Published: February 10, 2006
Erupting Alaska Volcano Helps Explain Volcanic Processes
Augustine Volcano has been quiet since last eruption in 1986
As Alaska's Augustine Volcano erupts and sends a plume of ash more than 12,200 meters into the air, instruments on the ground are recording rumblings at the volcano's surface.
According to a February 9 U.S. National Science Foundation press release, the data collected will offer new insights into the inner workings of volcanoes along the Pacific Rim.
Scientists affiliated with EarthScope - a vast North American geologic observatory funded by NSF - have placed permanent, continuously recording Global Positioning System (GPS) stations on volcanoes, including Augustine, across the continent.
GPS is a U.S. system of satellites, computers and receivers that can be used to determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by calculating the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver.
Augustine is a large stratovolcano - a volcano composed of alternating layers of lava and ash - in the southern Cook Inlet southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It is one of the region's most active volcanoes.
Augustine has been quiet since its last eruption in 1986, but the re-emergence of activity began in May 2005 with an increase in the number of earthquakes.
Soon a slow, steady increase in volcano movements occurred, recorded by EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) GPS stations on the volcano's flanks.
Augustine began erupting in mid-January with a series of explosions. Ash spewed so high into the atmosphere that jets were forced to alter their routes as they traveled to and from Asia.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory uses EarthScope data to alert the Federal Aviation Administration and first responders to dangerous volcanic activity. Scientists are pouring over data to understand the volcano's current status, and to look for clues to its future.
Ash and the force of eruptions have damaged some GPS stations near Augustine's summit. Data from the volcano continue to be valuable, even when stations are lost, said scientist Peter Cervelli of the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
"You have to think of these instruments as space probes," he said, "hoping they transmit data until the last moment."
More information is available on the Alaska Volcano Observatory Web site maintained by a number of federal and state agencies.
Information about NSF is available on the agency's Web site.
Text of the NSF press release follows:
National Science Foundation
Press release 06-028, February 9, 2006
[Arlington, Virginia]
Instruments on Alaska's Augustine Volcano Provide New Insights into Volcanic Processes
Code red volcano is currently erupting
As Alaska's "code red" Augustine Volcano erupts and sends a plume of ash more than 40,000 feet into the air, instruments on the ground are recording rumblings at the volcano's surface. The data collected will provide new insights into the inner workings of volcanoes along the Pacific rim.
Scientists affiliated with EarthScope - a vast North American geologic observatory funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) - have placed permanent, continuously recording GPS stations on volcanoes, including Augustine, across the continent.
A large stratovolcano located in the southern Cook Inlet southwest of Anchorage, Augustine is one of the regions most active volcanoes. But it has been quiet since its last eruption in 1986. The reemergence of activity on Augustine began last May with an increase in the number of earthquakes.
Soon a slow, steady increase in the volcano's movements occurred, recorded in detail by EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) GPS stations installed on the volcano's flanks.
Augustine began erupting in mid-Jan. with a series of explosions. Ash spewed so high into the atmosphere that jets were forced to alter their routes as they traveled to and from Asia. The Alaska Volcano Observatory uses EarthScope data to alert the FAA and first responders to dangerous volcanic activity.
"Capturing episodes of volcanic unrest like the one at Augustine will lead to a better understanding of volcanic processes, as well as improved natural-hazard response and mitigation efforts," said Kaye Shedlock, program director for EarthScope at NSF.
"Earthquake swarms are common under volcanoes," said geologist Jeffrey Freymueller of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, "and result in movement of the volcano's surface." In fact, the EarthScope GPS station located closest to Augustine's summit has been creeping away from its original location in response to the volcano's eruptions, said Freymueller.
"Capturing daily, even hourly, movement of volcanoes in real time brings a new dimension to volcano research and hazard response," he said.
Researchers usually make measurements once a year to record movement of a volcano, said Michael Jackson, PBO director. "The odds of capturing a signal from Augustine within the short timeframe it occurred would have been next to nil without permanent EarthScope stations on the surface," said Jackson.
UNAVCO, a university consortium, is constructing the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory for NSF.
The activity on Augustine is far from over, said Greg Van der Vink, EarthScope project director, and in fact, may only be beginning. In the past, Augustine has erupted in two phases, an explosive phase, much like the volcano's current fury, and a dome-building phase.
Meanwhile, scientists are pouring over data to understand the volcano's current status, and to look for clues to its future. As the eruption continues, GPS instruments will continue to track the volcano's "breathing" as it shrinks and swells due to the movement of magma.
Ash and the force of eruptions have damaged some GPS stations near Augustine's summit. Data from the volcano continue to be valuable, even when stations are lost, said scientist Peter Cervelli of the Alaska Volcano Observatory. "You have to think of these instruments as space probes, hoping they transmit data until last moment."
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.47 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
Source: U.S. Department of State
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