USGS/CVO Logo, click to link to National USGS Website
USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington

Volcano and Hydrologic Monitoring Techniques


Volcano monitoring involves a variety of measurements and observations designed to detect changes at the surface of a volcano that reflect increasing pressure and stresses caused by the movement of magma, or molten rock, within or beneath it. An eruption occurs when magma rises from its source or from a storage reservoir and finally reaches the Earth's surface. As it rises, the magma fractures overlying rocks, which causes earthquakes, and parts of the volcano deform as magma approaching the surface makes room for itself. -- Excerpt from: Brantley and Topinka, 1984


Volcano Monitoring Overview


Volcano Monitoring Networks


AFM - Acoustic Flow Monitors


Bedload Samplers


Bench Marks and Reflector Sites


Field Observations


Airborne Thermal Imaging
FLIR - Forward Looking Infrared


Gas and Plume Monitoring


Geodetic Leveling


GPS - Global Positioning System Measurements


Gravity and Magnetic Measurements


Hydrologic Monitoring


InSAR -
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
Satellite Radar Interferometry


LIDAR -
Light Detection and Ranging


Radial Crack and Thrust Fault Measurements


"Real-Time" Volcano Monitoring


RSAM (Real-Time Seismic-Amplitude) Systems
SSAM (Seismic Spectral-Amplitude Measurement) Systems


Seismic Monitoring


Slope-Distance Measurements (EDM's)


Solar Power


Telemetered Systems


Night-Time Thermal Observations


Tilt and Tiltmeters


Volcano Photography


Video and Television "Real-Time" Monitoring


Return to:
[Top of Page] ...
[Volcano and Hydrologic Monitoring Menu] ...



CVO HomePage Volcanoes of the World Menu Mount St. Helens Menu Living With Volcanoes Menu Publications and Reports Menu Volcano Monitoring Menu Servers and Useful Sites Menu Volcano Hazards Menu Research and Projects Menu Educational Outreach Menu Hazards, Features, and Terminology Menu Maps and Graphics Menu CVO Photo Archives Menu Conversion Tables CVO Index - Search Our Site ButtonBar

URL for CVO HomePage is: <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/home.html>
URL for this page is: <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Monitoring/techniques.html>
If you have questions or comments please contact: <GS-CVO-WEB@usgs.gov>
05/22/07, Lyn Topinka