I work as a geologist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory with a background in igneous petrology. I specialize in in-situ geochemistry and tephra textural studies, which I use to understand volcanic eruption style, eruption history, and the origin and evolution of magmas.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey—Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2017–present
Instructor, Oregon State University, January 2017–March 2017
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oregon, March 2014–June 2016
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, Oregon State University, 2008–2013
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Geology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, March 2014
M.S. in Geology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, September 2011
B.S. in Geology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, May 2008
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
2019 Volcanic activity in Alaska—Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory
The Alaska Volcano Observatory responded to eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest, increased seismicity, and other significant activity at 17 volcanic centers in Alaska in 2019. The most notable volcanic activity was an eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, featuring eruptive activity that produced lava flows, lahars, and ash. Weak explosive activity also took place at Great Sitkin Volcano and
Authors
Tim R. Orr, Cheryl E. Cameron, Hannah R. Dietterich, James P. Dixon, Max L. Enders, Ronni Grapenthin, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Matthew W. Loewen, John A. Power, Cheryl Searcy, Gabrielle Tepp, Liam Toney, Christopher F. Waythomas, Aaron G. Wech
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
Authors
Christopher F. Waythomas, Hannah R. Dietterich, Gabrielle Tepp, Taryn M. Lopez, Matthew W. Loewen
Syn-eruptive hydration of volcanic ash records pyroclast-water interaction in explosive eruptions
Magma-water interaction can dramatically influence the explosivity of volcanic eruptions. However, syn- and post-eruptive diffusion of external (non-magmatic) water into volcanic glass remains poorly constrained and may bias interpretation of water in juvenile products. Hydrogen isotopes in ash from the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, record syn-eruptive hydration by vaporized glacial me
Authors
Michael R. Hudak, Ilya N. Bindeman, Matthew W. Loewen, Thomas Giachetti
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
Authors
Matthew W. Loewen, Hannah R. Dietterich, Nathan Graham, Pavel Izbekof
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)
Authors
Taryn Lopez, Lieven Clarisse, Hans Schwaiger, Alexa R. Van Eaton, Matthew W. Loewen, David Fee, John J. Lyons, Kristi L. Wallace, Cheryl Searcy, Aaron Wech, Matthew M. Haney, David Schneider, Nathan Graham
Petrology of the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof Island
The 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof primarily produced crystal-rich amphibole basalts. The dominant juvenile tephra were highly microlitic with diktytaxitic vesicles, and amphiboles had large reaction rims. Both observations support a magma history of slow ascent and/or shallow stalling prior to eruption. Plagioclase-amphibole-clinopyroxene mineralogy are also suggestive of shallow magma crystalliz
Authors
Matthew W. Loewen, Pavel Izbekof, Justin Moshrefzadeh, Michelle L. Coombs, Jessica Larsen, Nathan Graham, Michelle Harbin, Christopher F. Waythomas, Kristi L. Wallace
Isotopic and petrologic investigation, and a thermomechanical model of genesis of large-volume rhyolites in arc environments: Karymshina Volcanic Complex, Kamchatka, Russia
The Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia is currently one of the most volcanically active areas on Earth where a combination of >8 cm/yr subduction convergence rate and thick continental crust generates large silicic magma chambers, reflected by abundant large calderas and caldera complexes. This study examines the largest center of silicic 4-0.5 Ma Karymshina Volcanic Complex, which includes the
Authors
Ilya N. Bindeman, Vladimir L. Leonov, Dylan P. Colòn, Aleksey N. Rogozin, Niccole Shipley, Brian Jicha, Matthew W. Loewen, Taras V. Gerya
Unravelling the complexity of magma plumbing at Mount St. Helens: A new trace element partitioning scheme for amphibole
Volcanoes at subduction zones reside above complex magma plumbing systems, where individual magmatic components may originate and interact at a range of pressures. Because whole-rock compositions of subduction zone magmas are the integrated result of processes operating throughout the entire plumbing system, processes such as mixing, homogenisation and magma assembly during shallow storage can ove
Authors
Madeleine C. S. Humphreys, George F. Cooper, Jing Zhang, Matthew W. Loewen, Adam J. R. Kent, Colin G. Macpherson, Jon P. Davidson
Hydrogen isotopes in high 3He/4He submarine basalts: Primordial vs. recycled water and the veil of mantle enrichment
The hydrogen isotope value (δD) of water indigenous to the mantle is masked by the early degassing and recycling of surface water through Earth's history. High 3He/4He ratios in some ocean island basalts, however, provide a clear geochemical signature of deep, primordial mantle that has been isolated within the Earth's interior from melting, degassing, and convective mixing with the upper mantle.
Authors
Matthew W. Loewen, David W. Graham, Ilya N. Bindeman, John E. Lupton, Michael O. Garcia
Non-USGS Publications**
Loewen, M. W., Bindeman, I. N., & Melnik, O. E. (2017). Eruption mechanisms and short duration of large rhyolitic lava flows of Yellowstone. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 458, 80–91. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.10.034
Ustunisik, G., Loewen, M. W., Nielsen, R. L., & Tepley, F. J., III. (2016). Interpretation of the provenance of small-scale heterogeneity as documented in a single eruptive unit from Mt. Jefferson, Central Oregon Cascades. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 17, 1–19. http://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006297
Tuohy, R. M., Wallace, P. J., Loewen, M. W., Swanson, D. A., & Kent, A. J. (2016). Magma transport and olivine crystallization depths in Kīlauea's east rift zone inferred from experimentally rehomogenized melt inclusions. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 185(C), 232–250. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.04.020
Loewen, M. W., & Bindeman, I. N. (2016). Oxygen isotope thermometry reveals high magmatic temperatures and short residence times in Yellowstone and other hot-dry rhyolites compared to cold-wet systems. American Mineralogist, 101, 1222–1227. http://doi.org/10.2138/am-2016-5591
Drew, D. L., Bindeman, I. N., Loewen, M. W., & Wallace, P. J. (2016). Initiation of large‐volume silicic centers in the Yellowstone hotspot track: insights from H2O- and F-rich quartz-hosted rhyolitic melt inclusions in the Arbon Valley Tuff of the Snake River Plain. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 171, 10. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-015-1210-z
Loewen, M. W., & Bindeman, I. N. (2015). Oxygen isotope and trace element evidence for three‐stage petrogenesis of the youngest episode (260–79 ka) of Yellowstone rhyolitic volcanism. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 170(4), 1–39. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-015-1189-5
Burns, D. H., de Silva, S. L., Tepley, F. J., III, Schmitt, A. K., & Loewen, M. W. (2015). Recording the transition from flare-up to steady-state arc magmatism at the Purico–Chascon volcanic complex, northern Chile. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 422(C), 75–86. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.04.002
Loewen, M. W., Duncan, R. A., Kent, A. J., & Krawl, K. (2013). Prolonged plume volcanism in the Caribbean Large Igneous Province: New insights from Curaçao and Haiti. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 14(10), 4241–4259. http://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20273
Loewen, M. W., & Kent, A. J. (2012). Sources of elemental fractionation and uncertainty during the analysis of semi-volatile metals in silicate glasses using LA-ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 27(9), 1502–1508. http://doi.org/10.1039/c2ja30075c
**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. The - Publications
2019 Volcanic activity in Alaska—Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory
The Alaska Volcano Observatory responded to eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest, increased seismicity, and other significant activity at 17 volcanic centers in Alaska in 2019. The most notable volcanic activity was an eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, featuring eruptive activity that produced lava flows, lahars, and ash. Weak explosive activity also took place at Great Sitkin Volcano andAuthorsTim R. Orr, Cheryl E. Cameron, Hannah R. Dietterich, James P. Dixon, Max L. Enders, Ronni Grapenthin, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Matthew W. Loewen, John A. Power, Cheryl Searcy, Gabrielle Tepp, Liam Toney, Christopher F. Waythomas, Aaron G. WechThe 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 regAuthorsChristopher F. Waythomas, Hannah R. Dietterich, Gabrielle Tepp, Taryn M. Lopez, Matthew W. LoewenSyn-eruptive hydration of volcanic ash records pyroclast-water interaction in explosive eruptions
Magma-water interaction can dramatically influence the explosivity of volcanic eruptions. However, syn- and post-eruptive diffusion of external (non-magmatic) water into volcanic glass remains poorly constrained and may bias interpretation of water in juvenile products. Hydrogen isotopes in ash from the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, record syn-eruptive hydration by vaporized glacial meAuthorsMichael R. Hudak, Ilya N. Bindeman, Matthew W. Loewen, Thomas GiachettiEvolution 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 exploAuthorsMatthew W. Loewen, Hannah R. Dietterich, Nathan Graham, Pavel IzbekofConstraints 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)AuthorsTaryn Lopez, Lieven Clarisse, Hans Schwaiger, Alexa R. Van Eaton, Matthew W. Loewen, David Fee, John J. Lyons, Kristi L. Wallace, Cheryl Searcy, Aaron Wech, Matthew M. Haney, David Schneider, Nathan GrahamPetrology of the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof Island
The 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof primarily produced crystal-rich amphibole basalts. The dominant juvenile tephra were highly microlitic with diktytaxitic vesicles, and amphiboles had large reaction rims. Both observations support a magma history of slow ascent and/or shallow stalling prior to eruption. Plagioclase-amphibole-clinopyroxene mineralogy are also suggestive of shallow magma crystallizAuthorsMatthew W. Loewen, Pavel Izbekof, Justin Moshrefzadeh, Michelle L. Coombs, Jessica Larsen, Nathan Graham, Michelle Harbin, Christopher F. Waythomas, Kristi L. WallaceIsotopic and petrologic investigation, and a thermomechanical model of genesis of large-volume rhyolites in arc environments: Karymshina Volcanic Complex, Kamchatka, Russia
The Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia is currently one of the most volcanically active areas on Earth where a combination of >8 cm/yr subduction convergence rate and thick continental crust generates large silicic magma chambers, reflected by abundant large calderas and caldera complexes. This study examines the largest center of silicic 4-0.5 Ma Karymshina Volcanic Complex, which includes theAuthorsIlya N. Bindeman, Vladimir L. Leonov, Dylan P. Colòn, Aleksey N. Rogozin, Niccole Shipley, Brian Jicha, Matthew W. Loewen, Taras V. GeryaUnravelling the complexity of magma plumbing at Mount St. Helens: A new trace element partitioning scheme for amphibole
Volcanoes at subduction zones reside above complex magma plumbing systems, where individual magmatic components may originate and interact at a range of pressures. Because whole-rock compositions of subduction zone magmas are the integrated result of processes operating throughout the entire plumbing system, processes such as mixing, homogenisation and magma assembly during shallow storage can oveAuthorsMadeleine C. S. Humphreys, George F. Cooper, Jing Zhang, Matthew W. Loewen, Adam J. R. Kent, Colin G. Macpherson, Jon P. DavidsonHydrogen isotopes in high 3He/4He submarine basalts: Primordial vs. recycled water and the veil of mantle enrichment
The hydrogen isotope value (δD) of water indigenous to the mantle is masked by the early degassing and recycling of surface water through Earth's history. High 3He/4He ratios in some ocean island basalts, however, provide a clear geochemical signature of deep, primordial mantle that has been isolated within the Earth's interior from melting, degassing, and convective mixing with the upper mantle.AuthorsMatthew W. Loewen, David W. Graham, Ilya N. Bindeman, John E. Lupton, Michael O. GarciaNon-USGS Publications**
Loewen, M. W., Bindeman, I. N., & Melnik, O. E. (2017). Eruption mechanisms and short duration of large rhyolitic lava flows of Yellowstone. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 458, 80–91. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.10.034Ustunisik, G., Loewen, M. W., Nielsen, R. L., & Tepley, F. J., III. (2016). Interpretation of the provenance of small-scale heterogeneity as documented in a single eruptive unit from Mt. Jefferson, Central Oregon Cascades. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 17, 1–19. http://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006297Tuohy, R. M., Wallace, P. J., Loewen, M. W., Swanson, D. A., & Kent, A. J. (2016). Magma transport and olivine crystallization depths in Kīlauea's east rift zone inferred from experimentally rehomogenized melt inclusions. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 185(C), 232–250. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.04.020Loewen, M. W., & Bindeman, I. N. (2016). Oxygen isotope thermometry reveals high magmatic temperatures and short residence times in Yellowstone and other hot-dry rhyolites compared to cold-wet systems. American Mineralogist, 101, 1222–1227. http://doi.org/10.2138/am-2016-5591Drew, D. L., Bindeman, I. N., Loewen, M. W., & Wallace, P. J. (2016). Initiation of large‐volume silicic centers in the Yellowstone hotspot track: insights from H2O- and F-rich quartz-hosted rhyolitic melt inclusions in the Arbon Valley Tuff of the Snake River Plain. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 171, 10. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-015-1210-zLoewen, M. W., & Bindeman, I. N. (2015). Oxygen isotope and trace element evidence for three‐stage petrogenesis of the youngest episode (260–79 ka) of Yellowstone rhyolitic volcanism. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 170(4), 1–39. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-015-1189-5Burns, D. H., de Silva, S. L., Tepley, F. J., III, Schmitt, A. K., & Loewen, M. W. (2015). Recording the transition from flare-up to steady-state arc magmatism at the Purico–Chascon volcanic complex, northern Chile. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 422(C), 75–86. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.04.002Loewen, M. W., Duncan, R. A., Kent, A. J., & Krawl, K. (2013). Prolonged plume volcanism in the Caribbean Large Igneous Province: New insights from Curaçao and Haiti. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 14(10), 4241–4259. http://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20273Loewen, M. W., & Kent, A. J. (2012). Sources of elemental fractionation and uncertainty during the analysis of semi-volatile metals in silicate glasses using LA-ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 27(9), 1502–1508. http://doi.org/10.1039/c2ja30075c**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.