Volcanology Commons^™

Supplementary Material For Experimental Constraints On Rock And Mineral Alteration By Magmatic Gas: Implications For Mars (Safari Et Al., In Review), Natalie Zimmermann

Geosciences Research Data

This file contains supplemental data for the JGR manuscript Experimental Constraints on Rock and Mineral Alteration by Magmatic Gas: Implications for Mars (Safari et al., in review). It includes SEM images and associated EDS spectra of altered targets and phase coatings produced in gas-rock alteration experiments.

An Analysis Of Volcanic Lightning And Its Controlling Factors, Nathan Stamford

Honors Theses

Volcanic lightning, first documented during the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, includes any electrical discharge that is generated during a volcanic eruption rather than a thunderstorm. By analyzing individual eruptions and performing laboratory experiments, previous research has identified multiple controlling factors that influence the charging mechanisms and generation of volcanic lightning. While the previous research has made significant discoveries about the phenomenon, the exact relationship between many of these controlling factors and volcanic lightning generation has been poorly quantified. In this study, we investigate these controlling factors and show that they have a wide range of influence over volcanic …

Pre-Eruptive Timescales Via Olivine Diffusion Chronometry For Lava And Tephra Of The Schreibers Meadow Cinder Cone Eruption, Mount Baker (Kulshan), Wa, Sabrina Ansari

All Master's Theses

Mount Baker is a very-high threat Cascade volcano and is located near densely populated areas in northern Washington, putting many at risk if an eruption were to occur. Schreibers Meadow cinder cone is located on the southern flank of Mount Baker and produced the Sulphur Creek (SC) tephra and lava 9.8 ka. Previous work on the SC eruption used petrology and geochemistry to reconstruct the pre-eruptive magmatic architecture beneath Mount Baker Volcanic Field, including olivine-hosted melt inclusions to determine crystallization pressures, as well as plagioclase- and clinopyroxene-derived diffusion timescales to determine magma storage timescales of several months and recharge-to-eruption timescales …

Testing The Limits Of Provenance Analysis From Basaltic Fluvial Sediment Near Sandvatn, Iceland, As A Mars Analog, Audrey R. Putnam, Kirsten L. Siebach, Michael T. Thorpe, Valerie M. Tu, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Candice C. Bedford, Gelu Costin, Joseph J. Tamborski

OES Faculty Publications

Detrital sediments that accumulate downstream and are preserved in sedimentary rocks can allow characterization of geologic formations that are inaccessible for spatial or temporal reasons. However, mixing, sorting, and alteration of sediment during transport may complicate reconstruction of protolith characteristics. We test the preservation of three key provenance signals in coarse fluvial sand at a Mars analog watershed in Iceland to determine whether detrital sediments capture (a) watershed magmatic chemical variation, (b) textural indicators of lava-water interaction during eruption and cooling, and (c) hydrothermal alteration. Specifically, we tested whether diagnostic variations in rock mineralogy, chemistry, and texture can be recovered …

Insights Into The Petrogenesis Of Alkalic, Shonkinitic Magmas From The Adel Hill Volcanic Field, Montana, Kenneth L. Brown, C. L. Mcleod, M. L. Lytle, T. J. Cracas, B. J. Shaulis, M. Loocke

Geology and Environmental Geoscience Faculty Publications

Shonkinites are rare alkali-rich igneous rocks found in the geological record from the Precambrian to the Eocene. This study investigates the Upper Cretaceous shonkinites from the Adel Hills Volcanic Field (AHVF), central Montana. The AHVF shonkinites are porphyritic with large, euhedral to subhedral phenocrysts of diopside that exhibit sector zoning. Other major mineral phases include plagioclase, sanidine, and secondary zeolites. Minor and accessory phases identified with SEM-EDS include magnetite, apatite, rare ilmenite and pyrite, and secondary calcite. Bulk rock SiO2 ranges from 47 to 49 wt% with Na2O + K2O varying from 5.50 to 7.34 wt% within that silica range. …

Geochemical And Petrological Observations Of The June Lake Basalt, Eastern California, Daniel Jacob Abel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The June Lake basalt is a monogenetic cinder cone and 11-km-long lava flow in eastern California located ~10 km NW of the Long Valley caldera. The stratigraphic position of the June Lake basalt between Tahoe and Tioga glacial deposits suggests an eruption age of only ~20-45ka. This age places the June Lake Basalt among the youngest volcanic eruptions in the Long Valley-Mono Basin region, where volcanic activity spans from the late Pliocene to the Holocene. The goal of this study is to use field observations coupled with whole-rock and crystal geochemical analyses to investigate the magma source and pre-eruption magma …

Seismological Investigations Of Magmatic Systems Using Dense Nodal Arrays, Wenkai Song

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Understanding the internal architecture of magmatic systems is crucial for volcanology, yet conventional geophysical techniques often lack the resolution to image their fine-scale structures. This dissertation leverages unique datasets from dense nodal arrays to investigate the upper crustal magmatic systems beneath Yellowstone Caldera, Valles Caldera, and Mount St. Helens. At Yellowstone, I processed vibroseis data to delineate the top of the modern magma reservoir and evaluate the thermal connection between the magmatic and the overlying hydrothermal systems. At Valles, 3D radial seismic anisotropy imaging reveals strong positive radial anisotropy within the reservoir, indicating an organized structure of horizontally sill-like melt …

Seeking Structure In Complex Systems: From Feature Analysis To Space-Time Causal Discovery With Earth Science Applications, Jeffrey J. Nichol

Computer Science ETDs

Complex systems are difficult to study because of their many interacting parts, emergent phenomena, and feedback loops. These systems underpin all life on Earth. We need improved tools for seeking an understanding of them. This body of research presents my investigations into data-driven methods for understanding complex systems, including my invention of a novel causal discovery meta-algorithm for space-time gridded data. I demonstrated machine learning feature importance and causal discovery capabilities for comparing simulated and observed climate data. I developed a new benchmark for modeling space-time dynamics of locally driven phenomena and examined a prominent causal discovery algorithm. Finding that …

First Insight On The Genesis Of Iron Oxide-Hydroxide Biospeleothems In Rancho Chico Lava Tube, Mexico, Rafael López-Martínez, Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo, Rocio Alcántara-Hernández, Teresa Pi Puig, Sergey Sedov, Daisy Valera Fernández, M. Nayeli Luis-Vargas, Yasmany Lima Vera, Jesús Solé, Ramon Espinasa-Pereña

International Journal of Speleology

Iron is a common element in lava tube systems, typically observed as thin crusts or inferred from the reddish coloration of secondary mineral deposits. In this study, we describe iron oxide-hydroxide biospeleothems discovered in the Rancho Chico Lava Tube, located within the Xalapa Monogenetic Volcanic Field in Mexico. We adopt an integrative approach combining petrography, soil micromorphology, scanning electron microscopy, mineralogy, and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. DNA sequencing reveals the presence of microorganisms such as Acidithiobacillus, Gallionella, and members of the Leptospirillaceae family, which may be involved in the oxidation of Fe²⁺ within the lava tube. The source …

Large-Scale Groundwater System Characterization Using Pressure Responses To Barometric Perturbations Caused By The 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Eruption, Anhua He, Yang Liu, Fan Zhang, Huamei Zhang, Ramesh P. Singh, Yanzhang Wang

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic erupted on 15 January 2022, causing Lamb waves to propagate throughout the global troposphere. However, reports on volcanic eruptions–pressure fluctuations and water level dynamics are lacking. We quantified the propagation processes of Lamb waves induced by the Tonga volcanic eruption. Barometric pressure data collected at 1-min intervals at 485 meteorological stations in China showed that the eruption induced an atmospheric pressure event with an amplitude of ∼2 hPa over an hour and a wave speed of 295 m/s. Concomitant groundwater levels were available at 338 wells to find the barometric response to the volcanic event. The …

Aerial Robotic Studies Of Volcanic Co2 Emissions, John Ericksen

Computer Science ETDs

Volcanic systems are inherently complex, involving dynamic interactions among magma flow, gas emissions, and atmospheric dispersion. This dissertation focuses on developing and analyzing autonomous UAS algorithms for efficiently surveying volcanic CO2 plumes, introducing several novel methods: the LoCUS algorithm, a swarm coordination and self-healing algorithm that supports gradient-based plume tracking, a transect-based technique that employs a 2D Gaussian fit to calculate CO2 plume flux, and the Sketch algorithm for rapid plume boundary tracing. By treating multiple UAS as a single scientific instrument, these methods leverage swarm algorithms to use in-situ data in ways impossible with individual drones. Validated through simulations …

Magma Evolution And Eruptive History Of Three Fingered Jack: A Mafic Composite Volcano In The Central High Cascades Of Oregon, Javaria Aziz

Dissertations and Theses

The central High Cascades graben in Oregon has been a center for mafic volcanism since its initiation. Three Fingered Jack is one of the larger mafic composite cones in the graben, located 20km south of Mount Jefferson. Three Fingered Jack erupted between 142.1 - 150.8ka, based on Ar⁴⁰/Ar³⁹ age dates. This study provides stratigraphic, compositional and petrographic evidence to understand the eruptive history of Three Fingered Jack and the processes involved in generating compositionally diverse basaltic andesites here.

The basaltic andesites of Three Fingered Jack show three compositional trends of magma evolution: 1) enrichment, 2) depletion and …

Geochemistry Of The Inyo Volcanic Chain, And Evaluation Of The Portable Niton Xrf Instrument, Dylan Terry

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Inyo Volcanic Chain (IVC) is a series of rhyolitic lava domes straddling the northwest rim of the Long Valley Caldera (LVC), most recently erupting ~650 years ago, producing the South Deadman, Obsidian, and Glass Creek Domes. For this study, samples were analyzed for geochemistry and petrography at six of the IVC domes. To measure geochemistry, a portable x-ray fluorescence machine (PXRF) was used, in part to test how well it performed on felsic rocks. The PXRF performed poorly with the factory calibration in detecting most elements, though detection of some elements improved with a calibration curve applied. The three …

The Petrology And Geochemistry Of The Montagna Grande-Monte Gibele Trachytic Shield Volcano (Pantelleria, Italy)., John C. White, Ray Macdonald, Pierangelo Romano, Boguslaw Baginski, Silvio G. Rotolo, Beata Marciniak-Maliszewska, Alessandra Cinquegrani

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The 45.7 ± 1.0 ka (2σ) eruption of the compositionally zoned (comenditic trachyte to pantellerite) Green Tuff ignimbrite on the volcanic island of Pantelleria, Italy, was followed by the extrusion of a series of post-caldera metaluminous to mildly peralkaline trachyte lavas between 26.2 ± 2.0 and 22.3 ± 2.9 ka (2σ). This study uses whole-rock major- and trace-element compositions, mineral compositions, geothermobarometry, and petrogenetic models to examine the role of trachytes in the evolution of the Pantelleria magma system. Although previous studies have suggested that all of these units are consanguineous and form a liquid line of descent (LLOD) from …

Quantifying So₂ Emissions From Explosive Events Of The 2021 La Soufrière Eruption Using Dscovr/Epic, Yuxi Jin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Volcanic eruptions release large quantities of gases, including sulfur dioxide (SO₂), aerosol precursors, and ash into the atmosphere. Quantifying the emission fluxes and temporal variability of SO₂ is crucial for understanding volcanic processes and assessing their impacts on air quality, climate, and aviation safety. Episodic vulcanian to sub-Plinian explosive eruptions are a common feature of many arc volcanoes, but the underlying causes of such episodic behavior remain poorly understood. The 2021 La Soufrière eruption (St. Vincent) featured up to 40 discrete eruptive events between April 9 and April 22, presenting a rare opportunity to analyze time-resolved volcanic SO₂ emissions during …

Proximal Seismic Tracking Of Pyroclastic Density Currents At Volcán De Fuego, Guatemala, Jacob A. Krier

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Pyroclastic Density Currents (PDCs) are deadly flows of ash, tephra, gas, and solidified magma which predominantly occur when an ash plume collapses during a volcanic eruption. PDCs are also able to form when large deposits of ash at the summit of a volcano are displaced during an eruption and flow downslope. This is typically the mechanism behind PDCs that occur at Volcán de Fuego such as one that occurred in 2018 killing at least 430 people. The purpose of this paper is to track the propagation of PDCs that occurred at Fuego seismologically in order to better understand how they …

Provenance Of Clastic Sedimentation In Middle Deadfall Lake And Paleoclimate Modelling Of Glacier Fluctuations At Mount Eddy, Eastern Klamath Mountains, California, Usa, Emily Stebbins

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study reconstructs the timing, extent, and paleoclimate conditions associated with late Pleistocene glaciation in the Mount Eddy region of the eastern Klamath Mountains, northern California and investigates the provenance of clastic sedimentation in Middle Deadfall Lake, just east of Mt Eddy. Using a multi-pronged approach that combines geomorphic mapping, sediment core analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemistry, tephrochronology, and glacier modeling using PalaeoIce 2.0, this research provides new insights into glacial dynamics and climate variability in a region with limited glacially derived paleoclimate datasets, as well as past volcanic eruption deposits.

Field and GIS-based geomorphic mapping identified three generations …

Thermal Modeling Of Cooling Time Of Submarine Dacite Lapilli Tuff: Brothers Volcano, Kermadec Arc, Kyler Byrd

Master's Theses

Little is known about submarine volcanoes' eruptive histories and styles, even though they are essential to developing island arc systems and represent the second largest volcanic systems on Earth. Scientific drilling allows for the opportunity to study these systems. This study focused on two drill sites on Brothers volcano from IODP Expedition 376: Site U1528, located on the resurgent cone, and Site U1530, located on the caldera rim. Expedition researchers analyzed samples for clast radius, density, thermal conductivity, and specific heat. This data was then entered into the heat transfer equation of a sphere to create a cooling curve model …

The Environment Of Glaciovolcanic Caves And Their Value As Planetary Analogues, Christian Stenner, Lee J. Florea, Linda Sobolewski, Andreas Pflitsch, Morgan Cable, Roberto Anitori, Richard E. Davis, Kathleen Graham, Glyn Williams-Jones

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

The Ecosystem Of A Remarkable Glaciovolcanic Cave At Mount Meager, British Columbia, Canada, Christian Stenner, Kathleen Graham, Morgan Cable, Glyn Williams-Jones, Jared J. Clance, Jacob Shaffer, Jill Mikucki, Anna Szynkiewicz, Olivia Vinnes, Michael Paton, Jeremy Nash

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Debris Fan Produced By Failure Of Canyon-Blocking Pyroclastic Flows, Michael L. Cummings

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ash-rich pyroclastic flows from the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Mazama (~7700 yr. B. P.), Cascade volcanic arc, Oregon, entered and blocked the narrow, bedrock-lined canyon of the Williamson River approximately 35 to 44 km from the source volcano. The blockage impounded a body of water which then released producing four stratigraphic units in the downstream debris fan. The four stratigraphic units are a boulder core comprised of locally sourced bedrock boulders and three sand-rich units including a fine-grained sand unit, a sandy pumice gravel (±basalt/hydrovolcanic tuff) unit, and a pumice pebble-bearing, crystal-rich sand unit. Hand-drilled auger holes up to ~1.6 …

Mantle Sources And Geochemical Evolution Of The Picture Gorge Basalt, Columbia River Basalt Group, Emily B. Cahoon, Martin J. Streck, Richard W. Carlson, Ilya N. Bindeman

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) is the youngest continental flood basalt province, proposed to be sourced from the deep-seated plume that currently resides underneath Yellowstone National Park. If so, the earliest erupted basalts from this province, such as those in the Picture Gorge Basalt (PGB), aid in understanding and modeling plume impingement and the subsequent evolution of basaltic volcanism. Using geochemical and isotopic data, this study explores potential mantle sources and magma evolution of the PGB. Long known geochemical signatures of the PGB include overall large ion lithophile element (LILE) enrichment and relative depletion of high field strength elements …

Deformation Mapping And Modeling Of The Aleutian Volcanoes With Insar And Numerical Models, Jiahui Wang

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Surface deformation mapping is an essential component for comprehensive monitoring of volcanic activities, serving as a vital tool for discerning crucial insights into magma dynamics, storage, and migration for accurate hazard forecasting, assessment, and mitigation. However, monitoring of the volcanic deformation across the Aleutian volcanic arc is usually limited by the lack of terrestrial sensors deployed due to their remote locations and hostile environmental conditions, necessitating alternative methodologies for data acquisition and analysis.

My PhD study aims at precisely mapping the crustal deformation for the Aleutian volcanoes and tracking the evolution of the magmatic system with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar …

Textural Investigation Into Rapid Welding Transitions In The Tuff Of Leslie Gulch Along Succor Creek At The Mahogany Mountain-Three Fingers Rhyolite Field, Southeastern Oregon, Alicia J. Martinez-Garling, Martin J. Streck

Student Research Symposium

The Mahogany Mountain-Three Fingers Rhyolite Field (MM-TFrf) in southeastern Oregon, associated with mid-Miocene rhyolite activity and Columbia River flood basalts, has been the subject of geological scrutiny. Previous studies proposed separate origins for the tuff of Leslie Gulch (LGT) and Spring Creek, but Benson and Mahood (2006) suggested a single ignimbrite event at 15.8 Ma, prompting a reassessment of MM-TFrf's history. This research focuses on LGT, investigating textural disparities between welded and non-welded tuff formations. Petrographic examinations delve into the transformation stages of pyroclastic tuff deposition, revealing the dynamic influences of volcanological and magmatic processes on welded and non-welded tuff …

Pre-Plinian Perplexity: Identifying And Constraining An Anomalous Pdc During The Initial Stages Of The May 18, 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption, Justin Crevier

Geosciences Undergraduate Theses

The Mount St. Helens (MSH) 18 May 1980 eruption was a formative event for a generation of volcanologists. With so much data available from detailed studies of the Blast and Plinian phases, MSH could aptly be called one of volcanology's greatest teachers—and the volcano may yet have more to teach us. The transition period, which occurred between the end of the Blast phase (0830) and the beginning of the Plinian phase (0920) on the morning of May 18, 1980, has not yet benefited from the same degree of comprehensive review as either of those phases. The conditions which caused the …

Volcanic Ash In Lincoln County, Kansas, Logan Erichsen

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This report outlines the analysis of Pearlette volcanic ash in Lincoln County Kansas. Both field and lab methods were used to compile this report. Fort Hays State University alumni Dr. Ron Whitmer allowed use of his property on which the ash is found. Auguring was utilized as the main form of field work which allowed mapping of the subsurface ash layer. The ash was analyzed by UMKC using their scanning electron microscope (SEM). At Fort Hays, the SEM reports were compared to thin sections of the ash using plane and cross polarized light in petrographic microscopes. The ash is comprised …

Remote Sensing Techniques To Determine Volcanic Gas Components And Fluxes: Application For Lascar, Chile And Fagradalsfjall, Iceland Volcanos., Felipe S. Rojas Vilches

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Volcanic plumes allow us to understand different aspects of a volcanic system including magma movements, dynamics, mass transfer, overall gas emissions to the atmosphere, and many processes that impact human life. However, the H₂O gas is poorly constrained due to the intrinsic difficulties of this gas, with high background values and easily dispersed/integrated into the background. In this work we study the gas emissions from Lascar volcano, and Fagradalsfjall volcano, in Chile and Iceland, respectively, using a combination of different ground-based remote sensing techniques and in situ plume measurements, we measure H₂O, SO₂, CO₂, CO, and H₂S from longer and …

The Influence Of Volcano Edifice Resonance On The Seismic Triggering Of Thermal Activity At Active Volcanoes, Morgana M. Wilke

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There is an established correlation between large earthquakes and volcanic unrest, however the mechanisms between this connection are not well understood. Relatively small changes in stress within a volcanic system could be enough to initiate a response. One aspect that could serve to amplify small dynamic stress changes is volcanic edifice resonance triggered by surface waves at resonant frequency. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between thermal activity of volcanoes and various minimum thresholds of Love wave amplitudes at resonance caused by teleseismic earthquakes above a 7.0 M. Satellite-derived thermal data from 25 volcanoes are modeled in relation to …

Response Of Open Volcanic Systems To Static Stress Changes, Aimee Zimmerman

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Large earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater can alter volcanic emissions and even trigger eruptions at nearby volcanoes. The stress changes imparted by large earthquakes can cause otherwise stable conditions within the magmatic system to be disturbed, potentially inducing volcanic activity. The extent of the triggering potential is still unknown due to insufficient understanding of the mechanisms involved. We model static stress changes for 174 earthquake-volcano pairs from 2000-2023 at volcanoes within 500 km, computing changes in both the normal stress perpendicular to the direction of horizontal maximum stress and dilatational strain. We then use thermal satellite data to measure …

A Bayesian Inversion For Emissions And Export Productivity Across The End-Cretaceous Boundary, Alexander A. Cox

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The end-Cretaceous mass extinction was marked by both the Chicxulub impact and the ongoing emplacement of the Deccan Traps flood basalt province. Both of these events perturbed the environment by the emission of climate-active volatiles, primarily CO2 and SO2. To understand the mechanism of extinction, we must disentangle the timing, duration, and intensity of volcanic and meteoritic environmental forcings. In this thesis, we used a parallel Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to invert for the aforementioned volatile emissions, export productivity, and remineralization from 67 to 65 million years ago using the LOSCAR (Long-term Ocean-atmosphere-Sediment CArbon cycle Reservoir) model. The parallel …