Matthew Patrick, Ph.D.
I am a geologist with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, conducting research and monitoring of active eruptions.
Professional Experience
US Geological Survey - Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: Research Geologist, 2007-present
Michigan Tech University: Postdoctoral Researcher, 2006-2007
University of Hawaii Manoa: Postdoctoral Researcher, 2005-2006
Education and Certifications
University of Hawai‘i Mānoa Geology 8/02 – 8/05 Ph.D. 2005
University of Alaska Fairbanks Geology 8/99 – 5/02 M.S. 2002
Cornell University Geology 8/95 – 5/99 B.S. 1999
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 29
Volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i Volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i
This data release provides volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano for 2008-2015, and during the eruptive events of 2018. For 2018, a Secacam Wild Vision Full HD camera with a 7mm focal length was located at 1717 m elevation approximately 15 m south of the Mauna Loa Strip Road within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, 19.475843degreesN, 155.363560degreesW (WGS84). The...
Lava level and crater geometry data during the 2018 lava lake draining at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Lava level and crater geometry data during the 2018 lava lake draining at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
In May 2018, the onset of new eruptive activity on the lower flank of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, accompanied the draining of the lava lake at the summit, 40 km upslope. The lava lake draining lasted over seven days, and transitioned into the largest collapse event at the summit of Kīlauea in over 200 years, with the paired flank and summit activity marking a historic episode in the modern...
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release
This USGS data release includes data related to the Science magazine manuscript "Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano" by Patrick et al. The data release includes 1) original video as well as thermal, and timelapse images of lava in the proximal Fissure 8 channel, 2) derived estimates of lava level in the channel and bulk effusion rates (not corrected for...
GIS shapefiles for the June 27th lava flow at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, June 2014-June 2016 GIS shapefiles for the June 27th lava flow at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, June 2014-June 2016
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata showing evolution of the "June 27th" lava flow (Pu?u ???? eruptive episode 61e) that was active at Kilauea volcano from June 27, 2014, to June 8, 2016. The dataset contains (1) an attributed polyline shapefile and (2) an attributed polygon shapefile with features that represent the outline and extent of the flow on 35 different...
GIS shapefiles for Kilauea's episode 61g lava flow, Pu`u `O`o eruption: May 2016 to May 2017 GIS shapefiles for Kilauea's episode 61g lava flow, Pu`u `O`o eruption: May 2016 to May 2017
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata for Kīlauea volcano's Puu Ōō episode 61g lava flow from May 24, 2016 through May 31, 2017. Episode 61g began with a breakout from the east flank of Puu Ōō on May 24, 2016. Lava reached the Pacific Ocean at Kamokuna on July 26, 2017, and began building a lava delta that extended seaward from the original coastline. This lava delta...
Filter Total Items: 76
Brittle fragmentation by rapid gas separation in a Hawaiian fountain Brittle fragmentation by rapid gas separation in a Hawaiian fountain
Brittle fragmentation, generating small pyroclasts from magma, is a key process determining eruptive style. How low-viscosity magma fragments within a rising fountain in a brittle manner, however, is not well understood. Here we describe a fragmentation process in Hawaiian fountains on the basis of observations from the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai’i. The...
Authors
Atsuko Namiki, Matthew R. Patrick, Michael Manga, Bruce F. Houghton
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
The 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano produced one of the largest and most destructive lava flows in Hawai’i during the past 200 years. Over the course of more than 3 months, twenty-four fissures erupted, and the rate of lava effusion varied by two orders of magnitude, with significant implications for evolving flow behavior and hazards. Syn-eruptive data were...
Authors
Hannah R. Dietterich, Angela K. Diefenbach, S. Adam Soule, Michael H. Zoeller, Matthew R. Patrick, J. J. Major, Paul R. Lundgren
Patterns of bubble bursting and weak explosive activity in an active lava lake—Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea, 2015 Patterns of bubble bursting and weak explosive activity in an active lava lake—Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea, 2015
The rise of the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake in 2013–2018 to depths commonly 40 meters or less below the rim of the vent was an excellent opportunity to study outgassing and the link to associated eruptive activity. We use videography to investigate the rise and bursting of bubbles through the free surface of the lake in 2015. We focus on low-energy explosive activity (spattering) in which the...
Authors
Bianca G. Mintz, Bruce F. Houghton, Edward W. Llewellin, Tim R. Orr, Jacopo Taddeucci, Rebecca J. Carey, Ulrich Kueppers, Damien Gaudin, Matthew R. Patrick, Michael Burton, Piergiorgio Scarlato, Alessandro La Spina
Views of a century of activity at Kīlauea Caldera—A visual essay Views of a century of activity at Kīlauea Caldera—A visual essay
The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano marked the end of the first sustained period of volcanic activity at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater in 94 years. The views of the lava lake (informally named “Overlook,” nestled within Halemaʻumaʻu) lasted for a decade and seemed timeless. But as we were recently reminded, the summit of Kīlauea is part of a dynamic system that has provided countless new views to...
Authors
Ben Gaddis, James P. Kauahikaua
Groundwater dynamics at Kīlauea Volcano and vicinity, Hawaiʻi Groundwater dynamics at Kīlauea Volcano and vicinity, Hawaiʻi
Kīlauea Volcano, on the Island of Hawaiʻi, is surrounded and permeated by active groundwater systems that interact dynamically with the volcanic system. A generalized conceptual model of Hawaiian hydrogeology includes high-level dike-impounded groundwater, very permeable perched and basal aquifers, and a transition (mixing) zone between freshwater and saltwater. Most high-level...
Authors
Shaul Hurwitz, Sara E. Peek, Martha A. Scholl, Deborah Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James P. Kauahikaua, Stephen B. Gingerich, Paul A. Hsieh, R. Lopaka Lee, Edward F. Younger, Steven E. Ingebritsen
The 2008–2018 summit lava lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i The 2008–2018 summit lava lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
The 2008–2018 lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea marked the longest sustained period of lava lake activity at the summit in decades and provided a new opportunity for observing and understanding lava lake behavior. The individual chapters of this Professional Paper volume cover the basic chronology of the eruption, rich historical background, observations and measurements of lake...
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 29
Volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i Volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i
This data release provides volcanic plume heights from the summit of Kilauea Volcano for 2008-2015, and during the eruptive events of 2018. For 2018, a Secacam Wild Vision Full HD camera with a 7mm focal length was located at 1717 m elevation approximately 15 m south of the Mauna Loa Strip Road within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, 19.475843degreesN, 155.363560degreesW (WGS84). The...
Lava level and crater geometry data during the 2018 lava lake draining at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Lava level and crater geometry data during the 2018 lava lake draining at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
In May 2018, the onset of new eruptive activity on the lower flank of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, accompanied the draining of the lava lake at the summit, 40 km upslope. The lava lake draining lasted over seven days, and transitioned into the largest collapse event at the summit of Kīlauea in over 200 years, with the paired flank and summit activity marking a historic episode in the modern...
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release
This USGS data release includes data related to the Science magazine manuscript "Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano" by Patrick et al. The data release includes 1) original video as well as thermal, and timelapse images of lava in the proximal Fissure 8 channel, 2) derived estimates of lava level in the channel and bulk effusion rates (not corrected for...
GIS shapefiles for the June 27th lava flow at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, June 2014-June 2016 GIS shapefiles for the June 27th lava flow at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, June 2014-June 2016
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata showing evolution of the "June 27th" lava flow (Pu?u ???? eruptive episode 61e) that was active at Kilauea volcano from June 27, 2014, to June 8, 2016. The dataset contains (1) an attributed polyline shapefile and (2) an attributed polygon shapefile with features that represent the outline and extent of the flow on 35 different...
GIS shapefiles for Kilauea's episode 61g lava flow, Pu`u `O`o eruption: May 2016 to May 2017 GIS shapefiles for Kilauea's episode 61g lava flow, Pu`u `O`o eruption: May 2016 to May 2017
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata for Kīlauea volcano's Puu Ōō episode 61g lava flow from May 24, 2016 through May 31, 2017. Episode 61g began with a breakout from the east flank of Puu Ōō on May 24, 2016. Lava reached the Pacific Ocean at Kamokuna on July 26, 2017, and began building a lava delta that extended seaward from the original coastline. This lava delta...
Filter Total Items: 76
Brittle fragmentation by rapid gas separation in a Hawaiian fountain Brittle fragmentation by rapid gas separation in a Hawaiian fountain
Brittle fragmentation, generating small pyroclasts from magma, is a key process determining eruptive style. How low-viscosity magma fragments within a rising fountain in a brittle manner, however, is not well understood. Here we describe a fragmentation process in Hawaiian fountains on the basis of observations from the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai’i. The...
Authors
Atsuko Namiki, Matthew R. Patrick, Michael Manga, Bruce F. Houghton
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
The 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano produced one of the largest and most destructive lava flows in Hawai’i during the past 200 years. Over the course of more than 3 months, twenty-four fissures erupted, and the rate of lava effusion varied by two orders of magnitude, with significant implications for evolving flow behavior and hazards. Syn-eruptive data were...
Authors
Hannah R. Dietterich, Angela K. Diefenbach, S. Adam Soule, Michael H. Zoeller, Matthew R. Patrick, J. J. Major, Paul R. Lundgren
Patterns of bubble bursting and weak explosive activity in an active lava lake—Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea, 2015 Patterns of bubble bursting and weak explosive activity in an active lava lake—Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea, 2015
The rise of the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake in 2013–2018 to depths commonly 40 meters or less below the rim of the vent was an excellent opportunity to study outgassing and the link to associated eruptive activity. We use videography to investigate the rise and bursting of bubbles through the free surface of the lake in 2015. We focus on low-energy explosive activity (spattering) in which the...
Authors
Bianca G. Mintz, Bruce F. Houghton, Edward W. Llewellin, Tim R. Orr, Jacopo Taddeucci, Rebecca J. Carey, Ulrich Kueppers, Damien Gaudin, Matthew R. Patrick, Michael Burton, Piergiorgio Scarlato, Alessandro La Spina
Views of a century of activity at Kīlauea Caldera—A visual essay Views of a century of activity at Kīlauea Caldera—A visual essay
The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano marked the end of the first sustained period of volcanic activity at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater in 94 years. The views of the lava lake (informally named “Overlook,” nestled within Halemaʻumaʻu) lasted for a decade and seemed timeless. But as we were recently reminded, the summit of Kīlauea is part of a dynamic system that has provided countless new views to...
Authors
Ben Gaddis, James P. Kauahikaua
Groundwater dynamics at Kīlauea Volcano and vicinity, Hawaiʻi Groundwater dynamics at Kīlauea Volcano and vicinity, Hawaiʻi
Kīlauea Volcano, on the Island of Hawaiʻi, is surrounded and permeated by active groundwater systems that interact dynamically with the volcanic system. A generalized conceptual model of Hawaiian hydrogeology includes high-level dike-impounded groundwater, very permeable perched and basal aquifers, and a transition (mixing) zone between freshwater and saltwater. Most high-level...
Authors
Shaul Hurwitz, Sara E. Peek, Martha A. Scholl, Deborah Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James P. Kauahikaua, Stephen B. Gingerich, Paul A. Hsieh, R. Lopaka Lee, Edward F. Younger, Steven E. Ingebritsen
The 2008–2018 summit lava lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i The 2008–2018 summit lava lake at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
The 2008–2018 lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea marked the longest sustained period of lava lake activity at the summit in decades and provided a new opportunity for observing and understanding lava lake behavior. The individual chapters of this Professional Paper volume cover the basic chronology of the eruption, rich historical background, observations and measurements of lake...