Geology topics

Research about Redoubt Volcano

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Redoubt Volcano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2015

Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes

During explosive eruptions, airborne particles collide and stick together, accelerating the fallout of volcanic ash and climate-forcing aerosols. This aggregation process remains a major source of uncertainty both in ash dispersal forecasting and interpretation of eruptions from the geological record. Here we illuminate the mechanisms and timescales of particle aggregation from a well-characterized ‘wet’ eruption. The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano in Alaska incorporated water from the surface (in this case, a glacier), which is a common occurrence during explosive volcanism worldwide. Observations from C-band weather radar, fall deposits, and numerical modeling demonstrate that volcanic hail formed rapidly in the eruption plume, leading to mixed-phase aggregation of ~95% of the fine ash and stripping much of the cloud out of the atmosphere within 30 minutes. Based on these findings, we propose a mechanism of hail-like aggregation that contributes to the anomalously rapid fallout of fine ash and the occurrence of concentrically-layered aggregates in volcanic deposits.

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USGS2013

Frictional-faulting model for harmonic tremor before Redoubt Volcano eruptions

Seismic unrest, indicative of subsurface magma transport and pressure changes within fluid-filled cracks and conduits, often precedes volcanic eruptions. An intriguing form of volcano seismicity is harmonic tremor, that is, sustained vibrations in the range of 0.5–5 Hz. Many source processes can generate harmonic tremor. Harmonic tremor in the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, has been linked to repeating earthquakes of magnitudes around 0.5–1.5 that occur a few kilometres beneath the vent. Before many explosions in that eruption, these small earthquakes occurred in such rapid succession—up to 30 events per second—that distinct seismic wave arrivals blurred into continuous, high-frequency tremor. Tremor abruptly ceased about 30 s before the explosions. Here we introduce a frictional-faulting model to evaluate the credibility and implications of this tremor mechanism. We find that the fault stressing rates rise to values ten orders of magnitude higher than in typical tectonic settings. At that point, inertial effects stabilize fault sliding and the earthquakes cease. Our model of the Redoubt Volcano observations implies that the onset of volcanic explosions is preceded by active deformation and extreme stressing within a localized region of the volcano conduit, at a depth of several kilometres.

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USGS2013

Photogrammetric monitoring of lava dome growth during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, began with a phreatic explosion on 15 March followed by a series of at least 19 explosive events and growth and destruction of at least two, and likely three, lava domes between 22 March and 4 April. On 4 April explosive activity gave way to continuous lava effusion within the summit crater. We present an analysis of post-4 April lava dome growth using an oblique photogrammetry approach that provides a safe, rapid, and accurate means of measuring dome growth. Photogrammetric analyses of oblique digital images acquired during helicopter observation flights and fixed-wing volcanic gas surveys produced a series of digital elevation models (DEMs) of the lava dome from 16 April to 23 September. The DEMs were used to calculate estimates of volume and time-averaged extrusion rates and to quantify morphological changes during dome growth. Effusion rates ranged from a maximum of 35 m 3 s − 1 during the initial two weeks to a low of 2.2 m 3 s − 1 in early summer 2009. The average effusion rate from April to July was 9.5 m 3 s − 1 . Early, rapid dome growth was characterized by extrusion of blocky lava that spread laterally within the summit crater. In mid-to-late April the volume of the dome had reached 36 × 10 6 m 3 , roughly half of the total volume, and dome growth within the summit crater began to be limited by confining crater walls to the south, east, and west. Once the dome reached the steep, north-sloping gorge that breaches the crater, growth decreased to the south, but the dome continued to inflate and extend northward down the gorge. Effusion slowed during 16 April–1 May, but in early May the rate increased again. This rate increase was accompanied by a transition to exogenous dome growth. From mid-May to July the effusion rate consistently declined. The decrease is consistent with observations of reduced seismicity, gas emission, and thermal anomalies, as well as declining rates of geodetic deflation or inflation. These trends suggest dome growth ceased by July 2009. The volume of the dome at the end of the 2009 eruption was about 72 × 10 6 m 3 , more than twice the estimated volume of the largest dome extruded during the 1989–1990 eruption. In total, the 2009 dome extends over 400 m down the glacial gorge on the north end of the crater, with a total length of 1 km, width of 500 m and an average thickness of 200 m.

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USGS2013

Strongly gliding harmonic tremor during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano

During the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, gliding harmonic tremor occurred prominently before six nearly consecutive explosions during the second half of the eruptive sequence. The fundamental frequency repeatedly glided upward from < 1 Hz to as high as 30 Hz in less than 10 min, followed by a relative seismic quiescence of 10 to 60 s immediately prior to explosion. High frequency (5 to 20 Hz) gliding returned during the extrusive phase, and lasted for 20 min to 3 h at a time. Although harmonic tremor is not uncommon at volcanoes, tremor at such high frequencies is a rare observation. These frequencies approach or exceed the plausible upper limits of many models that have been suggested for volcanic tremor. We also analyzed the behavior of a swarm of repeating earthquakes that immediately preceded the first instance of pre-explosion gliding harmonic tremor. We find that these earthquakes share several traits with upward gliding harmonic tremor, and favor the explanation that the gliding harmonic tremor at Redoubt Volcano is created by the superposition of increasingly frequent and regular, repeating stick–slip earthquakes through the Dirac comb effect.

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USGS2013

Andesites of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

Crystal-rich andesites that erupted from Redoubt Volcano in 2009 range from 57.5 to 62.5 wt.% SiO 2 and have phenocryst and phenocryst-melt relations consistent with staging in the upper crust. Early explosive products are low-silica andesites (LSA, < 58 wt.% SiO 2 ) that ascended from deeper crustal levels during or before the 6 months of precursory activity, but a broad subsequent succession to more evolved and cooler products, and predominantly effusive dome growth, are interpreted to result from progressive mobilization and mixing with differentiated magmas tapped from pre-2009 Redoubt intrusions at ~ 3–6 km depth. Initial explosions on March 23–28 ejected predominantly LSA with a uniform phenocryst assemblage of high-Al amphibole, ~ An 70 plagioclase, ortho- and clinopyroxene, FeTi oxides (890 to 960 °C), and traces of magmatic sulfide. Melt in the dominant microlite-poor LSA was compositionally uniform dacite (67–68 wt.% SiO 2 ) but ranged to rhyolite with greater microlite growth. Minor amounts of intermediate- to high-silica andesite (ISA, HSA; 59–62.5 wt.% SiO 2 ) also erupted during the early explosions and most carried rhyolitic melt (72–74 wt.% SiO 2 ). A lava dome grew following the initial tephra-producing events but was destroyed by an explosion on April 4. Ejecta from the April 4 explosion consists entirely of ISA and HSA, as does a subsequent lava dome that grew April 4–July 1; LSA was absent. Andesites from the April 4 event and from the final dome had pre-eruptive temperatures of 725–840 °C (FeTi oxides) and highly evolved matrix liquids (77–80 wt.% SiO 2 ), including in rare microlite-free pyroclasts. ISA has mixed populations of phenocrysts suggesting it is a hybrid between HSA and LSA. The last lavas from the 2009 eruption, effused May 1–July 1, are distinctly depleted in P 2 O 5 , consistent with low temperatures and high degrees of crystallization including apatite. Plagioclase–melt hygrometry and comparison to phase equilibrium experiments are consistent with pre-eruptive storage of all three magma types at 100–160 MPa (4–6 km depth), if they were close to H 2 O-saturation, coincident with the locus of shallow syn-eruptive seismicity. Deeper storage would be indicated if the magmas were CO 2 -rich. Relatively coarse-grained clinopyroxene-rich reaction rims on many LSA amphibole phenocrysts may result from slow ascent to, or storage at, depths shallow enough for the onset of appreciable H 2 O exsolution, consistent with pre-eruptive staging in the uppermost crust. We interpret that the 2009 LSA ascended from depth during the 8 or more months prior to the first eruption, but that the magma stalled and accumulated in the upper crust where its phenocryst rim and melt compositions were established. Ascent of LSA through stagnant mushy intrusions residual from earlier Redoubt activity mobilized differentiated magma pockets and interstitial liquids represented by HSA, and as LSA–HSA hybrids represented by ISA, that fed the subsequently erupted lava domes.

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USGS2013

Evaluation of Redoubt Volcano's sulfur dioxide emissions by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, provided a rare opportunity to compare satellite measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) with airborne SO 2 measurements by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO). Herein we: (1) compare OMI and airborne SO 2 column density values for Redoubt's tropospheric plume, (2) calculate daily SO 2 masses from Mount Redoubt for the first three months of the eruption, (3) develop simple methods to convert daily measured SO 2 masses into emission rates to allow satellite data to be directly integrated with the airborne SO 2 emissions dataset, (4) calculate cumulative SO 2 emissions from the eruption, and (5) evaluate OMI as a monitoring tool for high-latitude degassing volcanoes. A linear correlation (R 2 ~ 0.75) is observed between OMI and airborne SO 2 column densities. OMI daily SO 2 masses for the sample period ranged from ~ 60.1 kt on 24 March to below detection limit, with an average daily SO 2 mass of ~ 6.7 kt. The highest SO 2 emissions were observed during the initial part of the explosive phase and the emissions exhibited an overall decreasing trend with time. OMI SO 2 emission rates were derived using three methods and compared to airborne measurements. This comparison yields a linear correlation (R 2 ~ 0.82) with OMI-derived emission rates consistently lower than airborne measurements. The comparison results suggest that OMI's detection limit for high latitude, springtime conditions varies from ~ 2000 to 4000 t/d. Cumulative SO 2 masses calculated from daily OMI data for the sample period are estimated to range from 542 to 615 kt, with approximately half of this SO 2 produced during the explosive phase of the eruption. These cumulative masses are similar in magnitude to those estimated for the 1989–90 Redoubt eruption. Strong correlations between daily OMI SO 2 mass and both tephra mass and acoustic energy during the explosive phase of the eruption suggest that OMI data may be used to infer relative eruption size and explosivity. Further, when used in conjunction with complementary datasets, OMI daily SO 2 masses may be used to help distinguish explosive from effusive activity and identify changes in lava extrusion rates. The results of this study suggest that OMI is a useful volcano monitoring tool to complement airborne measurements, capture explosive SO 2 emissions, and provide high temporal resolution SO 2 emissions data that can be used with interdisciplinary datasets to illuminate volcanic processes.

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USGS2013

Airborne filter pack measurements of S and Cl in the plume of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska February–May 2009

Filter pack data from six airborne campaigns at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska are reported here. These measurements provide a rare constraint on Cl output from an andesitic eruption at high emission rate (> 10 4 t d − 1 SO 2 ). Four S/Cl ratios measured during a period of lava dome growth indicate a depth of last magma equilibration of 2–5 km. The S/Cl ratios in combination with COSPEC SO 2 emission rate measurements indicate HCl emission rates of 1500–3600 t d − 1 during dome growth. SO 2 and HCl emission rates at Redoubt Volcano correlate with each other and were low prior to the eruption, high during the eruption, and low after the eruption. S/Cl ratios measured by filter pack at andesitic volcanoes have a small range of variance, with no clear trends seen for eruptive versus passive activity. The very few S/Cl ratio measurements by filter pack at andesitic volcanoes are not as predictive of future volcanic activity as has been demonstrated for basaltic volcanoes. This may be because there are so few of these measurements. We have demonstrated it is possible to collect these samples by air between explosions during lava dome-building eruptions. We recommend more filter pack sampling be performed at andesitic volcanoes to determine the technique's utility for volcano monitoring. Filter pack data has been demonstrated to be useful for calculating the depth of magma equilibration at volcanoes including Redoubt Volcano.

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USGS2013

Degassing of CO2, SO2, and H2S associated with the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska was particularly well monitored for volcanic gas emissions. We report 35 airborne measurements of CO 2 , SO 2 , and H 2 S emission rates that span from October 2008 to August 2010. The magmatic system degassed primarily as a closed system although minor amounts of open system degassing were observed in the 6 months prior to eruption on March 15, 2009 and over 1 year following cessation of dome extrusion. Only 14% of the total CO 2 was emitted prior to eruption even though high emissions rates (between 3630 and 9020 t/d) were observed in the final 6 weeks preceding the eruption. A minor amount of the total SO 2 was observed prior to eruption (4%), which was consistent with the low emission rates at that time (up to 180 t/d). The amount of the gas emitted during the explosive and dome growth period (March 15–July 1, 2009) was 59 and 66% of the total CO 2 and SO 2 , respectively. Maximum emission rates were 33,110 t/d CO 2 , 16,650 t/d SO 2 , and 1230 t/d H 2 S. Post-eruptive passive degassing was responsible for 27 and 30% of the total CO 2 and SO 2 , respectively. SO 2 made up on average 92% of the total sulfur degassing throughout the eruption. Magmas were vapor saturated with a C- and S-rich volatile phase, and regardless of composition, the magmas appear to be buffered by a volatile composition with a molar CO 2 /SO 2 ratio of ~ 2.4. Primary volatile contents calculated from degassing and erupted magma volumes range from 0.9 to 2.1 wt.% CO 2 and 0.27–0.56 wt.% S; whole-rock normalized values are slightly lower (0.8–1.7 wt.% CO 2 and 0.22–0.47 wt.% S) and are similar to what was calculated for the 1989–90 eruption of Redoubt. Such contents argue that primary arc magmas are rich in CO 2 and S. Similar trends between volumes of estimated degassed magma and observed erupted magma during the eruptive period point to primary volatile contents of 1.25 wt.% CO 2 and 0.35 wt.% S. Assuming these values, up to 30% additional unerupted magma degassed in the year following final dome emplacement.

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USGS2013

High-resolution satellite and airborne thermal infrared imaging of precursory unrest and 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

A combination of satellite and airborne high-resolution visible and thermal infrared (TIR) image data detected and measured changes at Redoubt Volcano during the 2008–2009 unrest and eruption. The TIR sensors detected persistent elevated temperatures at summit ice-melt holes as seismicity and gas emissions increased in late 2008 to March 2009. A phreatic explosion on 15 March was followed by more than 19 magmatic explosive events from 23 March to 4 April that produced high-altitude ash clouds and large lahars. Two (or three) lava domes extruded and were destroyed between 23 March and 4 April. After 4 April, the eruption extruded a large lava dome that continued to grow until at least early July 2009.

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USGS2013

Source characterization for an explosion during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano from very-long-period seismic waves

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt produced several very-long-period (VLP) signals associated with explosions. We invert for the source location and mechanism of an explosion at Redoubt volcano using waveform methods applied to broadband recordings. Such characterization of the source carries information on the geometry of the conduit and the physics of the explosion process. Inversions are carried out assuming the volcanic source can be modeled as a point source, with mechanisms described by a) a set of 3 orthogonal forces, b) a moment tensor consisting of force couples, and c) both forces and moment tensor components. We find that the source of the VLP seismic waves during the explosion is well-described by either a combined moment/force source located northeast of the crater and at an elevation of 1.6 km ASL or a moment source at an elevation of 800 m to the southwest of the crater. The moment tensors for the solutions with moment and force and moment-only share similar characteristics. The source time functions for both moment tensors begin with inflation (pressurization) and execute two cycles of deflation-reinflation (depressurization–repressurization). Although the moment/force source provides a better fit to the data, we find that owing to the limited coverage of the broadband stations at Redoubt the moment-only source is the more robust and reliable solution. Based on the moment-only solution, we estimate a volume change of 19,000 m 3 and a pressure change of 7 MPa in a dominant sill and an out-of-phase volume change of 5000 m 3 and pressure change of 1.8 MPa in a subdominant dike at the source location. These results shed new light on the magmatic plumbing system beneath Redoubt and complement previous studies on Vulcanian explosions at other volcanoes.

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USGS2013

Rapid chemical evolution of tropospheric volcanic emissions from Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, based on observations of ozone and halogen-containing gases

We report results from an observational and modeling study of reactive chemistry in the tropospheric plume emitted by Redoubt Volcano, Alaska. Our measurements include the first observations of Br and I degassing from an Alaskan volcano, the first study of O 3 evolution in a volcanic plume, as well as the first detection of BrO in the plume of a passively degassing Alaskan volcano. This study also represents the first detailed spatially-resolved comparison of measured and modeled O 3 depletion in a volcanic plume. The composition of the plume was measured on June 20, 2010 using base-treated filter packs (for F, Cl, Br, I, and S) at the crater rim and by an instrumented fixed-wing aircraft on June 21 and August 19, 2010. The aircraft was used to track the chemical evolution of the plume up to ~ 30 km downwind (2 h plume travel time) from the volcano and was equipped to make in situ observations of O 3 , water vapor, CO 2 , SO 2 , and H 2 S during both flights plus remote spectroscopic observations of SO 2 and BrO on the August 19th flight. The airborne data from June 21 reveal rapid chemical O 3 destruction in the plume as well as the strong influence chemical heterogeneity in background air had on plume composition. Spectroscopic retrievals from airborne traverses made under the plume on August 19 show that BrO was present ~ 6 km downwind (20 min plume travel time) and in situ measurements revealed several ppbv of O 3 loss near the center of the plume at a similar location downwind. Simulations with the PlumeChem model reproduce the timing and magnitude of the observed O 3 deficits and suggest that autocatalytic release of reactive bromine and in-plume formation of BrO were primarily responsible for the observed O 3 destruction in the plume. The measurements are therefore in general agreement with recent model studies of reactive halogen formation in volcanic plumes, but also show that field studies must pay close attention to variations in the composition of ambient air entrained into volcanic plumes in order to unambiguously attribute observed O 3 anomalies to specific chemical or dynamic processes. Our results suggest that volcanic eruptions in Alaska are sources of reactive halogen species to the subarctic troposphere.

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USGS2013

Injection, transport, and deposition of tephra during event 5 at Redoubt Volcano, 23 March, 2009

Among the events of the 2009 eruption at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, event 5 was the best documented by radar, satellite imagery, and deposit mapping. We use the new Eulerian tephra transport model Ash3d to simulate transport and deposition of event 5 tephra at distances up to 350 km. The eruption, which started at about 1230 UTC on 23 March, 2009, sent a plume from the vent elevation (estimated at 2.3 ± 0.1 km above sea level or a.s.l.) to about 16 ± 2 km above sea level in 5 min. The plume was a few kilometers higher than would be expected for the estimated average mass eruption rate and atmospheric conditions, possibly due to release of most of the eruptive mass in the first half of the 20-minute event. The eruption injected tephra into a wind field of high shear, with weak easterly winds below ~ 3 km elevation, strong southerly winds at 6–10 km and weak westerlies above ~ 16 km. Model simulations in this wind field predicted development of a northward-migrating inverted “v”-shaped cloud with a southwest-trending arm at a few kilometers elevation, which was not visible in IR satellite images due to cloud cover, and a southeast-trending arm at > 10 km elevation that was clearly visible. Simulations also predicted a deposit distribution that strongly depended on plume height: a plume height below 15 km predicted ash deposits that were located west of those mapped, whereas good agreement was reached with a modeled plume height of 15–18 km. Field sampling of the deposit found it to contain abundant tephra aggregates, which accelerated the removal of tephra from the atmosphere. We were able to reasonably approximate the effect of aggregation on the deposit mass distribution by two methods: (1) adjusting the grain-size distribution, taking the erupted mass < = 0.063 mm in diameter and distributing it evenly into bins of coarser size; and (2) moving 80–90% of the mass < = 0.063 mm into a single particle bin ranging in size from 0.25 to 1 mm. These methods produced an area inside the 100 g m − 2 isomass lines that was within a few tens of percent of mapped area; however they under-predicted deposit mass at very proximal (< 50 km) and very distal (> 250 km) locations. Modeled grain-size distributions at sample locations are also generally coarser than observed. The mismatch may result from a combination of limitations in field sampling, approximations inherent in the model, errors in the numerical wind field, and aggregation of particles larger than 0.063 mm.

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USGS2013

Emplacement of the final lava dome of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

After more than 8 months of precursory activity and over 20 explosions in 12 days, Redoubt Volcano, Alaska began to extrude the fourth and final lava dome of the 2009 eruption on April 4. By July 1 the dome had filled the pre-2009 summit crater and ceased to grow. By means of analysis and annotations of time-lapse webcam imagery, oblique-image photogrammetry techniques and capture and analysis of forward-looking infrared (FLIR) images, we tracked the volume, textural, effusive-style and temperature changes in near-real time over the entire growth period of the dome. The first month of growth (April 4–May 4) produced blocky intermediate- to high-silica andesite lava (59–62.3 wt.% SiO 2 ) that initially formed a round dome, expanding by endogenous growth, breaking the surface crust in radial fractures and annealing them with warmer, fresh lava. On or around May 1, more finely fragmented and scoriaceous andesite lava (59.8–62.2 wt.% SiO 2 ) began to appear at the top of the dome coincident with increased seismicity and gas emissions. The more scoriaceous lava spread radially over the dome surface, while the dome continued to expand from endogenous growth and blocky lava was exposed on the margins and south side of the dome. By mid-June the upper scoriaceous lava had covered 36% of the dome surface area. Vesicularity of the upper scoriaceous lava range from 55 to 66%, some of the highest vesicularity measurements recorded from a lava dome. We suggest that the stability of the final lava dome primarily resulted from sufficient fracturing and clearing of the conduit by preceding explosions that allowed efficient degassing of the magma during effusion. The dome was thus able to grow until it was large enough to exceed the magmastatic pressure in the chamber, effectively shutting off the eruption.

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USGS2013

Seismic observations of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska - 1989-2010 and a conceptual model of the Redoubt magmatic system

Seismic activity at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, has been closely monitored since 1989 by a network of five to ten seismometers within 22 km of the volcano's summit. Major eruptions occurred in 1989-1990 and 2009 and were characterized by large volcanic explosions, episodes of lava dome growth and failure, pyroclastic flows, and lahars. Seismic features of the 1989-1990 eruption were 1) weak precursory tremor and a short, 23-hour-long, intense swarm of repetitive shallow long-period (LP) events centered 1.4 km below the crater floor, 2) shallow volcano-tectonic (VT) and hybrid earthquakes that separated early episodes of dome growth, 3) 13 additional swarms of LP events at shallow depths precursory to many of the 25 explosions that occurred over the more than 128 day duration of eruptive activity, and 4) a persistent cluster of VT earthquakes at 6 to 9 km depth. In contrast the 2009 eruption was preceded by a pronounced increase in deep-LP (DLP) events at lower crustal depths (25 to 38 km) that began in mid-December 2008, two months of discontinuous shallow volcanic tremor that started on January 23, 2009, a strong phreatic explosion on March 15, and a 58-hour-long swarm of repetitive shallow LP events. The 2009 eruption consisted of at least 23 major explosions between March 23 and April 5, again accompanied by shallow VT earthquakes, several episodes of shallow repetitive LP events and dome growth continuing until mid July. Increased VT earthquakes at 4 to 9 km depth began slowly in early April, possibly defining a mid-crustal magma source zone. Magmatic processes associated with the 2009 eruption seismically activated the same portions of the Redoubt magmatic system as the 1989-1990 eruption, although the time scales and intensity vary considerably among the two eruptions. The occurrence of precursory DLP events suggests that the 2009 eruption may have involved the rise of magma from lower crustal depths. Based on the evolution of seismicity during the 1989-1990 and 2009 eruptions the Redoubt magmatic system is envisioned to consist of a shallow system of cracks extending 1 to 2 km below the crater floor, a magma storage or source region at roughly 3 to 9 km depth, and a diffuse magma source region at 25 to 38 km depth. Close tracking of seismic activity allowed the Alaska Volcano Observatory to successfully issue warnings prior to many of the hazardous explosive events that occurred in 2009.

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USGS2013

Character, mass, distribution, and origin of tephra-fall deposits from the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska: highlighting the significance of particle aggregation

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano included 20 tephra-producing explosions between March 15, 2009 and April 4, 2009 (UTC). Next-Generation radar (NEXRAD) data show that plumes reached heights between 4.6 km and 19 km asl and were distributed downwind along nearly all azimuths of the volcano. Explosions lasted between < 1 and 31 min based on the signal duration at a distal seismic station (86 km). From Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery and field data, we estimate that over 80,000 km 2 received at least minor ash fall (> 0.8 mm thick), including communities along the Kenai Peninsula (80–100 km) and the city of Anchorage (170 km). Trace ash (< 0.8 mm) was reported as far as Fairbanks, 550 km NNE of the volcano. We estimate the total mass of tephra-fall deposits at 54.6 × 10 9 kg with a total DRE volume of 20.6 × 106 m 3 . On March 15, a small (4.6 km asl) phreatic explosion containing minor, non-juvenile ash, erupted through the summit ice cap. The first five magmatic explosions (events 1–5) occurred within a 6-hour period on March 23. Plumes rose to heights between 5.5 km and 14.9 km asl during 2- to 20-minute-duration explosions, and were dispersed mainly along a NNE trajectory. Trace ash fall was reported as far as Fairbanks. Owing to a shift in wind direction and heavy snowfall during these events, field discrimination among many of these layers was possible. All deposits comprise a volumetrically significant amount of particle aggregates, yet only event 5 deposits contain coarse clasts including glacier ice. The most voluminous tephra fall was deposited on March 24 (event 6) from a 15 minute explosion that sent a plume to 18.3 km asl, and dispersed tephra to the WNW. Within 10 km of the vent, this deposit contains 1–11 cm pumice clasts in a matrix of 1–2 mm aggregate lapilli. A small dome was presumably emplaced between March 23 and March 26 and was subsequently destroyed during 1–14 minute magmatic explosions of events 7–8 (March 26) that sent plumes between 8.2 km and 19 km asl. Ash fell along a broad swath to the ESE, covering communities along the Kenai Peninsula with up to 1 mm of ash. Proximal deposits are largely composed of aggregate lapilli of 1–2 mm with very little coarse juvenile material. Events 9–18 (March 27) sent plumes between 5.2 km and 15.5 km asl during < 1–11-minute-long explosions. Ash clouds dispersed along trajectories to the NE, ENE and N and event 17 deposited up to 1 mm of ash on upper Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage. A moderate-size dome was emplaced between March 29 and April 4 and was subsequently destroyed during event 19 on April 4 which lasted 31 min and sent ash to 15.2 km asl. The proximal deposit is principally composed of dense dome rock, unlike earlier events, indicating that event 19 was likely caused by dome failure. The cloud dispersed to the SE along a narrow trajectory and up to 1–2 mm of ash fell on the lower Kenai Peninsula. Particle size data showing a preponderance of fine ash, even in the most proximal locations, along with the abundance of aggregate lapilli documented in most samples, confirms that particle aggregation played a significant role in the 2009 eruption and induced premature fallout of fine ash.

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USGS2013

Volcano–ice interactions precursory to the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

In late summer of 2008, after nearly 20 years of quiescence, Redoubt Volcano began to show signs of abnormal heat flow in its summit crater. In the months that followed, the excess heat triggered melting and ablation of Redoubt's glaciers, beginning at the summit and propagating to lower elevations as the unrest accelerated. A variety of morphological changes were observed, including the creation of ice cauldrons, areas of wide-spread subsidence, punctures in the ice carved out by steam, and deposition from debris flows. In this paper, we use visual observations, satellite data, and a high resolution digital elevation model of the volcanic edifice to calculate ice loss at Redoubt as a function of time. Our aim is to establish from this time series a proxy for heat flow that can be compared to other data sets collected along the same time interval. Our study area consists of the Drift glacier, which flows from the summit crater down the volcano's north slope, and makes up about one quarter of Redoubt's total ice volume of ~ 4 km 3 . The upper part of the Drift glacier covers the area of recent volcanism, making this part of ice mass most susceptible to the effect of volcanic heating. Moreover, melt water and other flows are channeled down the Drift glacier drainage by topography, leaving the remainder of Redoubt's ice mantle relatively unaffected. The rate of ice loss averaged around 0.1 m 3 /s over the last four months of 2008, accelerated to over twenty times this value by February 2009, and peaked at greater than 22 m 3 /s, just prior to the first major explosion on March 22, 2009. We estimate a cumulative ice loss over this period of about 35 million cubic meters (M m 3 ).

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USGS2013

Doppler weather radar observations of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a transportable Doppler C-band radar during the precursory stage of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska that provided valuable information during subsequent explosive events. We describe the capabilities of this new monitoring tool and present data captured during the Redoubt eruption. The MiniMax 250-C (MM-250C) radar detected seventeen of the nineteen largest explosive events between March 23 and April 4, 2009. Sixteen of these events reached the stratosphere (above 10 km) within 2–5 min of explosion onset. High column and proximal cloud reflectivity values (50 to 60 dBZ) were observed from many of these events, and were likely due to the formation of mm-sized accretionary tephra-ice pellets. Reflectivity data suggest that these pellets formed within the first few minutes of explosion onset. Rapid sedimentation of the mm-sized pellets was observed as a decrease in maximum detection cloud height. The volcanic cloud from the April 4 explosive event showed lower reflectivity values, due to finer particle sizes (related to dome collapse and related pyroclastic flows) and lack of significant pellet formation. Eruption durations determined by the radar were within a factor of two compared to seismic and pressure-sensor derived estimates, and were not well correlated. Ash dispersion observed by the radar was primarily in the upper troposphere below 10 km, but satellite observations indicate the presence of volcanogenic clouds in the stratosphere. This study suggests that radar is a valuable complement to traditional seismic and satellite monitoring of explosive eruptions.

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USGS2012

Deep magmatic degassing versus scrubbing: Elevated CO2 emissions and C/S in the lead-up to the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

We report CO 2, SO 2 , and H 2 S emission rates and C/S ratios during the five months leading up to the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska. CO 2 emission rates up to 9018 t/d and C/S ratios ≥30 measured in the months prior to the eruption were critical for fully informed forecasting efforts. Observations of ice-melt rates, meltwater discharge, and water chemistry suggest that surface waters represented drainage from surficial, perched reservoirs of condensed magmatic steam and glacial meltwater. These fluids scrubbed only a few hundred tonnes/day of SO 2 , not the >2100 t/d SO 2 expected from degassing of magma in the mid- to upper crust (3–6.5 km), where petrologic analysis shows the final magmatic equilibration occurred. All data are consistent with upflow of a CO 2 -rich magmatic gas for at least 5 months prior to eruption, and minimal scrubbing of SO 2 by near-surface groundwater. The high C/S ratios observed could reflect bulk degassing of mid-crustal magma followed by nearly complete loss of SO 2 in a deep magmatic-hydrothermal system. Alternatively, high C/S ratios could be attributed to decompressional degassing of low silica andesitic magma that intruded into the mid-crust in the 5 months prior to eruption, thereby mobilizing the pre-existing high silica andesite magma or mush in this region. The latter scenario is supported by several lines of evidence, including deep long-period earthquakes (−28 to −32 km) prior to and during the eruption, and far-field deformation following the onset of eruptive activity.

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