My research focuses on understanding degassing in active volcanic systems, specifically using gases to monitor for signs of unrest at active U.S. volcanoes. I build, deploy, and maintain field instrumentation that measures both the amount of gas emitted from volcanoes, and also the composition of those gases – these two components together inform us about possible changes in volcanic activity.
Professional Experience
2016-present: Gas Geochemist, Cascades Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey, Vancouver, WA
2014-2016: Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
2011-2014: Research Scientist / Lab Manager, University of New Mexico, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Albuquerque, NM
2005-2011: Physical Science Technician, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano Observatory, and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, USGS
2004-2009: Physical Science Technician (seasonal), National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, CA
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2012–present
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI), 2017-present
Commission on the Chemistry of Volcanic Gases (CCVG), 2017-present
Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG), 2013-present
Science and Products
Provisional Multi-GAS Volcanic Gas Monitoring Data, Obsidian Pool thermal area, Yellowstone National Park
This release presents provisional volcanic gas monitoring data from multi-GAS (multiple Gas Analyzer System) station "YELL_MUD", installed in July 2021 in the Obsidian Pool thermal area, Yellowstone National Park, USA. The multi-GAS station includes gas sensors to measure water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in gas plumes, as well as meteorologic para
Airborne Volcanic Gas Measurements at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska 2004-2017
This release presents data collected during airborne volcanic gas monitoring flights at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, that were completed between 2004-2017. Instrumented fixed-wing aircraft were used to collect in situ trace gas measurements of volcanic carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The sensor payload also included an upward-looking correlation spectrometer (CO
Data from Monitoring Volcanic Gases in Plumes and Ambient Air, Newberry Volcano, Oregon
This release presents volcanic gas monitoring data from periodic surveys and temporary instrument deployments at Newberry Volcano, Oregon. Measurements of plume-gas and ambient air compositions were obtained using single-gas industrial hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sensors and with multi-GAS (multiple Gas Analyzer System; Aiuppa et al., 2005; Shinohara, 2005; Lewicki et al., 2017) instruments that measu
Database for the Geologic Map of Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
This data release contains digital GIS files digitized from 'Geologic map of Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming' by L.J.P. Muffler, D.E. White, A.H. Truesdell, and R.O. Fournier, Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1373.
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired during the 2018 rift eruption of Kilauea Volcano
A fissure eruption occurred in K?lauea Volcano?s Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) from April to September 2018. During this event, volcanic gases were emitted from three active areas on the volcano. The most intense degassing occurred at the active fissures in the LERZ, thus causing parts of Hawai?i Island?s Puna district to be exposed to life-threatening sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations. At the sam
Gas and heat emission measurements at Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area, Yellowstone National Park (May-September 2017)
From May to September 2017 measurements of gas and heat emissions were made at Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area, an acid-sulfate, vapor-dominated area in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. An eddy covariance system measured half-hourly CO2, H2O and sensible and latent heat fluxes, air temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction and soil moisture. A Multi-GAS instrument measured (0.5 Hz frequ
Groundwater levels and temperatures in well CH-10b near Hot Creek, Long Valley Caldera, eastern California
Hot Creek Gorge contains the most obvious surface expression of the hydrothermal system in Long Valley Caldera, California, discharging 200-300 L/s of thermal water according to USGS measurements made since 1988. Formerly, Hot Creek was a popular public swimming area, but it was closed in 2006 due to unpredictable temperature fluctuations and sporadic geysering of thermal water within the creek (E
Filter Total Items: 13
Geochemistry and fluxes of gases from hydrothermal features at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, USA
We present the chemical and isotopic compositions of gases and fluxes of CO2 from the hydrothermal features of Newberry Volcano, a large composite volcano located in Oregon's Cascade Range with a summit caldera that hosts two lakes, Paulina and East Lakes. Gas samples were collected from 1982 to 2021 from Paulina Hot Springs (PHS) on the shore of Paulina Lake, East Lake Hot Springs (ELHS) on the s
The petrologic and degassing behavior of sulfur and other magmatic volatiles from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi: Melt concentrations, magma storage depths, and magma recycling
Kīlauea Volcano’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption produced exceptionally high lava effusion rates and record-setting SO2 emissions. The eruption involved a diverse range of magmas, including primitive basalts sourced from Kīlauea’s summit reservoirs. We analyzed LERZ matrix glasses, melt inclusions, and host minerals to identify melt volatile contents and magma storage depths. The LERZ g
Quantifying gas emissions associated with the 2018 rift eruption of Kīlauea Volcano using ground-based DOAS measurements
Starting on 3 May 2018, a series of eruptive fissures opened in Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). Over the course of the next 3 months, intense degassing accompanied lava effusion from these fissures. Here, we report on ground-based observations of the gas emissions associated with Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption. Visual observations combined with radiative transfer modeling show that ultravi
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 erupted at rates exceeding 100 m3/s, eventually coveri
Multi-year high-frequency hydrothermal monitoring of selected high-threat Cascade Range volcanoes
From 2009 to 2015 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) systematically monitored hydrothermal behavior at selected Cascade Range volcanoes in order to define baseline hydrothermal and geochemical conditions. Gas and water data were collected regularly at 25 sites on 10 of the highest-risk volcanoes in the Cascade Range. These sites include near-summit fumarole groups and springs/streams that show clea
Dissolved gases in hydrothermal (phreatic) and geyser eruptions at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Multiphase and multicomponent fluid flow in the shallow continental crust plays a significant role in a variety of processes over a broad range of temperatures and pressures. The presence of dissolved gases in aqueous fluids reduces the liquid stability field toward lower temperatures and enhances the explosivity potential with respect to pure water. Therefore, in areas where magma is actively deg
The Lassen hydrothermal system
The active Lassen hydrothermal system includes a central vapor-dominated zone or zones beneath the Lassen highlands underlain by ~240 °C high-chloride waters that discharge at lower elevations. It is the best-exposed and largest hydrothermal system in the Cascade Range, discharging 41 ± 10 kg/s of steam (~115 MW) and 23 ± 2 kg/s of high-chloride waters (~27 MW). The Lassen system accounts for a fu
Hydrothermal response to a volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm, Lassen, California
The increasing capability of seismic, geodetic, and hydrothermal observation networks allows recognition of volcanic unrest that could previously have gone undetected, creating an imperative to diagnose and interpret unrest episodes. A November 2014 earthquake swarm near Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, which included the largest earthquake in the area in more than 60 years, was accompan
Solute and geothermal flux monitoring using electrical conductivity in the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers, Yellowstone National Park
The thermal output from the Yellowstone magma chamber can be estimated from the Cl flux in the major rivers in Yellowstone National Park; and by utilizing continuous discharge and electrical conductivity measurements the Cl flux can be calculated. The relationship between electrical conductivity and concentrations of Cl and other geothermal solutes (Na, SO4, F, HCO3, SiO2, K, Li, B, and As) was qu
Water chemistry and electrical conductivity database for rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Chloride flux has been used to estimate heat flow in volcanic environments since the method was developed in New Zealand by Ellis and Wilson (1955). The method can be applied effectively at Yellowstone, because nearly all of the water discharged from its thermal features enters one of four major rivers (the Madison, Yellowstone, Snake, and Falls Rivers) that drain the park, and thus integration of
Temperature data from wells in Long Valley Caldera, California
The 30-by-20-km Long Valley Caldera (LVC) in eastern California (fig.1) formed at 0.76 Ma in a cataclysmic eruption that resulted in the deposition of 600 km? of Bishop Tuff outside the caldera rim (Bailey, 1989). By approximately 0.6 Ma, uplift of the central part of the caldera floor and eruption of rhyolitic lava formed the resurgent dome. The most recent eruptive activity in the area occurred
Database of the geology and thermal activity of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
This dataset contains contacts, geologic units and map boundaries from Plate 1 of USGS Professional Paper 1456, 'The Geology and Remarkable Thermal Activity of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.' The features are contained in the Annotation, basins_poly, contours, geology_arc, geology_poly, point_features, and stream_arc feature classes as well as a table of geologic units an
Non-USGS Publications**
Clor, L.E., Fischer, T.P., Hilton, D.R., Sharp, Z.D., and Hartono, U. (2005), Volatile and N isotope chemistry of the Molucca Sea collision zone: Tracing source components along the Sangihe Arc, Indonesia: Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 6, Q03J14, doi:10.1029/2004GC000825
**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
Provisional Multi-GAS Volcanic Gas Monitoring Data, Obsidian Pool thermal area, Yellowstone National Park
This release presents provisional volcanic gas monitoring data from multi-GAS (multiple Gas Analyzer System) station "YELL_MUD", installed in July 2021 in the Obsidian Pool thermal area, Yellowstone National Park, USA. The multi-GAS station includes gas sensors to measure water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in gas plumes, as well as meteorologic paraAirborne Volcanic Gas Measurements at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska 2004-2017
This release presents data collected during airborne volcanic gas monitoring flights at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, that were completed between 2004-2017. Instrumented fixed-wing aircraft were used to collect in situ trace gas measurements of volcanic carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The sensor payload also included an upward-looking correlation spectrometer (COData from Monitoring Volcanic Gases in Plumes and Ambient Air, Newberry Volcano, Oregon
This release presents volcanic gas monitoring data from periodic surveys and temporary instrument deployments at Newberry Volcano, Oregon. Measurements of plume-gas and ambient air compositions were obtained using single-gas industrial hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sensors and with multi-GAS (multiple Gas Analyzer System; Aiuppa et al., 2005; Shinohara, 2005; Lewicki et al., 2017) instruments that measuDatabase for the Geologic Map of Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
This data release contains digital GIS files digitized from 'Geologic map of Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming' by L.J.P. Muffler, D.E. White, A.H. Truesdell, and R.O. Fournier, Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1373.Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy data acquired during the 2018 rift eruption of Kilauea Volcano
A fissure eruption occurred in K?lauea Volcano?s Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) from April to September 2018. During this event, volcanic gases were emitted from three active areas on the volcano. The most intense degassing occurred at the active fissures in the LERZ, thus causing parts of Hawai?i Island?s Puna district to be exposed to life-threatening sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations. At the samGas and heat emission measurements at Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area, Yellowstone National Park (May-September 2017)
From May to September 2017 measurements of gas and heat emissions were made at Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area, an acid-sulfate, vapor-dominated area in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. An eddy covariance system measured half-hourly CO2, H2O and sensible and latent heat fluxes, air temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction and soil moisture. A Multi-GAS instrument measured (0.5 Hz frequGroundwater levels and temperatures in well CH-10b near Hot Creek, Long Valley Caldera, eastern California
Hot Creek Gorge contains the most obvious surface expression of the hydrothermal system in Long Valley Caldera, California, discharging 200-300 L/s of thermal water according to USGS measurements made since 1988. Formerly, Hot Creek was a popular public swimming area, but it was closed in 2006 due to unpredictable temperature fluctuations and sporadic geysering of thermal water within the creek (E - Publications
Filter Total Items: 13
Geochemistry and fluxes of gases from hydrothermal features at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, USA
We present the chemical and isotopic compositions of gases and fluxes of CO2 from the hydrothermal features of Newberry Volcano, a large composite volcano located in Oregon's Cascade Range with a summit caldera that hosts two lakes, Paulina and East Lakes. Gas samples were collected from 1982 to 2021 from Paulina Hot Springs (PHS) on the shore of Paulina Lake, East Lake Hot Springs (ELHS) on the sThe petrologic and degassing behavior of sulfur and other magmatic volatiles from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi: Melt concentrations, magma storage depths, and magma recycling
Kīlauea Volcano’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption produced exceptionally high lava effusion rates and record-setting SO2 emissions. The eruption involved a diverse range of magmas, including primitive basalts sourced from Kīlauea’s summit reservoirs. We analyzed LERZ matrix glasses, melt inclusions, and host minerals to identify melt volatile contents and magma storage depths. The LERZ gQuantifying gas emissions associated with the 2018 rift eruption of Kīlauea Volcano using ground-based DOAS measurements
Starting on 3 May 2018, a series of eruptive fissures opened in Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). Over the course of the next 3 months, intense degassing accompanied lava effusion from these fissures. Here, we report on ground-based observations of the gas emissions associated with Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption. Visual observations combined with radiative transfer modeling show that ultraviThe 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 coveriMulti-year high-frequency hydrothermal monitoring of selected high-threat Cascade Range volcanoes
From 2009 to 2015 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) systematically monitored hydrothermal behavior at selected Cascade Range volcanoes in order to define baseline hydrothermal and geochemical conditions. Gas and water data were collected regularly at 25 sites on 10 of the highest-risk volcanoes in the Cascade Range. These sites include near-summit fumarole groups and springs/streams that show cleaDissolved gases in hydrothermal (phreatic) and geyser eruptions at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Multiphase and multicomponent fluid flow in the shallow continental crust plays a significant role in a variety of processes over a broad range of temperatures and pressures. The presence of dissolved gases in aqueous fluids reduces the liquid stability field toward lower temperatures and enhances the explosivity potential with respect to pure water. Therefore, in areas where magma is actively degThe Lassen hydrothermal system
The active Lassen hydrothermal system includes a central vapor-dominated zone or zones beneath the Lassen highlands underlain by ~240 °C high-chloride waters that discharge at lower elevations. It is the best-exposed and largest hydrothermal system in the Cascade Range, discharging 41 ± 10 kg/s of steam (~115 MW) and 23 ± 2 kg/s of high-chloride waters (~27 MW). The Lassen system accounts for a fuHydrothermal response to a volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm, Lassen, California
The increasing capability of seismic, geodetic, and hydrothermal observation networks allows recognition of volcanic unrest that could previously have gone undetected, creating an imperative to diagnose and interpret unrest episodes. A November 2014 earthquake swarm near Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, which included the largest earthquake in the area in more than 60 years, was accompanSolute and geothermal flux monitoring using electrical conductivity in the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers, Yellowstone National Park
The thermal output from the Yellowstone magma chamber can be estimated from the Cl flux in the major rivers in Yellowstone National Park; and by utilizing continuous discharge and electrical conductivity measurements the Cl flux can be calculated. The relationship between electrical conductivity and concentrations of Cl and other geothermal solutes (Na, SO4, F, HCO3, SiO2, K, Li, B, and As) was quWater chemistry and electrical conductivity database for rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Chloride flux has been used to estimate heat flow in volcanic environments since the method was developed in New Zealand by Ellis and Wilson (1955). The method can be applied effectively at Yellowstone, because nearly all of the water discharged from its thermal features enters one of four major rivers (the Madison, Yellowstone, Snake, and Falls Rivers) that drain the park, and thus integration ofTemperature data from wells in Long Valley Caldera, California
The 30-by-20-km Long Valley Caldera (LVC) in eastern California (fig.1) formed at 0.76 Ma in a cataclysmic eruption that resulted in the deposition of 600 km? of Bishop Tuff outside the caldera rim (Bailey, 1989). By approximately 0.6 Ma, uplift of the central part of the caldera floor and eruption of rhyolitic lava formed the resurgent dome. The most recent eruptive activity in the area occurredDatabase of the geology and thermal activity of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
This dataset contains contacts, geologic units and map boundaries from Plate 1 of USGS Professional Paper 1456, 'The Geology and Remarkable Thermal Activity of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.' The features are contained in the Annotation, basins_poly, contours, geology_arc, geology_poly, point_features, and stream_arc feature classes as well as a table of geologic units anNon-USGS Publications**
Clor, L.E., Fischer, T.P., Hilton, D.R., Sharp, Z.D., and Hartono, U. (2005), Volatile and N isotope chemistry of the Molucca Sea collision zone: Tracing source components along the Sangihe Arc, Indonesia: Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 6, Q03J14, doi:10.1029/2004GC000825**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government