I work in the USGS volcanic gas geochemistry group as a Physical Science Technician, where I measure gases at volcanoes to monitor activity and understand volcanic processes. I have monitored volcanic gases in Alaska, the Cascades, and Hawaii, as well as internationally with the Volcanic Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP).
Changes in volcanic gases being emitted from volcanoes can presage volcanic unrest and possible eruptions. Gases are therefore an important monitoring tool for tracking volcanic activity.
Working with the USGS Volcano Emissions Project (VEP), I utilize both direct gas sampling (physically collecting and analyzing gases) and remote sensing (e.g., ultraviolet spectroscopy) of volcanic gases to characterize volcanic gas emissions. Accessing volcanic degassing sites is often very challenging, and my work is done by foot, car, boat, helicopter, and airplane. Once I have collected and analyzed gas measurements, I compare them to historical records of volcanic gas emissions and link them to petrology to better understand volcanic processes.
My work with the USGS has spanned from the far western Aleutian Islands, to the Cascades, and Hawaii. Volcanoes that I have particularly focused on include Makushin (AK), Augustine (AK), Mount St Helens (WA), and Kilauea (HI). I have also worked with VDAP to help install gas monitoring equipment in Indonesia, working at Sinabung, Gamalama, and Ijen volcanoes.
Professional Experience
2019 – Present: Physical Science Technician, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, WA
2020 - Present: Petrology Lab Manager and Research Scholar, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, OR
2018 – 2020: Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, OR
2015 – 2019: Graduate fellow, National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
2013 – 2015: Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant, College of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, OR
2013: Volcanology Intern, Centro de Intercambio y Investigación en Vulcanología, Universidad de Colima, Mexico
2012 – 2013: Gas Geochemistry Intern, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, HI
2011 – 2012: Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM
2009 – 2010: Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Amherst College, MA
Education and Certifications
2020 PhD, University of Oregon
“The Depths and Locations of Magma Reservoirs and their Consequences for the Behavior of Sulfur and Volcanic Degassing"2015 MSc, Oregon State University, OR
“Tracking Volatile Evolution in Magma Chambers using Zircon-Hosted Melt Inclusions: A Case Study of the 74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff, Sumatra"2010 B.A. Geology, Amherst College, MA
"The Eruption Dynamics of the 8.5 ka Driftwood Pumice-fall, Makushin Volcano, Alaska"
Science and Products
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired during the 2018 rift eruption of Kilauea Volcano
Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates
The petrologic and degassing behavior of sulfur and other magmatic volatiles from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi: Melt concentrations, magma storage depths, and magma recycling
Quantifying gas emissions associated with the 2018 rift eruption of Kīlauea Volcano using ground-based DOAS measurements
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano
Science and Products
- Data
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired during the 2018 rift eruption of Kilauea Volcano
A fissure eruption occurred in K?lauea Volcano?s Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) from April to September 2018. During this event, volcanic gases were emitted from three active areas on the volcano. The most intense degassing occurred at the active fissures in the LERZ, thus causing parts of Hawai?i Island?s Puna district to be exposed to life-threatening sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations. At the sam - Publications
Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates
Dome-building volcanic eruptions are often associated with frequent Vulcanian explosions, which constitute a substantial threat to proximal communities. One proposed mechanism driving such explosions is the sealing of the shallow volcanic system followed by pressurization due to gas accumulation beneath the seal. We investigate this hypothesis at Sinabung Volcano (Sumatra, Indonesia), which has beAuthorsSyegi Kunrat, Christoph Kern, Hilma Alfianti, Allan LernerThe petrologic and degassing behavior of sulfur and other magmatic volatiles from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi: Melt concentrations, magma storage depths, and magma recycling
Kīlauea Volcano’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption produced exceptionally high lava effusion rates and record-setting SO2 emissions. The eruption involved a diverse range of magmas, including primitive basalts sourced from Kīlauea’s summit reservoirs. We analyzed LERZ matrix glasses, melt inclusions, and host minerals to identify melt volatile contents and magma storage depths. The LERZ gAuthorsAllan Lerner, Paul J. Wallace, Thomas Shea, Adrien Mourey, Peter J. Kelly, Patricia Nadeau, Tamar Elias, Christoph Kern, Laura E. Clor, Cheryl Gansecki, R. Lopaka Lee, Lowell Moore, Cynthia A. WernerQuantifying gas emissions associated with the 2018 rift eruption of Kīlauea Volcano using ground-based DOAS measurements
Starting on 3 May 2018, a series of eruptive fissures opened in Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). Over the course of the next 3 months, intense degassing accompanied lava effusion from these fissures. Here, we report on ground-based observations of the gas emissions associated with Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption. Visual observations combined with radiative transfer modeling show that ultraviAuthorsChristoph Kern, Allan Lerner, Tamar Elias, Patricia Nadeau, Lacey Holland, Peter J. Kelly, Cynthia Werner, Laura E. Clor, Michael CapposThe 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano
In 2018, Kīlauea Volcano experienced its largest lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption and caldera collapse in at least 200 years. After collapse of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent on 30 April, magma propagated downrift. Eruptive fissures opened in the LERZ on 3 May, eventually extending ~6.8 km. A 4 May earthquake (M6.9) produced ~5 m of fault slip. Lava erupted at rates exceeding 100 m3/s, eventually coveriAuthorsChristina A. Neal, Steven Brantley, Loren Antolik, Janet Babb, Matthew K. Burgess, Michael Cappos, Jefferson Chang, Sarah Conway, Liliana G. Desmither, Peter Dotray, Tamar Elias, Pauline Fukunaga, Steven Fuke, Ingrid Johanson, Kevan Kamibayashi, James P. Kauahikaua, R. Lopaka Lee, S. Pekalib, Asta Miklius, Brian Shiro, Don Swanson, Patricia Nadeau, Michael H. Zoeller, P. Okubo, Carolyn Parcheta, Matthew R. Patrick, William Tollett, Frank A. Trusdell, Edward F. Younger, Emily Montgomery-Brown, Kyle R. Anderson, Michael P. Poland, Jessica L. Ball, Joseph A. Bard, Michelle L. Coombs, Hannah R. Dietterich, Christoph Kern, Weston Thelen, Peter Cervelli, Tim R. Orr, Bruce F. Houghton, Cheryl Gansecki, Richard Hazlett, Paul Lundgren, Angela K. Diefenbach, Allan Lerner, Greg Waite, Peter J. Kelly, Laura E. Clor, Cynthia Werner, Katherine Mulliken, Gary B. Fisher, David Damby