Geology topics

D. Dzurisin

Publications and source records attributed to D. Dzurisin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2014

Surface deformation associated with the March 1996 earthquake swarm at Akutan Island, Alaska, revealed by C-band ERS and L-band JERS radar interferometry

In March 1996, an intense earthquake swarm beneath Akutan Island, Alaska, was accompanied by extensive ground cracking but no eruption of Akutan volcano. Radar interferograms produced from L-band JERS-1 and C-band ERS-1/2 images show uplift associated with the swarm by as much as 60 cm on the western part of the island. The JERS-1 interferogram has greater coherence, especially in areas with loose surface material or thick vegetation. It also shows subsidence of similar magnitude on the eastern part of the island and displacements along faults reactivated during the swarm. The axis of uplift and subsidence strikes about N70°W, which is roughly parallel to a zone of fresh cracks on the northwest flank of the volcano, to normal faults that cut the island and to the inferred maximum compressive stress direction. A common feature of models that fit the deformation is the emplacement of a shallow dike along this trend beneath the northwest flank of the volcano. Both before and after the swarm, the northwest flank was uplifted 5–20 mm/year relative to the southwest flank, probably by magma intrusion. The zone of fresh cracks subsided about 20 mm during 1996–1997 and at lesser rates thereafter, possibly because of cooling and degassing of the intrusion.

Alaska↗

USGS2012

Influence of fortnightly earth tides at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Analysis of 52 historic eruptions confirms the premise that fortnightly earth tides play a significant role in triggering activity at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Since January 1832, nearly twice as many eruptions have occurred nearer fortnightly tidal maximum than tidal minimum (34 vs. 18). A straightforward significance test indicates that the likelihood of a fortnightly tidal influence on Kilauea eruptions is roughly 90%. This is not the case for Mauna Loa Volcano, where 37 historic eruptions have been distributed randomly with respect to the fortnightly tide. At Kilauea, stresses induced by fortnightly earth tides presumably act in concert with volcanic and tectonic stresses to trigger shallow magma movements along preexisting zones of weakness. Differences in structure or internal plumbing may limit the effectiveness of this mechanism at Mauna Loa. Tidal effects seem to be less marked at shields than at some island-arc volcanoes, possibly because higher average volcanic stress rates in Hawaii more often override the effects of tidal stresses.

Geophysical Research Letters↗

USGS2012

Cooling rate and thermal structure determined from progressive magnetization of the dacite dome at Mount St. Helens, Washington

Our study of a magnetic anomaly associated with the recently active dacite dome at Mount St. Helens suggests that the dome consists of a hot, nonmagnetized core surrounded by a cool, magnetized carapace and flanking talus. The talus does not contribute to the anomaly because its constituent blocks are randomly oriented. Temporal changes in the magnetic anomaly indicate that the magnetized carapace thickened at an average rate of 0.03±0.01 m/d from 1984 to 1986. Petrographic and rock magnetic properties of dome samples indicate that the dominant process responsible for these changes is magnetization of extensively oxidized rock at progressively deeper levels within the dome as the rock cools through its blocking temperature, rather than subsequent changes in magnetization caused by further oxidation. Newly extruded material cools rapidly for a short period as heat is conducted outward in response to convective heat loss from its surface. The cooling rate gradually declines for several weeks, and thereafter the material cools at a relatively constant rate by convective heat loss from its interior along fractures that propagate inward. The rate of internal convective heat loss through fractures varies with rainfall, snowmelt, and large-scale fracturing during subsequent eruptive episodes. In accordance with a model for solidification of the 1959 lava lake at Kilauea Iki, Hawaii, we picture the dome's magnetized carapace as being a two-phase, porous, convective zone separated from the nonmagnetized core of the dome by a thin, single-phase conductive zone. As a consequence of the heat balance between the conductive and convective zones, the blocking-temperature isotherm migrates inward at a relatively constant rate. If the dome remains inactive, the time scale for its complete magnetization is estimated to be 18–36 years, a forecast which can be refined by shallow drilling into the dome and by continuing studies of its growing magnetic anomaly.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗

USGS2008

Diverse deformation patterns of Aleutian volcanoes from InSAR

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is capable of measuring ground-surface deformation with centimeter-to-subcentimeter precision at a spatial resolution of tens of meters over an area of hundreds to thousands of square kilometers. With its global coverage and all-weather imaging capability, InSAR has become an increasingly important measurement technique for constraining magma dynamics of volcanoes over remote regions such as the Aleutian Islands. The spatial pattern of surface deformation data derived from InSAR images enables the construction of detailed mechanical models to enhance the study of magmatic processes. This paper summarizes the diverse deformation patterns of the Aleutian volcanoes observed with InSAR and demonstrates that deformation patterns and associated magma supply mechanisms in the Aleutians are diverse and vary between volcanoes. These findings provide a basis for improved models and better understanding of magmatic plumbing systems.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2006

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR)

Geodesists are, for the most part, a patient and hardworking lot. A day spent hiking to a distant peak, hours spent waiting for clouds to clear a line-of-sight between observation points, weeks spent moving methodically along a level line — such is the normal pulse of the geodetic profession. The fruits of such labors are all the more precious because they are so scarce. A good day spent with an electronic distance meter (EDM) or level typically produces fewer than a dozen data points. A year of tiltmeter output sampled at ten-minute intervals constitutes less than half a megabyte of data. All of the leveling data ever collected at Yellowstone Caldera fit comfortably on a single PC diskette! These quantities are trivial by modern datastorage standards, in spite of the considerable efforts expended to produce them.

Book chapter↗

USGS2003

Magma supply dynamics at Westdahl volcano, Alaska, modeled from satellite radar interferometry

A group of satellite radar interferograms that span the time period from 1991 to 2000 shows that Westdahl volcano, Alaska, deflated during its 1991-1992 eruption and is reinflating at a rate that could produce another eruption within the next several years. The rates of inflation and deflation are approximated by exponential decay functions having time constants of about 6 years and a few days, respectively. This behavior is consistent with a deep, constant-pressure magma source connected to a shallow reservoir by a magma-filled conduit. An elastic deformation model indicates that the reservoir is located about 6 km below sea level and beneath Westdahl Peak. We propose that the magma flow rate through the conduit is governed by the pressure gradient between the deep source and the reservoir. The pressure gradient, and hence the flow rate, are greatest immediately after eruptions. Pressurization of the reservoir decreases both the pressure gradient and the flow rate, but eventually the reservoir ruptures and an eruption or intrusion ensues. The eruption rate is controlled partly by the pressure gradient between the reservoir and surface, and therefore it, too, decreases with time. When the supply of eruptible magma is exhausted, the eruption stops, the reservoir begins to repressurize at a high rate, and the cycle repeats. This model might also be appropriate for other frequently active volcanoes with stable magma sources and relatively simple magma storage systems.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗

USGS2002

Preeruptive inflation and surface interferometric coherence characteristics revealed by satellite radar interferometry at Makushin Volcano, Alaska: 1993-2000

Pilot reports in January 1995 and geologic field observations from the summer of 1996 indicate that a relatively small explosive eruption of Makushin, one of the more frequently active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc of Alaska, occurred on 30 January 1995. Several independent radar interferograms that each span the time period from October 1993 to September 1995 show evidence of ???7 cm of uplift centered on the volcano's east flank, which we interpret as preeruptive inflation of a ???7-km-deep magma source (??V = 0.022 km3). Subsequent interferograms for 1995-2000, a period that included no reported eruptive activity, show no evidence of additional ground deformation. Interferometric coherence at C band is found to persist for 3 years or more on lava flow and other rocky surfaces covered with short grass and sparsely distributed tall grass and for at least 1 year on most pyroclastic deposits. On lava flow and rocky surfaces with dense tall grass and on alluvium, coherence lasts for a few months. Snow and ice surfaces lose coherence within a few days. This extended timeframe of coherence over a variety of surface materials makes C band radar interferometry an effective tool for studying volcano deformation in Alaska and other similar high-latitude regions.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗

USGS2002

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar studies of Alaska volcanoes

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) imaging is a recently developed geodetic technique capable of measuring ground-surface deformation with centimeter to subcentimeter vertical precision and spatial resolution of tens-of-meter over a relatively large region (/spl sim/10/sup 4/ km/sup 2/). The spatial distribution of surface deformation data, derived from InSAR images, enables the construction of detailed mechanical models to enhance the study of magmatic and tectonic processes associated with volcanoes. This paper summarizes our recent InSAR studies of several Alaska volcanoes, which include Okmok, Akutan, Kiska, Augustine, Westdahl, and Peulik volcanoes.

Alaska↗

USGS2000

Volcano geodesy: Challenges and opportunities for the 21st century

Intrusions of magma beneath volcanoes deform the surrounding rock and, if the intrusion is large enough, the overlying ground surface. Numerical models generally agree that, for most eruptions, subsurface volume changes are sufficient to produce measurable deformation at the surface. Studying this deformation can help to determine the location, volume, and shape of a subsurface magma body and thus to anticipate the onset and course of an eruption. This approach has been successfully applied at many restless volcanoes, especially basaltic shields and silicic calderas, using various geodetic techniques and sensors. However, its success at many intermediate-composition strato-volcanoes has been limited by generally long repose intervals, steep terrain, and structural influences that complicate the history and shape of surface deformation. These factors have made it difficult to adequately characterize deformation in space and time at many of the world's dangerous volcanoes. Recent technological advances promise to make this task easier by enabling the acquisition of geodetic data of high spatial and temporal resolution from Earth-orbiting satellites. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) can image ground deformation over large areas at metre-scale resolution over time-scales of a month to a few years. Global Positioning System (GPS) stations can provide continuous information on three-dimensional ground displacements at a network of key sites -information that is especially important during volcanic crises. By using InSAR to determine the shape of the displacement field and GPS to monitor temporal changes at key sites, scientists have a much better chance to capture geodetic signals that have so far been elusive at many volcanoes. This approach has the potential to provide longer-term warnings of impending volcanic activity than is possible with other monitoring techniques.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A:↗

USGS2000

Aseismic inflation of Westdahl volcano, Alaska, revealed by satellite radar interferometry

Westdahl volcano, located at the west end of Unimak Island in the central Aleutian volcanic arc, Alaska, is a broad shield that produced moderate-sized eruptions in 1964, 1978-79, and 1991-92. Satellite radar interferometry detected about 17 cm of volcano-wide inflation from September 1993 to October 1998. Multiple independent interferograms reveal that the deformation rate has not been steady; more inflation occurred from 1993 to 1995 than from 1995 to 1998. Numerical modeling indicates that a source located about 9 km beneath the center of the volcano inflated by about 0.05 km3 from 1993 to 1998. On the basis of the timing and volume of recent eruptions at Westdahl and the fact that it has been inflating for more than 5 years, the next eruption can be expected within the next several years.

Geophysical Research Letters↗

USGS2000

Studies of volcanoes of Alaska by satellite radar interferometry

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has provided a new imaging geodesy technique to measure the deformation of volcanoes at tens-of-meter horizontal resolution with centimeter to subcentimeter vertical precision. The two-dimensional surface deformation data enables the construction of detailed numerical models allowing the study of magmatic and tectonic processes beneath volcanoes. This paper summarizes our recent: InSAR studies over the Alaska-Aleutian volcanoes, which include New Trident, Okmok, Akutan, Augustine, Shishaldin, and Westdahl volcanoes. The first InSAR surface deformation over the Alaska volcanoes was applied to New Trident. Preliminary InSAR study suggested that New Trident volcano experienced several centimeters inflation from 1993 to 1995. Using the InSAR technique, we studied the 1997 eruption of Okmok. We have measured ???1.4 m deflation during the eruption, ???20 cm pre-eruptive inflation during 1992 to 1995, and >10 cm post-eruptive inflation within a year after the eruption, and modeled the deformations using Mogi sources. We imaged the ground surface deformation associated with the 1996 seismic crisis over Akutan volcano. Although seismic swarm did not result in an eruption, we found that the western part of the volcano uplifted ???60 cm while the eastern part of the island subsided. The majority of the complex deformation field at the Akutan volcano was modeled by dike intrusion and Mogi inflation sources. Our InSAR results also indicate that the pyroclastic flows from last the last eruption have been undergoing contraction/subsidence at a rate of about 3 cm per year since 1992. InSAR measured no surface deformation before and during the 1999 eruption of Shishaldin and suggested the eruption may be a type of open system. Finally, we applied satellite radar interferometry to Westdahl volcano which erupted 1991 and has been quiet since. We discovered this volcano had inflated about 15 cm from 1993 to 1998. In summary, satellite radar interferometry can not only be used to study a volcanic eruption, but also to detect aseismic deformation at quiescent volcanoes preceding a seismic swarm; it is a useful technique to study volcanic eruptions as well as to guide scientists to better focus their monitoring efforts.

Alaska↗

USGS1999

Results of repeated leveling surveys at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, and near Lassen Peak Volcano, California

Personnel from the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory conducted first-order, class-II leveling surveys near Lassen Peak, California, in 1991 and at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Near Lassen Peak no significant vertical displacements had occurred along either of two traverses, 33 and 44 km long, since second-order surveys in 1932 and 1934. At Newberry, however, the 1994 survey suggests that the volcano's summit area had risen as much as 97??22 mm with respect to a third-order survey in 1931. The 1931 and 1994 surveys measured a 37-km-long, east-west traverse across the entire volcano. The 1985 and 1986 surveys, on the other hand, measured only a 9-km-long traverse across the summit caldera with only one benchmark in common with the 1931 survey. Comparison of the 1985, 1986, and 1994 surveys revealed no significant differential displacements inside the caldera. A possible mechanism for uplift during 1931-1994 is injection of approximately 0.06 km3 of magma at a depth of approximately 10 km beneath the volcano's summit. The average magma supply rate of approximately 1 x 10-3 km3/year would be generally consistent with the volcano's growth rate averaged over its 600,000-year history (0.7-1.7 x 10-3 km3/year).

Bulletin of Volcanology↗

USGS1997

Temporal gravity and height changes of the Yellowstone caldera, 1977 - 1994

This paper describes the longest record of gravity measurements in the area of the Yellowstone caldera, Wyoming. The temporal gravity changes, at the ±12 µGal (10 −8 ms −2 ) precision level, are compared with changes in heights from leveling and GPS. The gravity field decreased across the caldera from 1977 to 1983 during the uplift and attained a maximum decrease of up to −60± 2 µGal along the Caldera axis. The gravity field then reversed polarity to increasing values, of up to 60±12 µGal between 1986 and 1993. The ratio between height and gravity changes varied during the entire time, but converged over the latter period following the free-air gravity gradient. General ground deformation deduced from leveling showed caldera-wide uplift of ∼15 mm/a during the period of gravity decrease, then from leveling and GPS, subsidence of ∼25 mm/a during the gravity increase.

Geophysical Research Letters↗

USGS1997

Volcano geodesy: The search for magma reservoirs and the formation of eruptive vents

Routine geodetic measurements are made at only a few dozen of the world's 600 or so active volcanoes, even though these measurements have proven to be a reliable precursor of eruptions. The pattern and rate of surface displacement reveal the depth and rate of pressure increase within shallow magma reservoirs. This process has been demonstrated clearly at Kilauea and Mauna Loa, Hawaii; Long Valley caldera, California; Campi Flegrei caldera, Italy; Rabaul caldera, Papua New Guinea; and Aira caldera and nearby Sakurajima, Japan. Slower and lesser amounts of surface displacement at Yellowstone caldera, Wyoming, are attributed to changes in a hydrothermal system that overlies a crustal magma body. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of eruptive fissures, as well as the amount of widening, have been determined at Kilauea, Hawaii; Etna, Italy; Tolbachik, Kamchatka; Krafla, Iceland; and Asal-Ghoubbet, Djibouti, the last a segment of the East Africa Rift Zone. Continuously recording instruments, such as tiltmeters, extensometers, and dilatometers, have recorded horizontal and upward growth of eruptive fissures, which grew at rates of hundreds of meters per hour, at Kilauea; Izu-Oshima, Japan; Teishi Knoll seamount, Japan; and Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion Island. In addition, such instruments have recorded the hour or less of slight ground movement that preceded small explosive eruptions at Sakurajima and presumed sudden gas emissions at Galeras, Colombia. The use of satellite geodesy, in particular the Global Positioning System, offers the possibility of revealing changes in surface strain both local to a volcano and over a broad region that includes the volcano.

Reviews of Geophysics↗

USGS1994

Mechanisms of crustal uplift and subsidence at the Yellowstone caldera, Wyoming

Leveling surveys in 1923, 1976, and each year from 1983 to 1993 have shown that the east-central part of the Yellowstone caldera, near the base of the Sour Creek resurgent dome, rose at an average rate of 14??1 mm/year from 1923 to 1976 and 22??1 mm/year from 1976 to 1984. In contrast, no detectable movement occurred in the same area from 1984 to 1985 (-2??5 mm/year), and from 1985 to 1993 the area subsided at an average rate of 19??1 mm/year. We conclude that uplift from 1923 to 1984 was caused by: (1) pressurization of the deep hydrothermal system by fluids released from a crystallizing body of rhyolite magma beneath the caldera, then trapped beneath a self-sealed zone near the base of the hydrothermal system; and (2) aseismic intrusions of magma into the lower part of the sub-caldera magma body. Subsidence since 1985 is attributed to: (1) depressurization and fluid loss from the deep hydrothermal system, and (2) sagging of the caldera floor in response to regional crustal extension. Future intrusions might trigger renewed eruptive activity at Yellowstone, but most intrusions at large silicic calderas seem to be accommodated without eruptions. Overpressurization of the deep hydrothermal system could conceivably result in a phreatic or phreatomagmatic eruption, but this hazard is mitigated by episodic rupturing of the self-sealed zone during shallow earthquake swarms. Historical ground movements, although rapid by most geologic standards, seem to be typical of inter-eruption periods at large, mature, silicic magma systems like Yellowstone. The greatest short-term hazards posed by continuing unrest in the Yellowstone region are: (1) moderate to large earthquakes (magnitude 5.5-7.5), with a recurrence interval of a few decdes; and (2) small hydrothermal explosions, most of which affect only a small area (<0.01 km2), with a recurrence interval of a few years. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

Bulletin of Volcanology↗

USGS1985

Forecasts and predictions of eruptive activity at Mount St. Helens, USA: 1975-1984

Public statements about volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens include factual statements, forecasts, and predictions. A factual statement describes current conditions but does not anticipate future events. A forecast is a comparatively imprecise statement of the time, place, and nature of expected activity. A prediction is a comparatively precise statement of the time, place, and ideally, the nature and size of impending activity. A prediction usually covers a shorter time period than a forecast and is generally based dominantly on interpretations and measurements of ongoing processes and secondarily on a projection of past history. The three types of statements grade from one to another, and distinctions are sometimes arbitrary. Forecasts and predictions at Mount St. Helens became increasingly precise from 1975 to 1982. Stratigraphic studies led to a long-range forecast in 1975 of renewed eruptive activity at Mount St. Helens, possibly before the end of the century. On the basis of seismic, geodetic and geologic data, general forecasts for a landslide and eruption were issued in April 1980, before the catastrophic blast and landslide on 18 May 1980. All extrusions except two from June 1980 to the end of 1984 were predicted on the basis of integrated geophysical, geochemical, and geologic monitoring. The two extrusions that were not predicted were preceded by explosions that removed a substantial part of the dome, reducing confining pressure and essentially short-circuiting the normal precursors.

Journal of Geodynamics↗

USGS1983

Expendable bubble tiltmeter for geophysical monitoring

An unusually rugged highly sensitive and inexpensive bubble tiltmeter has been designed, tested, and built in quantity. These tiltmeters are presently used on two volcanoes and an Alaskan glacier, where they continuously monitor surface tilts of geological interest. This paper discusses the mechanical, thermal, and electric details of the meter, and illustrates its performance characteristics in both large (>10-4 radian) and small (<10-6 radian) tilt environments. The meter's ultimate sensitivity is better than 2??10-8 radians rms for short periods (hours), and its useful dynamic range is greater than 10 4. Included is a short description of field use of the instrument for volcano monitoring.

Review of Scientific Instruments↗

USGS1983

Eruption prediction aided by electronic tiltmeter data at Mount St. Helens

Telemetry from electronic tiltmeters in the crater at Mount St. Helens contributed to accurate predictions of all six effusive eruptions from June 1981 to August 1982. Tilting of the crater floor began several weeks before each eruption, accelerated sharply for several days, and then abruptly changed direction a few minutes to days before extrusion began. Each episode of uplift was caused by the intrusion of magma into the lava dome from a shallow source, causing the dome to inflate and eventually rupture. Release of magma pressure and increased surface loading by magma added to the dome combined to cause subsidence just prior to extrusion.

Washington↗