I study infrasound and seismic data from restless and erupting volcanoes in Alaska and around the world. Analyzing geophysical data from volcanoes helps me better understand the processes that generate the signals and informs the hazards associated with those processes. My research also aims to identify and develop better tools for monitoring changing and potentially hazardous eruptive activity.
Education
2011* - Ph.D. Geophysics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI *Includes 2 years (2005-07) of Peace Corps Service (Guatemala)
2002 - M.S. Geology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
1998 - B.S. Geology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
Professional Experience
Research Geophysicist, Volcano Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK (2016 – present)
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, Volcano Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK (Nov. 2012 – Feb. 2016)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Instituto Geofísico – Escuela Politécnica, Ecuador (Sept. 2011 – Oct. 2012)
Research Scientist, Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo (May 2011 – Sept. 2011)
Education and Certifications
PhD in geophysics: Michigan Technological University (2004 – 2011*)
*Includes 27 months (2005-2007) of Peace Corps Service as part of Ph.D. studyMS in geology: University of Idaho (2002 – 2004)
BS (honors) in geology: Missouri State University (1998 – 2002)
Science and Products
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired at Mount Pagan volcano (Mariana Islands) on 6 April 2014
On 6 April 2014, a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument was used to measure the radiance of scattered solar radiation passing through the plume emitted from Mount Pagan volcano, Mariana Islands. Spectra were recorded in the ultraviolet (UV: 240 - 390 nm) wavelength range at 0.6 nm resolution. A scanner was used to scan the spectrometer's viewing direction vertically throu
Filter Total Items: 29
Atmospheric waves and global seismoacoustic observations of the January 2022 Hunga eruption, Tonga
The 15 January 2022 climactic eruption of Hunga volcano, Tonga, produced an explosion in the atmosphere of a size that has not been documented in the modern geophysical record. The event generated a broad range of atmospheric waves observed globally by various ground-based and spaceborne instrumentation networks. Most prominent was the surface-guided Lamb wave (≲0.01 hertz), which we observed prop
Tracking secondary lahar flow paths and characterizing pulses and surges using infrasound array networks at Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala
Lahars are one of the greatest hazards at many volcanoes, including Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala). On 1 December 2018 at 8:00pm local Guatemala time (2:00:00 UTC), an hour-long lahar event was detected at Volcán de Fuego by two permanent seismo-acoustic stations along the Las Lajas channel on the southeast side. To establish the timing, duration, and speed of the lahar, infrasound array records were
Fitting jet noise similarity spectra to volcano infrasound data
Infrasound (low-frequency acoustic waves) has proven useful to detect and characterize subaerial volcanic activity, but understanding the infrasonic source during sustained eruptions is still an area of active research. Preliminary comparison between acoustic eruption spectra and the jet noise similarity spectra suggests that volcanoes can produce an infrasonic form of jet noise from turbulence. T
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
Local explosion detection and infrasound localization by reverse time migration using 3-D finite-difference wave propagation
Infrasound data are routinely used to detect and locate volcanic and other explosions, using both arrays and single sensor networks. However, at local distances (
Linking subsurface to surface using gas emission and melt inclusion data at Mount Cleveland volcano, Alaska
Mount Cleveland is one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, yet little is known about the magmatic system driving persistent and dynamic volcanic activity. Volcanic gas and melt inclusion (MI) data from 2016 were combined to investigate shallow magmatic processes. SO2 emission rates were between 166 and 324 t/day and the H2O/SO2 was 600 ± 53, whereas CO2 and H2S were below detection. Olivine‐, clino
Introduction to multi-criteria decision analysis
No abstract available.
Evolving infrasound detections from Bogoslof volcano, Alaska: Insights from atmospheric propagation modeling
Bogoslof volcano, a back-arc volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian arc, began an eruptive sequence in mid-December 2016 that ended in late August 2017, with 70 individual eruptive episodes. Because there were no local seismic or infrasound stations on the island, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) relied on distant geophysical networks and remote sensing techniques to assess activity during the eruption.
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
Infrasound generated by the 2016-2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska
The 2016–2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano produced numerous infrasound signals over 9 months that were recorded on six Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) arrays at ranges of 59 to over 800 km from the volcano. The lack of geophysical monitoring near Bogoslof and the repeated production of volcanic clouds to flight levels made monitoring by remote infrasound critical during the eru
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
Science and Products
- Data
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired at Mount Pagan volcano (Mariana Islands) on 6 April 2014
On 6 April 2014, a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument was used to measure the radiance of scattered solar radiation passing through the plume emitted from Mount Pagan volcano, Mariana Islands. Spectra were recorded in the ultraviolet (UV: 240 - 390 nm) wavelength range at 0.6 nm resolution. A scanner was used to scan the spectrometer's viewing direction vertically throu - Publications
Filter Total Items: 29
Atmospheric waves and global seismoacoustic observations of the January 2022 Hunga eruption, Tonga
The 15 January 2022 climactic eruption of Hunga volcano, Tonga, produced an explosion in the atmosphere of a size that has not been documented in the modern geophysical record. The event generated a broad range of atmospheric waves observed globally by various ground-based and spaceborne instrumentation networks. Most prominent was the surface-guided Lamb wave (≲0.01 hertz), which we observed propTracking secondary lahar flow paths and characterizing pulses and surges using infrasound array networks at Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala
Lahars are one of the greatest hazards at many volcanoes, including Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala). On 1 December 2018 at 8:00pm local Guatemala time (2:00:00 UTC), an hour-long lahar event was detected at Volcán de Fuego by two permanent seismo-acoustic stations along the Las Lajas channel on the southeast side. To establish the timing, duration, and speed of the lahar, infrasound array records wereFitting jet noise similarity spectra to volcano infrasound data
Infrasound (low-frequency acoustic waves) has proven useful to detect and characterize subaerial volcanic activity, but understanding the infrasonic source during sustained eruptions is still an area of active research. Preliminary comparison between acoustic eruption spectra and the jet noise similarity spectra suggests that volcanoes can produce an infrasonic form of jet noise from turbulence. THigh-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 sysLocal explosion detection and infrasound localization by reverse time migration using 3-D finite-difference wave propagation
Infrasound data are routinely used to detect and locate volcanic and other explosions, using both arrays and single sensor networks. However, at local distances (Linking subsurface to surface using gas emission and melt inclusion data at Mount Cleveland volcano, Alaska
Mount Cleveland is one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, yet little is known about the magmatic system driving persistent and dynamic volcanic activity. Volcanic gas and melt inclusion (MI) data from 2016 were combined to investigate shallow magmatic processes. SO2 emission rates were between 166 and 324 t/day and the H2O/SO2 was 600 ± 53, whereas CO2 and H2S were below detection. Olivine‐, clinoIntroduction to multi-criteria decision analysis
No abstract available.Evolving infrasound detections from Bogoslof volcano, Alaska: Insights from atmospheric propagation modeling
Bogoslof volcano, a back-arc volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian arc, began an eruptive sequence in mid-December 2016 that ended in late August 2017, with 70 individual eruptive episodes. Because there were no local seismic or infrasound stations on the island, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) relied on distant geophysical networks and remote sensing techniques to assess activity during the eruption.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-realInfrasound generated by the 2016-2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska
The 2016–2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano produced numerous infrasound signals over 9 months that were recorded on six Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) arrays at ranges of 59 to over 800 km from the volcano. The lack of geophysical monitoring near Bogoslof and the repeated production of volcanic clouds to flight levels made monitoring by remote infrasound critical during the eruConstraints 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 - Multimedia