Understanding Volcanic Processes at the Submarine Puna Ridge Kilauea, Hawaii

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9618226 Smith We plan a geological, geophysical, and geochemical investigation of the Puna Ridge, the submarine extension of Kilauea Volcano's East Rift Zone. Our main scientific objective is to identify and constrain the fundamental processes which govern the intrusion of magma and the eruption of lavas along a centrally-fed rift zone. The characteristics of rift zone morphology are typically used to infer the internal architecture of volcanoes which underscores the broad applicability of this study, and the importance of fully understanding the formation and evolution of a volcanic rift zone. Currently, the controls on the emplacement of dikes and the transport of magma along a rift, the role of magma storage within the dike system, and the controls on the shapes, sizes, and styles of lava deposits are not well known. Our multidisciplinary research project will use a diverse suite of scientific techniques to characterize and understand the processes acting at the Puna Ridge, including the analysis of high-resolution swath bathymetry and side-scan sonar imagery, near-bottom magnetic profiles, digital photography, and samples collected by rock dredging and glass coring.