Frank A. Trusdell is a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Trusdell’s work has included a wide range of field-based studies and the production of detailed geologic maps of Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world. To date he has completed four of five maps, each encompassing an area of Mauna Loa from its summit to sea level. These geologic maps provide information on the long-term eruptive behavior of the volcano. Trusdell also led the effort to create and publish lava inundation zone maps for Mauna Loa (https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3387). These nine maps, which identify parts of the volcano that could erupt and send lava flows downslope, provide information that will help emergency managers identify people, property, and facilities at risk during future Mauna Loa eruptions.
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Core logs from three shallow holes drilled in summer 2000 into the flanks of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawaii
Colorimeter data for the summit water lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi, 2020
Sample details and near-real-time ED-XRF, grain size, and grain shape data collected during the November – December 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi
Digital database of the geologic map of Alamagan Volcano, northern Mariana Islands
Geologic map of the southern flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawaii
Geologic map of the central-southeast flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Lava inundation zone maps for Mauna Loa, Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii
Geologic map of the northeast flank of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaii
Geologic map of the middle east rift geothermal subzone, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
Explosive activity on Kilauea’s Lower East Rift Zone fueled by a volatile-rich, dacitic melt
Have humans influenced volcanic activity on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano? A publication review
Digital database of the geologic map of the middle east rift geothermal subzone, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
Communication strategy of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the lava-flow crisis of 2014–2015, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano
Holocene paleointensity of the Island of Hawai'i from glassy volcanics
Explosive eruptions at the summit of Mauna Loa: Lithology, modeling, and dating
Thermal mapping of a pahoehoe lava flow, Kilauea Volcano
The 2014-2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i: Disaster avoided and lessons learned
Long period seismicity and very long period infrasound driven by shallow magmatic degassing at Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands
Long period (LP) seismicity and very long period infrasound (iVLP) were recorded during continuous degassing from Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands, in July 2013 to January 2014. The frequency content of the LP and iVLP events and delay times between the two arrivals were remarkably stable and indicate nearly co-located sources. Using phase-weighted stacking over similar events to dampen noise, we find
The origin of Mauna Loa's Nīnole Hills: Evidence of rift zone reorganization
Tohoku-Oki Earthquake Tsunami Runup and Inundation Data for Sites Around the Island of Hawaiʻi
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Core logs from three shallow holes drilled in summer 2000 into the flanks of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawaii
This data release includes documentation of rock core recovered from three shallow holes drilled during the summer of 2000 into the flanks of Mauna Loa volcano, on the Island of Hawai‘i, Hawaii. Holes were drilled to accommodate installation of U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory volcano-monitoring instruments in the year 2000. Rock core recovered from the holes, which extend 112–1Colorimeter data for the summit water lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi, 2020
In 2018, a large effusive eruption on the lower flank of Kīlauea Volcano was associated with collapse and subsidence of the summit caldera floor (Neal and others, 2019). The bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu, a crater nested within the summit caldera, subsided by more than 500 m. In July 2019, water was observed ponding on the deepest part of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor and the water rose and enlarged inSample details and near-real-time ED-XRF, grain size, and grain shape data collected during the November – December 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi
At 11:21 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time [HST]) on November 27, 2022, Mauna Loa volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi started erupting from fissures at its summit caldera, Mokuʻāweoweo. This was followed shortly afterwards by the opening of a segment of fissures in the direction of the Southwest Rift Zone. These were mostly within the structural boundary of the caldera, so their location is denoted as ‘SoutDigital database of the geologic map of Alamagan Volcano, northern Mariana Islands
Alamagan Volcano is a Quaternary stratovolcano along the Mariana Arc, an active subduction zone in the western Pacific Ocean. Although primarily submerged, its peak reaches above sea level, with subaerially-exposed volcanic deposits dating back through the Holocene to the late Pleistocene. These feature data represent such deposits and other geologic features of Alamagan Volcano, describing its in - Maps
Geologic map of the southern flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawaii
On the Island of Hawaiʻi, Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 33 times since written descriptions became available in 1832. Some eruptions began with only brief seismic unrest, whereas others followed several months to a year of increased seismicity. Once underway, its eruptions can produce lava flows that may reach the sea in less than 24 hours, severing roads and utilities. In tGeologic map of the central-southeast flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 33 times since written descriptions became available in 1832. Some eruptions began with only brief seismic unrest, while others followed several months to a year of increased seismicity. Once underway, its eruptions can produce lava flows that may reach the sea in less than 24 hours, severing roads and utilities. For example, lava flows eruptedLava inundation zone maps for Mauna Loa, Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii
Lava flows from Mauna Loa volcano, on the Island of Hawaiʻi, constitute a significant hazard to people and property. This report addresses those lava flow hazards, mapping 18 potential lava inundation zones on the island.Geologic map of the northeast flank of Mauna Loa volcano, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaii
SummaryMauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 33 times since written descriptions became available in 1832. Some eruptions were preceded by only brief seismic unrest, while others followed several months to a year of increased seismicity.The majority of the eruptions of Mauna Loa began in the summit area (>12,000-ft elevation; Lockwood and Lipman, 1987); yet the Northeast Rift Zone (Geologic map of the middle east rift geothermal subzone, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the southeastern part of the Island of Hawai'i. The middle east rift zone (MERZ) map includes about 27 square kilometers of the MERZ and shows the distribution of the products of 37 separate eruptions during late Holocene time. Lava flows erupted during 1983-96 have reached the mapped area. The subaerial part of the MERZ is 3-4 km wide and about 18 km long. I - Publications
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Explosive activity on Kilauea’s Lower East Rift Zone fueled by a volatile-rich, dacitic melt
Magmas with matrix glass compositions ranging from basalt to dacite erupted from a series of 24 fissures in the first two weeks of the 2018 Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption of Kīlauea Volcano. Eruption styles ranged from low spattering and fountaining to strombolian activity. Major element trajectories in matrix glasses and melt inclusions hosted by olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase are consisAuthorsPenny E. Wieser, Marie Edmonds, Cheryl Gansecki, John Maclennan, Frances E. Jenner, Barbara Kunz, Paula Antoshechkina, Frank A. Trusdell, R. Lopaka LeeHave humans influenced volcanic activity on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano? A publication review
Since the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, the topic of whether commercial developments not only caused the eruption to occur in the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ), but also caused its high eruption rate has been a subject of public discussion. We review Kīlauea Volcano publications from the past several decades and show that the eruptive behavior of the volcano has varied and that the 2018 eruptionAuthorsJames P. Kauahikaua, Frank A. TrusdellDigital database of the geologic map of the middle east rift geothermal subzone, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
This database release contains all the information used to produce Geologic Investigations Series I-2614 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/2614/). The main component of this digital release is a geodatabase prepared using ArcGIS, but Esri shapefiles are included as well.Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the southeastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i. The middle East Rift Zone (MERZ) map includes abAuthorsMichael H. Zoeller, Frank A. Trusdell, Richard B. MooreCommunication strategy of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the lava-flow crisis of 2014–2015, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
In 2014–2015, a slow-moving pāhoehoe lava flow from the remote Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent on Kīlauea Volcano advanced 20 km into populated areas of the Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i. The staff of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) mobilized their resources to closely monitor the flow and provide up-to-date information to the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense (HCCD) agenAuthorsSteven Brantley, James P. Kauahikaua, Janet Babb, Tim R. Orr, Matthew R. Patrick, Michael P. Poland, Frank A. Trusdell, Darryl OliveiraThe 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 DambyHolocene paleointensity of the Island of Hawai'i from glassy volcanics
This study presents new high‐quality paleointensity records and 14C radiocarbon age determinations from the Island of Hawai `i during the Holocene. Previous studies on Hawai `i use experimental methods and statistical selection criteria that may produce inaccurate geomagnetic field strength estimates. Additional high‐quality paleointensity results can be used to evaluate the existing Hawaiian dataAuthorsGeoffrey Cromwell, Frank A. Trusdell, Lisa Tauxe, Hubert Staudigel, Hagai RonExplosive eruptions at the summit of Mauna Loa: Lithology, modeling, and dating
Near Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa’s summit caldera, there are three fans of explosive deposits. The fans, located to the west, northwest, and east, are strongly arcuate in map view. Along ‘Āinapō Trail, 2.8–3.5 km southeast of the caldera, there are several small kīpuka that expose a fourth explosive deposit. Although these explosive deposits have been known for some time, no study bearing on the naturAuthorsFrank A. Trusdell, Jefferson Hungerford, John Stone, Keith Fifield, Kaitlin McCann, Harold Wershow, Shikma Zaarur, Melissa Dimeo BoydThermal mapping of a pahoehoe lava flow, Kilauea Volcano
Pāhoehoe lava flows are a major component of Hawaiian eruptive activity, and an important part of basaltic volcanism worldwide. In recent years, pāhoehoe lava has destroyed homes and threatened parts of Hawai‘i with inundation and disruption. In this study, we use oblique helicopter-borne thermal images to create high spatial resolution (~1 m) georeferenced thermal maps of the active pāhoehoe flAuthorsMatthew R. Patrick, Tim R. Orr, Gary B. Fisher, Frank A. Trusdell, James P. KauahikauaThe 2014-2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i: Disaster avoided and lessons learned
Lava flow crises are nothing new on the Island of Hawai‘i, where their destructive force has been demonstrated repeatedly over the past several hundred years. The 2014–2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis, however, was unique in terms of its societal impact and volcanological characteristics. Despite low effusion rates, a long-lived lava flow whose extent reached 20 km (the longest at Kīlauea Volcano in thAuthorsMichael P. Poland, Tim R. Orr, James P. Kauahikaua, Steven R. Brantley, Janet L. Babb, Matthew R. Patrick, Christina A. Neal, Kyle R. Anderson, Loren Antolik, Matthew K. Burgess, Tamar Elias, Steven Fuke, Pauline Fukunaga, Ingrid A. Johanson, Marian Kagimoto, Kevan P. Kamibayashi, Lopaka Lee, Asta Miklius, William Million, Cyril J. Moniz, Paul G. Okubo, Andrew Sutton, T. Jane Takahashi, Weston A. Thelen, Willam Tollett, Frank A. TrusdellLong period seismicity and very long period infrasound driven by shallow magmatic degassing at Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands
Long period (LP) seismicity and very long period infrasound (iVLP) were recorded during continuous degassing from Mount Pagan, Mariana Islands, in July 2013 to January 2014. The frequency content of the LP and iVLP events and delay times between the two arrivals were remarkably stable and indicate nearly co-located sources. Using phase-weighted stacking over similar events to dampen noise, we find
AuthorsJohn J. Lyons, Matthew M. Haney, Cynthia A. Werner, Peter J. Kelly, Matthew R. Patrick, Christoph Kern, Frank A. TrusdellThe origin of Mauna Loa's Nīnole Hills: Evidence of rift zone reorganization
In order to identify the origin of Mauna Loa volcano's Nīnole Hills, Bouguer gravity was used to delineate density contrasts within the edifice. Our survey identified two residual anomalies beneath the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) and the Nīnole Hills. The Nīnole Hills anomaly is elongated, striking northeast, and in inversions both anomalies merge at approximately −7 km above sea level. The positivAuthorsJeffrey Zurek, Glyn Williams-Jones, Frank A. Trusdell, Simon MartinTohoku-Oki Earthquake Tsunami Runup and Inundation Data for Sites Around the Island of Hawaiʻi
At 0546 U.t.c. March 11, 2011, a Mw 9.0 ("great") earthquake occurred near the northeast coast of Honshu Island, Japan, generating a large tsunami that devastated the east coast of Japan and impacted many far-flung coastal sites around the Pacific Basin. After the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for the State of Hawaii, followed by a tsunami-warning notice froAuthorsFrank A. Trusdell, Amy Chadderton, Graham Hinchliffe, Andrew Hara, Brent Patenge, Tom Weber - News
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