Volcano Observatories |
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Link to: Volcano Hazards Program Website |
To study active volcanism, the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program depends principally on the research and monitoring conducted at five permanent installations: the Hawaiian, Cascades, Alaska, Long Valley, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatories. Each observatory provides continuous and periodic monitoring of the seismicity, other geophysical changes, ground movements, gas chemistry, and hydrologic conditions and activity between and during eruptions. They also provide a detailed record of eruptions in progress. These observations serve to characterize eruptive behavior, identify the nature of precursory activity leading to eruption, define the processes by which different types of deposits are emplaced, and specify the hazards that could be unleashed by each kind of eruption. From direct observation of precursory signs, it is possible to anticipate eruptions. Underlying all observatory operations is an ongoing program of fundamental research in volcanic processes, supplemented by collaborative studies conducted at other USGS centers. Such research typically includes direct interpretation of the monitoring and eruption data, and it leads to formulation of conceptual models that can be tested by theoretical or laboratory simulations of volcanic systems. | |
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Link to: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Website |
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
HVO is the U.S. Geological Survey's oldest such facility, founded in 1912 by Thomas A. Jaggar and run continuously by the USGS since 1948 (Heliker and others, 1986). It is located on the summit of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, on the Island of Hawaii. With the frequent eruptions at Kilauea and nearby Mauna Loa, HVO is a training ground for most of the volcanologists at the USGS. Many volcano-monitoring techniques used worldwide were originally developed at HVO, which is a testing ground for new techniques and instruments. The existence of HVO gave the USGS the unique capability of responding to activity at other U.S. volcanoes. When Mount St. Helens reawakened in March 1980, the USGS was well prepared to respond to the crisis. Scientists who had previously deciphered the volcanic history of Mount St. Helens, together with HVO alumni, quickly assembled to monitor the seismic activity and steam explosions. All worked together with the many agencies and public officials who were anxious to know when and if a large eruption was going to occur and what hazards it might create. Guided by USGS information, public officials designated zones of restricted access, and the loss of life from the May 18th eruption was thereby minimized, even though the timing of this event could not be precisely predicted. |
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Return to: Cascades Volcano Observatory HomePage |
Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO)
After the devastating explosive eruption in 1980, the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), in Vancouver, Washington, was founded and staffed with hydrologists, geologists, geochemists, and geophysicists (Brantley and Topinka, 1984). The observatory quickly broke new ground in its study of the ongoing eruption cycle at Mount St. Helens. In mapping and interpreting the origin of the deposits of the May 18 eruption, scientists had the unique advantage of direct observation of the landslides, eruption, and volcanic debris flows. Monitoring the growth of the lava dome in the crater of Mount St. Helens resulted in accurate predictions, 1 to 3 days in advance, of 16 out of 17 dome-building eruptions-an unprecedented feat in the young science of volcanology. |
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Link to: Alaska Volcano Observatory Website |
Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
In 1988, the USGS added a third volcano observatory, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, to expand and coordinate existing monitoring of the many active volcanoes along the Alaska Peninsula and in the Aleutian Islands. Many international flightpaths lie directly over Alaska, and the frequent eruptions of these volcanoes pose a serious hazard to aircraft far downwind. Study of Alaskan eruptions also provides more frequent opportunities to study volcanic activity similar to that of the less frequently active Cascade Range volcanoes. |
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Link to: Long Valley Volcano Observatory Website |
Long Valley Observatory (LVO)
In May 1980, just 1 week after the eruption at Mount St. Helens, a strong earthquake swarm occurred at Long Valley, California, site of a huge eruption of silicic magma about 700,000 years ago. The most recent volcanic activity in the area resulted in the formation of lava domes 550 years ago, accompanied by phreatic explosions that blanketed much of eastern California and western Nevada with volcanic ash (Bailey and others, 1976; Miller, 1985). Following the 1980 earthquakes, the USGS began monitoring Long Valley by setting up an observatory-like project operated from the USGS center in Menlo Park, California. Studies conducted since 1980 have documented almost 2 feet of uplift of the ground within the Long Valley Caldera and have accurately located earthquakes occurring as swarms in and around the caldera, the most recent of which took place in 1990 and 1991. The work at Long Valley is designed to monitor and interpret the current unrest and to make forecasts of any activity that might occur. Thus, the Long Valley project effectively constitutes a fourth volcano observatory in function and responsibilities, if not in name. The largest possible volcanic event at Long Valley, a catastrophic explosive eruption associated with renewed caldera collapse, is also the most difficult to forecast because of the long time interval between such eruptions and the absence of historically documented large caldera-forming eruptions anywhere in the world (see Newhall and Dzurisin, 1988). |
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Link to: Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Website |
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) was created as a partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and University of Utah to strengthen the long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake unrest in the Yellowstone National Park region. Yellowstone is the site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and the first National Park. YVO is one of the five USGS Volcano Observatories that monitor volcanoes within the United States for science and public safety. |
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Taking A Volcano's PulseThe USGS volcano observatories have the following goals in common:
To realize these goals, it is necessary to conduct visual and instrumental monitoring of volcanic activity. Monitored changes common to each volcano include the following:
Reconstructing a Volcano's HistoryDirect observations of volcanoes before, during, and after eruptions are essential to understanding a volcano's current behavior. The following studies complement information gained from monitoring and allow specification of the entire history of activity at a given volcano or volcanic field.
Understanding Volcanic and Hydrologic ProcessesDirect observation of volcanic and hydrologic events gives important but incomplete insights into the nature of volcano hazards. The following topics represent some of the avenues pursued to gain a fuller understanding of volcanic processes that control hazardous events.
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