Extended Drift-Free Seafloor Pressure Observations at Axial Seamount to Mid 2027

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Axial Seamount is a large undersea volcano located on the Juan de Fuca spreading ridge. The volcano is currently undergoing inflation and is forecast to erupt soon. This project will continue the operation of an instrument that provides key measurements related to the volcano. The instrument records seafloor ocean pressure at high resolution. These data can be used to better understand magmatic processes before, during, and after the eruption. The project includes instrument development and support and mentoring for a postdoctoral researcher. The Self-Calibrating Pressure Recorder (SCPR) is a drift-free pressure recorder installed on the Ocean Observatories Initiative Cabled Array at Axial Seamount. This project will extend operation of this instrument through mid-2027, providing a 9-year time series of seafloor pressure on this volcano that is forecast to erupt in 2025 or 2026. The anticipated geodetic rate uncertainties are of order ±1 cm/year. The SCPR provides a reference station for other marine geodetic measurements in the study region such as Mobile Pressure Recorder surveys and A-O-A systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.