Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Filter Total Items: 3006

Dissolved volatile concentrations in an ore-forming magma Dissolved volatile concentrations in an ore-forming magma

Infrared spectroscopic measurements of glass inclusions within quartz phenocrysts from the Plinian fallout of the 22 Ma tuff of Pine Grove show that the trapped silicate melt contained high concentrations of H2O and CO2. Intrusive porphyries from the Pine Grove system are nearly identical in age, composition, and mineralogy to the tephra, and some contain high-grade Mo mineralization...
Authors
J. B. Lowenstern

Volcanic gas emissions and their impact on ambient air character at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Volcanic gas emissions and their impact on ambient air character at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Currently, gas emissions from Kilauea occur from the summit caldera, along the middle East Rift Zone (ERZ), and where lava enters the ocean. We estimate that the current ERZ eruption of Kilauea releases between 400 metric tonnes of SO2 per day, during eruptive pauses, to as much as 1850 metric tonnes per day during actively erupting periods, along with lesser amounts of other chemically...
Authors
A. J. Sutton, T. Elias, R. Navarrete

Potential effects of the Hawaii Geothermal Project on ground-water resources on the island of Hawaii Potential effects of the Hawaii Geothermal Project on ground-water resources on the island of Hawaii

In 1990, the State of Hawaii proposed the Hawaii Geothermal Project for the development of as much as 500 MW of electric power from the geothermal system in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano. This report uses data from 31 wells and 8 springs to describe the properties of the ground-water system in and adjacent to the East Rift Zone. Potential effects of this project on ground-water...
Authors
M.L. Sorey, E.M. Colvard

Tapping the Earth's natural heat Tapping the Earth's natural heat

T he Earth is a bountiful source of heat. It continuously produces heat at depth, primarily by the decay of naturally radioactive chemical elements (principally uranium, thorium, and potassium) that occur in small amounts in all rocks. This deep heat then rises toward the cooler surface, where scientists can measure the rate of its escape through the Earth's crust. The annual heat loss...
Authors
Wendell A. Duffield, J.H. Sass, M.L. Sorey

Fractionation of families of major, minor, and trace metals across the melt-vapor interface in volcanic exhalations Fractionation of families of major, minor, and trace metals across the melt-vapor interface in volcanic exhalations

Chemical families of metals fractionate systematically as they pass from a silicate melt across the interface with the vapor phase and on into a cooled volcanic plume. We measured three groups of metals in a small suite of samples collected on filters from the plumes of Kilauea (Hawaii, USA), Etna (Sicily), and Merapi (Java) volcanoes. These were the major, minor, and trace metals of the...
Authors
T. K. Hinkley, M.-F. Le Cloarec, G. Lambert

The 1989-1990 eruptions of Redoubt Volcano: an introduction The 1989-1990 eruptions of Redoubt Volcano: an introduction

Redoubt Volcano, located on the west side of Cook Inlet in south-central Alaska, erupted explosively on over 20 separate occasions between December 14, 1989 and April 21, 1990. Fourteen lava domes were emplaced in the summit area, thirteen of which were subsequently destroyed. The eruption caused economic losses estimated at over $160,000,000 making this the second most costly eruption...
Authors
T. P. Miller, B. A. Chouet

Development of lava tubes in the light of observations at Mauna Ulu, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Development of lava tubes in the light of observations at Mauna Ulu, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

During the 1969-1974 Mauna Ulu eruption on Kilauea's upper east rift zone, lava tubes were observed to develop by four principal processes: (1) flat, rooted crusts grew across streams within confined channels; (2) overflows and spatter accreted to levees to build arched roofs across streams; (3) plates of solidified crust floating downstream coalesced to form a roof; and (4) pahoehoe...
Authors
D. W. Peterson, R. T. Holcomb, R.I. Tilling, R.L. Christiansen

The role of magmas in the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits The role of magmas in the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits

Magmatic fluids, both vapour and hypersaline liquid, are a primary source of many components in hydrothermal ore deposits formed in volcanic arcs. These components, including metals and their ligands, become concentrated in magmas in various ways from various sources, including subducted oceanic crust. Leaching of rocks also contributes components to the hydrothermal fluid—a process...
Authors
Jeffrey W. Hedenquist, Jacob B. Lowenstern

Surface degassing and modifications to vesicle size distributions in active basalt flows Surface degassing and modifications to vesicle size distributions in active basalt flows

The character of the vesicle population in lava flows includes several measurable parameters that may provide important constraints on lava flow dynamics and rheology. Interpretation of vesicle size distributions (VSDs), however, requires an understanding of vesiculation processes in feeder conduits, and of post-eruption modifications to VSDs during transport and emplacement. To this end...
Authors
K. V. Cashman, M. T. Mangan, S. Newman

Six years of change in Lake Nyos, Cameroon, yield clues to the past and cautions for the future Six years of change in Lake Nyos, Cameroon, yield clues to the past and cautions for the future

The catastrophic release of gas from Lake Nyos, Cameroon, in 1986 caused substantial but incomplete mixing of the stratified water column. The post-release evolution of water-column structure has been monitored through April 1992. Changes began immediately after the event as rainfall and inflow brought dilute fluid into the surface layer. Inflow and surface mixing have gradually deepened...
Authors
William C. Evans, L. D. White, M. L. Tuttle, G.W. Kling, G. Tanyileke, R. L. Michel
Was this page helpful?