Collaborative Research: Continuous Acoustic and Volcanic Debris Records of the Deepest Explosive Submarine Eruption Ever Observed

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

While surface volcanic eruptions are both common and dramatic, by far the greatest volume of volcanic material is erupted on the seafloor, where they have not been observed, and remain poorly understood. Recent direct observations of eruptions at three sites in the western Pacific have provided a very rare glimpse of this type of activity. One site, West Mata in the Lau basin, was instrumented with a number of hydrophones to record acoustic signals (sound) from the eruption that can be used to gain insights into the eruptive process. This project has the aim of analyzing the data from a suite of four instruments to locate the sources of the acoustic signals, understand the sources of volcanic tremor, and correlate the acoustic activity with the production of volcanic ash and debris. Broader impacts include improved understanding of fundamental earth processes, public outreach and education.