Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory III (MEVO III): Conduit Processes and Surveillance

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。埃里巴斯火山是南极洲？S最活跃的火山，至少在过去的35年里一直处于持续的活动状态。它在地球上的活火山中具有独特的地球化学性质，也是在其顶端火山口中拥有持续对流的斜长石响石岩浆湖(S)的独特之处。岩浆系统的相对简单，活动的一致性，以及近距离观察的可及性，使埃里巴斯成为一个具有吸引力的广泛研究目标。尽管经过多年的研究，人们对埃里巴斯的地震活动、喷发活动和过程越来越了解，但对其更深层次的岩浆系统几乎完全缺乏了解。这项提议的主要目标是继续支持Mt.埃里巴斯火山观测站(Mevo III)利用地球物理、地球化学和遥感观测的综合方法，改善了我们目前对埃里巴斯喷发和非喷发岩浆系统的了解。这一目标可归结为以下基本研究目标：(A)主要利用地球物理观测站对正在进行的火山活动进行全年监测；(B)了解注入持久熔岩湖的对流管道内的过程；(C)了解Erebus喷发活动对南极环境的影响。对学生的持续依赖为这项拟议的研究提供了更广泛的影响，并使这一努力在其教育使命中站稳了脚跟。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Mount Erebus is Antarctica?s most active volcano that has been in a persistent state of activity for at least the last 35 years. It has a unique geochemistry among the Earth's active volcanoes and is also unique in hosting a persistent convecting lake(s) of anorthclase phonolite magma in its summit crater. The relative simplicity of the magmatic system, consistency of activity, and accessibility of close-range observation make Erebus attractive as a target for extensive studies. Although the Erebus' seismicity and eruptive activity and processes are becoming increasingly well understood over years of research, there is a near total lack of understanding its deeper magmatic system. The primary goal of this proposal is to continue supporting the Mt. Erebus Volcano Observatory (MEVO III) improving our current understanding of the Erebus eruptive and non-eruptive magmatic system using an integrated approach from geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing observations. This goal can be grouped into the following fundamental research objectives: (a) to sustain year-round surveillance of on-going volcanic activity primarily using geophysical observatories; (b) to understand processes within the convecting conduit which feeds the persistent lava lakes; and (c) to understand the impact of Erebus eruptive activity upon the Antarctic environment. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.