The Monitor Newsletter - Vol. 10 | Issue February 2023
In this issue: Volcanic and thermal activity in Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Yellowstone, debris flows in the Columbia River Gorge and Glenwood Canyon, seismometers in Norway, coral reef science, and more.
USGS Responds to Mauna Loa
As the USGS responds to the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa, the USGS Volcano Science Center and the volcano observatories mark a number of successful accomplishments.
Columbia River Gorge Landslides - New Interactive Geonarrative
Extreme rainfall during two atmospheric river events in January 2021 and January 2022 triggered a series of debris flows in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. The flows had significant impacts, including multiple highway closures and one fatality.
Human-Centered Earthquake Impact Information: Learn more about USGS Mendenhall Fellow Sabine Loos
Translating earthquake science into engineering-based risk and loss assessments is an important tool for disaster management decision-making. Expanding that to include metrics related to societal impacts is part of an ongoing USGS Mendenhall Fellowship featured in an article, published by the Natural Hazards Center (NHC), where Fellow Sabine Loos is working in partnership with the USGS.
USGS HVO - New Mauna Loa Webcam Views
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has added several new webcam views and one livestream view of the Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone eruption.
Evaluating Coastal Adaptation Strategies in Southern California
New research couples flood modeling with demographic data to evaluate the effectiveness of various coastal adaptation strategies in reducing flood impacts and economic damages in southern California.
Photo Journal: Global Seismographic Network (GSN) Field Engineers Visit the Northernmost Town in the World
In October 2022 GSN field engineers from the Albuquerque Seismic Lab visited the northernmost town in the world, Longyearbyen (Svalbard, Norway) on their way north to GSN station IU-KBS for a station upgrade. GSN station IU-KBS is located in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago.
Using Distant Seismometers to Monitor and Analyze Volcanic Eruptions
Before a volcano erupts, there are typically precursory activities that can be detected on seismometers. Thus, monitoring volcanoes with nearby seismometers is a good way to know when a volcanic eruption may be imminent. Placing these instruments around every volcano is, however, not possible due to logistical constraints, nor is it necessary in many locations far away from a population center.
January 20, 2023 — Timelapse video of lava lake activity in Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea
Lava lake activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, on January 20, 2023. This time-lapse sequence shows an hour and a half of activity in the eastern lake. Lava upwells at the fountain source and spreads out towards the lake margin, where it downwells. Overall, activity in the crater has been steady in recent days.
Yellowstone Lake water levels can tell us more than you might think
A relatively simple measurement—lake level—has yielded big dividends in Yellowstone. By tracking the level of Yellowstone Lake over time, it is possible to understand more about a range of subjects, from the hydrology of stream flow to the physical properties of the magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone Caldera!
Virtual Field Excursion to Glenwood Canyon, Colorado: and the post-fire debris flows from the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire
This video serves as a virtual fieldtrip to document the debris flow activity following the Grizzly Creek Fire in the Glenwood Canyon, CO, USA. The Grizzly Creek Fire initiated in August 2020, and widespread destructive debris flow activity followed the during the summer of 2021. Viewers will see on-the-ground views of the debris flow legacy sediment from the summer of 2021, and will observe…
Geonarrative Investigates Geohazards of the Salton Sea
The interactive, data-rich USGS geonarrative "A Desert on the Move" looks at earthquake and volcanic hazards around the Salton Sea. Understanding these hazards is an important part of successfully planning and restoring the Salton Sea for the future.