; Dong, J.; Zheng, Y.; Pan, Y.

2003-02-01

The active volcanoes in China are located in the Changbaishan area, Jingbo Lake, Wudalianchi, Tengchong and Yutian. Several of these volcanoes have historical records of eruption and geochronological evidence of Holocene activity. Tianchi Volcano is a well-preserved Cenozoic polygenetic central volcano, and, due to its recent history of powerful explosive eruptions of felsic magmas, with over 100,000 people living on its flanks is a high-risk volcano. Explosive eruptions at 4000 and 1000 years BP involved plinian and ignimbrite phases. The Millennium eruption (1000 years BP) involved at least 20-30 km 3 of magma and was large enough to have a global impact. There are 14 Cenozoic monogenetic scoria cones and associated lavas with high-K basalt composition in the Wudalianchi volcanic field. The Laoheishan and Huoshaoshan cones and related lavas were formed in 1720-1721 and 1776 AD. There are three Holocene volcanoes, Dayingshan, Maanshan, and Heikongshan, among the 68 Quaternary volcanoes in the Tengchong volcanic province. Three of these volcanoes are identified as active, based on geothermal activity, geophysical evidence for magma, and dating of young volcanic rocks. Future eruptions of these Chinese volcanoes pose a significant threat to hundreds of thousands of people and are likely to cause substantial economic losses.

A Volcano Rekindled: The Renewed Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Mount St. Helens began a dome-building eruption in September 2004 after nearly two decades of quiescence. Dome growth was initially robust, became more sluggish with time, and ceased completely in late January 2008. The volcano has been quiet again since January 2008. Professional Paper 1750 describes the first 1 1/2 years of this eruptive activity, chiefly from September 2004 until December 2005. Its 37 chapters contain contributions of 87 authors from 23 institutions, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Forest Service, many universities, and local and State emergency management agencies. Chapter topics range widely - from seismology, geology, geodesy, gas geochemistry, and petrology to the human endeavor required for managing the public volcanic lands and distributing information during the hectic early days of a renewed eruption. In PDF format, the book may be downloaded in its entirety or by its topical sections, each section including a few prefatory paragraphs that describe the general findings, recurrent themes, and, in some cases, the unanswered questions that arise repeatedly. Those readers who prefer downloading the smaller files of only a chapter or two have this option available as well. Readers are directed to chapter 1 for a general overview of the eruption and the manner in which different chapters build our knowledge of events. More detailed summaries for specific topics can be found in chapter 2 (seismology), chapter 9 (geology), chapter 14 (deformation), chapter 26 (gas geochemistry), and chapter 30 (petrology). The printed version of the book may be purchased as a hardback weighty tome (856 printed pages) that includes a DVD replete with the complete online version, including all chapters and several additional appendixes not in the printed book.

A model for radial dike emplacement in composite cones based on observations from Summer Coon volcano, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poland, Michael P.; Moats, W.P.; Fink, J.H.

2008-01-01

We mapped the geometry of 13 silicic dikes at Summer Coon, an eroded Oligocene stratovolcano in southern Colorado, to investigate various characteristics of radial dike emplacement in composite volcanoes. Exposed dikes are up to about 7 km in length and have numerous offset segments along their upper peripheries. Surprisingly, most dikes at Summer Coon increase in thickness with distance from the center of the volcano. Magma pressure in a dike is expected to lessen away from the pressurized source region, which would encourage a blade-like dike to decrease in thickness with distance from the center of the volcano. We attribute the observed thickness pattern as evidence of a driving pressure gradient, which is caused by decreasing host rock shear modulus and horizontal stress, both due to decreasing emplacement depths beneath the sloping flanks of the volcano. Based on data from Summer Coon, we propose that radial dikes originate at depth below the summit of a host volcano and follow steeply inclined paths towards the surface. Near the interface between volcanic cone and basement, which may represent a neutral buoyancy surface or stress barrier, magma is transported subhorizontally and radially away from the center of the volcano in blade-like dikes. The dikes thicken with increasing radial distance, and offset segments and fingers form along the upper peripheries of the intrusions. Eruptions may occur anywhere along the length of the dikes, but the erupted volume will generally be greater for dike-fed eruptions far from the center of the host volcano owing to the increase in driving pressure with distance from the source. Observed eruptive volumes, vent locations, and vent-area intrusions from inferred post-glacial dike-fed eruptions at Mount Adams, Washington, USA, support the proposed model. Hazards associated with radial dike emplacement are therefore greater for longer dikes that propagate to the outer flanks of a volcano. ?? Springer-Verlag 2007.

Volcanic gas emissions during active dome growth at Mount Cleveland, Alaska, August 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Cynthia; Kern, Christoph; Lyons, John; Kelly, Peter; Schneider, David; Wallace, Kristi; Wessels, Rick

2016-04-01

Volcanic gas emissions and chemistry data were measured for the first time at Mount Cleveland (1730 m) in the Central Aleutian arc, Alaska, on August 14-15, 2015 as part of the NSF-GeoPRISMS initiative, and co-funded by the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) and the USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory. The measurements were made in the month following two explosive events (July 21 and August 7, 2015) that destroyed a small dome (˜50x85 m), which had experienced episodic growth in the crater since November, 2014. These explosions resulted in the elevation of the aviation color code and alert level from Yellow/Advisory to Orange/Watch on July 21, 2015. Between the November, 2014 and July, 2015 dome-destroying explosions, the volcano experienced: (1) frequent periods of elevated surface temperatures in the summit region (based on Mid-IR satellite observations), (2) limited volcano-seismic tremor, (3) visible degassing as recorded in webcam images with occasionally robust plumes, and (4) at least one aseismic volcanic event that deposited small amounts of ash on the upper flanks of the volcano (detected by infrasound, observed visually and in Landsat 8 images). Intermittent plumes were also sometimes detectable up to 60 km downwind in Mid-IR satellite images, but this was not typical. Lava extrusion resumed following the explosion as indicated in satellite data by highly elevated Mid-IR surface temperatures, but was not identifiable in seismic data. By early-mid August, 2015, a new dome growing in the summit crater had reached 80 m across with temperatures of 550-600 C as measured on August 4 with a helicopter-borne thermal IR camera. A semitransparent plume extended several kilometers downwind of the volcano during the field campaign. A helicopter instrumented with an upward-looking UV spectrometer (mini DOAS) and a Multi-GAS was used to measure SO2 emission rates and in situ mixing ratios of H2O, CO2, SO2, and H2S in the plume. On August 14 and 15, 2015, a total of 14 helicopter traverses made beneath the plume resulted in SO2 emission rates ranging from 460 to 860 t/d. Four of the 14 measurements were made during a dedicated gas flight where emission rates varied between 480-580 t/d SO2 over an approximate 20 minute period on August 15, demonstrating the short-term variability of emissions. Transects through the plume were also flown during the gas flight with the highest concentrations (˜ 0.5 ppm SO2) measured approximately 2.6 km downwind of the volcano. Volcanic CO2 was at detection limits and in-plume concentrations exceeded background air by only 1- 1.5 ppm. Volcanic H2O could not be resolved above atmospheric background and H2S was not detected. Low molar C/S ratios derived from these data (< 3) are consistent with the presence of shallow magma in the system and the observed growth of a new lava dome. Gas emissions data will be compared with the low level background seismicity and infrasound from the Cleveland geophysical network.

Volcanic hazards from Bezymianny- and Bandai-type eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siebert, L.; Glicken, H.; Ui, T.

1987-01-01

Major slope failures are a significant degradational process at volcanoes. Slope failures and associated explosive eruptions have resulted in more than 20 000 fatalities in the past 400 years; the historic record provides evidence for at least six of these events in the past century. Several historic debris avalanches exceed 1 km3 in volume. Holocene avalanches an order of magnitude larger have traveled 50-100 km from the source volcano and affected areas of 500-1500 km2. Historic eruptions associated with major slope failures include those with a magmatic component (Bezymianny type) and those solely phreatic (Bandai type). The associated gravitational failures remove major segments of the volcanoes, creating massive horseshoe-shaped depressions commonly of caldera size. The paroxysmal phase of a Bezymianny-type eruption may include powerful lateral explosions and pumiceous pyroclastic flows; it is often followed by construction of lava dome or pyroclastic cone in the new crater. Bandai-type eruptions begin and end with the paroxysmal phase, during which slope failure removes a portion of the edifice. Massive volcanic landslides can also occur without related explosive eruptions, as at the Unzen volcano in 1792. The main potential hazards from these events derive from lateral blasts, the debris avalanche itself, and avalanche-induced tsunamis. Lateral blasts produced by sudden decompression of hydrothermal and/or magmatic systems can devastate areas in excess of 500km2 at velocities exceeding 100 m s-1. The ratio of area covered to distance traveled for the Mount St. Helens and Bezymianny lateral blasts exceeds that of many pyroclastic flows or surges of comparable volume. The potential for large-scale lateral blasts is likely related to the location of magma at the time of slope failure and appears highest when magma has intruded into the upper edifice, as at Mount St. Helens and Bezymianny. Debris avalanches can move faster than 100 ms-1 and travel tens of kilometers. When not confined by valley walls, avalanches can affect wide areas beyond the volcano's flanks. Tsunamis from debris avalanches at coastal volcanoes have caused more fatalities than have the landslides themselves or associated eruptions. The probable travel distance (L) of avalanches can be estimated by considering the potential vertical drop (H). Data from a catalog of around 200 debris avalanches indicates that the H/L rations for avalanches with volumes of 0.1-1 km3 average 0.13 and range 0.09-0.18; for avalanches exceeding 1 km3, H/L ratios average 0.09 and range 0.5-0.13. Large-scale deformation of the volcanic edefice and intense local seismicity precede many slope failures and can indicate the likely failure direction and orientation of potential lateral blasts. The nature and duration of precursory activity vary widely, and the timing of slope faliure greatly affects the type of associated eruption. Bandai-type eruptions are particularly difficult to anticipate because they typically climax suddenly without precursory eruptions and may be preceded by only short periods of seismicity. ?? 1987 Springer-Verlag.

Large-scale magnetic field perturbation arising from the 18 May 1980 eruption from Mount St. Helens, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, R.J.; Johnston, M.J.S.

1989-01-01

A traveling magnetic field disturbance generated by the 18 may 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens at 1532 UT was detected on an 800-km linear array of recording magnetometers installed along the San Andreas fault system in California, from San Francisco to the Salton Sea. Arrival times of the disturbance field, from the most northern of these 24 magnetometers (996 km south of the volcano) to the most southern (1493 km S23?? E), are consistent with the generation of a traveling ionospheric disturbance stimulated by the blast pressure wave in the atmosphere. The first arrivals at the north and the south ends of the array occurred at 26 and 48 min, respectively, after the initial eruption. Apparent average wave velocity through the array is 309 ?? 14 m s-1 but may have approached 600 m s-1 close to the volcano. The horizontal phase and the group velocity of ??? 300 m s-1 at periods of 70-80 min, and the attenuation with distance, strongly suggest that the magnetic field perturbations at distances of 1000-1500 km are caused by gravity mode acoustic-gravity waves propagating at F-region heights in the ionosphere. ?? 1989.

The New USGS Volcano Hazards Program Web Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venezky, D. Y.; Graham, S. E.; Parker, T. J.; Snedigar, S. F.

2008-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Volcano Hazard Program (VHP) has launched a revised web site that uses a map-based interface to display hazards information for U.S. volcanoes. The web site is focused on better communication of hazards and background volcano information to our varied user groups by reorganizing content based on user needs and improving data display. The Home Page provides a synoptic view of the activity level of all volcanoes for which updates are written using a custom Google® Map. Updates are accessible by clicking on one of the map icons or clicking on the volcano of interest in the adjacent color-coded list of updates. The new navigation provides rapid access to volcanic activity information, background volcano information, images and publications, volcanic hazards, information about VHP, and the USGS volcano observatories. The Volcanic Activity section was tailored for emergency managers but provides information for all our user groups. It includes a Google® Map of the volcanoes we monitor, an Elevated Activity Page, a general status page, information about our Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes, monitoring information, and links to monitoring data from VHP's volcano observatories: Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), Long Valley Observatory (LVO), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). The YVO web site was the first to move to the new navigation system and we are working on integrating the Long Valley Observatory web site next. We are excited to continue to implement new geospatial technologies to better display our hazards and supporting volcano information.

Airborne thermal infrared imaging of the 2004-2005 eruption of Mount St. Helens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, D. J.; Vallance, J. W.; Logan, M.; Wessels, R.; Ramsey, M.

2005-12-01

A helicopter-mounted forward-looking infrared imaging radiometer (FLIR) documented the explosive and effusive activity at Mount St. Helens during the 2004-2005 eruption. A gyrostabilzed gimbal controlled by a crew member houses the FLIR radiometer and an optical video camera attached at the lower front of the helicopter. Since October 1, 2004 the system has provided an unprecedented data set of thermal and video dome-growth observations. Flights were conducted as frequently as twice daily during the initial month of the eruption (when changes in the crater and dome occurred rapidly), and have been continued on a tri-weekly basis during the period of sustained dome growth. As with any new technology, the routine use of FLIR images to aid in volcano monitoring has been a learning experience in terms of observation strategy and data interpretation. Some of the unique information that has been derived from these data to date include: 1) Rapid identification of the phreatic nature of the early explosive phase; 2) Observation of faulting and associated heat flow during times of large scale deformation; 3) Venting of hot gas through a short lived crater lake, indicative of a shallow magma source; 4) Increased heat flow of the crater floor prior to the initial dome extrusion; 5) Confirmation of new magma reaching the surface; 6) Identification of the source of active lava extrusion, dome collapse, and block and ash flows. Temperatures vary from ambient, in areas insulated by fault gouge and talus produced during extrusion, to as high as 500-740 degrees C in regions of active extrusion, collapse, and fracturing. This temperature variation needs to be accounted for in the retrieval of eruption parameters using satellite-based techniques as such features are sub-pixel size in satellite images.

Volcanic hazards at Atitlan volcano, Guatemala

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haapala, J.M.; Escobar Wolf, R.; Vallance, James W.; Rose, William I.; Griswold, J.P.; Schilling, S.P.; Ewert, J.W.; Mota, M.

2006-01-01

Atitlan Volcano is in the Guatemalan Highlands, along a west-northwest trending chain of volcanoes parallel to the mid-American trench. The volcano perches on the southern rim of the Atitlan caldera, which contains Lake Atitlan. Since the major caldera-forming eruption 85 thousand years ago (ka), three stratovolcanoes--San Pedro, Toliman, and Atitlan--have formed in and around the caldera. Atitlan is the youngest and most active of the three volcanoes. Atitlan Volcano is a composite volcano, with a steep-sided, symmetrical cone comprising alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs. Eruptions of Atitlan began more than 10 ka [1] and, since the arrival of the Spanish in the mid-1400's, eruptions have occurred in six eruptive clusters (1469, 1505, 1579, 1663, 1717, 1826-1856). Owing to its distance from population centers and the limited written record from 200 to 500 years ago, only an incomplete sample of the volcano's behavior is documented prior to the 1800's. The geologic record provides a more complete sample of the volcano's behavior since the 19th century. Geologic and historical data suggest that the intensity and pattern of activity at Atitlan Volcano is similar to that of Fuego Volcano, 44 km to the east, where active eruptions have been observed throughout the historical period. Because of Atitlan's moderately explosive nature and frequency of eruptions, there is a need for local and regional hazard planning and mitigation efforts. Tourism has flourished in the area; economic pressure has pushed agricultural activity higher up the slopes of Atitlan and closer to the source of possible future volcanic activity. This report summarizes the hazards posed by Atitlan Volcano in the event of renewed activity but does not imply that an eruption is imminent. However, the recognition of potential activity will facilitate hazard and emergency preparedness.

Application of ASAR-ENVISAT Data for Monitoring Andean Volcanic Activity : Results From Lastarria-Azufre Volcanic Complex (Chile-Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froger, J.; Remy, D.; Bonvalot, S.; Franco Guerra, M.

2005-12-01

Since the pioneer study on Mount Etna by Massonnet et al., in 1995, several works have illustrated the promising potentiality of Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (INSAR) for the monitoring of volcanoes. In the case of wide, remote or hazardous volcanic areas, in particular, INSAR represents a safer and more economic way to acquire measurements than from ground based geodetic networks. Here we present the preliminary results of an interferometric survey made with ASAR-ENVISAT data on a selection of South American volcanoes where deformation signals had been previously evidenced or are expected. An interesting result is the detection of a present-day active ground deformation on the Azufre-Lastarria area (Chile-Argentina) indicating that process, identified during 1998-2000 by Pritchard and Simmons (2004) from ERS data, is still active. The phase signal visible on ASAR interferograms (03/2003-06/2005) is roughly elliptical with a 45 km NNE-SSW major axis. Its amplitude increases as a function of time and is compatible with ground uplift in the line of sight of the satellite. The ASAR time series (up to 840 days, 7 ASAR images) indicates variable deformation rate that might confirm the hypothesis of a non uniform deformation process. We investigated the origin and the significance of the deformation using various source modelling strategies (analytical and numerical). The observed deformation can be explained by the infilling of an elliptical magmatic reservoir lying between 7 and 10 km depth. The deformation could represent the first stage of a new caldera forming as it is correlated with a large, although subtle, topographic depression surrounded by a crown of monogenetic centers. A short wavelength inflation has also been detected on Lastaria volcano. It could result from the on-going infilling of a small subsurface magmatic reservoir, eventually supplied by the deeper one. All these observations point out the need of a closer monitoring of this area in order to assess future volcanic hazard.

Application of the Landsat Thematic Mapper to the identification of potentially active volcanoes in the Central Andes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, P. W.; De Silva, S. L.

1989-01-01

A systematic study of the potentially active volcanoes in the Central Andes (14 deg S to 28 deg S) was carried out on the basis of Landsat Thematic Mapper images which provided consistent coverage of the area. More than 60 major volcanoes were identified as potentially active, as compared to 16 that are listed in the Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World (Casertano, 1963; Hantke and Parodi, 1966). Most of these volcanoes are large (up to 6000 m in height) composite cones. Some of them could threaten nearby settlements, especially those in southern Peru, where the volcanoes rise above deep canyons with settlements along them.

Living on Active Volcanoes - The Island of Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heliker, Christina; Stauffer, Peter H.; Hendley, James W.

1997-01-01

People on the Island of Hawai'i face many hazards that come with living on or near active volcanoes. These include lava flows, explosive eruptions, volcanic smog, damaging earthquakes, and tsunamis (giant seawaves). As the population of the island grows, the task of reducing the risk from volcano hazards becomes increasingly difficult. To help protect lives and property, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory closely monitor and study Hawai'i's volcanoes and issue timely warnings of hazardous activity.

Long Period Earthquakes Beneath California's Young and Restless Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitt, A. M.; Dawson, P. B.; Shelly, D. R.; Hill, D. P.; Mangan, M.

2013-12-01

The newly established USGS California Volcano Observatory has the broad responsibility of monitoring and assessing hazards at California's potentially threatening volcanoes, most notably Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake, Clear Lake Volcanic Field, and Lassen Volcanic Center in northern California; and Long Valley Caldera, Mammoth Mountain, and Mono-Inyo Craters in east-central California. Volcanic eruptions occur in California about as frequently as the largest San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes-more than ten eruptions have occurred in the last 1,000 years, most recently at Lassen Peak (1666 C.E. and 1914-1917 C.E.) and Mono-Inyo Craters (c. 1700 C.E.). The Long Valley region (Long Valley caldera and Mammoth Mountain) underwent several episodes of heightened unrest over the last three decades, including intense swarms of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes, rapid caldera uplift, and hazardous CO2 emissions. Both Medicine Lake and Lassen are subsiding at appreciable rates, and along with Clear Lake, Long Valley Caldera, and Mammoth Mountain, sporadically experience long period (LP) earthquakes related to migration of magmatic or hydrothermal fluids. Worldwide, the last two decades have shown the importance of tracking LP earthquakes beneath young volcanic systems, as they often provide indication of impending unrest or eruption. Herein we document the occurrence of LP earthquakes at several of California's young volcanoes, updating a previous study published in Pitt et al., 2002, SRL. All events were detected and located using data from stations within the Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN). Event detection was spatially and temporally uneven across the NCSN in the 1980s and 1990s, but additional stations, adoption of the Earthworm processing system, and heightened vigilance by seismologists have improved the catalog over the last decade. LP earthquakes are now relatively well-recorded under Lassen (~150 events since 2000), Clear Lake (~60 events), Mammoth Mountain (~320 events), and Long Valley Caldera (~40 events). LP earthquakes are notably absent under Mount Shasta. With the exception of Long Valley Caldera where LP earthquakes occur at depths of ≤5 km, hypocenters are generally between 15-25 km. The rates of LP occurrence over the last decade have been relatively steady within the study areas, except at Mammoth Mountain, where years of gradually declining LP activity abruptly increased after a swarm of unusually deep (20 km) VT earthquakes in October 2012. Epicenter locations relative to the sites of most recent volcanism vary across volcanic centers, but most LP earthquakes fall within 10 km of young vents. Source models for LP earthquakes often involve the resonance of fluid-filled cracks or nonlinear flow of fluids along irregular cracks (reviewed in Chouet and Matoza, 2013, JVGR). At mid-crustal depths the relevant fluids are likely to be low-viscosity basaltic melt and/or exsolved CO2-rich volatiles (Lassen, Clear Lake, Mammoth Mountain). In the shallow crust, however, hydrothermal waters/gases are likely involved in the generation of LP seismicity (Long Valley Caldera).

Extrusion rate of the Mount St. Helens lava dome estimated from terrestrial imagery, November 2004-December 2005: Chapter 12 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, Jon J.; Kingsbury, Cole G.; Poland, Michael P.; LaHusen, Richard G.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Oblique, terrestrial imagery from a single, fixed-position camera was used to estimate linear extrusion rates during sustained exogenous growth of the Mount St. Helens lava dome from November 2004 through December 2005. During that 14-month period, extrusion rates declined logarithmically from about 8-10 m/d to about 2 m/d. The overall ebbing of effusive output was punctuated, however, by episodes of fluctuating extrusion rates that varied on scales of days to weeks. The overall decline of effusive output and finer scale rate fluctuations correlated approximately with trends in seismicity and deformation. Those correlations portray an extrusion that underwent episodic, broad-scale stick-slip behavior superposed on the finer scale, smaller magnitude stick-slip behavior that has been hypothesized by other researchers to correlate with repetitive, nearly periodic shallow earthquakes.

Use of thermal infrared imaging for monitoring renewed dome growth at Mount St. Helens, 2004: Chapter 17 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schneider, David J.; Vallance, James W.; Wessels, Rick L.; Logan, Matthew; Ramsey, Michael S.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

A helicopter-mounted thermal imaging radiometer documented the explosive vent-clearing and effusive phases of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 2004. A gyrostabilized gimbal controlled by a crew member housed the radiometer and an optical video camera attached to the nose of the helicopter. Since October 1, 2004, the system has provided thermal and video observations of dome growth. Flights conducted as frequently as twice daily during the initial month of the eruption monitored rapid changes in the crater and 1980-86 lava dome. Thermal monitoring decreased to several times per week once dome extrusion began. The thermal imaging system provided unique observations, including timely recognition that the early explosive phase was phreatic, location of structures controlling thermal emissions and active faults, detection of increased heat flow prior to the extrusion of lava, and recognition of new lava extrusion. The first spines, 1 and 2, were hotter when they emerged (maximum temperature 700-730°C) than subsequent spines insulated by as much as several meters of fault gouge. Temperature of gouge-covered spines was about 200°C where they emerged from the vent, and it decreased rapidly with distance from the vent. The hottest parts of these spines were as high as 500-730°C in fractured and broken-up regions. Such temperature variation needs to be accounted for in the retrieval of eruption parameters using satellite-based techniques, as such features are smaller than pixels in satellite images.

Katmai volcanic cluster and the great eruption of 1912

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, W.; Fierstein, J.

2000-01-01

In June 1912, the world's largest twentieth century eruption broke out through flat-lying sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age near the base of Trident volcano on the Alaska Peninsula. The 60 h ash-flow and Plinian eruptive sequence excavated and subsequently backfilled with ejecta a flaring funnel-shaped vent since called Novarupta. The vent is adjacent to a cluster of late Quaternary stratocones and domes that have released about 140 km3 of magma in the past 150 k.y. Although the 1912 vent is closest to the Trident group and is also close to Mageik and Griggs volcanoes, it was the summit of Mount Katmai, 10 km east of Novarupta, that collapsed during the eruption to form a 5.5 km3 caldera. Many earthquakes, including 14 in the range M 6-7, took place during and after the eruption, releasing 250 times more seismic energy than the 1991 caldera-forming eruption of the Philippine volcano, Pinatubo. The contrast in seismic behavior may reflect the absence of older caldera faults at Mount Katmai, lack of upward (subsidence opposing) magma flow owing to lateral magma withdrawal in 1912, and the horizontally stratified structure of the thick shale-rich Mesozoic basement. The Katmai caldera compensates for only 40% of the 13 km3 of 1912 magma erupted, which included 7-8 km3 of slightly zoned high-silica rhyolite and 4.5 km3 of crystal-rich dacite that grades continuously into 1 km3 of crystal-rich andesite. We have now mapped, sampled, and studied the products of all 20 components of the Katmai volcanic cluster. Pyroxene dacite and silicic andesite predominate at all of them, and olivine andesite is also common at Griggs, Katmai, and Trident volcanoes, but basalt and rhyodacite have erupted only at Mount Katmai. Rhyolite erupted only in 1912 and is otherwise absent among Quaternary products of the cluster. Pleistocene products of Mageik and Trident and all products of Griggs are compositionally distinguishable from those of 1912 at Novarupta. Holocene products of Mount Martin and Trident are closer in composition to the andesite-dacite array of 1912, but they reveal consistent differences. The affinity of the 1912 suite is closest with the array of products erupted by the Southwest Katmai cone, the edifice that had produced the only pre-1912 rhyodacite as well as the largest prehistoric Plinian eruption in the cluster. It is doubtful that any 1912 magma had been stored beneath Novarupta or Trident, and there is no evidence that more than one magma chamber erupted in 1912. Despite a compositional gap separating the aphyric rhyolite from the very crystal-rich andesite-dacite continuum, isotopic and chemical affinities linking all the 1912 ejecta and the continuity of all those ejecta in magmatic temperature and oxygen fugacity suggest that the rhyolite originated principally by incremental upward expulsion of interstitial melt from subjacent andesite-dacite mush. A large reservoir of such hot crystal mush is required both as the residue of rhyolitic melt separation and as a proximate heat source to thermally sustain the nearly aphyric condition of the overlying rhyolite. A model is presented for a unitary zoned chamber beneath Mount Katmai.

Kamchatka and North Kurile Volcano Explosive Eruptions in 2015 and Danger to Aviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girina, Olga; Melnikov, Dmitry; Manevich, Alexander; Demyanchuk, Yury; Nuzhdaev, Anton; Petrova, Elena

2016-04-01

There are 36 active volcanoes in the Kamchatka and North Kurile, and several of them are continuously active. In 2015, four of the Kamchatkan volcanoes (Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Karymsky and Zhupanovsky) and two volcanoes of North Kurile (Alaid and Chikurachki) had strong and moderate explosive eruptions. Moderate gas-steam activity was observing of Bezymianny, Kizimen, Avachinsky, Koryaksky, Gorely, Mutnovsky and other volcanoes. Strong explosive eruptions of volcanoes are the most dangerous for aircraft because they can produce in a few hours or days to the atmosphere and the stratosphere till several cubic kilometers of volcanic ash and aerosols. Ash plumes and the clouds, depending on the power of the eruption, the strength and wind speed, can travel thousands of kilometers from the volcano for several days, remaining hazardous to aircraft, as the melting temperature of small particles of ash below the operating temperature of jet engines. The eruptive activity of Sheveluch volcano began since 1980 (growth of the lava dome) and is continuing at present. Strong explosive events of the volcano occurred in 2015: on 07, 12, and 15 January, 01, 17, and 28 February, 04, 08, 16, 21-22, and 26 March, 07 and 12 April: ash plumes rose up to 7-12 km a.s.l. and extended more 900 km to the different directions of the volcano. Ashfalls occurred at Ust'-Kamchatsk on 16 March, and Klyuchi on 30 October. Strong and moderate hot avalanches from the lava dome were observing more often in the second half of the year. Aviation color code of Sheveluch was Orange during the year. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to international and local aviation. Explosive-effusive eruption of Klyuchevskoy volcano lasted from 01 January till 24 March. Strombolian explosive volcanic activity began from 01 January, and on 08-09 January a lava flow was detected at the Apakhonchich chute on the southeastern flank of the volcano. Vulcanian activity of the volcano began from 10 January. Ashfalls occurred on 11 and 28 January, and 07 February at Kozyrevsk; and on 21 and 27 January, 05, 11, and 13-16 February at Klyuchi. Paroxysmal phase of the eruption displayed on 15 February: explosions sent ash up to 8 km a.s.l. during five hours, ash plumes drifted for about 1000 km mainly to the eastern directions of the volcano. A thermal anomaly began to noting at satellite images again from 28 August; and it was registering time to time till 31 December. Aviation color code of the volcano was Yellow on 01-11 January; Orange from 11 January to 15 February; Red on 15 February; Orange from 15 February to 25 March; Yellow from 25 March till 06 April; Green on 06-14 April; Yellow on 14-18 April; Orange on 18-26 April; Yellow from 26 April to 05 May; Orange on 05-13 May; Yellow from 13 May to 20 July; Green from 20 July to 28 August; Yellow from 28 August to 31 December. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to international and local aviation. Karymsky volcano has been in a state of explosive eruption since 1996. The moderate ash explosions of this volcano were noting during the year, ash plumes rose up to 5 km a.s.l. and extended more 300 km mainly to the eastern directions of the volcano. Aviation color code of the volcano was Orange during the year. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to local aviation. Explosive eruption of Zhupanovsky volcano began on 06 June, 2014, and finished 30 November, 2015. Explosions sent ash up to 8-11 km a.s.l. on 07-08 and 25 March, 12 July, and 30 November; and in the other days - up to 3.5-6 km a.s.l. Ash plumes extended for about 1200 km mainly to the eastern directions of the volcano. In the periods from 26 January to 06 February, 09-15 February, 23 February - 01 March, from 25 March to 03 April, from 04 April to 20 May, from 21 May to 08 June, from 16 June to 12 July, from 15 July to 27 November, the volcano was in a state of relative calm. The culminations of the 2014-2015 eruption of the volcano were explosions and collapses of parts of Priemysh active cone on 12 and 14 July, and 30 November, 2015. Aviation color code of the volcano was Orange from 01 January to 16 May; Yellow from 16 May to 08 June; Orange from 08 June to 19 July; Yellow on 19-20 July; Green from 20 July to 27 November; Orange from 27 November to 10 December; Yellow on 10-17 December; and Green on 17-31 December. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to international and local aviation. The eruptive activity of Chikurachki volcano lasted on 15-19 February. First explosions sent ash up to 7.5 km a.s.l., but later ash plumes drifted on the height about 3-4 km a.s.l. from the volcano. Aviation color code of the volcano was Orange during 16-22 February, and Yellow on 22-26 February. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to local aviation. The intensive thermal anomaly over Alaid volcano was detecting at satellite images from 01 October till 31 December. Aviation color code of the volcano was Yellow during this time. A strong gas-steam activity of the volcano sometimes was observing. Activity of the volcano was dangerous to local aviation.

Earth observations taken by the STS-9 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

STS009-40-2574 (28 Nov-8 Dec 1983) --- New Zealand?s Mount Egmont volcano rises 8300 ft (2520 meters) out of the Tasman Sea and has been designated as a national park. It is on the North Island, 125 miles (200 Km) SSW of Auckland. The border fence of the national park is clearly seen because the lighter green area surrounding it is a grazing range.

Analysis of potential debris flow source areas on Mount Shasta, California, by using airborne and satellite remote sensing data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crowley, J.K.; Hubbard, B.E.; Mars, J.C.

2003-01-01

Remote sensing data from NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and the first spaceborne imaging spectrometer, Hyperion, show hydrothermally altered rocks mainly composed of natroalunite, kaolinite, cristobalite, and gypsum on both the Mount Shasta and Shastina cones. Field observations indicate that much of the visible altered rock consists of talus material derived from fractured rock zones within and adjacent to dacitic domes and nearby lava flows. Digital elevation data were utilized to distinguish steeply sloping altered bedrock from more gently sloping talus materials. Volume modeling based on the imagery and digital elevation data indicate that Mount Shasta drainage systems contain moderate volumes of altered rock, a result that is consistent with Mount Shasta's Holocene record of mostly small to moderate debris flows. Similar modeling for selected areas at Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, Washington, indicates larger altered rock volumes consistent with the occurrence of much larger Holocene debris flows at those volcanoes. The availability of digital elevation and spectral data from spaceborne sensors, such as Hyperion and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER), greatly expands opportunities for studying potential debris flow source characteristics at stratovolcanoes around the world. ?? 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The STRATegy COLUMN for Precollege Science Teachers: Volcanic Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzger, Ellen Pletcher

1995-01-01

Describes resources for information and activities involving volcanoes. Includes an activity that helps students become familiar with the principal types of volcanoes and explores how the viscosity of magma affects the way a volcano erupts. (MKR)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yokoyama, I.

One may assume a center of volcanic activities beneath the edifice of an active volcano, which is here called the focus of the volcano. Sometimes it may be a ''magma reservoir''. Its depth may differ with types of magma and change with time. In this paper, foci of volcanoes are discussed from the viewpoints of four items: (1) Geomagnetic changes related with volcanic activities; (2) Crustal deformations related with volcanic activities; (3) Magma transfer through volcanoes; and (4) Subsurface structure of calderas.

VP Structure of Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA, imaged with local earthquake tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waite, G.P.; Moran, S.C.

2009-01-01

We present a new P-wave velocity model for Mount St. Helens using local earthquake data recorded by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Stations and Cascades Volcano Observatory since the 18 May 1980 eruption. These data were augmented with records from a dense array of 19 temporary stations deployed during the second half of 2005. Because the distribution of earthquakes in the study area is concentrated beneath the volcano and within two nearly linear trends, we used a graded inversion scheme to compute a coarse-grid model that focused on the regional structure, followed by a fine-grid inversion to improve spatial resolution directly beneath the volcanic edifice. The coarse-grid model results are largely consistent with earlier geophysical studies of the area; we find high-velocity anomalies NW and NE of the edifice that correspond with igneous intrusions and a prominent low-velocity zone NNW of the edifice that corresponds with the linear zone of high seismicity known as the St. Helens Seismic Zone. This low-velocity zone may continue past Mount St. Helens to the south at depths below 5??km. Directly beneath the edifice, the fine-grid model images a low-velocity zone between about 2 and 3.5??km below sea level that may correspond to a shallow magma storage zone. And although the model resolution is poor below about 6??km, we found low velocities that correspond with the aseismic zone between about 5.5 and 8??km that has previously been modeled as the location of a large magma storage volume. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

A continuous record of intereruption velocity change at Mount St. Helens from coda wave interferometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hotovec-Ellis, Alicia J.; Gomberg, Joan S.; Vidale, John; Creager, Ken C.

2014-01-01

In September 2004, Mount St. Helens volcano erupted after nearly 18 years of quiescence. However, it is unclear from the limited geophysical observations when or if the magma chamber replenished following the 1980–1986 eruptions in the years before the 2004–2008 extrusive eruption. We use coda wave interferometry with repeating earthquakes to measure small changes in the velocity structure of Mount St. Helens volcano that might indicate magmatic intrusion. By combining observations of relative velocity changes from many closely located earthquake sources, we solve for a continuous function of velocity changes with time. We find that seasonal effects dominate the relative velocity changes. Seismicity rates and repeating earthquake occurrence also vary seasonally; therefore, velocity changes and seismicity are likely modulated by snow loading, fluid saturation, and/or changes in groundwater level. We estimate hydrologic effects impart stress changes on the order of tens of kilopascals within the upper 4 km, resulting in annual velocity variations of 0.5 to 1%. The largest nonseasonal change is a decrease in velocity at the time of the deep Mw = 6.8 Nisqually earthquake. We find no systematic velocity changes during the most likely times of intrusions, consistent with a lack of observable surface deformation. We conclude that if replenishing intrusions occurred, they did not alter seismic velocities where this technique is sensitive due to either their small size or the finite compressibility of the magma chamber. We interpret the observed velocity changes and shallow seasonal seismicity as a response to small stress changes in a shallow, pressurized system.

Volcanoes: Nature's Caldrons Challenge Geochemists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zurer, Pamela S.

1984-01-01

Reviews various topics and research studies on the geology of volcanoes. Areas examined include volcanoes and weather, plate margins, origins of magma, magma evolution, United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcano hazards program, USGS volcano observatories, volcanic gases, potassium-argon dating activities, and volcano monitoring strategies.…

Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Venezky, Dina Y.; Murray, Tom; Read, Cyrus

2008-01-01

Steam plume from the 2006 eruption of Augustine volcano in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Explosive ash-producing eruptions from Alaska's 40+ historically active volcanoes pose hazards to aviation, including commercial aircraft flying the busy North Pacific routes between North America and Asia. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors these volcanoes to provide forecasts of eruptive activity. AVO is a joint program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). AVO is one of five USGS Volcano Hazards Program observatories that monitor U.S. volcanoes for science and public safety. Learn more about Augustine volcano and AVO at http://www.avo.alaska.edu.

Ubinas Volcano Activity in Peruvian Andes

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-01

On April 28, 2014, NASA Terra spacecraft spotted signs of activity at Ubinas volcano in the Peruvian Andes. The appearance of a new lava dome in March 2014 and frequent ash emissions are signs of increasing activity at this volcano.

Coupling at Mauna Loa and Kīlauea by stress transfer in an asthenospheric melt layer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gonnermann, Helge M.; Foster, James H.; Poland, Michael; Wolfe, Cecily J.; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Miklius, Asta

2012-01-01

The eruptive activity at the neighbouring Hawaiian volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, is thought to be linked despite both having separate lithospheric magmatic plumbing systems. Over the past century, activity at the two volcanoes has been anti-correlated, which could reflect a competition for the same magma supply. Yet, during the past decade Kīlauea and Mauna Loa have inflated simultaneously. Linked activity between adjacent volcanoes in general remains controversial. Here we present a numerical model for the dynamical interaction between Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, where both volcanoes are coupled by pore-pressure diffusion, occurring within a common, asthenospheric magma supply system. The model is constrained by measurements of gas emission rates indicative of eruptive activity, and it is calibrated to match geodetic measurements of surface deformation at both volcanoes, inferred to reflect changes in shallow magma storage. Although an increase in the asthenospheric magma supply can cause simultaneous inflation of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, we find that eruptive activity at one volcano may inhibit eruptions of the adjacent volcano, if there is no concurrent increase in magma supply. We conclude that dynamic stress transfer by asthenospheric pore pressure is a viable mechanism for volcano coupling at Hawai‘i, and perhaps for adjacent volcanoes elsewhere.

A Conceptual Model of Future Volcanism at Medicine Lake Volcano, California - With an Emphasis on Understanding Local Volcanic Hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molisee, D. D.; Germa, A.; Charbonnier, S. J.; Connor, C.

2017-12-01

Medicine Lake Volcano (MLV) is most voluminous of all the Cascade Volcanoes ( 600 km3), and has the highest eruption frequency after Mount St. Helens. Detailed mapping by USGS colleagues has shown that during the last 500,000 years MLV erupted >200 lava flows ranging from basalt to rhyolite, produced at least one ash-flow tuff, one caldera forming event, and at least 17 scoria cones. Underlying these units are 23 additional volcanic units that are considered to be pre-MLV in age. Despite the very high likelihood of future eruptions, fewer than 60 of 250 mapped volcanic units (MLV and pre-MLV) have been dated reliably. A robust set of eruptive ages is key to understanding the history of the MLV system and to forecasting the future behavior of the volcano. The goals of this study are to 1) obtain additional radiometric ages from stratigraphically strategic units; 2) recalculate recurrence rate of eruptions based on an augmented set of radiometric dates; and 3) use lava flow, PDC, ash fall-out, and lahar computational simulation models to assess the potential effects of discrete volcanic hazards locally and regionally. We identify undated target units (units in key stratigraphic positions to provide maximum chronological insight) and obtain field samples for radiometric dating (40Ar/39Ar and K/Ar) and petrology. Stratigraphic and radiometric data are then used together in the Volcano Event Age Model (VEAM) to identify changes in the rate and type of volcanic eruptions through time, with statistical uncertainty. These newly obtained datasets will be added to published data to build a conceptual model of volcanic hazards at MLV. Alternative conceptual models, for example, may be that the rate of MLV lava flow eruptions are nonstationary in time and/or space and/or volume. We explore the consequences of these alternative models on forecasting future eruptions. As different styles of activity have different impacts, we estimate these potential effects using simulation. The results of this study will improve the existing MLV hazard assessment in hopes of mitigating casualties and social impact should an eruption occur at MLV.

High-resolution 3-D P-wave tomographic imaging of the shallow magmatic system of Erebus volcano, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandomeneghi, D.; Aster, R. C.; Barclay, A. H.; Chaput, J. A.; Kyle, P. R.

2011-12-01

Erebus volcano (Ross Island), the most active volcano in Antarctica, is characterized by a persistent phonolitic lava lake at its summit and a wide range of seismic signals associated with its underlying long-lived magmatic system. The magmatic structure in a 3 by 3 km area around the summit has been imaged using high-quality data from a seismic tomographic experiment carried out during the 2008-2009 austral field season (Zandomeneghi et al., 2010). An array of 78 short period, 14 broadband, and 4 permanent Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory seismic stations and a program of 12 shots were used to model the velocity structure in the uppermost kilometer over the volcano conduit. P-wave travel times were inverted for the 3-D velocity structure using the shortest-time ray tracing (50-m grid spacing) and LSQR inversion (100-m node spacing) of a tomography code (Toomey et al., 1994) that allows for the inclusion of topography. Regularization is controlled by damping and smoothing weights and smoothing lengths, and addresses complications that are inherent in a strongly heterogeneous medium featuring rough topography and a dense parameterization and distribution of receivers/sources. The tomography reveals a composite distribution of very high and low P-wave velocity anomalies (i.e., exceeding 20% in some regions), indicating a complex sub-lava-lake magmatic geometry immediately beneath the summit region and in surrounding areas, as well as the presence of significant high velocity shallow regions. The strongest and broadest low velocity zone is located W-NW of the crater rim, indicating the presence of an off-axis shallow magma body. This feature spatially corresponds to the inferred centroid source of VLP signals associated with Strombolian eruptions and lava lake refill (Aster et al., 2008). Other resolved structures correlate with the Side Crater and with lineaments of ice cave thermal anomalies extending NE and SW of the rim. High velocities in the summit area possibly constitute the seismic image of an older caldera, solidified intrusions or massive lava flows. REFERENCES: Aster et al., (2008) Moment tensor inversion of very long period seismic signals from Strombolian eruptions of Erebus volcano. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 177, 635-647. Toomey et al., (1994), Tomographic imaging of the shallow crustal structure of the East Pacific Rise at 9°30'N. J. Geophys. Res., 99 (B12), 24,135-24,157. Zandomeneghi et al., (2010), Seismic Tomography of Erebus Volcano, Antarctica, Eos, 91, 6, 53-55.

SmallWorld Behavior of the Worldwide Active Volcanoes Network: Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spata, A.; Bonforte, A.; Nunnari, G.; Puglisi, G.

2009-12-01

We propose a preliminary complex networks based approach in order to model and characterize volcanoes activity correlation observed on a planetary scale over the last two thousand years. Worldwide volcanic activity is in fact related to the general plate tectonics that locally drives the faults activity, that in turn controls the magma upraise beneath the volcanoes. To find correlations among different volcanoes could indicate a common underlying mechanism driving their activity and could help us interpreting the deeper common dynamics controlling their unrest. All the first evidences found testing the procedure, suggest the suitability of this analysis to investigate global volcanism related to plate tectonics. The first correlations found, in fact, indicate that an underlying common large-scale dynamics seems to drive volcanic activity at least around the Pacific plate, where it collides and subduces beneath American, Eurasian and Australian plates. From this still preliminary analysis, also more complex relationships among volcanoes lying on different tectonic margins have been found, suggesting some more complex interrelationships between different plates. The understanding of eventually detected correlations could be also used to further implement warning systems, relating the unrest probabilities of a specific volcano also to the ongoing activity to the correlated ones. Our preliminary results suggest that, as for other many physical and biological systems, an underlying organizing principle of planetary volcanoes activity might exist and it could be a small-world principle. In fact we found that, from a topological perspective, volcanoes correlations are characterized by the typical features of small-world network: a high clustering coefficient and a low characteristic path length. These features confirm that global volcanoes activity is characterized by both short and long-range correlations. We stress here the fact that numerical simulation carried out in this work seems to agree with geological evidences (eg. the Pacific plate, South America volcanoes activity and so on). However a detailed analysis of numerical correlation pointed out in this work and geological implication requires a lot of effort and is still running. Thus this work represents preliminary contribution to better understand and clarify, from a geophysical point of view, the nature of planetary correlations among active volcanoes. Further work is still needed.

Volcanoes

MedlinePlus

... Oregon have the most active volcanoes, but other states and territories have active volcanoes, too. A volcanic eruption may involve lava and other debris that can flow up to 100 mph, destroying everything in their ...

Field-trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington - An overview of the eruptive history and petrology, tephra deposits, 1980 pyroclastic density current deposits, and the crater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pallister, John S.; Clynne, Michael A.; Wright, Heather M.; Van Eaton, Alexa R.; Vallance, James W.; Sherrod, David R.; Kokelaar, B. Peter

2017-08-02

This field trip will provide an introduction to several fascinating features of Mount St. Helens. The trip begins with a rigorous hike of about 15 km from the Johnston Ridge Observatory (9 km north-northeast of the crater vent), across the 1980 Pumice Plain, to Windy Ridge (3.6 km northeast of the crater vent) to examine features that document the dynamics and progressive emplacement of pyroclastic flows. The next day, we examine classic tephra outcrops of the past 3,900 years and observe changes in thickness and character of these deposits as we traverse their respective lobes. We examine clasts in the deposits and discuss how the petrology and geochemistry of Mount St. Helens deposits reveal the evolution of the magmatic system through time. We also investigate the stratigraphy of the 1980 blast deposit and review the chronology of this iconic eruption as we travel through the remains of the blown-down forest. The third day is another rigorous hike, about 13 km round trip, climbing from the base of Windy Ridge (elevation 1,240 m) to the front of the Crater Glacier (elevation 1,700 m). En route we examine basaltic andesite and basalt lava flows emplaced between 1,800 and 1,700 years before present, a heterolithologic flow deposit produced as the 1980 blast and debris avalanche interacted, debris-avalanche hummocks that are stranded on the north flank and in the crater mouth, and shattered dacite lava domes that were emplaced between 3,900 and 2,600 years before present. These domes underlie the northern part of the volcano. In addition, within the crater we traverse well-preserved pyroclastic-flow deposits that were emplaced on the crater floor during the summer of 1980, and a beautiful natural section through the 1980 deposits in the upper canyon of the Loowit River.Before plunging into the field-trip log, we provide an overview of Mount St. Helens geology, geochemistry, petrology, and volcanology as background. The volcano has been referred to as a “master teacher.” The 1980 eruption and studies both before and after 1980 played a major role in the establishment of the modern U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program and our understanding of flank collapses, debris avalanches, cryptodomes, blasts, pyroclastic density currents, and lahars, as well as the dynamics of magma ascent and eruption.

A Volcano Exploration Project Pu`u `O`o (VEPP) Exercise: Is Kilauea in Volcanic Unrest? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, S. Y.

2010-12-01

Volcanic activity captures the interest and imagination of students at all stages in their education. Analysis of real data collected on active volcanoes can further serve to engage students in higher-level inquiry into the complicated physical processes associated with volcanic eruptions. This exercise takes advantage of both student fascination with volcanoes and the recognized benefits of incorporating real, internet-accessible data to achieve its goals of enabling students to: 1) navigate a scientific website; 2) describe the physical events that produce volcano monitoring data; 3) identify patterns in geophysical time-series and distinguish anomalies preceding and synchronous with eruptive events; 4) compare and contrast geophysical time series and 5) integrate diverse data sets to assess the eruptive state of Kilauea volcano. All data come from the VEPP website (vepp.wr.usgs.gov) which provides background information on the historic activity and volcano monitoring methods as well as near-real time volcano monitoring data from the Pu`u `O`o eruptive vent on Kilauea Volcano. This exercise, designed for geology majors, has students initially work individually to acquire basic skills with volcano monitoring data interpretation and then together in a jigsaw activity to unravel the events leading up to and culminating in the July 2007 volcanic episode. Based on patterns established prior to the July 2007 event, students examine real-time volcano monitoring data to evaluate the present activity level of Kilauea volcano. This exercise will be used for the first time in an upper division Geologic Hazards class in fall 2010 and lessons learned including an exercise assessment will be presented.

The exceptional activity and growth of the Southeast Crater, Mount Etna (Italy), between 1996 and 2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behncke, Boris; Neri, Marco; Pecora, Emilio; Zanon, Vittorio

2006-09-01

Between 1971 and 2001, the Southeast Crater was the most productive of the four summit craters of Mount Etna, with activity that can be compared, on a global scale, to the opening phases of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō-Kūpaianaha eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i. The period of highest eruptive rate was between 1996 and 2001, when near-continuous activity occurred in five phases. These were characterized by a wide range of eruptive styles and intensities from quiet, non-explosive lava emission to brief, violent lava-fountaining episodes. Much of the cone growth occurred during these fountaining episodes, totaling 105 events. Many showed complex dynamics such as different eruptive styles at multiple vents, and resulted in the growth of minor edifices on the flanks of the Southeast Crater cone. Small pyroclastic flows were produced during some of the eruptive episodes, when oblique tephra jets showered the steep flanks of the cone with hot bombs and scoriae. Fluctuations in the eruptive style and eruption rates were controlled by a complex interplay between changes in the conduit geometry (including the growth of a shallow magma reservoir under the Southeast Crater), magma supply rates, and flank instability. During this period, volume calculations were made with the aid of GIS and image analysis of video footage obtained by a monitoring telecamera. Between 1996 and 2001, the bulk volume of the cone increased by ~36×106 m3, giving a total (1971 2001) volume of ~72×106 m3. At the same time, the cone gained ~105 m in height, reaching an elevation of about 3,300 m. The total DRE volume of the 1996 2001 products was ~90×106m3. This mostly comprised lava flows (72×106 m3) erupted at the summit and onto the flanks of the cone. These values indicate that the productivity of the Southeast Crater increased fourfold during 1996 2001 with respect to the previous 25 years, coinciding with a general increase in the eruptive output rates and eruption intensity at Etna. This phase of intense summit activity has been followed, since the summer of 2001, by a period of increased structural instability of the volcano, marked by a series of important flank eruptions.

Mud volcanoes of the Orinoco Delta, Eastern Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aslan, A.; Warne, A.G.; White, W.A.; Guevara, E.H.; Smyth, R.C.; Raney, J.A.; Gibeaut, J.C.

2001-01-01

Mud volcanoes along the northwest margin of the Orinoco Delta are part of a regional belt of soft sediment deformation and diapirism that formed in response to rapid foredeep sedimentation and subsequent tectonic compression along the Caribbean-South American plate boundary. Field studies of five mud volcanoes show that such structures consist of a central mound covered by active and inactive vents. Inactive vents and mud flows are densely vegetated, whereas active vents are sparsely vegetated. Four out of the five mud volcanoes studied are currently active. Orinoco mud flows consist of mud and clayey silt matrix surrounding lithic clasts of varying composition. Preliminary analysis suggests that the mud volcano sediment is derived from underlying Miocene and Pliocene strata. Hydrocarbon seeps are associated with several of the active mud volcanoes. Orinoco mud volcanoes overlie the crest of a mud-diapir-cored anticline located along the axis of the Eastern Venezuelan Basin. Faulting along the flank of the Pedernales mud volcano suggests that fluidized sediment and hydrocarbons migrate to the surface along faults produced by tensional stresses along the crest of the anticline. Orinoco mud volcanoes highlight the proximity of this major delta to an active plate margin and the importance of tectonic influences on its development. Evaluation of the Orinoco Delta mud volcanoes and those elsewhere indicates that these features are important indicators of compressional tectonism along deformation fronts of plate margins. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Can rain cause volcanic eruptions?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastin, Larry G.

1993-01-01

Volcanic eruptions are renowned for their violence and destructive power. This power comes ultimately from the heat and pressure of molten rock and its contained gases. Therefore we rarely consider the possibility that meteoric phenomena, like rainfall, could promote or inhibit their occurrence. Yet from time to time observers have suggested that weather may affect volcanic activity. In the late 1800's, for example, one of the first geologists to visit the island of Hawaii, J.D. Dana, speculated that rainfall influenced the occurrence of eruptions there. In the early 1900's, volcanologists suggested that some eruptions from Mount Lassen, Calif., were caused by the infiltration of snowmelt into the volcano's hot summit. Most such associations have not been provable because of lack of information; others have been dismissed after careful evaluation of the evidence.

Communicating Uncertainty to the Public During Volcanic Unrest and Eruption -A Case Study From the 2004-2005 Eruption of Mount St. Helens, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, C. A.; Pallister, J. S.

2005-12-01

The earthquake swarm beneath Mount St. Helens that began on 23 September 2004 did not initially appear different from previous swarms (none of which culminated in an eruption) that had occurred beneath the volcano since the end of the 1980-1986 eruptions. Three days into the swarm, however, a burst of larger-magnitude earthquakes indicated that this swarm was indeed different and prompted the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) to issue a change in alert level, the first time such a change had been issued in the Cascades in over 18 years. From then on, the unrest accelerated quickly as did the need to communicate the developing conditions to the public and public officials, often in the spotlight of intense media attention. Within three weeks of the onset of unrest, magma reached the surface. Since mid-October 2004, lava has been extruding through a glacier within the crater of Mount St. Helens, forming a 60 Mm3 dome by August 2005. The rapid onset of the eruption required a rapid ramping up of communication within and among the scientific, emergency-response and land-management communities, as well as the reestablishment of protocols that had not been rigorously tested for 18 years. Early on, daily meetings of scientists from CVO and the University of Washington's Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network were established to discuss incoming monitoring data and to develop a consensus on the likely course of activity, hazard potential and the uncertainty inherent in these forecasts. Subgroups developed scenario maps to describe the range of activity likely under different eruptive behaviors and sizes, and assessed short- and long-term probabilities of eruption, explosivity and hazardous events by employing a probability-tree methodology. Resultant consensual information has been communicated to a variety of groups using established alert levels for ground-based and aviation communities, daily updates and media briefings, postings on the worldwide web, teleconferences, and meetings with land and emergency managers. Initial concerns revolved around the questions of if and when an eruption would occur, whether it would be explosive, and how large-all questions without definitive answers. As the eruption progresses, concerns have transformed to whether the eruptive behavior will change and how long the eruption will last-also questions lacking definitive answers. We have found it important in communicating our uncertainty to the public to articulate how we came to our conclusions and why our answers cannot be more definitive. We have also found that framing volcanic uncertainty in terms of more common analogies (e.g. knowing that conditions are right for development of a tornado, but not being able to predict exactly when a funnel cloud will form, precisely where it will touch down, or how severe the damage will be) appears to help the public and public officials understand volcanic uncertainty better. As the eruption continues and people become more accustomed to the activity, we find an increasingly more knowledgeable public who can better understand and deal with uncertainty. Also, it is clear that establishing interagency relationships by developing volcano response plans before a crisis greatly facilitates a successful response. A critical component of this planning is discussing uncertainties inherent during volcanic crises such that when unrest begins, the concept of, and reasons behind uncertainty are already well understood.

The Gold of Naples: the volcanic landscape throught photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedele, Alessandro; Serio, Claudio; De Natale, Giuseppe

2016-04-01

In the last twenty years, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, section of Naples Vesuvius Observatory, public research institute in charge of volcanic research and surveillance, Italy, publish a thematic calendar about volcanoes. This year, the Vesuvius Observatory has produced a calendar dedicated to the volcanoes of the city of Naples, from Mount Vesuvius, the island of Ischia and the Campi Flegrei caldera. The great treasures of this beautiful city, among the oldest in Europe ever, are exemplified here by its volcanoes. 'The Gold of Naples', the subject of this calendar, is represented by the splendor of the territory, the culture and the passion of its people, and is inextricably linked to the presence of volcanoes. The volcanoes have given the fertility, the splendor of the landscape and the climate, the warmth and flavor of its thermal waters, the gentle hills and the safe haven of its natural inlets; and they have always been, for people that lives and loves this country since at least 4,000 years, an irresistible attraction. The meaning that we wanted to give is to look at the volcanoes not only as risk, but also as a large land resources, as they were always considered. In the images of the calendar we wanted to put in evidence the bridge between of art and science through photography, the impression of beauty and strength given to this land from its volcanoes, and along with their interaction with the history and culture of these areas. An immanent presence that certainly have to, now more than ever, warn us to respect volcanic nature, very rich but dangerous, using the knowledge to defend ourselves against the most devastating manifestations, fortunately rare, of volcanoes themselves. A tribute to Naples, its beauty and passion, which implies a strong hope in the future: the volcanic risk is seen today as an opportunity to redesign and make safe and accessible one of the most beautiful territory in the world, enhancing at most the great resources that volcanoes offer us.

Determination of source parameters of the 2017 Mount Agung volcanic earthquake from moment-tensor inversion method using local broadband seismic waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madlazim; Prastowo, T.; Supardiyono; Hardy, T.

2018-03-01

Monitoring of volcanoes has been an important issue for many purposes, particularly hazard mitigation. With regard to this, the aims of the present work are to estimate and analyse source parameters of a volcanic earthquake driven by recent magmatic events of Mount Agung in Bali island that occurred on September 28, 2017. The broadband seismogram data consisting of 3 local component waveforms were recorded by the IA network of 5 seismic stations: SRBI, DNP, BYJI, JAGI, and TWSI (managed by BMKG). These land-based observatories covered a full 4-quadrant region surrounding the epicenter. The methods used in the present study were seismic moment-tensor inversions, where the data were all analyzed to extract the parameters, namely moment magnitude, type of a volcanic earthquake indicated by percentages of seismic components: compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD), isotropic (ISO), double-couple (DC), and source depth. The results are given in the forms of variance reduction of 65%, a magnitude of M W 3.6, a CLVD of 40%, an ISO of 33%, a DC of 27% and a centroid-depth of 9.7 km. These suggest that the unusual earthquake was dominated by a vertical CLVD component, implying the dominance of uplift motion of magmatic fluid flow inside the volcano.

Mount Mageik: A compound stratovolcano in Katmai National Park: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, Wes; Fierstein, Judy; Lanphere, Marvin A.; Siems, David F.

2000-01-01

Mount Mageik is an ice-clad 2,165-m andesite-dacite stratovolcano in the Katmai volcanic cluster at the head of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. New K-Ar ages indicate that the volcano is as old as 93±8 ka. It has a present-day volume of 20 km3 but an eruptive volume of about 30 km3, implying a longterm average volumetric eruption rate of about 0.33 km3 per 1,000 years. Mount Mageik consists of four overlapping edi- fices, each with its own central summit vent, lava-flow apron, and independent eruptive history. Three of them have small fragmental summit cones with ice-filled craters, but the fourth and highest is topped by a dacite dome. Lava flows predominate on each edifice; many flows have levees and ice-contact features, and many thicken downslope into piedmont lava lobes 50–200 m thick. Active lifetimes of two (or three) of the component edifices may have been brief, like that of their morphological and compositional analog just across Katmai Pass, the Southwest (New) Trident edifice of 1953–74. The North Summit edi- fice of Mageik may have been constructed very late in the Pleistocene and the East Summit edifice (along with nearby Mount Martin) largely or entirely in the Holocene. Substantial Holocene debris avalanches have broken loose from three sites on the south side of Mount Mageik, the youngest during the Novarupta fallout of 6 June 1912. The oldest one was especially mobile, being rich in hydrothermal clay, and is preserved for 16 km downvalley, probably having run out to the sea. Mageik's fumarolically active crater, which now contains a hot acid lake, was never a magmatic vent but was reamed by phreatic explosions through the edge of the dacite summit dome. There is no credible evidence of historical eruptions of Mount Mageik, but the historically persistent fumarolic plumes of Mageik and Martin have animated many spurious eruption reports. Lavas and ejecta of all four component edifices of Mageik are plagioclaserich, pyroxene-dacites and andesites (57–68 weight percent SiO2) that form a calcic, medium-K, typically low-Ti arc suite. The Southwest Summit edifice is larger, longer lived, and compositionally more complex than its companions. Compared to other centers in the Katmai cluster, products of Mount Mageik are readily distinguishable chemically from those of Mount Griggs, Falling Mountain, Mount Cerberus, and all prehistoric components of the Trident group, but some are similar to the products of Mount Martin, Southwest Trident, and Novarupta. The crater lake, vigorous superheated fumaroles, persistent seismicity, steep ice blanket, and numerous Holocene dacites warrant monitoring Mount Mageik as a potential source of explosive eruptions and derivative debris flows.

Quantifying probabilities of eruptions at Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brancato, Alfonso

2010-05-01

One of the major goals of modern volcanology is to set up sound risk-based decision-making in land-use planning and emergency management. Volcanic hazard must be managed with reliable estimates of quantitative long- and short-term eruption forecasting, but the large number of observables involved in a volcanic process suggests that a probabilistic approach could be a suitable tool in forecasting. The aim of this work is to quantify probabilistic estimate of the vent location for a suitable lava flow hazard assessment at Mt. Etna volcano, through the application of the code named BET (Marzocchi et al., 2004, 2008). The BET_EF model is based on the event tree philosophy assessed by Newhall and Hoblitt (2002), further developing the concept of vent location, epistemic uncertainties, and a fuzzy approach for monitoring measurements. A Bayesian event tree is a specialized branching graphical representation of events in which individual branches are alternative steps from a general prior event, and evolving into increasingly specific subsequent states. Then, the event tree attempts to graphically display all relevant possible outcomes of volcanic unrest in progressively higher levels of detail. The procedure is set to estimate an a priori probability distribution based upon theoretical knowledge, to accommodate it by using past data, and to modify it further by using current monitoring data. For the long-term forecasting, an a priori model, dealing with the present tectonic and volcanic structure of the Mt. Etna, is considered. The model is mainly based on past vent locations and fracture location datasets (XX century of eruptive history of the volcano). Considering the variation of the information through time, and their relationship with the structural setting of the volcano, datasets we are also able to define an a posteriori probability map for next vent opening. For short-term forecasting vent opening hazard assessment, the monitoring has a leading role, primarily based on seismological and volcanological data, integrated with strain, geochemical, gravimetric and magnetic parameters. In the code, is necessary to fix an appropriate forecasting time window. On open-conduit volcanoes as Mt. Etna, a forecast time window of a month (as fixed in other applications worldwide) seems unduly long, because variations of the state of the volcano (significant variation of a specific monitoring parameter could occur in time scale shorter than the forecasting time window) are expected with shorter time scale (hour, day or week). This leads to set a week as forecasting time window, coherently with the number of weeks in which an unrest has been experienced. The short-term vent opening hazard assessment will be estimated during an unrest phase; the testing case (2001 July eruption) will include all the monitoring parameters collected at Mt. Etna during the six months preceding the eruption. The monitoring role has been assessed eliciting more than 50 parameters, including seismic activity, ground deformation, geochemistry, gravity, magnetism, and distributed inside the first three nodes of the procedure. Parameter values describe the Mt. Etna volcano activity, being more detailed through the code, particularly in time units. The methodology allows all assumptions and thresholds to be clearly identified and provides a rational means for their revision if new data or information are incoming. References Newhall C.G. and Hoblitt R.P.; 2002: Constructing event trees for volcanic crises, Bull. Volcanol., 64, 3-20, doi: 10.1007/s0044500100173. Marzocchi W., Sandri L., Gasparini P., Newhall C. and Boschi E.; 2004: Quantifying probabilities of volcanic events: The example of volcanic hazard at Mount Vesuvius, J. Geophys. Res., 109, B11201, doi:10.1029/2004JB00315U. Marzocchi W., Sandri, L. and Selva, J.; 2008: BET_EF: a probabilistic tool for long- and short-term eruption forecasting, Bull. Volcanol., 70, 623 - 632, doi: 10.1007/s00445-007-0157-y.

Sensor web enables rapid response to volcanic activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davies, Ashley G.; Chien, Steve; Wright, Robert; Miklius, Asta; Kyle, Philip R.; Welsh, Matt; Johnson, Jeffrey B.; Tran, Daniel; Schaffer, Steven R.; Sherwood, Robert

2006-01-01

Rapid response to the onset of volcanic activity allows for the early assessment of hazard and risk [Tilling, 1989]. Data from remote volcanoes and volcanoes in countries with poor communication infrastructure can only be obtained via remote sensing [Harris et al., 2000]. By linking notifications of activity from ground-based and spacebased systems, these volcanoes can be monitored when they erupt.Over the last 18 months, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has implemented a Volcano Sensor Web (VSW) in which data from ground-based and space-based sensors that detect current volcanic activity are used to automatically trigger the NASA Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) spacecraft to make highspatial-resolution observations of these volcanoes.

2011 volcanic activity in Alaska: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Maharrey, J. Zebulon; Neal, Christina A.

2014-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, and volcanic unrest at or near three separate volcanic centers in Alaska during 2011. The year was highlighted by the unrest and eruption of Cleveland Volcano in the central Aleutian Islands. AVO annual summaries no longer report on activity at Russian volcanoes.

The Online GVP/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: Providing Timely Information About Worldwide Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayberry, G. C.; Guffanti, M. C.; Luhr, J. F.; Venzke, E. A.; Wunderman, R. L.

2001-12-01

The awesome power and intricate inner workings of volcanoes have made them a popular subject with scientists and the general public alike. About 1500 known volcanoes have been active on Earth during the Holocene, approximately 50 of which erupt per year. With so much activity occurring around the world, often in remote locations, it can be difficult to find up-to-date information about current volcanism from a reliable source. To satisfy the desire for timely volcano-related information the Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey combined their strengths to create the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program (GVP) has developed a network of correspondents while reporting worldwide volcanism for over 30 years in their monthly Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network. The US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program studies and monitors volcanoes in the United States and responds (upon invitation) to selected volcanic crises in other countries. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is one of the most popular sites on both organization's websites. The core of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is the brief summaries of current volcanic activity around the world. In addition to discussing various types of volcanism, the summaries also describe precursory activity (e.g. volcanic seismicity, deformation, and gas emissions), secondary activity (e.g. debris flows, mass wasting, and rockfalls), volcanic ash hazards to aviation, and preventative measures. The summaries are supplemented by links to definitions of technical terms found in the USGS photoglossary of volcano terms, links to information sources, and background information about reported volcanoes. The site also includes maps that highlight the location of reported volcanoes, an archive of weekly reports sorted by volcano and date, and links to commonly used acronyms. Since the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report's inception in November 2000, activity has been reported at over 60 volcanoes, with an average of 10 volcanoes discussed each week. Notable volcanic activity during November 2000-November 2001 included an eruption beginning on 6 February at Nyamuragira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; it issued low-viscosity lava flows that traveled towards inhabited towns, and also produced ash clouds that adversely effected the health of residents and livestock near the volcano. Eruptions at Mayon in the Philippines on 24 June and 25 July caused local authorities to raise the alert to the highest level, close area airports, and evacuate thousands of residents near the volcano. Most recently a large flank eruption at Etna in Italy began on 17 July and gained worldwide attention as extensive lava flows threatened a small town and a tourist complex. While the information found in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, ranging from large eruptions to small precursory events, is of interest to the general public, it has also proven to be a valuable resource to volcano observatory staff, universities, researchers, secondary schools, and the aviation community.

Optimized autonomous space in-situ sensor web for volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Song, W.-Z.; Shirazi, B.; Huang, R.; Xu, M.; Peterson, N.; LaHusen, R.; Pallister, J.; Dzurisin, D.; Moran, S.; Lisowski, M.; Kedar, S.; Chien, S.; Webb, F.; Kiely, A.; Doubleday, J.; Davies, A.; Pieri, D.

2010-01-01

In response to NASA's announced requirement for Earth hazard monitoring sensor-web technology, a multidisciplinary team involving sensor-network experts (Washington State University), space scientists (JPL), and Earth scientists (USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory (CVO)), have developed a prototype of dynamic and scalable hazard monitoring sensor-web and applied it to volcano monitoring. The combined Optimized Autonomous Space In-situ Sensor-web (OASIS) has two-way communication capability between ground and space assets, uses both space and ground data for optimal allocation of limited bandwidth resources on the ground, and uses smart management of competing demands for limited space assets. It also enables scalability and seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensor-web. The space and in-situ control components of the system are integrated such that each element is capable of autonomously tasking the other. The ground in-situ was deployed into the craters and around the flanks of Mount St. Helens in July 2009, and linked to the command and control of the Earth Observing One (EO-1) satellite. ?? 2010 IEEE.

Newberry Volcano's youngest lava flows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Joel E.; Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Jensen, Robert A.

2015-01-01

The central caldera is visible in the lower right corner of the center map, outlined by the black dashed line. The caldera collapsed about 75,000 years ago when massive explosions sent volcanic ash as far as the San Francisco Bay area and created a 3,000-ft-deep hole in the center of the volcano. The caldera is now partly refilled by Paulina and East Lakes, and the byproducts from younger eruptions, including Newberry Volcano’s youngest rhyolitic lavas, shown in red and orange. The majority of Newberry Volcano’s many lava flows and cinder cones are blanketed by as much as 5 feet of volcanic ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Mazama that created Crater Lake caldera approximately 7,700 years ago. This ash supports abundant tree growth and obscures the youthful appearance of Newberry Volcano. Only the youngest volcanic vents and lava flows are well exposed and unmantled by volcanic ash. More than one hundred of these young volcanic vents and lava flows erupted 7,000 years ago during Newberry Volcano’s northwest rift zone eruption.

Dense Array Studies of Volcano-Tectonic and Long-Period Earthquakes Beneath Mount St. Helens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasgow, M. E.; Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.; Thomas, A.

2017-12-01

A 904 single-component 10-Hz geophone array deployed within 15 km of Mount St. Helens (MSH) in 2014 recorded continuously for two-weeks. Automated reverse-time imaging (RTI) was used to generate a catalog of 212 earthquakes. Among these, two distinct types of upper crustal (<8 km) earthquakes were classified. Volcano-tectonic (VT) and long-period (LP) earthquakes were identified using analysis of array spectrograms, envelope functions, and velocity waveforms. To remove analyst subjectivity, quantitative classification criteria were developed based on the ratio of power in high and low frequency bands and coda duration. Prior to the 2014 experiment, upper crustal LP earthquakes had only been reported at MSH during volcanic activity. Subarray beamforming was used to distinguish between LP earthquakes and surface generated LP signals, such as rockfall. This method confirmed 16 LP signals with horizontal velocities exceeding that of upper crustal P-wave velocities, which requires a subsurface hypocenter. LP and VT locations overlap in a cluster slightly east of the summit crater from 0-5 km below sea level. LP displacement spectra are similar to simple theoretical predictions for shear failure except that they have lower corner frequencies than VT earthquakes of similar magnitude. The results indicate a distinct non-resonant source for LP earthquakes which are located in the same source volume as some VT earthquakes (within hypocenter uncertainty of 1 km or less). To further investigate MSH microseismicity mechanisms, a 142 three-component (3-C) 5 Hz geophone array will record continuously for one month at MSH in Fall 2017 providing a unique dataset for a volcano earthquake source study. This array will help determine if LP occurrence in 2014 was transient or if it is still ongoing. Unlike the 2014 array, approximately 50 geophones will be deployed in the MSH summit crater directly over the majority of seismicity. RTI will be used to detect and locate earthquakes by back-projecting 3-C data with a local 3-D P and S velocity model. Earthquakes will be classified using the previously stated techniques, and we will seek to use the dense array of 3-C waveforms to invert for focal mechanisms and, ideally, moment tensor sources down to M0.

Ignimbrites of Armenia - Paleomagnetic constraints on flow direction and stratigraphy of pyroclastic activity of Mount Aragats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirscher, Uwe; Meliksetian, Khachatur; Gevorgyan, Hripsime; Navasardyan, Gevorg; Bachtadse, Valerian

2017-04-01

The Aragats volcano is one of the largest stratovolcanoes within the Turkish-Armenian-Iranian orogenic plateau. It is located close to the Armenian capital Yerevan, and only 30 km from the only nuclear power plant within the country. Additional to numerous lava flows, Mount Aragats is thought to be the source of at least two large pyroclastic eruptions leading to a huge number of ignimbrite outcrops, which are located surrounding Mount Aragats with an evaluated eruption radius of 50 km. The age of several ignimbrite outcrops has recently been determined to be 0.65 Ma (Meliksetian et al., 2014). The different ignimbrite flows are characterized by huge diversity of colors, degree of welding and textures. Due to that reason some disagreement exist on how these outcrops can be linked and how the eruption process actually happened in terms of different eruption phases and mixing mechanism of magmas during the eruption. To add constraints to this debate we carried out an intensive paleomagnetic investigation on most of the ignimbrite outcrops (32 sites) in terms of directional and anisotropy measurements. Paleomagnetic directional measurements yield basically two polarities: (1) a well grouped normal polarity is present in the majority of the studied sites including 3 sites which have supposedly originated from a different vent located on Turkish territory in the west; (2) a reversed polarity of the remaining sites with a somewhat increased scatter. Based on secular variation arguments and considering the high quality of the data we suggest that at least all young outcrops represent a single eruption phase in the area at 0.65 Ma, which is in agreement with an occurrence during the Brunhes geomagnetic chron. Additional to that, at least one earlier phase of pyroclastic activity took place prior to the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary (0.781 Ma). Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) suggests initial radial flow directions, which shortly after the eruption become topographically controlled. Such explosive eruptions with VEI≥5 are usually considered among most hazardous volcanic phenomena, therefore detailed multidisciplinary studies of such events occurred in the past are significantly important to estimate recurrence rates of such eruptions, their magnitudes to probabilistically access potential volcanic hazards to populated places and critical infrastructure. Melisketian, K., Savov, I., Connor, C., Halama, R., Jrbashyan, R., Navasardyan, G., Ghukasyan, Y., Gevorgyan, H., Manucharyan, D., Ishizuka, O., Quidelleur, X., Germa, A., 2014. Aragats stratovolcano in Armenia - volcano-stratigraphy and petrology. EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts 16, 567.

Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer Detects Active Lava Flows at Prometheus Volcano, Io

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-11-04

The active volcano Prometheus on Jupiter moon Io was imaged by NASA Galileo spacecraft during the close flyby of Io on Oct.10, 1999. The spectrometer can detect active volcanoes on Io by measuring their heat in the near-infrared wavelengths.

Explosions within a Deep Crater: Detection from Land and Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worden, A. K.; Dehn, J.; De Angelis, S.

2012-12-01

Many volcanoes in the North Pacific exhibit small scale explosive activity. This activity is typified by small explosions throwing ash, blocks, and spatter out of a central vent located within a crater. This material can be thrown out onto the flanks of the volcano if the vent is near enough to the crater rim. However, at some volcanoes, the vent is tens to hundreds of meters below the crater rim. The crater walls constrain the erupted material, causing it to fall back into the vent. Infill of material clogs the vent and can cause future explosions to become muffled. The depth of the crater also inhibits clear views of the vent for satellite remote sensing. In order for a satellite to record an image of a very deep vent, it requires very near vertical pass angle (satellite zenith angle). This viewing geometry is rare, meaning that the majority of images at such volcanoes will show the flanks or the crater walls, not the actual vent or crater floor. A method was developed for using satellite data to monitor the frequency of small explosive activity at numerous volcanoes. By determining the frequency of small explosions seen as thermal features in satellite imagery, a baseline of activity was determined. Any changes from this baseline are then used to indicate possible changes in the volcanic system or eruptive activity of the volcano. This method was used on data collected at Mt. Chuginadak (Cleveland) in Alaska, Karymsky Volcano in Russia, and Stromboli Volcano in Italy with good results. The method was then applied to Shishaldin Volcano in Alaska but was not as useful in determining the activity of the volcano due to the depth of Shishaldin's central crater (400m). This highlights the importance of multi-disciplinary and multi-sensor research to determine the actual activity at a volcano. For this project, explosions at Shishaldin Volcano were counted in both satellite data (thermal anomalies) and seismic data (explosion signals) for a time period from 2008-2010. These datasets are then compared to determine if there is a relationship that can be carried through the data, or if there is any other connecting factor to aid in the detection and monitoring of small scale explosive activity at volcanoes with vents deep within a crater. If a distinguishing factor can be verified by looking at a location with both satellite and seismic monitoring, it may aid in the monitoring of volcanoes where land based monitoring is not safe or financially viable.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory - Expanded Monitoring of Volcanoes Yields Results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brantley, Steven R.; McGimsey, Robert G.; Neal, Christina A.

2004-01-01

Recent explosive eruptions at some of Alaska's 52 historically active volcanoes have significantly affected air traffic over the North Pacific, as well as Alaska's oil, power, and fishing industries and local communities. Since its founding in the late 1980s, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) has installed new monitoring networks and used satellite data to track activity at Alaska's volcanoes, providing timely warnings and monitoring of frequent eruptions to the aviation industry and the general public. To minimize impacts from future eruptions, scientists at AVO continue to assess volcano hazards and to expand monitoring networks.

Magmatic vapor source for sulfur dioxide released during volcanic eruptions: Evidence from Mount Pinatubo

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, P.J.; Gerlach, T.M.

1994-01-01

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) released by the explosive eruption of Mount Pinatubo on 15 June 1991 had an impact on climate and stratospheric ozone. The total mass of SO2 released was much greater than the amount dissolved in the magma before the eruption, and thus an additional source for the excess SO2 is required. Infrared spectroscopic analyses of dissolved water and carbon dioxide in glass inclusions from quartz phenocrysts demonstrate that before eruption the magma contained a separate, SO2-bearing vapor phase. Data for gas emissions from other volcanoes in subduction-related arcs suggest that preeruptive magmatic vapor is a major source of the SO2 that is released during many volcanic eruptions.

Where is the hot rock and where is the ground water – Using CSAMT to map beneath and around Mount St. Helens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Jeff; Mosbrucker, Adam; Pierce, Herbert; Spicer, Kurt R.

2016-01-01

We have observed several new features in recent controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) soundings on and around Mount St. Helens, Washington State, USA. We have identified the approximate location of a strong electrical conductor at the edges of and beneath the 2004–08 dome. We interpret this conductor to be hot brine at the hot-intrusive-cold-rock interface. This contact can be found within 50 meters of the receiver station on Spine 5, which extruded between April and July of 2005. We have also mapped separate regional and glacier-dome aquifers, which lie one atop the other, out to considerable distances from the volcano.

Meteorological Hazard Assessment and Risk Mitigation in Rwanda.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nduwayezu, Emmanuel; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Bugnon, Pierre-Charles; Nsengiyumva, Jean-Baptiste; Horton, Pascal; Derron, Marc-Henri

2015-04-01

Between 10 and 13 April 2012, heavy rains hit sectors adjacent to the Vulcanoes National Park (Musanze District in the Northern Province and Nyabihu and Rubavu Districts in the Western Province of RWANDA), causing floods that affected about 11,000 persons. Flooding caused deaths and injuries among the affected population, and extensive damage to houses and properties. 348 houses were destroyed and 446 were partially damaged or have been underwater for several days. Families were forced to leave their flooded homes and seek temporal accommodation with their neighbors, often in overcrowded places. Along the West-northern border of RWANDA, Virunga mountain range consists of 6 major volcanoes. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4507m. The oldest mountain is mount Sabyinyo which rises 3634m. The hydraulic network in Musanze District is formed by temporary torrents and permanent watercourses. Torrents surge during strong storms, and are provoked by water coming downhill from the volcanoes, some 20 km away. This area is periodically affected by flooding and landslides because of heavy rain (Rwanda has 2 rainy seasons from February to April and from September to November each year in general and 2 dry seasons) striking the Volcano National Park. Rain water creates big water channels (in already known torrents or new ones) that impact communities, agricultural soils and crop yields. This project aims at identifying hazardous and risky areas by producing susceptibility maps for floods, debris flow and landslides over this sector. Susceptibility maps are being drawn using field observations, during and after the 2012 events, and an empirical model of propagation for regional susceptibility assessments of debris flows (Flow-R). Input data are 10m and 30m resolution DEMs, satellite images, hydrographic network, and some information on geological substratum and soil occupation. Combining susceptibility maps with infrastructures, houses and population density maps will be used in identifying the most risky areas. Finally, based on practical experiences in this kind of field and produced documents some recommendations for low-cost mitigation measures will be proposed. Reference: MIDIMAR, Impacts of floods and landslides on socio-economic development profile. Case study: Musanze District. Kigali, June 2012.

Intra-annual variations in atmospheric dust and tritium in the North Pacific region detected from an ice core from Mount Wrangell, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasunari, Teppei J.; Shiraiwa, Takayuki; Kanamori, Syosaku; Fujii, Yoshiyuki; Igarashi, Makoto; Yamazaki, Koji; Benson, Carl S.; Hondoh, Takeo

2007-05-01

The North Pacific is subject to various seasonal climate phenomena and material circulations. Therefore intra-annual ice core data are necessary for an assessment of the climate variations. To assess past variations, a 50-m ice core was drilled at the summit of Mount Wrangell Volcano, Alaska. The dust number, tritium concentrations, and stable hydrogen isotope were analyzed. The period covered was from 1992 to 2002. We found that the concentrations of both fine dust (0.52-1.00 μm), an indicator of long-range transport, and coarse dust (1.00-8.00 μm) increased together every spring. Moreover, their concentrations increased drastically after 2000, corresponding to the recent increase in Asian dust outbreaks in spring. Additionally, an increase in the spring of 2001 corresponded to the largest dust storm recorded in east Asia since 1979. Therefore our findings imply that Asian dust strongly polluted Mount Wrangell every spring. The stratospheric tracer, tritium, had late spring maxima almost every year, and we found this useful for ice core dating to identify late spring in the North Pacific region. We also found that a high positive annual correlation existed between the calculated tritium and fine dust fluxes from late spring to summer. We propose that an annual relationship between the stratosphere-troposphere exchange and Asian dust storm are most closely connected in late spring because their activities are weak in summer. The Mount Wrangell ice core is important and useful for assessing the dust and tritium circulation in the distant past around the North Pacific with probable intra-annual timescale information.

Thematic mapper studies of Andean volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, P. W.

1986-01-01

The primary objective was to identify all the active volcanoes in the Andean region of Bolivia. Morphological features of the Tata Sabaya volcano, Bolivia, were studied with the thematic mapper. Details include marginal levees on lava and pyroclastic flows, and summit crater structure. Valley glacier moraine deposits, not easily identified on the multispectral band scanner, were also unambiguous, and provide useful marker horizons on large volcanic edifices which were built up in preglacial times but which were active subsequently. With such high resolution imagery, it is not only possible to identify potentially active volcanoes, but also to use standard photogeological interpretation to outline the history of individual volcanoes.

Dome-like behaviour at Mt. Etna: The case of the 28 December 2014 South East Crater paroxysm.

PubMed

Ferlito, C; Bruno, V; Salerno, G; Caltabiano, T; Scandura, D; Mattia, M; Coltorti, M

2017-07-13

On the 28 December 2014, a violent and short paroxysmal eruption occurred at the South East Crater (SEC) of Mount Etna that led to the formation of huge niches on the SW and NE flanks of the SEC edifice from which a volume of ~3 × 10 6  m 3 of lava was erupted. Two basaltic lava flows discharged at a rate of ~370 m 3 /s, reaching a maximum distance of ~5 km. The seismicity during the event was scarce and the eruption was not preceded by any notable ground deformation, which instead was dramatic during and immediately after the event. The SO 2 flux associated with the eruption was relatively low and even decreased few days before. Observations suggest that the paroxysm was not related to the ascent of volatile-rich fresh magma from a deep reservoir (dyke intrusion), but instead to a collapse of a portion of SEC, similar to what happens on exogenous andesitic domes. The sudden and fast discharge eventually triggered a depressurization in the shallow volcano plumbing system that drew up fresh magma from depth. Integration of data and observations has allowed to formulate a novel interpretation of mechanism leading volcanic activity at Mt. Etna and on basaltic volcanoes worldwide.

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-05-06

STS039-151-179 (28 April-6 May 1991) --- A large format frame of one of the USSR's volcanic complex (Kamchatka area) with the active volcano Klyuchevskaya (Kloo-chevs'-ska-ya), 15,584 feet in elevation. The last reported eruption of the volcano was on April 8, but an ash and steam plume extending to the south was observed by the STS-39 crew almost three weeks later. The south side of the volcano is dirty from the ash fall and landslide activity. The summit is clearly visible, as is the debris flow from an earlier eruption. Just north of the Kamchatka River is Shiveluch, a volcano which was active in early April. There are more than 100 volcanic edifices recognized on Kamchatka, with 15 classified as active.

Mount Cameroon Eruptions, Related Hazards and Effects on the Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloatem Tazifor, A. N.

2016-02-01

Mount Cameroon (MC) is the highest peak in West and Central Africa. It is the only active volcano along the 1600km, Cameroon volcanic line with NE-SW orientation. It has a height of about 4100m above sea level, is a typical example of a hazardous volcano in a densely populated area, often causing damage by lava flows. It shows layered mafic volcanic sequence thought to be related to near-continuous eruptions within the last century during which period it has erupted 8 times in 1909, 1922, 1925, 1954, 1959, 1982, 1999 and 2000. These volcanic activities are suggested to be contributing factor to the many small-scale shallow landslides within the last 20 years which have resulted in the loss of about 30 lives and significant damage to farmland and property. The relatively high carbon dioxide (CO2) content in MC Glass inclusions support the interpretation that the CO2 gas responsible for the 1984 Lakes Monoun and 1986 Nyos disasters is magmatic in origin, which killed 37 and over 1800 people respectively. Months before the latest 2000 eruption, MC was characterized by a seismic swarm recorded in 03/2000 by analogue seismic stations. The co-eruptive period from May 28th to June 19th, 2000 was characterized by sequences of earth quakes, swarms and volcanic tremor. The main shock had a magnitude 3.2 event and a modified Mercalli intensity of 3 to 4. The largest seismic event recorded had a magnitude of 4. An explosion on 5th June, 2000, injured many members of a surveillance team, and a helicopter crash on 10th June, 2000 killed both pilots. It also led to lava flow across the Limbe-Idenau highway, damage of forest and palm plantations in Bakingili, and the evacuation of the 600 inhabitants of Bakingili. Never the less MC has positive impacts on the environment such as increased soil fertility where agro-industrial plantations have taken advantage, and more touristic sites have developed. After the last eruption of 2000, a number of seismographs have been placed along the MC site network with one at the Ekona Station, Esuke and Banga-Bakundu.

UAVSAR Acquires False-Color Image of Galeras Volcano, Colombia

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-03

This false-color image of Colombia Galeras Volcano, was acquired by UAVSAR on March 13, 2013. A highly active volcano, Galeras features a breached caldera and an active cone that produces numerous small to moderate explosive eruptions.

1997 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Wallace, Kristi L.

1999-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors over 40 historically active volcanoes along the Aleutian Arc. Twenty are seismically monitored and for the rest, the AVO monitoring program relies mainly on pilot reports, observations of local residents and ship crews, and daily analysis of satellite images. In 1997, AVO responded to eruptive activity or suspect volcanic activity at 11 volcanic centers: Wrangell, Sanford, Shrub mud volcano, Iliamna, the Katmai group (Martin, Mageik, Snowy, and Kukak volcanoes), Chiginagak, Pavlof, Shishaldin, Okmok, Cleveland, and Amukta. Of these, AVO has real-time, continuously recording seismic networks at Iliamna, the Katmai group, and Pavlof. The phrase “suspect volcanic activity” (SVA), used to characterize several responses, is an eruption report or report of unusual activity that is subsequently determined to be normal or enhanced fumarolic activity, weather-related phenomena, or a non-volcanic event. In addition to responding to eruptive activity at Alaska volcanoes, AVO also disseminated information for the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) about the 1997 activity of 5 Russian volcanoes--Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, Karymsky, and Alaid (SVA). This report summarizes volcanic activity and SVA in Alaska during 1997 and the AVO response, as well as information on the reported activity at the Russian volcanoes. Only those reports or inquiries that resulted in a “significant” investment of staff time and energy (here defined as several hours or more for reaction, tracking, and follow-up) are included. AVO typically receives dozens of reports throughout the year of steaming, unusual cloud sightings, or eruption rumors. Most of these are resolved quickly and are not tabulated here as part of the 1997 response record.

Mass Intrusion at Mount St. Helens (WA) From Temporal Gravity Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Lisowski, M.; Dzurisin, D.; Poland, M. P.; Schilling, S. P.; Diefenbach, A. K.; Wynn, J.

2015-12-01

Repeated high-precision gravity measurements made at Mount St. Helens (WA) have revealed systematic temporal variations in the gravity field several years after the end of the 2004-2008 dome-building eruption. Changes in gravity with respect to a stable reference station 36 km NW of the volcano were measured at 10 sites on the volcanic edifice and at 4 sites far afield (10 to 36 km) from the summit in August 2010, August 2012 and August 2014. After simulating and removing the gravity signal associated with changes in mass of the crater glacier, the local hydrothermal aquifer, and vertical deformation, the residual gravity field observed at sites near the volcano's summit significantly increased with respect to the stable reference site during 2010-2012 (maximum change 48 ± 15 mgal). No significant change was measured during 2012-2014. The pattern of gravity increase is radially symmetrical, with a half-width of about 2.5 km and a point of maximum change centered at the 2004-2008 lava dome. Forward modeling of residual gravity data using the same source geometry, depth, and location as that inferred from geodetic data (a spheroidal source centered 7.5 km beneath the 2004-2008 dome) indicates a mass increase rate of the order of 1011 kg/year. For a reasonable magma density (~2250 kg/m3), the volume rate of magma intrusion beneath the summit region inferred from gravity (~ 0.1 km3/yr) greatly exceeds the volume inferred from inversion of geodetic data (0.001 km3/yr between 2008-2011), suggesting that either magma compressibility or other processes are important aspects of magma storage at Mount St. Helens, or that the data argue for a different source.

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS (56.0N, 160.5E) is one of several active volcanoes in the CIS and is 15,584 ft. in elevation. Fresh ash fall on the south side of the caldera can be seen as a dirty smudge on the fresh snowfall. Just to the north of the Kamchatka River is Shiveluch, a volcano which had been active a short time previously. There are more than 100 volcanic edifices recognized on Kamchatka, 15 of which are still active.

2010 Volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neal, Christina A.; Herrick, Julie; Girina, O.A.; Chibisova, Marina; Rybin, Alexander; McGimsey, Robert G.; Dixon, Jim

2014-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest at 12 volcanic centers in Alaska during 2010. The most notable volcanic activity consisted of intermittent ash emissions from long-active Cleveland volcano in the Aleutian Islands. AVO staff also participated in hazard communication regarding eruptions or unrest at seven volcanoes in Russia as part of an ongoing collaborative role in the Kamchatka and Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Teams.

77 FR 16059 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Land Exchange/Road...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-19

... Aleutian arc chain of volcanoes. Landforms include mountains, active volcanoes, U-shaped valleys, glacial...-foot Shishaldin Volcano. Shishaldin Volcano is a designated National Natural Landmark. Alaska Maritime...

Volcanic Supersites as cross-disciplinary laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provenzale, Antonello; Beierkuhnlein, Carl; Giamberini, Mariasilvia; Pennisi, Maddalena; Puglisi, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Volcanic Supersites, defined in the frame of the GEO-GSNL Initiative, are usually considered mainly for their geohazard and geological characteristics. However, volcanoes are extremely challenging areas from many other points of view, including environmental and climatic properties, ecosystems, hydrology, soil properties and biogeochemical cycling. Possibly, volcanoes are closer to early Earth conditions than most other types of environment. During FP7, EC effectively fostered the implementation of the European volcano Supersites (Mt. Etna, Campi Flegrei/Vesuvius and Iceland) through the MED-SUV and FUTUREVOLC projects. Currently, the large H2020 project ECOPOTENTIAL (2015-2019, 47 partners, http://www.ecopotential-project.eu/) contributes to GEO/GEOSS and to the GEO ECO Initiative, and it is devoted to making best use of remote sensing and in situ data to improve future ecosystem benefits, focusing on a network of Protected Areas of international relevance. In ECOPOTENTIAL, remote sensing and in situ data are collected, processed and used for a better understanding of the ecosystem dynamics, analysing and modelling the effects of global changes on ecosystem functions and services, over an array of different ecosystem types, including mountain, marine, coastal, arid and semi-arid ecosystems, and also areas of volcanic origin such as the Canary and La Reunion Islands. Here, we propose to extend the network of the ECOPOTENTIAL project to include active Volcanic Supersites, such as Mount Etna and other volcanic Protected Areas, and we discuss how they can be included in the framework of the ECOPOTENTIAL workflow. A coordinated and cross-disciplinary set of studies at these sites should include geological, biological, ecological, biogeochemical, climatic and biogeographical aspects, as well as their relationship with the antropogenic impact on the environment, and aim at the global analysis of the volcanic Earth Critical Zone - namely, the upper layer of the Earth surface between the top of the vegetation and the rock matrix in active volcanic areas and Volcanic Supersites.

Photogeologic maps of the 2004-2005 Mount St. Helens eruption: Chapter 10 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herriott, Trystan M.; Sherrod, David R.; Pallister, John S.; Vallance, James W.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The 2004-5 eruption of Mount St. Helens, still ongoing as of this writing (September 2006), has comprised chiefly lava dome extrusion that produced a series of solid, faultgouge-mantled dacite spines. Vertical aerial photographs taken every 2 to 4 weeks, visual observations, and oblique photographs taken from aircraft and nearby observation points provide the basis for two types of photogeologic maps of the dome--photo-based maps and rectified maps. Eight map pairs, covering the period from October 1, 2004, through December 15, 2005, document the development of seven spines: an initial small, fin-shaped vertical spine; a north-south elongate wall of dacite; two large and elongate recumbent spines (“whalebacks”); a tall and elongate inclined spine; a smaller bulbous spine; and an initially endogenous spine extruded between remnants of preceding spines. All spines rose from the same general vent area near the southern margin of the 1980s lava dome. Maps also depict translation and rotation of active and abandoned spines, progressive deformation affecting Crater Glacier, and distribution of ash on the crater floor from phreatic and phreatomagmatic explosions. The maps help track key geologic and geographic features in the rapidly changing crater and help date dome, gouge, and ash samples that are no longer readily correlated to their original context because of deformation in a dynamic environment where spines extrude, deform, slough, and are overrun by newly erupted material.

Distribution of melt beneath Mount St Helens and Mount Adams inferred from magnetotelluric data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, G.J.; Caldwell, T.G.; Heise, W.; Chertkoff, D.G.; Bibby, H.M.; Burgess, M.K.; Cull, J.P.; Cas, Ray A.F.

2009-01-01

Three prominent volcanoes that form part of the Cascade mountain range in Washington State (USA)Mounts StHelens, Adams and Rainierare located on the margins of a mid-crustal zone of high electrical conductivity1,5. Interconnected melt can increase the bulk conductivity of the region containing the melt6,7, which leads us to propose that the anomalous conductivity in this region is due to partial melt associated with the volcanism. Here we test this hypothesis by using magnetotelluric data recorded at a network of 85 locations in the area of the high-conductivity anomaly. Our data reveal that a localized zone of high conductivity beneath thisvolcano extends downwards to join the mid-crustal conductor. As our measurements were made during the recent period of lava extrusion at Mount St Helens, we infer that the conductivity anomaly associated with the localized zone, and by extension with the mid-crustal conductor, is caused by the presence of partial melt. Our interpretation is consistent with the crustal origin of silicic magmas erupting from Mount St Helens8, and explains the distribution of seismicity observed at the time of the catastrophic eruption in 1980 (refs9, 10). ?? 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Geothermal Potential Analysis Using Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 (Case Study: Mount Ijen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukojo, B. M.; Mardiana, R.

2017-12-01

Geothermal energy is also a heat energy contained in the earth’s internal. Indonesia has a total geothermal potential of around 27 GWe. The government is eager for the development of geothermal in Indonesia can run well so that geothermal can act as one of the pillars of national energy. However, the geothermal potential has not been fully utilized. One of the geothermal potention is Mount Ijen. Mount Ijen is a strato volcano that has a crater lake with a depth of about 190 m and has a very high degree of acidity and the volume of lake water is very large. With the abundance of potential geothermal potential in Indonesia, it is necessary to have an activity in the form of integrated geoscience studies to be able to maximize the potential content that exists in a geothermal area. One of the studies conducted is to do potential mapping. This research performs image data processing of Landsat 8, Sentinel 2, RBI Map, and preliminary survey data. This research carried out the Vegetation Index, surface temperature and altitude. The equipment used in this research includes image processing software, number processing software, GPS Handheld and Laptop. Surface Temperatures in the Mount Ijen have anomalies with large temperatures ranging between 18° C to 38° C. The best correlation value of altitude and ground surface temperature is -0.89 ie the correlation of January surface temperature. While the correlation value of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 vegetation index was 0.81. The land cover confidence matrix scored 80%. Land cover in the research area is dominated by forests by 35% of the research area. There is a potential area of geothermal potential is very high on Mount Ijen with an area of 39.43 hectares located in Wongsorejo District and adjacent to District Sempol.

Volcanic mixed avalanches: a distinct eruption-triggered mass-flow process at snow-clad volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierson, T.C.; Janda, R.J.

1994-01-01

A generally unrecognized type of pyroclastic deposit was produced by rapid avalanches of intimately mixed snow and hot pyroclastic debris during eruptions at Mount St. Helens, Nevado del Ruiz, and Redoubt Volcano between 1982 and 1989. These "mixed avalanches' traveled as far as 14 km at velocities up to ~27 m/s, involved as much as 107 m3 of rock and ice, and left unmelted deposits of single flow units as thick as 5 m. During flow downslope, heat transfer from hot rocks to snow produced meltwater that partially saturated the mixtures, apparently giving these mixed avalanches mobilities equal to or greater than those of "dry' debris avalanches of similar volume. After melting and desiccation, the deposits are highly susceptible to erosion and unlikely to be well preserved in the stratigraphic record. -Authors

Morphologic Evolution of the Mount St. Helens Crater Area, Washington

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, G. L.

1985-01-01

The large rockslide-avalanche that preceded the eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1980 removed approximately 2.8 cubic km of material from the summit and north flank of the volcano, forming a horseshoe-shaped crater 2.0 km wide and 3.9 km long. A variety of erosional and depositional processes, notably mass wasting and gully development, acted to modify the topographic configuration of the crater area. To document this morphologic evolution, a series of annual large-scale topographic maps is being produced as a base for comparitive geomorphic analysis. Four topographic maps of the Mount St. Helens crater area at a scale of 1:4000 were produced by the National Mapping Division of the U. S. Geological Survey. Stereo aerial photography for the maps was obtained on 23 October 1980, 10 September 1981, 1 September 1982, and 17 August 1983. To quantify topographic changes in the study area, each topographic map is being digitized and corresponding X, Y, and Z values from successive maps are being computer-compared.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 15 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-07-10

ISS015-E-16913 (10 July 2007) --- Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka, Russian Far East is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. Shiveluch is one of the biggest and most active of a line of volcanoes along the spine of the Kamchatka peninsula in easternmost Russia. In turn the volcanoes and peninsula are part of the tectonically active "Ring of Fire" that almost surrounds the Pacific Ocean, denoted by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Shiveluch occupies the point where the northeast-trending Kamchatka volcanic line intersects the northwest-trending Aleutian volcanic line. Junctions such as this are typically points of intense volcanic activity. According to scientists, the summit rocks of Shiveluch have been dated at approximately 65,000 years old. Lava layers on the sides of the volcano reveal at least 60 major eruptions in the last 10,000 years, making it the most active volcano in the 2,200 kilometer distance that includes the Kamchatka peninsula and the Kuril island chain. Shiveluch rises from almost sea level to well above 3,200 miles (summit altitude 3,283 miles) and is often capped with snow. In this summer image however, the full volcano is visible, actively erupting ash and steam in late June or early July, 2007. The dull brown plume extending from the north of the volcano summit is most likely a combination of ash and steam (top). The two larger white plumes near the summit are dominantly steam, a common adjunct to eruptions, as rain and melted snow percolate down to the hot interior of the volcano. The sides of the volcano show many eroded stream channels. The south slope also reveals a long sloping apron of collapsed material, or pyroclastic flows. Such debris flows have repeatedly slid down and covered the south side of the volcano during major eruptions when the summit lava domes explode and collapse (this occurred during major eruptions in 1854 and 1964). Regrowth of the forest on the south slope (note the contrast with the eastern slope) has been foiled by the combined effects of continued volcanic activity, instability of the debris flows and the short growing season.

U.S. Geological Survey's Alert Notification System for Volcanic Activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, Cynthia A.; Guffanti, Marianne C.

2006-01-01

The United States and its territories have about 170 volcanoes that have been active during the past 10,000 years, and most could erupt again in the future. In the past 500 years, 80 U.S. volcanoes have erupted one or more times. About 50 of these recently active volcanoes are monitored, although not all to the same degree. Through its five volcano observatories, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issues information and warnings to the public about volcanic activity. For clarity of warnings during volcanic crises, the USGS has now standardized the alert-notification system used at its observatories.

July 1973 ground survey of active Central American volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoiber, R. E. (Principal Investigator); Rose, W. I., Jr.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Ground survey has shown that thermal anomalies of various sizes associated with volcanic activity at several Central American volcanoes should be detectable from Skylab. Anomalously hot areas of especially large size (greater than 500 m in diameter) are now found at Santiaguito and Pacaya volcanoes in Guatemala and San Cristobal in Nicaragua. Smaller anomalous areas are to be found at least seven other volcanoes. This report is completed after ground survey of eleven volcanoes and ground-based radiation thermometry mapping at these same points.

Science at the policy interface: volcano-monitoring technologies and volcanic hazard management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Amy; Oppenheimer, Clive; Bravo, Michael

2012-07-01

This paper discusses results from a survey of volcanologists carried out on the Volcano Listserv during late 2008 and early 2009. In particular, it examines the status of volcano monitoring technologies and their relative perceived value at persistently and potentially active volcanoes. It also examines the role of different types of knowledge in hazard assessment on active volcanoes, as reported by scientists engaged in this area, and interviewees with experience from the current eruption on Montserrat. Conclusions are drawn about the current state of monitoring and the likely future research directions, and also about the roles of expertise and experience in risk assessment on active volcanoes; while local knowledge is important, it must be balanced with fresh ideas and expertise in a combination of disciplines to produce an advisory context that is conducive to high-level scientific discussion.

Full-wave Ambient Noise Tomography of Mt Rainier volcano, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flinders, Ashton; Shen, Yang

2015-04-01

Mount Rainier towers over the landscape of western Washington (USA), ranking with Fuji-yama in Japan, Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Mt Vesuvius in Italy, as one of the great stratovolcanoes of the world. Notwithstanding its picturesque stature, Mt Rainier is potentially the most devastating stratovolcano in North America, with more than 3.5 million people living beneath is shadow in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The primary hazard posed by the volcano is in the form of highly destructive debris flows (lahars). These lahars form when water and/or melted ice erode away and entrain preexisting volcanic sediment. At Mt Rainier these flows are often initiated by sector collapse of the volcano's hydrothermally rotten flanks and compounded by Mt Rainier's extensive snow and glacial ice coverage. It is therefore imperative to ascertain the extent of the volcano's summit hydrothermal alteration, and determine areas prone to collapse. Despite being one of the sixteen volcanoes globally designated by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior as warranting detailed and focused study, Mt Rainier remains enigmatic both in terms of the shallow internal structure and the degree of summit hydrothermal alteration. We image this shallow internal structure and areas of possible summit alteration using ambient noise tomography. Our full waveform forward modeling includes high-resolution topography allowing us to accuratly account for the effects of topography on the propagation of short-period Rayleigh waves. Empirical Green's functions were extracted from 80 stations within 200 km of Mt Rainier, and compared with synthetic greens functions over multiple frequency bands from 2-28 seconds.

Iceland's Grímsvötn volcano erupts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2011-05-01

About 13 months after Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano began erupting on 14 April 2010, which led to extensive air traffic closures over Europe, Grímsvötn volcano in southeastern took its turn. Iceland's most active volcano, which last erupted in 2004 and lies largely beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap, began its eruption activity on 21 May, with the ash plume initially reaching about 20 kilometers in altitude, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Volcanic ash from Grímsvötn has cancelled hundreds of airplane flights and prompted U.S. president Barack Obama to cut short his visit to Ireland. As Eos went to press, activity at the volcano was beginning to subside.

2009 Volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Neal, Christina A.; Girina, Olga A.; Chibisova, Marina; Rybin, Alexander

2014-01-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, volcanic unrest, and reports of unusual activity at or near eight separate volcanic centers in Alaska during 2009. The year was highlighted by the eruption of Redoubt Volcano, one of three active volcanoes on the western side of Cook Inlet and near south-central Alaska's population and commerce centers, which comprise about 62 percent of the State's population of 710,213 (2010 census). AVO staff also participated in hazard communication and monitoring of multiple eruptions at ten volcanoes in Russia as part of its collaborative role in the Kamchatka and Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Teams.

Nighttime Look at Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu by NASA Spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-02-12

Ambrym volcano in Vanuatu is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. A large summit caldera contains two active vent complexes, Marum and Benbow is seen in this February 12, 2014 nighttime thermal infrared image from NASA Terra spacecraft.

A Scientific Excursion: Volcanoes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olds, Henry, Jr.

1983-01-01

Reviews an educationally valuable and reasonably well-designed simulation of volcanic activity in an imaginary land. VOLCANOES creates an excellent context for learning information about volcanoes and for developing skills and practicing methods needed to study behavior of volcanoes. (Author/JN)

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taran, Yuri; Tassi, Franco; Varekamp, Johan; Inguaggiato, Salvatore; Kalacheva, Elena

2017-10-01

Many volcanoes at any tectonic settings host hydrothermal systems. Volcano-hydrothermal systems (VHS) are result of interaction of the upper part of plumbing systems of active volcanoes with crust, hydrosphere and atmosphere. They are heated by magma, fed by magmatic fluids and meteoric (sea) water, transport and re-distribute magmatic and crustal material. VHS are sensitive to the activity of a host volcano. VHS may have specific features depending on the regional and local tectonic, geologic and geographic settings. The studies reported in this volume help to illustrate the diversity of the approaches and investigations that are being conducting at different volcano-hydrothermal systems over the world and the results of which will be of important value in furthering our understanding of the complex array of the processes accompanying hydrothermal activity of volcanoes. About 60 papers were submitted to a special session of "Volcano-Hydrothermal Systems" at the 2015 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The papers in this special issue of the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research were originally presented at that session.

Air-dropped sensor network for real-time high-fidelity volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Song, W.-Z.; Huang, R.; Xu, M.; Ma, A.; Shirazi, B.; LaHusen, R.

2009-01-01

This paper presents the design and deployment experience of an air-dropped wireless sensor network for volcano hazard monitoring. The deployment of five stations into the rugged crater of Mount St. Helens only took one hour with a helicopter. The stations communicate with each other through an amplified 802.15.4 radio and establish a self-forming and self-healing multi-hop wireless network. The distance between stations is up to 2 km. Each sensor station collects and delivers real-time continuous seismic, infrasonic, lightning, GPS raw data to a gateway. The main contribution of this paper is the design and evaluation of a robust sensor network to replace data loggers and provide real-time long-term volcano monitoring. The system supports UTC-time synchronized data acquisition with 1ms accuracy, and is online configurable. It has been tested in the lab environment, the outdoor campus and the volcano crater. Despite the heavy rain, snow, and ice as well as gusts exceeding 120 miles per hour, the sensor network has achieved a remarkable packet delivery ratio above 99% with an overall system uptime of about 93.8% over the 1.5 months evaluation period after deployment. Our initial deployment experiences with the system have alleviated the doubts of domain scientists and prove to them that a low-cost sensor network system can support real-time monitoring in extremely harsh environments. Copyright 2009 ACM.

New Constraints on the Geochemistry of the Millennium Eruption of Mount Paektu (Changbaishan), Democratic People's Republic of Korea/China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iacovino, K.; Kim, J. S.; Sisson, T. W.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Jang, J. N.; Song, K. H.; Ham, H. H.; Ri, K. H.; Donovan, A. R.; Oppenheimer, C.; Hammond, J. O. S.; Weber Liu, K.; Ryu, K. R.

2015-12-01

Mount Paektu (also known as Changbaishan) is a large caldera located on the border between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Circa 946 AD, Paektu produced one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, the so-called Millennium Eruption (ME), whose combined fall and pyroclastic flow deposits total approximately 25 km3 dense rock equivalent (95% commendite, 5% late stage trachyte). Despite its recent and potentially destructive history, the volcano is not well studied due to its relative inaccessibility. A seismic swarm beneath the volcano's summit in 2002-2005 spurred a unique collaboration between scientists from the DPRK, US, and the UK with the goals of characterizing Paektu's eruptive history and assessing its current state of activity. We present new results from this collaboration, including major and trace element (XRF, EMP and SHRIMP-RG) and volatile data (SHRIMP-RG and FTIR) on feldspar-, clinopyroxene-, and olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI), matrix glasses, and bulk pumices from four ME comendites and one ME trachyte. MI are halogen rich (F≤4000 ppm, Cl≤5000 ppm) with moderate S (≤250 ppm) and H2O (≤4 wt%) and minimal CO2 (≤15 ppm, detection limit ~2 ppm). H2O contents in comendite MI indicate saturation pressures (at 725 °C) of ~150 MPa, corresponding to a magma chamber depth of ~6 km, similar to the depth inferred for the magmatic injection thought to have resulted in the 2002-05 earthquake swarm. ME comendite is consistent with a ca. 25% residual melt by fractional crystallization from an ME trachyte parent. Published U-series zircon ages from ME comendite indicate a magma residence time of 11ky. Thus, the late stage ME trachyte likely represents a mafic recharge event of a melt separate from but geochemically similar to the original ME comendite parent.

Monitoring lava-dome growth during the 2004-2008 Mount St. Helens, Washington, eruption using oblique terrestrial photography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, J.J.; Dzurisin, D.; Schilling, S.P.; Poland, Michael P.

2009-01-01

We present an analysis of lava dome growth during the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens using oblique terrestrial images from a network of remotely placed cameras. This underutilized monitoring tool augmented more traditional monitoring techniques, and was used to provide a robust assessment of the nature, pace, and state of the eruption and to quantify the kinematics of dome growth. Eruption monitoring using terrestrial photography began with a single camera deployed at the mouth of the volcano's crater during the first year of activity. Analysis of those images indicates that the average lineal extrusion rate decayed approximately logarithmically from about 8 m/d to about 2 m/d (± 2 m/d) from November 2004 through December 2005, and suggests that the extrusion rate fluctuated on time scales of days to weeks. From May 2006 through September 2007, imagery from multiple cameras deployed around the volcano allowed determination of 3-dimensional motion across the dome complex. Analysis of the multi-camera imagery shows spatially differential, but remarkably steady to gradually slowing, motion, from about 1–2 m/d from May through October 2006, to about 0.2–1.0 m/d from May through September 2007. In contrast to the fluctuations in lineal extrusion rate documented during the first year of eruption, dome motion from May 2006 through September 2007 was monotonic (± 0.10 m/d) to gradually slowing on time scales of weeks to months. The ability to measure spatial and temporal rates of motion of the effusing lava dome from oblique terrestrial photographs provided a significant, and sometimes the sole, means of identifying and quantifying dome growth during the eruption, and it demonstrates the utility of using frequent, long-term terrestrial photography to monitor and study volcanic eruptions.

2014 Mount Ontake eruption: characteristics of the phreatic eruption as inferred from aerial observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, Takayuki; Maeno, Fukashi; Nakada, Setsuya

2016-05-01

The sudden eruption of Mount Ontake on September 27, 2014, led to a tragedy that caused more than 60 fatalities including missing persons. In order to mitigate the potential risks posed by similar volcano-related disasters, it is vital to have a clear understanding of the activity status and progression of eruptions. Because the erupted material was largely disturbed while access was strictly prohibited for a month, we analyzed the aerial photographs taken on September 28. The results showed that there were three large vents in the bottom of the Jigokudani valley on September 28. The vent in the center was considered to have been the main vent involved in the eruption, and the vents on either side were considered to have been formed by non-explosive processes. The pyroclastic flows extended approximately 2.5 km along the valley at an average speed of 32 km/h. The absence of burned or fallen trees in this area indicated that the temperatures and destructive forces associated with the pyroclastic flow were both low. The distribution of ballistics was categorized into four zones based on the number of impact craters per unit area, and the furthest impact crater was located 950 m from the vents. Based on ballistic models, the maximum initial velocity of the ejecta was estimated to be 111 m/s. Just after the beginning of the eruption, very few ballistic ejecta had arrived at the summit, even though the eruption plume had risen above the summit, which suggested that a large amount of ballistic ejecta was expelled from the volcano several tens-of-seconds after the beginning of the eruption. This initial period was characterized by the escape of a vapor phase from the vents, which then caused the explosive eruption phase that generated large amounts of ballistic ejecta via sudden decompression of a hydrothermal reservoir.

Lateral blasts at Mount St. Helens and hazard zonation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandell, D.R.; Hoblitt, R.P.

1986-01-01

Lateral blasts at andesitic and dacitic volcanoes can produce a variety of direct hazards, including ballistic projectiles which can be thrown to distances of at least 10 km and pyroclastic density flows which can travel at high speed to distances of more than 30 km. Indirect effect that may accompany such explosions include wind-borne ash, pyroclastic flows formed by the remobilization of rock debris thrown onto sloping ground, and lahars. Two lateral blasts occurred at a lava dome on the north flank of Mount St. Helens about 1200 years ago; the more energetic of these threw rock debris northeastward across a sector of about 30?? to a distance of at least 10 km. The ballistic debris fell onto an area estimated to be 50 km2, and wind-transported ash and lapilli derived from the lateral-blast cloud fell on an additional lobate area of at least 200 km2. In contrast, the vastly larger lateral blast of May 18, 1980, created a devastating pyroclastic density flow that covered a sector of as much as 180??, reached a maximum distance of 28 km, and within a few minutes directly affected an area of about 550 km2. The May 18 lateral blast resulted from the sudden, landslide-induced depressurization of a dacite cryptodome and the hydrothermal system that surrounded it within the volcano. We propose that lateral-blast hazard assessments for lava domes include an adjoining hazard zone with a radius of at least 10 km. Although a lateral blast can occur on any side of a dome, the sector directly affected by any one blast probably will be less than 180??. Nevertheless, a circular hazard zone centered on the dome is suggested because of the difficulty of predicting the direction of a lateral blast. For the purpose of long-term land-use planning, a hazard assessment for lateral blasts caused by explosions of magma bodies or pressurized hydrothermal systems within a symmetrical volcano could designate a circular potential hazard area with a radius of 35 km centered on the volcano. For short-term hazard assessments, if seismicity and deformation indicate that magma is moving toward the flank of a volcano, it should be recognized that a landslide could lead to the sudden unloading of a magmatic or hydrothermal system and thereby cause a catastrophic lateral blast. A hazard assessment should assume that a lateral blast could directly affect an area at least 180?? wide to a distance of 35 km from the site of the explosion, irrespective of topography. ?? 1986 Springer-Verlag.

75 FR 6215 - Agency Information Collection Activity

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract During FY10, the Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) will provide funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for improvement of the volcano and other monitoring systems and other monitoring- related activities that contribute to mitigation of volcano hazards. This...

Use of multiple in situ instruments and remote sensed satellite data for calibration tests at Solfatara (Campi Flegrei volcanic area)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvestri, Malvina; Musacchio, Massimo; Fabrizia Buongiorno, Maria; Doumaz, Fawzi; Andres Diaz, Jorge

2017-04-01

Monitoring natural hazards such as active volcanoes requires specific instruments to measure many parameters (gas emissions, surface temperatures, surface deformation etc.) to determine the activity level of a volcano. Volcanoes in most cases present difficult and dangerous environment for scientists who need to take in situ measurements. Remote Sensing systems on board of satellite permit to measure a large number of parameters especially during the eruptive events but still show large limits to monitor volcanic precursors and phenomena at local scale (gas species emitted by fumarole or summit craters degassing plumes and surface thermal changes of few degrees) for their specific risk. For such reason unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) mounting a variety of multigas sensors instruments (such as miniature mass spectrometer) or single specie sensors (such as electrochemical and IR sensors) allow a safe monitoring of volcanic activities. With this technology, it is possible to perform monitoring measurements of volcanic activity without risking the lives of scientists and personnel performing analysis during the field campaigns in areas of high volcanic activity and supporting the calibration and validation of satellite data measurements. These systems allowed the acquisition of real-time information such as temperature, pressure, relative humidity, SO2, H2S, CO2 contained in degassing plume and fumaroles, with GPS geolocation. The acquired data are both stored in the sensor and transmitted to a computer for real time viewing information. Information in the form of 3D concentration maps can be returned. The equipment used during the campaigns at Solfatara Volcano (in 2014, 2015 and 2016) was miniaturized instruments allowed measurements conducted either by flying drones over the fumarolic sites and by hand carrying into the fumaroles. We present the results of the field campaign held in different years at the Solfatara of Pozzuoli, near Naples, concerning measurements of CO2, H2S and SO2. The campaigns were carried out in collaboration with the University of Costa Rica and Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California) and has allowed the acquisition of a number of measures through scientific miniaturized multi-gas, thermal cameras and spectro-radiometer. The acquired measurements have also permitted the calibration and validation of satellite data as ASTER and LANDSAT8 (in collaboration with USGS). We believe that the rapid increasing of technology developments will permit the use UAS to integrate geophysical measurements and contribute to the necessary calibration and validation of current and future satellite missions dedicated to the measurements of surface temperatures and gas emissions in volcanic areas.

Space Radar Image of Mt. Rainer, Washington

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-01

This is a radar image of Mount Rainier in Washington state. The volcano last erupted about 150 years ago and numerous large floods and debris flows have originated on its slopes during the last century. Today the volcano is heavily mantled with glaciers and snowfields. More than 100,000 people live on young volcanic mudflows less than 10,000 years old and, consequently, are within the range of future, devastating mudslides. This image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on its 20th orbit on October 1, 1994. The area shown in the image is approximately 59 kilometers by 60 kilometers (36.5 miles by 37 miles). North is toward the top left of the image, which was composed by assigning red and green colors to the L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically, and the L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received. Blue indicates the C-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received. In addition to highlighting topographic slopes facing the space shuttle, SIR-C records rugged areas as brighter and smooth areas as darker. The scene was illuminated by the shuttle's radar from the northwest so that northwest-facing slopes are brighter and southeast-facing slopes are dark. Forested regions are pale green in color; clear cuts and bare ground are bluish or purple; ice is dark green and white. The round cone at the center of the image is the 14,435-foot (4,399-meter) active volcano, Mount Rainier. On the lower slopes is a zone of rock ridges and rubble (purple to reddish) above coniferous forests (in yellow/green). The western boundary of Mount Rainier National Park is seen as a transition from protected, old-growth forest to heavily logged private land, a mosaic of recent clear cuts (bright purple/blue) and partially regrown timber plantations (pale blue). The prominent river seen curving away from the mountain at the top of the image (to the northwest) is the White River, and the river leaving the mountain at the bottom right of the image (south) is the Nisqually River, which flows out of the Nisqually glacier on the mountain. The river leaving to the left of the mountain is the Carbon River, leading west and north toward heavily populated regions near Tacoma. The dark patch at the top right of the image is Bumping Lake. Other dark areas seen to the right of ridges throughout the image are radar shadow zones. Radar images can be used to study the volcanic structure and the surrounding regions with linear rock boundaries and faults. In addition, the recovery of forested lands from natural disasters and the success of reforestation programs can also be monitored. Ultimately this data may be used to study the advance and retreat of glaciers and other forces of global change. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01727

The 2014 eruptions of Pavlof Volcano, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waythomas, Christopher F.; Haney, Matthew M.; Wallace, Kristi; Cameron, Cheryl E.; Schneider, David J.

2017-12-22

Pavlof Volcano is one of the most frequently active volcanoes in the Aleutian Island arc, having erupted more than 40 times since observations were first recorded in the early 1800s . The volcano is located on the Alaska Peninsula (lat 55.4173° N, long 161.8937° W), near Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. The towns and villages closest to the volcano are Cold Bay, Nelson Lagoon, Sand Point, and King Cove, which are all within 90 kilometers (km) of the volcano (fig. 1). Pavlof is a symmetrically shaped stratocone that is 2,518 meters (m) high, and has about 2,300 m of relief. The volcano supports a cover of glacial ice and perennial snow roughly 2 to 4 cubic kilometers (km3) in volume, which is mantled by variable amounts of tephra fall, rockfall debris, and pyroclastic-flow deposits produced during historical eruptions. Typical Pavlof eruptions are characterized by moderate amounts of ash emission, lava fountaining, spatter-fed lava flows, explosions, and the accumulation of unstable mounds of spatter on the upper flanks of the volcano. The accumulation and subsequent collapse of spatter piles on the upper flanks of the volcano creates hot granular avalanches, which erode and melt snow and ice, and thereby generate watery debris-flow and hyperconcentrated-flow lahars. Seismic instruments were first installed on Pavlof Volcano in the early 1970s, and since then eruptive episodes have been better characterized and specific processes have been documented with greater certainty. The application of remote sensing techniques, including the use of infrasound data, has also aided the study of more recent eruptions. Although Pavlof Volcano is located in a remote part of Alaska, it is visible from Cold Bay, Sand Point, and Nelson Lagoon, making distal observations of eruptive activity possible, weather permitting. A busy air-travel corridor that is utilized by a numerous transcontinental and regional air carriers passes near Pavlof Volcano. The frequency of air travel across the region results in a relatively large number of airborne observations of eruptive activity. During the 2014 Pavlof eruptions, the Alaska Volcano Observatory received observations and photographs from pilots and local observers, which aided evaluation of the eruptive activity and the areas affected by eruptive products.This report outlines the chronology of events associated with the 2014 eruptive activity at Pavlof Volcano, provides documentation of the style and character of the eruptive episodes, and reports briefly on the eruptive products and impacts. The principal observations are described and portrayed on maps and photographs, and the 2014 eruptive activity is compared to historical eruptions.

Imaging hydration and dehydration across the Cascadia subduction zone (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abers, G. A.; Van Keken, P. E.; Hacker, B. R.; Mann, M. E.; Crosbie, K.; Creager, K.

2017-12-01

Arc volcanoes and exhumed forearc metamorphic rocks show clear evidence for upward transport of slab-derived fluids, but geophysical measurements rarely image features that could constrain the mode of this fluid transport. The hottest subduction zones such as Cascadia pose a particular challenge, as the depths where hydrous minerals are stable seaward of trenches is limited, and much of the water is expected to depart the slab before reaching sub-arc depths. Here we improve our understanding of this problem by developing a new thermal model for central Cascadia, leveraging new results several onshore and offshore geophysical investigations, notably the iMUSH project (Imaging Magma Under mount St. Helens), to evaluate constraints on the fluid flux. Offshore onshore heat flow measurements require a cold forearc and preclude detectable shear heating. Several puzzles emerge. The first is that Mount St. Helens overlies a continuous subducting plate which has an upper surface only 65-70 km deep beneath the volcano, imaged by migrated scattered P coda. This location, together with heat flow observations and inferences from the strength of the upper plate Moho, place the volcano over a cold forearc mantle wedge that is substantially hydrated. It is unclear how the wide range of magmas at Mount St. Helens could emerge in this setting since many have mantle origin. A second puzzle is that a large velocity step, about 10% in Vs, is seen along the slab Moho to depths exceeding 90 km where thermal models predict the subducting crust is in eclogite facies; eclogite and peridotite should have nearly indistinguishable Vs. Possibly a gabbroic oceanic crust persists metastably well below the arc, or perhaps the interface represents a deeper hydration front rather than petrologic Moho. A third puzzle is the persistent indication of H2O in arc magmas here despite almost certain dehydration of subducting sediments and upper oceanic crust. This indicates substantial H2O delivered by hydrated mantle lithosphere despite seismic evidence offshore for very little hydration. Perhaps the subducting lower crust carries more H2O than previously thought, or H2O transports structurally downward into the slab after subduction commences. Overall, substantial evidence exists for lateral transport of hydrous fluids in their path from slab to surface.

Sedimentation influx and volcanic interactions in the Fuji Five Lakes: implications for paleoseismological records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamair, Laura; Hubert-Ferrari, Aurélia; Yamamoto, Shinya; El Ouahabi, Meriam; Garrett, Ed; Shishikura, Masanobu; Schmidt, Sabine; Boes, Evelien; Obrochta, Stephen; Nakamura, Atsunori; Miyairi, Yosuke; Yokoyama, Yusuke; De Batist, Marc; Heyvaert, Vanessa M. A.

2017-04-01

The Fuji Fives Lakes are located at the foot of Mount Fuji volcano close to the triple junction, where the North American Plate, the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea Plate meet. These lakes are ideally situated to study Mount Fuji volcanism and the interaction between volcanism, changes in lake sedimentation rates and the ability of lakes to record paleoearthquakes. Here, we present newly acquired geological data of Lake Yamanaka and Lake Motosu, including seismic reflection profiles, gravity and piston cores. These two lakes and their respective watersheds were affected by several eruptions of Mount Fuji. Lake Yamanaka, a very shallow lake (max. depth 14 m), was heavily impacted by the scoria fall-out of the A.D. 1707 Hoei eruption of Mount Fuji. A detailed investigation of the effect of the Hoei eruption was conducted on short gravity cores, using high resolution XRD, C/N and 210Pb/137Cs analyses. The preliminary results suggest that the sedimentation rate of Lake Yamanaka drastically reduced after the Hoei eruption, followed by an increase until the present day. Similarly, lacustrine sedimentation in Lake Motosu (max. depth 122 m) was disturbed by Mount Fuji volcanism at a larger scale. The watershed of Lake Motosu was impacted by several lava flows and scoria cones. For example, the Omuro scoria cone reduced the catchment size of Lake Motosu and modified its physiography. The related scoria fall out covered an extensive part of the lake catchment and reduced terrigenous sedimentary influx to Lake Motosu. Within the deep basin of Lake Motosu, seismic reflection data shows two different periods that are distinguished by a major change in the dominant sedimentary processes. During the first period, sublacustrine landslides and turbidity currents were the dominant sedimentation processes. During the second one, the seismic stratigraphy evidences only deposition of numerous turbidites interrupting the hemipelagic sedimentation. Changes in sedimentary processes can be linked to the modification of the lake watershed by Mount Fuji volcanism, leading to a decrease in the sediment volume that can be remobilized, and therefore disappearance of large sublacustrine landslides. Turbidites are deposited due to surficial remobilization of lake slope sediments most probably as a result of earthquake shaking. When studying sedimentological records of lakes to define the paleoearthquake record, eruptions of nearby volcanoes should be taken into account. This study suggests that a large magnitude earthquake occurring few decades after a volcanic eruption (with large scale scoria fall-out), might not be recorded in a lake, or would only be fingerprinted in the sedimentary record by small turbiditic flows.

A deep scar in the flank of Tenerife (Canary Islands): Geophysical contribution to tsunami hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppo, Nicolas P.; Schnegg, Pierre-André; Falco, Pierik; Costa, Roberto

2009-05-01

Among the high-intensity on-Earth tsunami generating events, seismicity, submarine landslides, and volcano lateral collapses are the most important [Ward, S.H., 2001. Landslide tsunami. J. Geophy. Res. 106, 11201-11215; Holcomb, R.T., Searle, R.C., 1991. Large landslides from oceanic volcanoes. Mar. Geotech. 10, 19-32; Tinti, S., Bortolucci, E., Romagnoli, C., 2000. Computer simulations of tsunamis due to the sector collapse ar Stromboli, Italy. J. Volcano. Geotherm. Res. 96, 103-128; Ward, S.N., Day, S., 2003. Ritter Island Volcano — lateral collapse and the tsunami of 1888. Geophys. J. Int. 154, 891-902; MacGuire, W.J., 2003. Volcano instability and lateral collapse. Revista 1, 33-45]. Offshore bathymetry studies highlighted huge accumulations of large mass-waste flows (up to thousands cubic kilometres) inherited from past lateral collapses or submarine landslides [ Le Friant, A., Boudon, G., Deplus, C., Villemant, B., 2003. Large-scale flank collapse events during the activity of Montagne Pelée, Martinique, Lesser Antilles. J. Geophys. Res. 108, ECV13; Moore, J.G. et al., 1989. Prodigious submarine Landslides on the Hawaiian ridge. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 17465-17484] which spread over more than 100 km off the northern Tenerife (Canary Islands) coastline [Watts, A.B., Masson, D.G., 1995. A giant landslide on the north flank of Tenerife, Canary Islands. J. Geophys. Res. 100, 24487-24498]. Although mechanics and dynamics triggering such catastrophic events follow from combined complex processes and interactions [Hürlimann, M., Garcia-Piera, J.-O., Ledesma, A., 2000. Causes and mobility of large volcanic landslides: application to Tenerife, Canary Islands. J. Volcano. Geotherm. Res. 103, 121-134; Masson, D.G. et al., 2002. Slope failures on the flanks of the western Canary Islands. Earth-Sci. Rev. 57, 1-35; Reid, M.E., Sisson, T.W., Brien, D.L., 2001. Volcano collapse promoted by hydrothermal alteration and edifice shape, Mount Rainier, Washington. Geology 29, 779-782], potential movable volume is an unavoidable parameter to quantify and constrain tsunamigenic hazard. Numerical modelling of a tsunami generated by the potential La Palma landslide concluded that high amplitude waves threaten North Atlantic shorelines [Ward, S.N., Day, S.J., 2001. Cumbre Vieja volcano — Potential collapse and tsunami at La Palma, Canary Islands. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 397-400]. New audiomagnetotelluric results provide for the first time a good estimation of the Icod Valley (Tenerife, Canary Islands) volume, a potential giant landslide threatening the same shorelines. Two profiles image its electrically conductive roots with a characteristic of a U-shaped cross-section thought to be the consequence of previous landslides. By this study, we show that North Atlantic Ocean shorelines might be exposed to a destructive tsunami generated by a subaerial lateral collapse of at least 120 km 3 during the next strong felsic eruptive activity of the Teide-Pico Viejo complex. This article highlights the degree of urgency of carrying out geophysical investigations on the flanks of most volcanic islands prone to potential flank collapse. These investigations will contribute to the understanding of their structure — a key parameter in the sliding process. Finally, all results should be included in model, providing a global map of tsunami hazard assessment.

Imaging the distribution of transient viscosity after the 2016 Mw 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, James D. P.; Yu, Hang; Tang, Chi-Hsien; Wang, Teng; Barbot, Sylvain; Peng, Dongju; Masuti, Sagar; Dauwels, Justin; Hsu, Ya-Ju; Lambert, Valère; Nanjundiah, Priyamvada; Wei, Shengji; Lindsey, Eric; Feng, Lujia; Shibazaki, Bunichiro

2017-04-01

The deformation of mantle and crustal rocks in response to stress plays a crucial role in the distribution of seismic and volcanic hazards, controlling tectonic processes ranging from continental drift to earthquake triggering. However, the spatial variation of these dynamic properties is poorly understood as they are difficult to measure. We exploited the large stress perturbation incurred by the 2016 earthquake sequence in Kumamoto, Japan, to directly image localized and distributed deformation. The earthquakes illuminated distinct regions of low effective viscosity in the lower crust, notably beneath the Mount Aso and Mount Kuju volcanoes, surrounded by larger-scale variations of viscosity across the back-arc. This study demonstrates a new potential for geodesy to directly probe rock rheology in situ across many spatial and temporal scales.

High-resolution DEM generation from multiple remote sensing data sources for improved volcanic hazard assessment - a case study from Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Fanghui; Dixon, Timothy H.; Rodgers, Mel; Charbonnier, Sylvain J.; Gallant, Elisabeth A.; Voss, Nicholas; Xie, Surui; Malservisi, Rocco; Ordoñez, Milton; López, Cristian M.

2017-04-01

Eruptions of active volcanoes in the presence of snow and ice can cause dangerous floods, avalanches and lahars, threatening millions of people living close to such volcanoes. Colombia's deadliest volcanic hazard in recorded history was caused by Nevado del Ruiz Volcano. On November 13, 1985, a relatively small eruption triggered enormous lahars, killing over 23,000 people in the city of Armero and 2,000 people in the town of Chinchina. Meltwater from a glacier capping the summit of the volcano was the main contributor to the lahars. From 2010 to present, increased seismicity, surface deformation, ash plumes and gas emissions have been observed at Nevado del Ruiz. The DEM is a key parameter for accurate prediction of the pathways of lava flows, pyroclastic flows, and lahars. While satellite coverage has greatly improved the quality of DEMs around the world, volcanoes remain a challenging target because of extremely rugged terrain with steep slopes and deeply cut valleys. In this study, three types of remote sensing data sources with different spatial scales (satellite radar interferometry, terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI), and structure from motion (SfM)) were combined to generate a high resolution DEM (10 m) of Nevado del Ruiz. 1) Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired by TSX/TDX satellites were applied to generate DEM covering most of the study area. To reduce the effect of geometric distortion inherited from SAR images, TSX/TDX DEMs from ascending and descending orbits were merged to generate a 10×10 m DEM. 2) TRI is a technique that uses a scanning radar to measure the amplitude and phase of a backscattered microwave signal. It provides a more flexible and reliable way to generate DEMs in steep-slope terrain compared with TSX/TDX satellites. The TRI was mounted at four different locations to image the upper slopes of the volcano. A DEM with 5×5 m resolution was generated by TRI. 3) SfM provides an alternative for shadow zones in both TSX/TDX and TRI images. It is a low-cost and effective method to generate high-quality DEMs in relatively small spatial scales. More than 2000 photos were combined to create a DEM of the deep valley in the shadow zones. DEMs from the above three remote sensing data sources were merged into a final DEM with 10×10 m resolution. The effect of this improved DEM on hazard assessment can be evaluated using numerical flow models.

Seismic and infrasonic source processes in volcanic fluid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoza, Robin S.

Volcanoes exhibit a spectacular diversity in fluid oscillation processes, which lead to distinct seismic and acoustic signals in the solid earth and atmosphere. Volcano seismic waveforms contain rich information on the geometry of fluid migration, resonance effects, and transient and sustained pressure oscillations resulting from unsteady flow through subsurface cracks, fissures and conduits. Volcanic sounds contain information on shallow fluid flow, resonance in near-surface cavities, and degassing dynamics into the atmosphere. Since volcanoes have large spatial scales, the vast majority of their radiated atmospheric acoustic energy is infrasonic (<20 Hz). This dissertation presents observations from joint broadband seismic and infrasound array deployments at Mount St. Helens (MSH, Washington State, USA), Tungurahua (Ecuador), and Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii, USA), each providing data for several years. These volcanoes represent a broad spectrum of eruption styles ranging from hawaiian to plinian in nature. The catalogue of recorded infrasonic signals includes continuous broadband and harmonic tremor from persistent degassing at basaltic lava vents and tubes at Pu'u O'o (Kilauea), thousands of repetitive impulsive signals associated with seismic longperiod (0.5-5 Hz) events and the dynamics of the shallow hydrothermal system at MSH, rockfall signals from the unstable dacite dome at MSH, energetic explosion blast waves and gliding infrasonic harmonic tremor at Tungurahua volcano, and large-amplitude and long-duration broadband signals associated with jetting during vulcanian, subplinian and plinian eruptions at MSH and Tungurahua. We develop models for a selection of these infrasonic signals. For infrasonic long-period (LP) events at MSH, we investigate seismic-acoustic coupling from various buried source configurations as a means to excite infrasound waves in the atmosphere. We find that linear elastic seismic-acoustic transmission from the ground to atmosphere is inadequate to explain the observations, and propose that the signals may result from sudden containment failure of a pressurized hydrothermal crack. For the broadband eruption tremor signals, we propose that the infrasonic signals represent a low-frequency form of jet noise, analogous to the noise from man-made jet engines, but operating with larger spatial scales and consequently longer time-scales. For the persistent hawaiian tremor signals, we propose that bubble cloud oscillation in the upper section of a roiling magma conduit and vortex dynamics in the shallow degassing region act as broadband and harmonic tremor sources. We also consider infrasound propagation effects in a dynamic atmosphere and discuss their effects on recorded signals. This dissertation demonstrates that combined seismic and infrasonic data provide complementary perspectives on eruptive activity.

Array-Based Receiver Function Analysis of the Subducting Juan de Fuca Plate Beneath the Mount St. Helens Region and its Implications for Subduction Geometry and Metamorphism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, M. E.; Abers, G. A.; Creager, K. C.; Ulberg, C. W.; Crosbie, K.

2017-12-01

Mount St. Helens (MSH) is unusual as a prolific arc volcano located 50 km towards the forearc of the main Cascade arc. The iMUSH (imaging Magma Under mount St. Helens) broadband deployment featured 70 seismometers at 10-km spacing in a 50-km radius around MSH, spanning a sufficient width for testing along-strike variation in subsurface geometry as well as deep controls on volcanism in the Cascade arc. Previous estimates of the geometry of the subducting Juan de Fuca (JdF) slab are extrapolated to MSH from several hundred km to the north and south. We analyze both P-to-S receiver functions and 2-D Born migrations of the full data set to locate the upper plate Moho and the dip and depth of the subducting slab. The strongest coherent phase off the subducting slab is the primary reverberation (Ppxs; topside P-to-S reflection) from the Moho of the subducting JdF plate, as indicated by its polarity and spatial pattern. Migration images show a dipping low velocity layer at depths less than 50 km that we interpret as the subducting JdF crust. Its disappearance beyond 50 km depth may indicate dehydration of subducting crust or disruption of high fluid pressures along the megathrust. The lower boundary of the low velocity zone, the JdF Moho, persists in the migration image to depths of at least 90 km and is imaged at 74 km beneath MSH, dipping 23 degrees. The slab surface is 68 km beneath MSH and 85 km beneath Mount Adams volcano to the east. The JdF Moho exhibits 10% velocity contrasts as deep as 85 km, an observation difficult to reconcile with simple models of crustal eclogitization. The geometry and thickness of the JdF crust and upper plate Moho is consistent with similar transects of Cascadia and does not vary along strike beneath iMUSH, indicating a continuous slab with no major disruption. The upper plate Moho is clear on the east side of the array but it disappears west of MSH, a feature we interpret as a result of both serpentinization of the mantle wedge and a westward increase in wavespeed of the continental crust. The seismically-imaged surface of the subducting JdF slab at 68 km beneath MSH is the shallowest yet documented beneath an arc volcano. Combined with the inference of serpentinization in the mantle wedge, this geometry presents a problem in that vertical mantle melt migration seems unfeasible, yet mantle melts contribute to erupted MSH magmas.

Digital Data for Volcano Hazards at Newberry Volcano, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, S.P.; Doelger, S.; Sherrod, D.R.; Mastin, L.G.; Scott, W.E.

2008-01-01

Newberry volcano is a broad shield volcano located in central Oregon, the product of thousands of eruptions, beginning about 600,000 years ago. At least 25 vents on the flanks and summit have been active during the past 10,000 years. The most recent eruption 1,300 years ago produced the Big Obsidian Flow. Thus, the volcano's long history and recent activity indicate that Newberry will erupt in the future. Newberry Crater, a volcanic depression or caldera has been the focus of Newberry's volcanic activity for at least the past 10,000 years. Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, includes the caldera and extends to the Deschutes River. Newberry volcano is quiet. Local earthquake activity (seismicity) has been trifling throughout historic time. Subterranean heat is still present, as indicated by hot springs in the caldera and high temperatures encountered during exploratory drilling for geothermal energy. The report USGS Open-File Report 97-513 (Sherrod and others, 1997) describes the kinds of hazardous geologic events that might occur in the future at Newberry volcano. A hazard-zonation map is included to show the areas that will most likely be affected by renewed eruptions. When Newberry volcano becomes restless, the eruptive scenarios described herein can inform planners, emergency response personnel, and citizens about the kinds and sizes of events to expect. The geographic information system (GIS) volcano hazard data layers used to produce the Newberry volcano hazard map in USGS Open-File Report 97-513 are included in this data set. Scientists at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory created a GIS data layer to depict zones subject to the effects of an explosive pyroclastic eruption (tephra fallout, pyroclastic flows, and ballistics), lava flows, volcanic gasses, and lahars/floods in Paulina Creek. A separate GIS data layer depicts drill holes on the flanks of Newberry Volcano that were used to estimate the probability of coverage by future lava flows.

Using the Landsat Thematic Mapper to detect and monitor active volcanoes - An example from Lascar volcano, northern Chile

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, P. W.; Rothery, D. A.

1987-01-01

The Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) offers a means of detecting and monitoring thermal features of active volcanoes. Using the TM, a prominent thermal anomaly has been discovered on Lascar volcano, northern Chile. Data from two short-wavelength infrared channels of the TM show that material within a 300-m-diameter pit crater was at a temperature of at least 380 C on two dates in 1985. The thermal anomaly closely resembles in size and radiant temperature the anomaly over the active lava lake at Erta'ale in Ethiopia. An eruption took place at Lascar on Sept. 16, 1986. TM data acquired on Oct. 27, 1986, revealed significant changes within the crater area. Lascar is in a much more active state than any other volcano in the central Andes, and for this reason it merits further careful monitoring. Studies show that the TM is capable of confidently identifying thermal anomalies less than 100 m in size, at temperatures of above 150 C, and thus it offers a valuable means of monitoring the conditions of active or potentially active volcanoes, particularly those in remote regions.