I am a physical volcanologist focusing on field-based geology to shed light on the behavior of volcanic eruptions. I use stratigraphic studies to piece together eruptive processes, a variety of observational tools to characterize active eruptions, and numerical models to examine the internal dynamics of volcanic plumes.
Some current projects include:
- Volcanic lightning as a means of tracking eruption style and hazards
- Investigating ash aggregation and impacts on the lifetime of volcanic clouds
- Stratigraphy of eruptive processes at Cascades volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens and Glacier Peak
- Satellite detection of umbrella cloud growth to determine mass eruption rates
- Numerical modeling of microphysical processes inside volcanic plumes
Professional Experience
Since 2017 Co-leader of the IAVCEI Commission on Tephra Hazard Modeling
Since 2017 Research Geologist, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
2015-2017 USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow
2013-2015 NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow
Education and Certifications
2007–2012 Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Ph.D., Geology
2002–2006 University of Florida, Gainesville, B.S. summa cum laude, Geology with English minor
Honors and Awards
IAVCEI George Walker Award, 2017
John Gamble Award in Geology, 2011, Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarship, 2007-2010
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 26
The Independent Volcanic Eruption Source Parameter Archive (IVESPA, version 1.0): A new observational database to support explosive eruptive column model validation and development
Eruptive column models are powerful tools for investigating the transport of volcanic gas and ash, reconstructing past explosive eruptions, and simulating future hazards. However, the evaluation of these models is challenging as it requires independent estimates of the main model inputs (e.g. mass eruption rate) and outputs (e.g. column height). There exists no database of independently estimated
A probabilistic assessment of tephra-fall hazards at Hanford, Washington, from a future eruption of Mount St. Helens
Hanford, Washington (USA) is the construction site of a multi-billion-dollar high-level nuclear waste treatment facility. This site lies 200 kilometers (km) east of Mount St. Helens (MSH), the most active volcano in the contiguous United States. Tephra from a future MSH eruption could pose a hazard to the air intake and filtration systems at this plant. In this report, we present a probabilistic e
Comparing simulations of umbrella-cloud growth and ash transport with observations from Pinatubo, Kelud, and Calbuco volcanoes
The largest explosive volcanic eruptions produce umbrella clouds that drive ash radially outward, enlarging the area that impacts aviation and ground-based communities. Models must consider the effects of umbrella spreading when forecasting hazards from these eruptions. In this paper we test a version of the advection–dispersion model Ash3d that considers umbrella spreading by comparing its simula
Combining ash analyses with remote sensing to identify juvenile magma involvement and fragmentation mechanisms during the 2018/19 small eruption of Peteroa volcano (Southern Andes)
The Planchón Peteroa Volcanic Complex (PPVC) is located on the border of Chile and Argentina, and is one of the most active volcanic systems in the Andes. Holocene activity has included magma-water interaction with an evolving series of crater lakes, mainly sourced from Peteroa volcano. This study examines data from the 2018/19 eruption, together with the volcanic history of the PPVC, to elucidate
Did ice-charging generate volcanic lightning during the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska?
The 2016–2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano in Alaska injected plumes of ash and seawater to maximum heights of ~ 12 km. More than 4550 volcanic lightning strokes were detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) over 9 months. Lightning assisted monitoring efforts by confirming ash-producing explosions in near-real
Constraints on eruption processes and event masses for the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska, through evaluation of IASI satellite SO2 masses and complementary datasets
Bogoslof volcano, Alaska, experienced at least 70 explosive eruptions between 12 December 2016 and 31 August 2017. Due to its remote location and limited local monitoring network, this eruption was monitored and characterized primarily using remote geophysical and satellite techniques. SO2 emissions from Bogoslof were persistently detected by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)
Seismo-acoustic evidence for vent drying during shallow submarine eruptions at Bogoslof volcano, Alaska
Characterizing the state of the volcanic vent is key for interpreting observational datasets and accurately assessing volcanic hazards. This is particularly true for remote, complex eruptions such as the 2016–2017 Bogoslof volcano, Alaska eruption sequence. Bogoslof’s eruptions in this period were either shallow submarine or subaerial, or some combination of both. Our results demonstrate how low-f
Field trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington—Recent and ancient volcaniclastic processes and deposits
This field guide explores volcanic effusions, sediments, and landforms at Mount St. Helens in Washington. A detailed synopsis outlines the eruptive history of Mount St. Helens from about 300,000 years ago through 1980 and beyond.The five days in the field include about 28 stops and 12 potential stops. Exposures in valleys surrounding Mount St. Helens reveal records of diverse Pleistocene and Holoc
Laboratory experiments of volcanic ash resuspension by wind
Fresh volcanic eruption deposits tend to be loose, bare, and readily resuspended by wind. Major resuspension events in Patagonia, Iceland, and Alaska have lofted ash clouds with potential to impact aircraft, infrastructure, and downwind communities. However, poor constraints on this resuspension process limit our ability to model this phenomenon. Here, we present laboratory experiments measuring t
Modeling ash dispersal from future eruptions of Taupo supervolcano
Hazard analysis at caldera volcanoes is challenging due to the wide range of eruptive and environmental conditions that can plausibly occur during renewed activity. Taupo volcano, New Zealand, is a frequently active and productive rhyolitic caldera volcano that has hosted the world's youngest known supereruption and numerous smaller explosive events. To assess ashfall hazard from future eruptions,
Volcanic hail detected with GPS: The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn Volcano, Iceland
Volcanic plumes are challenging to detect and characterize rapidly, but insights into processes such as hail formation or ash aggregation are valuable to hazard forecasts during volcanic crises. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS, which includes GPS) signals traveling from satellites to ground receivers can be disturbed by volcanic plumes. To date, two effects aiding plume detection from GNS
Globally detected volcanic lightning and umbrella dynamics during the 2014 eruption of Kelud, Indonesia
Volcanic lightning shows considerable promise as a monitoring and research tool to characterize explosive eruptions. Its key strengths are rapid and remote detection, because the radio signals produced by lightning can propagate thousands of km at the speed of light. Despite these tantalizing properties, the scientific work on volcanic lightning has only recently started gaining momentum. Much mor
Data used to develop a probabilistic assessment of tephra-fall hazards at Hanford, Washington
Data in this data release contain Model input and output for simulations used to estimate the amount of tephra that could fall on the Hanford nuclear waste repository. The results of that study were written up in the report: Mastin, L.G., Van Eaton, A.E., and Schwaiger, H.F., 2020 A Probabilistic Assessment of Tephra-Fall Hazards at Hanford, Washington, from a Future Eruption of Mount St. Helens,
Observations and model simulations of umbrella-cloud growth during eruptions of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines, June 15, 1991), Kelud Volcano (Indonesia, February 14, 2014), and Calbuco Volcano (Chile, April 22-23, 2015)
Model output to accompany the paper "Comparing Simulations of Umbrella-Cloud Growth and Ash Transport with Observations from Pinatubo, Kelud, and Calbuco Volcanoes", by L.G. Mastin and Alexa Van Eaton, published by the journal Atmosphere. The data release includes model input and output used to generate figures in the paper. Reference: Mastin, L.G., and Van Eaton, A.R., 2020, Comparing Simulation
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 26
The Independent Volcanic Eruption Source Parameter Archive (IVESPA, version 1.0): A new observational database to support explosive eruptive column model validation and development
Eruptive column models are powerful tools for investigating the transport of volcanic gas and ash, reconstructing past explosive eruptions, and simulating future hazards. However, the evaluation of these models is challenging as it requires independent estimates of the main model inputs (e.g. mass eruption rate) and outputs (e.g. column height). There exists no database of independently estimatedA probabilistic assessment of tephra-fall hazards at Hanford, Washington, from a future eruption of Mount St. Helens
Hanford, Washington (USA) is the construction site of a multi-billion-dollar high-level nuclear waste treatment facility. This site lies 200 kilometers (km) east of Mount St. Helens (MSH), the most active volcano in the contiguous United States. Tephra from a future MSH eruption could pose a hazard to the air intake and filtration systems at this plant. In this report, we present a probabilistic eComparing simulations of umbrella-cloud growth and ash transport with observations from Pinatubo, Kelud, and Calbuco volcanoes
The largest explosive volcanic eruptions produce umbrella clouds that drive ash radially outward, enlarging the area that impacts aviation and ground-based communities. Models must consider the effects of umbrella spreading when forecasting hazards from these eruptions. In this paper we test a version of the advection–dispersion model Ash3d that considers umbrella spreading by comparing its simulaCombining ash analyses with remote sensing to identify juvenile magma involvement and fragmentation mechanisms during the 2018/19 small eruption of Peteroa volcano (Southern Andes)
The Planchón Peteroa Volcanic Complex (PPVC) is located on the border of Chile and Argentina, and is one of the most active volcanic systems in the Andes. Holocene activity has included magma-water interaction with an evolving series of crater lakes, mainly sourced from Peteroa volcano. This study examines data from the 2018/19 eruption, together with the volcanic history of the PPVC, to elucidateDid ice-charging generate volcanic lightning during the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska?
The 2016–2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano in Alaska injected plumes of ash and seawater to maximum heights of ~ 12 km. More than 4550 volcanic lightning strokes were detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) over 9 months. Lightning assisted monitoring efforts by confirming ash-producing explosions in near-realConstraints on eruption processes and event masses for the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska, through evaluation of IASI satellite SO2 masses and complementary datasets
Bogoslof volcano, Alaska, experienced at least 70 explosive eruptions between 12 December 2016 and 31 August 2017. Due to its remote location and limited local monitoring network, this eruption was monitored and characterized primarily using remote geophysical and satellite techniques. SO2 emissions from Bogoslof were persistently detected by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)Seismo-acoustic evidence for vent drying during shallow submarine eruptions at Bogoslof volcano, Alaska
Characterizing the state of the volcanic vent is key for interpreting observational datasets and accurately assessing volcanic hazards. This is particularly true for remote, complex eruptions such as the 2016–2017 Bogoslof volcano, Alaska eruption sequence. Bogoslof’s eruptions in this period were either shallow submarine or subaerial, or some combination of both. Our results demonstrate how low-fField trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington—Recent and ancient volcaniclastic processes and deposits
This field guide explores volcanic effusions, sediments, and landforms at Mount St. Helens in Washington. A detailed synopsis outlines the eruptive history of Mount St. Helens from about 300,000 years ago through 1980 and beyond.The five days in the field include about 28 stops and 12 potential stops. Exposures in valleys surrounding Mount St. Helens reveal records of diverse Pleistocene and HolocLaboratory experiments of volcanic ash resuspension by wind
Fresh volcanic eruption deposits tend to be loose, bare, and readily resuspended by wind. Major resuspension events in Patagonia, Iceland, and Alaska have lofted ash clouds with potential to impact aircraft, infrastructure, and downwind communities. However, poor constraints on this resuspension process limit our ability to model this phenomenon. Here, we present laboratory experiments measuring tModeling ash dispersal from future eruptions of Taupo supervolcano
Hazard analysis at caldera volcanoes is challenging due to the wide range of eruptive and environmental conditions that can plausibly occur during renewed activity. Taupo volcano, New Zealand, is a frequently active and productive rhyolitic caldera volcano that has hosted the world's youngest known supereruption and numerous smaller explosive events. To assess ashfall hazard from future eruptions,Volcanic hail detected with GPS: The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn Volcano, Iceland
Volcanic plumes are challenging to detect and characterize rapidly, but insights into processes such as hail formation or ash aggregation are valuable to hazard forecasts during volcanic crises. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS, which includes GPS) signals traveling from satellites to ground receivers can be disturbed by volcanic plumes. To date, two effects aiding plume detection from GNSGlobally detected volcanic lightning and umbrella dynamics during the 2014 eruption of Kelud, Indonesia
Volcanic lightning shows considerable promise as a monitoring and research tool to characterize explosive eruptions. Its key strengths are rapid and remote detection, because the radio signals produced by lightning can propagate thousands of km at the speed of light. Despite these tantalizing properties, the scientific work on volcanic lightning has only recently started gaining momentum. Much mor - Data
Data used to develop a probabilistic assessment of tephra-fall hazards at Hanford, Washington
Data in this data release contain Model input and output for simulations used to estimate the amount of tephra that could fall on the Hanford nuclear waste repository. The results of that study were written up in the report: Mastin, L.G., Van Eaton, A.E., and Schwaiger, H.F., 2020 A Probabilistic Assessment of Tephra-Fall Hazards at Hanford, Washington, from a Future Eruption of Mount St. Helens,Observations and model simulations of umbrella-cloud growth during eruptions of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines, June 15, 1991), Kelud Volcano (Indonesia, February 14, 2014), and Calbuco Volcano (Chile, April 22-23, 2015)
Model output to accompany the paper "Comparing Simulations of Umbrella-Cloud Growth and Ash Transport with Observations from Pinatubo, Kelud, and Calbuco Volcanoes", by L.G. Mastin and Alexa Van Eaton, published by the journal Atmosphere. The data release includes model input and output used to generate figures in the paper. Reference: Mastin, L.G., and Van Eaton, A.R., 2020, Comparing Simulation