Kyle R. Anderson, Ph.D.
I am a geophysicist specializing in volcanic systems. I use monitoring data to better understand and forecast volcanic processes and hazards.
I work to understand volcanic systems by developing mathematical models which relate magma physics with monitoring data such as ground deformations and eruption rates. Model predictions can be compared with real-world observations using probabilistic statistical approaches, making it possible to constrain properties of volcanic systems such as the composition and volume of stored magma. These techniques can also be used in some cases to forecast future eruptive activity. I've worked most extensively at Mount St. Helens and Kīlauea volcanoes, but I'm interested in volcanoes and eruptions around the world.
Research Interests
- Physics of magma systems and volcanic eruptions
- Caldera collapse processes
- Episodic/cyclic eruptive behavior
- Volatiles in magma and influence on eruptive processes
- Rates of magma supply, storage, and eruption
- Ground deformation caused by magmatic processes
- Volcanic hazards assessments and forecasts
- Uncertainty quantification
Professional Experience
Research Geophysicist, USGS Volcano Science Center (California Volcano Observatory) (2015-present)
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellow, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (2012-2015)
Education and Certifications
PhD: Geophysics, Stanford University
MS: Geophysics, Stanford University
BA: Geology-Physics, Whitman College
Science and Products
Rainfall an unlikely trigger of Kilauea’s 2018 rift eruption
A decade of geodetic change at Kīlauea’s summit—Observations, interpretations, and unanswered questions from studies of the 2008–2018 Halemaʻumaʻu eruption
Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part I: Raikoke volcano, Kuril Islands
Multidisciplinary constraints on magma compressibility, the pre-eruptive exsolved volatile fraction, and the H2O/CO2 molar ratio for the 2006 Augustine eruption, Alaska
Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part II: Ulawun volcano, Papua New Guinea
Repeating caldera collapse events constrain fault friction at the kilometer scale
The cascading origin of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and implications for future forecasting
Very‐long‐period (VLP) seismic artifacts during the 2018 caldera collapse at Kīlauea, Hawaii
Caldera collapse geometry revealed by near‐field GPS displacements at Kilauea Volcano in 2018
The prevalence and significance of offset magma reservoirs at arc volcanoes
Preliminary analyses of volcanic hazards at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, 2017–2018
Temporal variations in scrubbing of magmatic gases at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
Rainfall an unlikely trigger of Kilauea’s 2018 rift eruption
A decade of geodetic change at Kīlauea’s summit—Observations, interpretations, and unanswered questions from studies of the 2008–2018 Halemaʻumaʻu eruption
Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part I: Raikoke volcano, Kuril Islands
Multidisciplinary constraints on magma compressibility, the pre-eruptive exsolved volatile fraction, and the H2O/CO2 molar ratio for the 2006 Augustine eruption, Alaska
Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part II: Ulawun volcano, Papua New Guinea
Repeating caldera collapse events constrain fault friction at the kilometer scale
The cascading origin of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and implications for future forecasting
Very‐long‐period (VLP) seismic artifacts during the 2018 caldera collapse at Kīlauea, Hawaii
Caldera collapse geometry revealed by near‐field GPS displacements at Kilauea Volcano in 2018
The prevalence and significance of offset magma reservoirs at arc volcanoes
Preliminary analyses of volcanic hazards at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, 2017–2018
Temporal variations in scrubbing of magmatic gases at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.