Kyle R Anderson
Biography
I am a research geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey at Moffett Field, California. Much of my work is focused on understanding volcanic systems using a combination of physics-based (multiphysical) volcano models and Bayesian statistics. The models I develop relate magma physics with diverse types of observations including ground deformation, eruption rate, and gas emissions. Performing Bayesian inverse analysis using these models together with data from real volcanoes, I probabilistically constrain properties of volcanic systems such as the composition and volume of stored magma. This approach can also be used in some cases to forecast future eruptive activity.
Education and Postdoctoral Experience
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellow, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (2012-2015)
PhD: Geophysics, Stanford University (2012)
MS: Geophysics, Stanford University
BA: Geology-Physics, Whitman College
Publications
Hurwitz, S. and K. R. Anderson (2019), Temporal variations in scrubbing of magmatic gases at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2019GL085904
K. R. Anderson, I. A. Johanson, M. R. Patrick, M. Gu, P. Segall, M. P. Poland, E. K. Montgomery-Brown, A. Miklius (2019), Magma reservoir failure and the onset of caldera collapse at Kīlauea Volcano in 2018, Science, doi:10.1126/science.aaz1822
M. R. Patrick, H. R. Dietterich, J. J. Lyons, A. K. Diefenbach, C. Parcheta, K. R. Anderson, A. Namiki, I. Sumita, B. Shiro, J. P. Kauahikaua (2019), Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Science, doi:10.1126/science.aay9070
Poland, M. and K. R. Anderson (2019), Partly cloudy with a chance of lava flows: forecasting volcanic eruptions in the 21st century, Journal of Geophysical Research, doi:10.1029/2018JB016974
Segall, P., K. R. Anderson, I Johanson, A. Miklius (2019), Mechanics of inflationary deformation during caldera collapse: Evidence from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2019GL084689
Delgado, F., J. Kubanek, K. Anderson, P. Lundgren, and M. Pritchard (2019), Physicochemical models of effusive rhyolitic eruptions constrained with InSAR and DEM data: a case study of the 2011-2012 Cordón Caulle eruption, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 524, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115736
Johnson, J.H., M.P. Poland, K. R. Anderson, J. Biggs (2019), A cautionary tale of topography and tilt from Kīlauea Caldera, Geophysical Research Letters, 46, doi:10.1029/2018GL081757
Patrick, M., T. Orr, K. Anderson, and D. Swanson (2019), Eruptions in sync: Improved constraints on Kīlauea Volcano's hydraulic connection, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 507, pp. 50-61, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2018.11.030
C. A. Neal, S.R. Brantley, L. Antolik, J. Babb, M. Burgess, K. Calles, M. Cappos, J. C. Chang, S. Conway, L. Desmither, P. Dotray, T. Elias, P. Fukunaga, S. Fuke, I. A. Johanson, K. Kamibayashi, J. Kauahikaua, R. L. Lee, S. Pekalib, A. Miklius, W. Million, C. J. Moniz, P. A. Nadeau, P. Okubo, C. Parcheta, M. P. Patrick, B. Shiro, D. A. Swanson, W. Tollett, F. Trusdell, E. F. Younger, M. H. Zoeller, E. K. Montgomery-Brown, K. R. Anderson, M. P. Poland, J. Ball, J. Bard, M. Coombs, H. R. Dietterich, C. Kern, W. A. Thelen, P. F. Cervelli, T. Orr, B. F. Houghton, C. Gansecki, R. Hazlett, P. Lundgren, A. K. Diefenbach, A. H. Lerner, G. Waite, P. Kelly, L. Clor, C. Werner, K. Mulliken, G. Fisher (2019), The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano, Science, doi:10.1126/science.aav7046
Arnold, D. W. D., J. Biggs, K. Anderson, S. Vallejo Vargas, G. Wadge, S. K. Ebmeier, M. F. Naranjo, and P. Mothes (2017), Decaying lava extrusion rate at El Reventador Volcano, Ecuador measured using high-resolution satellite radar, Journal of Geophysical Research, 122, pp. 9966-9988, doi:10.1002/2017JB014580
Wong, Y-Q., P. Segall, A. Bradley, and K. R. Anderson (2017), Constraining the magmatic system at Mount St. Helens (2004-2008) using Bayesian inversion with physics-based models including gas escape and crystallization, Journal of Geophysical Research, 122 (10), pp. 7789–7812, doi:10.1002/2017JB014343
Anderson, K. R., and M. P. Poland (2017), Abundant carbon in the mantle beneath Hawaiʻi, Nature Geoscience, 10 (9), pp. 704-708, doi: 10.1038/NGEO3007
Anderson, K. R., and M. P. Poland (2016), Bayesian estimation of magma supply, storage, and eruption rates using a multiphysical volcano model: Kīlauea Volcano, 2000-2012, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 447, pp. 161-171, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.04.029
Poland, M. P., T. R. Orr, J. P. Kauahikaua, S. R. Brantley, J. L. Babb, M. R. Patrick, C. A. Neal, K. R. Anderson, et al. (2016), The 2014-2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i: Disaster avoided and lessons learned, GSA Today, 26 (2), pp. 4-10, doi:10.1130/GSATG262A.1
Dzurisin, D., S. C. Moran, M. Lisowski, S. P. Schilling, K. R. Anderson, and C. Werner (2015), The 2004-2008 dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington: Epilogue, Bulletin of Volcanology, 77 (10), pp. 77-89, doi:10.1007/s00445-015-0973-4
Patrick, M. R., K. R. Anderson, M. P. Poland, T. R. Orr and D. A. Swanson (2015), Lava lake level as a gauge of magma reservoir pressure and eruptive hazard, Geology, vol. 43, pp. 831-834, doi:10.1130/G36896
Anderson, K. R., M. P. Poland, J. H. Johnson, and A. Miklius (2015), Episodic deflation-inflation events at Kīlauea Volcano and implications for the shallow magma system, Chapter 11 in Hawaiian Volcanism: From Source to Surface, edited by R. Carey, M. Poland, V. Cayol and D. Weis, AGU Geophysical Monograph Series vol. 208, pp. 229-250, doi:10.1002/9781118872079.ch11
P. Segall and K. Anderson (2014), Look up for magma insights, Nature Geoscience, 7 (3), 2 pp., doi:10.1038/ngeo2064
Anderson, K. and P. Segall (2013), Bayesian inversion of data from effusive volcanic eruptions using physics-based models: Application to Mount St. Helens 2004-2008, Journal of Geophysical Research, 118 (5), 20 pp., doi:10.1002/jgrb.50169
Anderson, K. and P. Segall (2011), Physics-based models of ground deformation and extrusion rate at effusively erupting volcanoes, Journal of Geophysical Research, 116 (B7), 20 pp., doi:10.1029/2010JB007939
Anderson, K., M. Lisowski, and P. Segall (2010), Cyclic ground tilt associated with the 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Journal of Geophysical Research, 115 (B11), 29 pp., doi:10.1029/2009JB007102
Science and Products
Mechanics of inflationary deformation during Caldera collapse: Evidence from the 2018 Kīlauea Eruption
During the 2018 Kilauea eruption the caldera ffloor dropped 500 meters in 62 nearly periodic events of up to 8 meters. Caldera collapse maintains pressure in the magma reservoir necessary to sustain high-rate eruptions. The 2018 collapses were accompanied by inflationary tilts and displacements, similar to observations at other basaltic calderas....
Paul Segall; Anderson, Kyle R.; Johanson, Ingrid; Miklius, Asta Physicochemical models of effusive rhyolitic eruptions constrained with InSAR and DEM data: A case study of the 2011-2012 Cordon Caulle eruption
The 9 month long 2011-2012 eruption of Cordon Caulle (Southern Andes, Chile) is the best instrumentally recorded rhyolitic eruption to date and the first time that the effusion of a rhyolitic flow has been observed in detail. We use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), with time-lapse DEMs and numerical models to study the dynamics of...
Francisco Delgado; Julia Kubanek; Anderson, Kyle R.; Paul Lundgren; Matthew Pritchard A cautionary tale of topography and tilt from Kilauea Caldera
We conduct finite element analysis to investigate the effect of sharp topography on surface ground deformation caused by pressure changes in a magma reservoir. Tilt data express the horizontal gradient of vertical displacement and therefore can emphasize small variations in deformation that go unnoticed using other methods. We find that the...
Johnson, Jessica A.; Poland, Michael P.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Biggs, Juliet The 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...
Neal, Christina; Brantley, Steven; Antolik, Loren; Babb, Janet; Burgess, Matthew K.; Cappos, Michael; Chang, Jefferson; Conway, Sarah; Desmither, Liliana; Dotray, Peter; Elias, Tamar; Fukunaga, Pauline; Fuke, Steven; Johanson, Ingrid; Kamibayashi, Kevan; Kauahikaua, James P.; Lee, R. Lopaka; Pekalib, S.; Miklius, Asta; Shiro, Brian; Swanson, Don; Nadeau, Patricia; Zoeller, Michael H.; Okubo, P.; Parcheta, Carolyn; Patrick, Matthew R.; Tollett, William; Trusdell, Frank A.; Younger, Edward (Frank); Montgomery-brown, Emily; Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.; Ball, Jessica L.; Bard, Joseph A.; Coombs, Michelle L.; Dietterich, Hannah R.; Kern, Christoph; Thelen, Weston; Cervelli, Peter; Orr, Tim R.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Gansecki, Cheryl; Hazlett, Richard; Lundgren, Paul; Diefenbach, Angela K.; Lerner, Allan; Waite, Greg; Kelly, Peter J.; Clor, Laura E.; Werner, Cynthia; Burgess, Matthew; Mulliken, Katherine; Fisher, Gary Decaying lava extrusion rate at El Reventador Volcano, Ecuador measured using high-resolution satellite radar
Lava extrusion at erupting volcanoes causes rapid changes in topography and morphology on the order of tens or even hundreds of meters. Satellite radar provides a method for measuring changes in topographic height over a given time period to an accuracy of meters, either by measuring the width of radar shadow cast by steep sided features, or by...
Arnold, D. W. D.; Biggs, J.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Vallejo Vargas, S.; Wadge, G.; Ebmeier, S. K.; Naranjo, M. F.; Mothes, P. Constraining the magmatic system at Mount St. Helens (2004–2008) using Bayesian inversion with physics-based models including gas escape and crystallization
Physics-based models of volcanic eruptions track conduit processes as functions of depth and time. When used in inversions, these models permit integration of diverse geological and geophysical data sets to constrain important parameters of magmatic systems. We develop a 1-D steady state conduit model for effusive eruptions including equilibrium...
Wong, Ying-Qi; Segall, Paul; Bradley, Andrew; Anderson, Kyle R. Abundant carbon in the mantle beneath Hawai`i
Estimates of carbon concentrations in Earth’s mantle vary over more than an order of magnitude, hindering our ability to understand mantle structure and mineralogy, partial melting, and the carbon cycle. CO2 concentrations in mantle-derived magmas supplying hotspot ocean island volcanoes yield our most direct constraints on mantle carbon, but...
Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.
The 2014 annual report for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Introduction This report summarizes team activities and findings of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the year 2014 in geology, geodesy, seismicity, and gas geochemistry. The eruption of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō continued into its 32nd year with flows active to the northeast of the vent. One of them, the June 27th lava flow, named for the...
Kauahikaua, Jim; Kauahikaua, James P.; Orr, Tim R.; Patrick, Matt; Thelen, Weston A.; Burgess, Matthew K.; Miklius, Asta; Poland, Michael P.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Antolik, Loren; Elias, Tamar; Sutton, Jeff; Kern, Christoph; Werner, Cindy Bayesian estimation of magma supply, storage, and eruption rates using a multiphysical volcano model: Kīlauea Volcano, 2000–2012
Estimating rates of magma supply to the world's volcanoes remains one of the most fundamental aims of volcanology. Yet, supply rates can be difficult to estimate even at well-monitored volcanoes, in part because observations are noisy and are usually considered independently rather than as part of a holistic system. In this work we demonstrate a...
Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P. The 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...
Poland, Michael P.; Orr, Tim R.; Kauahikaua, James P.; Brantley, Steven R.; Babb, Janet L.; Patrick, Matthew R.; Neal, Christina; Anderson, Kyle R.; Antolik, Loren; Burgess, Matthew K.; Elias, Tamar; Fuke, Steven; Fukunaga, Pauline; Johanson, Ingrid; Kagimoto, Marian; Kamibayashi, Kevan P.; Lee, Lopaka; Miklius, Asta; Million, William; Moniz, Cyril J.; Okubo, Paul G.; Sutton, Andrew; Takahashi, T. Jane; Thelen, Weston A.; Tollett, Willam; Trusdell, Frank A. Lava lake level as a gauge of magma reservoir pressure and eruptive hazard
Forecasting volcanic activity relies fundamentally on tracking magma pressure through the use of proxies, such as ground surface deformation and earthquake rates. Lava lakes at open-vent basaltic volcanoes provide a window into the uppermost magma system for gauging reservoir pressure changes more directly. At Kīlauea Volcano (Hawaiʻi, USA) the...
Patrick, Matthew R.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.; Orr, Tim R.; Swanson, Donald A. The 2004–2008 dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington: Epilogue
The 2004–2008 dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens ended during winter 2007–2008 at a time when field observations were hampered by persistent bad weather. As a result, recognizing the end of the eruption was challenging—but important for scientists trying to understand how and why long-lived eruptions end and for public...
Dzurisin, Daniel; Moran, Seth C.; Lisowski, Michael; Schilling, Steve P.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Werner, Cynthia A.