Seismic evidence for magma in the vicinity of Mt. Katmai, Alaska

Peter L. Ward; Andrew M. Pitt; Eliot Endo

doi:10.1029/91gl01906

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Seismic evidence for magma in the vicinity of Mt. Katmai, Alaska

Peter L. Ward·Andrew M. Pitt·Eliot Endo

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Abstract

P-wave traveltime delays of as much as 0.9 sec are consistently observed at one seismic station from local and regional earthquakes 70 to 150 km deep. This station is on the southwest flank of Mt. Trident, the most recently active volcano within Katmai National Park, Alaska. Delays from local shallow earthquakes are typically less than 0.3 sec, suggesting that most of the major delay results from anomalous material at depths of more than a few kilometers. This station is located near the center of a bowlshaped low in the Bouguer gravity field that is approximately 15 km in diameter and more than 25 mgals deep. These anomalies suggest, but do not prove, the presence of considerable amounts of magma in the shallow part of the crust that could have been the source for all magma erupted in the vicinity of Mt. Katmai and Mt. Trident this century.

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Geophysical Research Letters Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 58.20025716905684° to 58.310202857850925° latitude; -155.06013087857218° to -154.86899663306374° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Peter L. Ward, Andrew M. Pitt, Eliot Endo. 2012-12-07. Seismic evidence for magma in the vicinity of Mt. Katmai, Alaska. https://doi.org/10.1029/91gl01906

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