COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Geodetic measurements and mechanical models of the volcano deformation cycle

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Okmok volcano in Alaska appears to erupt every decade or so, most recently in 1997 and again in 2008. Its activity has been monitored using modern methods, forming a rich observational data set. The investigators are developing a geophysical model that should explain the timing and location of most of the observed activity. The new information from this study will be directly relevant to understanding time-dependent volcanic hazard posed by Okmok and other, similar volcanoes lying beneath the heavily-used north Pacific air traffic corridors. The same type of model should be applicable to other volcanoes displaying cyclic activity, such as Westdahl in Alaska or Hekla in Iceland. Okmok is an excellent natural laboratory for such an experiment because a complete cycle of deformation has been monitored using geodetic and seismic means. Using this rich observational data set and a formal protocol for numerical modeling, the investigators are studying Okmok volcano to address the following questions: (1) What is the distribution of material properties within Okmok? (2) How does anelastic rheology modify the temporal evolution of the deformation field? (3) How do material properties at depth influence the deformation observed at the surface? (4) What are the uncertainties of the model parameters that describe the magma chamber?The impulse-response rheological experiment will improve understanding of the volcano deformation cycle. Specifically, the research project will test four hypotheses: (I) Deformation following the 1997 eruption did not reach a steady state before the eruption in 2008. (II) Viscoelastic stress relaxation contributes to the transient deformation observed during the co-and post-eruptive time intervals. (III) The effective viscosity is several orders of magnitude smaller in the rind of the magma chamber than in the surrounding crust. (IV) The lava flow extruded from Cone A during the 1997 eruption produces a stress field that favors dike propagation from the magma chamber to Cone D.The results will be published in the international, peer-reviewed literature. A graduate student from a group under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will be trained for a career in geophysical research at the intersection of three disciplines: seismology, geodesy and volcanology. The modeling protocol and approach will be disseminated among the scientific community at an operational level. Investigator Masterlark, a junior faculty member from an institution funded by the Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), will offer a short course on how to apply the Finite Element Method to volcanic deformation. Applicants from underrepresented groups will be especially encouraged to participate. The project will enhance collaboration between the investigators and scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey