Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Using nuclear magnetic resonance and transient electromagnetics to characterise water distribution beneath an ice covered volcanic crater: The case of Sherman Crater Mt. Baker Washington.

May 6, 2014

Surface and laboratory Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements combined with transient electromagnetic (TEM) data are powerful tools for subsurface water detection. Surface NMR (sNMR) and TEM soundings, laboratory NMR, complex resistivity, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis were all conducted to characterise the distribution of water within Sherman Crater on Mt. Baker, WA. Clay rich rocks, particularly if water saturated, can weaken volcanoes, thereby increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to far-travelled, destructive debris flows. Detecting the presence and volume of shallow groundwater is critical for evaluating these landslide hazards. The TEM data identified a low resistivity layer (

Publication Year 2014
Title Using nuclear magnetic resonance and transient electromagnetics to characterise water distribution beneath an ice covered volcanic crater: The case of Sherman Crater Mt. Baker Washington.
DOI 10.3997/1873-0604.2014009
Authors Trevor Irons, Kathryn Martin, Carol Finn, Benjamin Bloss, Robert Horton
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Near Surface Geophysics
Index ID 70156135
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center; Volcano Hazards Program
Was this page helpful?