NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Singapore

Ruth Dawn C, Kenmore NY

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Dawn Catherine Sweeney Ruth of the University at Buffalo to conduct a research project in Geosciences during the summer of 2013 at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The project title is "Relating Rock Chemistry and Earthquake Data to Improve Volcano Monitoring Efforts." The host scientist(s) is Dr. Fidel Costa Rodriguez. This project assesses if the timing of magma movement is related to the timing of earthquakes and ground deformation that occur prior to an eruption, with the ultimate goal of improving volcano monitoring efforts. The migration of magmas from depth is understood as a key eruption-triggering process. Determining the timing of earthquakes and ground deformation is straightforward as the instruments used record a time stamp at the onset of movement. Olivine crystals collected from the products of an eruption are being used to estimate the timing of actual magma movement. When crystals form, the distribution of elements is set. However, this distribution can be affected by subjecting the crystals to new environmental conditions, such as changing the temperature through magma movement. Since changes in elemental distribution in olivine crystals is well understood, comparison of the observed elemental distributions with computer models can be used to estimate the time elapsed since magma movement. Moreover, if the eruption date is known, the approach provides an estimate of when magma movement occurred. If magma movement can be definitively dated and linked to specific seismic signals, then a more process-based approach to volcanic monitoring will likely improve interpretation of geophysical signals at volcanoes. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Successful completion of the project will expand the Fellow's analytical geochemistry toolkit which will provide the basis for a short course in analytical geochemistry techniques to be given at the Fellow's home institution. Furthermore, the findings of this project will be presented at an international conference and the Fellow will submit the detailed findings to a peer-reviewed journal.