Monitoring Techniques
The following lists are meant to cover methods and technology used to monitor volcanoes and their related phenomena. While Masters Students might not have access to all of these options, it is important to know what methods exist and also to know that some methods are more critical than others. The following links primarily connect to the USGS Volcano Hazard Program (VHP), Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), and Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) as well as the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and VolcanoWorld websites. At this time, this information is not comprehensive but it is not my goal to list and describe every instrumented volcano on the globe. These examples are only meant to guide project development within the PC/MI program."Geologic field observations form an important part of any volcano-monitoring program yet are often overlooked in lists of monitoring techniques. Such observations provide the opportunity to integrate many different kinds of data on the spot and to design simple measurements to test key questions resulting from the observations. Field observations go hand in hand with more sophisticated equipment and techniques to form a complete system for monitoring volcanoes. Monitoring programs should explicitly include provisions for geologic field observations and instill in field workers, scientists, and technicians alike, the need to be flexible and clever in designing simple experiments and measurements to test important field observations on the spot."
The Importance of Field Observations for Monitoring Volcanoes, and the Approach of "Keeping Monitoring as Simple as Practical"
IN: Ewert and Swanson, (eds.), 1992, Monitoring Volcanoes: Techniques and Strategies Used by the Staff of the Cascades Volcano Observatory, 1980-1990: USGS Bulletin 1966, p.219-223.
| Selected Volcanoes (heavily instrumented): | Instrumentation by Topic: |
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Colima Volcano, Mexico * Digital Cameras * EDM * FlySPEC * GPS * Infrasound * Radar * Seismometers * Thermal Imaging Mauna Loa, USA *Farfield displacements- Dual frequency GPS, EDM, InSAR, leveling *Gas- continuous site monitoring (telemetered to HVO) *Ground tilt- Borehole tiltmeters *Meteorological Station- NOAA Weather Station *Volume measurements- Photogrammetry *Near-field deformation- Single-frequency continuous GPS, EDM *Seismic- broadband, short/long period, 3-component, webicorders *Visual- Remote telemetered digital cameras *Telemetry- Digital Montserrat, West Indies * DOAS - fixed *Seismometers Mount St. Helens, USA 2004-2005 Methods: *Farfield displacements- Dual frequency GPS, InSAR *Ground tilt- Borehole tiltmeters *Volume measurements- Photogrammetry, LIDAR *Near-field deformation- Single-frequency continuous GPS *Visual- Remote telemetered digital cameras *Seismic- broadband, short/long period, 3-component, webicorders *Telemetry- Digital, satellite uplinks 1980-1986 Methods: *Farfield displacements- EDM, leveling *Ground tilt- "Dry tilt," lake-level, platform tiltmeters *Volume measurements- photogrammetry *Near-field deformation- EDM, displacement meters, steel tape *Visual- film cameras *Telemetry- analog Source: The Changing Shapes of Active Volcanoes - Recent Results and Advances in Volcano Geodesy; Michael Poland, Michael Hamburger and Andrew Newman, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Volume 150, Issues 1-3, 1 February 2006, Pages 1-13.  Rock sample collector. CVO USGS photo, 2004.  Two FLYSPECs collecting data at Volcan de Colima, Mexico. Photo by Michigan Tech student Julie Herrick, May 2007.  A 3-component seismometer located on the Kohala side of Hawai`i; Photo by Jess Wardlaw, November, 2005. |
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Additional Resources: Suggested Reading http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/reading.html from USGS list of publications VolcanoWorld http://volcano.und.edu/ provides general information on the volcano monitoring topic: List of monitoring methods and technology (this site is referenced several times in the links above) A listing of references on monitoring-related topics Photo Credits: A Photo by USGS scientist Frank Trusdell, of volunteer Daisy Wheeler and USGS scientist Game McGimsey coring ash on Anatahan, Northern Marianas Islands, May 2006. BPhoto by HVO volunteer Julie Herrick, of seismic station on Anatahan, Northern Marianas Islands, May 2006. CPhoto by USGS scientist Maurice Sako, of scientists collecting EDM data on Pagan Island, Northern Marianas Islands, May 2006. DPhoto by volunteer Daisy Wheeler, of scientist Maurice Sako setting up campaign GPS on Pagan Island, Northern Marianas Islands, May 2006. EPhoto by HVO volunteer Jess Wardlaw, of USGS scientists recording speed of lava within lava tube; laser is aimed through a skylight at the moving surface of a flow originating from Pu`u`O`o vent on Kilauea, December 2005. FPhoto by HVO volunteer Jess Wardlaw, of USGS volunteer Jon Shaffer collect gas sample from Halem`auma`u fumarole, Kilauea, May 2005. GPhoto by USGS scientist Tim Orr, of volunteer Jess Wardlaw sampling active pahoehoe flow originating from Pu`u`O`o vent, Kilauea, December 2005. HPhoto by HVO volunteer Jess Wardlaw, of a "tear box" located within Pu`u`O`o's cone, the wooden box was meant to capture Pele's tears, small shards of spatter but the recent event was far more energetic than expected and large spatter burned through the container, Kilauea, December 2005. IPhoto by HVO volunteer Jess Wardlaw, of volunteer Erika Ronchin collecting a hand sample of a`a from prehistoric lava flows on Mauna Loa, Hawai`i, April 2005. JPhoto by HVO volunteer Julie Herrick, of scientists drilling for paleomagnetic core using a handheld drill and attached water pump, Mauna Loa, Hawai`i, September 2005. KPhoto by HVO volunteer Trevor Atkins, of volunteers Julie Herrick and Dawn Sweeny as they orient the paleomagnetic core after the drilling as completed, September 2005. LPhoto by HVO volunteer Jess Wardlaw, of USGS scientist Tim Orr measuring conductivity across a lava tube originating from Pu`u`O`o, Kilauea, December 2005. MPhoto by USGS scientist Frank Trusdell, of USGS scientist Game McGimsey measuring the temperature of a boiling mud pot found on south Pagan island, Northern Marianas Island, May 2006. |
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