Hannah works on eruption dynamics, remote sensing, and quantitative volcanic hazard assessment at the USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, AK.
Hannah Dietterich is a Research Geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory. Her work focuses on the physics of volcanic processes, remote sensing of volcanic activity, numerical modeling of volcanic hazards, and probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment. She integrates geologic mapping, physical volcanology, remote sensing, and numerical modeling with observations of ongoing eruptions to advance our understanding of volcanic hazards.
Professional Experience
2018–present, Research Geophysicist, USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory, Anchorage, AK
2015–2018, Research Geologist (postdoc), USGS Volcano Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
2014–2014, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR and University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
2013–2014, Graduate Teaching Fellow, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
2010–2013, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
2009–2010, Graduate Teaching Fellow, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Education and Certifications
University of Oregon: Ph.D. (2014), Geological Sciences
Pomona College: B.A. (2009), Geology
Science and Products
Digital elevation models and orthoimagery from the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof, Alaska
Aerial photography surveys during and after the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof Volcano, Alaska were conducted to track the evolution of the lava flow field, active volcanic vent, and glacial ice loss from the eruption. Imagery from two surveys was processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric methods to derive the digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos in this data release. The
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of K'lauea Volcano, Hawaii
This dataset contains Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) footage from the 2018 eruption of K'lauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone (LERZ), Island of Hawai'i. The four-month-long eruption, from May 3 to September 5, produced lava flows that destroyed 723 structures, inundated 35.5 km2 of land, and added 3.5 km2 of new land to the Island of Hawai'i. There are 1178 UAS videos in this publication, recor
Database for the Geologic Map of the Northern Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Harrat Rahat volcanic field, located in the west-central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest of 15 harrats (Arabic for 'volcanic field') hosted within the Arabian plate. Harrat Rahat is 50 to 75 km wide (east-west) and 300 km long (north-south), covering an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometers and encompassing more than 900 observable vents. The overall map area and i
Geologic map of the northern Harrat Rahat volcanic field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Harrat Rahat, in the west-central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest of 15 Cenozoic harrats (Arabic for “volcanic field”) distributed on the Arabian plate. It extends more than 300 km north-south and 50 to 75 km east-west, and it covers an area of approximately 20,000 km2, has a volume of approximately 2,000 km3, and encompasses more than 900 observable vents. Volcanism commenced
Filter Total Items: 22
Toward next-generation lava flow forecasting: Development of a fast, physics-based lava propagation model
During effusive volcanic crises, the eruption and propagation of lava flows pose a significant hazard to nearby populations, homes, and infrastructure. Consequently, timely lava flow forecasts are a critical need for volcano observatory and emergency management operations. Previous lava flow modeling tools are typically either too slow to produce timely forecasts, or are fast, but lack critical as
Can lava flow like water? Assessing applications of critical flow theory to channelized basaltic lava flows
Flowing lava and water have dramatically different physical properties but can form similar hydraulic structures, including undular hydraulic jumps, or standing wave trains. In water flows, undular hydraulic jumps are evidence of critical flow (Froude number ∼1) and open-channel hydraulic theory provides a powerful tool for estimating flow depth and velocity. Monitoring these parameters in an acti
Quantifying large-scale surface change using SAR amplitude images: Crater morphology changes during the 2019-2020 Shishaldin Volcano eruption
Morphological processes often induce meter-scale elevation changes. When a volcano erupts, tracking such processes provides insights into the style and evolution of eruptive activity and related hazards. Compared to optical remote-sensing products, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observes surface change during inclement weather and at night. Differential SAR interferometry estimates phase change be
The 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof, Alaska
The 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof occurred from September 3–4 to December 27, lasting about 114 days. This report summarizes the types of volcanic unrest that accompanied the eruption and provides a chronology of events and observations. Information about the 2018 eruption was derived from geophysical instrumentation on or near the volcano that included an eight-station seismic network and reg
A look ahead to the next decade at US volcano observatories
Volcano monitoring, eruption response, and hazard assessment at volcanoes in the United States of America (US) fall under the mandate of five regional volcano observatories covering 161 active volcanoes. Working in a wide range of volcanic and geographic settings, US observatories must learn from and apply new knowledge and techniques to a great variety of scientific and hazard communication probl
Structured elicitation of expert judgement in real-time eruption scenarios: An exercise for Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion island
Formalised elicitation of expert judgements has been used to help tackle several problematic societal issues, including volcanic crises and pandemic threats. We present an expert elicitation exercise for Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion island, held remotely in April 2021. This involved 28 experts from nine countries who considered a hypothetical effusive eruption crisis involving a new v
Evolution in eruptive style of the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof volcano, Alaska, reflected in groundmass textures and remote sensing
Variable eruptive style and explosivity is common in basaltic to basaltic andesite volcanoes but can have uncertain origins. Veniaminof volcano in the Alaska-Aleutian arc is a frequently active open-vent center, regularly producing Strombolian eruptions and small lava flows from an intracaldera cone within an intracaldera ice cap. The September–December 2018 eruption of Veniaminof evolved in explo
Evaluating lava flow propagation models with a case study from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i
The 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption of Kīlauea, Hawai’i, provides an excellent natural laboratory with which to test models of lava flow propagation. During early stages of eruption crises, the most useful lava flow propagation equations utilize readily determined parameters and require fewer a priori assumptions about future behavior of the flow. Here, we leverage the numerous observati
High-speed lava flow infrasound from Kīlauea’s fissure 8 and its utility in monitoring effusion rate
The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano produced large and destructive lava flows from the fissure 8 (Ahu ‘aila ‘au) vent with flow velocities up to 17 m s−1, highly variable effusion rates over both short (minutes) and long (hours) time scales, and a proximal channel or spillway that displayed flow features similar to open channel flow in river systems. Monitoring such dynamic vent and lava flow sys
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
The 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano produced one of the largest and most destructive lava flows in Hawai’i during the past 200 years. Over the course of more than 3 months, twenty-four fissures erupted, and the rate of lava effusion varied by two orders of magnitude, with significant implications for evolving flow behavior and hazards. Syn-eruptive data were collected
Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges
Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are developing into fundamental tools for tackling the grand challenges in volcanology; here, we review the systems used and their diverse applications. UAS can typically provide image and topographic data at two orders of magnitude better spatial resolution than space-based remote sensing, and close-range observations at temporal resolutions down to those of vide
Analog experiments of lava flow emplacement
Laboratory experiments that simulate lava flows have been in use by volcanologists for many years. The behavior of flows in the lab, where “eruption” parameters, material properties, and environmental settings are tightly controlled, provides insight into the influence of various factors on flow evolution. A second benefit of laboratory lava flows is to provide a set of observations with which num
Non-USGS Publications**
Dietterich, H. R., Soule, S. A., Cashman, K. V. and Mackey, B. H. (2015) Lava Flows in 3D, in Hawaiian Volcanoes: From Source to Surface (eds R. Carey, V. Cayol, M. Poland and D. Weis), John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ. doi: 10.1002/9781118872079.ch22
Dietterich, H. R., and K. V. Cashman (2014), Channel networks within lava flows: Formation, evolution, and implications for flow behavior, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 119, 1704–1724, doi:10.1002/2014JF003103.
Cashman, K. V., S. A. Soule, B. H. Mackey, N. I. Deligne, N. Deardorff, and H. R. Dietterich, (2013), How lava flows: New insights from applications of lidar technologies to lava flow studies, Geosphere, 9, 1664-1680, doi:10.1130/GES00706.1.
Dietterich, H.R., and S. L. de Silva (2010), Sulfur yield of the 1600 eruption of Huaynaputina determined by apatite compositions, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 197, 303-312, doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2010.01.003.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Data
Digital elevation models and orthoimagery from the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof, Alaska
Aerial photography surveys during and after the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof Volcano, Alaska were conducted to track the evolution of the lava flow field, active volcanic vent, and glacial ice loss from the eruption. Imagery from two surveys was processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric methods to derive the digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos in this data release. TheUnoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of K'lauea Volcano, Hawaii
This dataset contains Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) footage from the 2018 eruption of K'lauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone (LERZ), Island of Hawai'i. The four-month-long eruption, from May 3 to September 5, produced lava flows that destroyed 723 structures, inundated 35.5 km2 of land, and added 3.5 km2 of new land to the Island of Hawai'i. There are 1178 UAS videos in this publication, recorDatabase for the Geologic Map of the Northern Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Harrat Rahat volcanic field, located in the west-central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest of 15 harrats (Arabic for 'volcanic field') hosted within the Arabian plate. Harrat Rahat is 50 to 75 km wide (east-west) and 300 km long (north-south), covering an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometers and encompassing more than 900 observable vents. The overall map area and i - Maps
Geologic map of the northern Harrat Rahat volcanic field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Harrat Rahat, in the west-central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest of 15 Cenozoic harrats (Arabic for “volcanic field”) distributed on the Arabian plate. It extends more than 300 km north-south and 50 to 75 km east-west, and it covers an area of approximately 20,000 km2, has a volume of approximately 2,000 km3, and encompasses more than 900 observable vents. Volcanism commenced - Publications
Filter Total Items: 22
Toward next-generation lava flow forecasting: Development of a fast, physics-based lava propagation model
During effusive volcanic crises, the eruption and propagation of lava flows pose a significant hazard to nearby populations, homes, and infrastructure. Consequently, timely lava flow forecasts are a critical need for volcano observatory and emergency management operations. Previous lava flow modeling tools are typically either too slow to produce timely forecasts, or are fast, but lack critical asCan lava flow like water? Assessing applications of critical flow theory to channelized basaltic lava flows
Flowing lava and water have dramatically different physical properties but can form similar hydraulic structures, including undular hydraulic jumps, or standing wave trains. In water flows, undular hydraulic jumps are evidence of critical flow (Froude number ∼1) and open-channel hydraulic theory provides a powerful tool for estimating flow depth and velocity. Monitoring these parameters in an actiQuantifying large-scale surface change using SAR amplitude images: Crater morphology changes during the 2019-2020 Shishaldin Volcano eruption
Morphological processes often induce meter-scale elevation changes. When a volcano erupts, tracking such processes provides insights into the style and evolution of eruptive activity and related hazards. Compared to optical remote-sensing products, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observes surface change during inclement weather and at night. Differential SAR interferometry estimates phase change beThe 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof, Alaska
The 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof occurred from September 3–4 to December 27, lasting about 114 days. This report summarizes the types of volcanic unrest that accompanied the eruption and provides a chronology of events and observations. Information about the 2018 eruption was derived from geophysical instrumentation on or near the volcano that included an eight-station seismic network and regA look ahead to the next decade at US volcano observatories
Volcano monitoring, eruption response, and hazard assessment at volcanoes in the United States of America (US) fall under the mandate of five regional volcano observatories covering 161 active volcanoes. Working in a wide range of volcanic and geographic settings, US observatories must learn from and apply new knowledge and techniques to a great variety of scientific and hazard communication problStructured elicitation of expert judgement in real-time eruption scenarios: An exercise for Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion island
Formalised elicitation of expert judgements has been used to help tackle several problematic societal issues, including volcanic crises and pandemic threats. We present an expert elicitation exercise for Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion island, held remotely in April 2021. This involved 28 experts from nine countries who considered a hypothetical effusive eruption crisis involving a new vEvolution in eruptive style of the 2018 eruption of Veniaminof volcano, Alaska, reflected in groundmass textures and remote sensing
Variable eruptive style and explosivity is common in basaltic to basaltic andesite volcanoes but can have uncertain origins. Veniaminof volcano in the Alaska-Aleutian arc is a frequently active open-vent center, regularly producing Strombolian eruptions and small lava flows from an intracaldera cone within an intracaldera ice cap. The September–December 2018 eruption of Veniaminof evolved in exploEvaluating lava flow propagation models with a case study from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i
The 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption of Kīlauea, Hawai’i, provides an excellent natural laboratory with which to test models of lava flow propagation. During early stages of eruption crises, the most useful lava flow propagation equations utilize readily determined parameters and require fewer a priori assumptions about future behavior of the flow. Here, we leverage the numerous observatiHigh-speed lava flow infrasound from Kīlauea’s fissure 8 and its utility in monitoring effusion rate
The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano produced large and destructive lava flows from the fissure 8 (Ahu ‘aila ‘au) vent with flow velocities up to 17 m s−1, highly variable effusion rates over both short (minutes) and long (hours) time scales, and a proximal channel or spillway that displayed flow features similar to open channel flow in river systems. Monitoring such dynamic vent and lava flow sysLava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
The 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano produced one of the largest and most destructive lava flows in Hawai’i during the past 200 years. Over the course of more than 3 months, twenty-four fissures erupted, and the rate of lava effusion varied by two orders of magnitude, with significant implications for evolving flow behavior and hazards. Syn-eruptive data were collectedVolcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges
Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are developing into fundamental tools for tackling the grand challenges in volcanology; here, we review the systems used and their diverse applications. UAS can typically provide image and topographic data at two orders of magnitude better spatial resolution than space-based remote sensing, and close-range observations at temporal resolutions down to those of videAnalog experiments of lava flow emplacement
Laboratory experiments that simulate lava flows have been in use by volcanologists for many years. The behavior of flows in the lab, where “eruption” parameters, material properties, and environmental settings are tightly controlled, provides insight into the influence of various factors on flow evolution. A second benefit of laboratory lava flows is to provide a set of observations with which numNon-USGS Publications**
Dietterich, H. R., Soule, S. A., Cashman, K. V. and Mackey, B. H. (2015) Lava Flows in 3D, in Hawaiian Volcanoes: From Source to Surface (eds R. Carey, V. Cayol, M. Poland and D. Weis), John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ. doi: 10.1002/9781118872079.ch22Dietterich, H. R., and K. V. Cashman (2014), Channel networks within lava flows: Formation, evolution, and implications for flow behavior, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 119, 1704–1724, doi:10.1002/2014JF003103.Cashman, K. V., S. A. Soule, B. H. Mackey, N. I. Deligne, N. Deardorff, and H. R. Dietterich, (2013), How lava flows: New insights from applications of lidar technologies to lava flow studies, Geosphere, 9, 1664-1680, doi:10.1130/GES00706.1.Dietterich, H.R., and S. L. de Silva (2010), Sulfur yield of the 1600 eruption of Huaynaputina determined by apatite compositions, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 197, 303-312, doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2010.01.003.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.