Ice Radar Studies of Mt. Veniaminof Volcano

Saint Olaf College, Northfield MN

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Jacobel OPP-0423424 The Principal Investigator will collaborate with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.), Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to study Mt. Veniaminof on the Alaska Peninsula. The existence of a caldera ice field at the summit of this active volcano provides a natural laboratory for the study of volcano-ice-lava interactions and is thus an ideal setting for cross-disciplinary research. This interdisciplinary project will produce important results for both the fields of glaciology and volcanology. Recent studies by scientists at the Volcano Observatory have shown that Mt. Veniaminof has a more complex and explosive history than previously recognized, giving a new appreciation of its associated hazards. Yet, at the present time topographic constraints on the past (and future) pathways of both water and lava from the summit caldera are still unknown because it is covered by ice. The Principal Investigators will set up radio echo sounding experiments to explore the geometry and history of the ice mass now occupying the summit caldera. Potentially large ice volumes in the Veniaminof caldera raise the possibility of future lahar flows, interesting from both a theoretical and hazards perspective. Very small eruptions can produce outburst floods that have the potential to mobilize large amounts of loosely-consolidated debris, becoming virtual sediment factories with substantial impacts downstream. Specifically, they will measure ice volumes and image caldera topography to predict where water produced by an eruption would likely flow under a number of eruption scenarios. They will determine the distribution of heat flow within the caldera by using the radar to detect areas with liquid water. Finally, dependent on the thickness and extent of debris layers buried within the ice, they will study the dynamics and flow history of the ice field by mapping internal reflections revealed by the radar. The broader impacts of the project follow from the interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists from two very different institutions: the U.S. G. S. AVO and an undergraduate liberal arts college, St. Olaf College. This collaboration will provide excellent opportunities for outreach and education through each of the organizations involved. Two undergraduate students and a post doc will be involved in the project, together with the Principal Investigator. The appointment for the post doc involves both teaching and research, so that education is integral to the proposed activities. Information dissemination and outreach is a statutory obligation of the AVO, itself a joint program with the University of Alaska and the State of Alaska. AVO is the principal point of contact for information on volcanic activity and hazards assessment for government agencies, the media, and the public, and the Observatory maintains a vigorous outreach and public information program.