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Michael Poland

Mike Poland is a research geophysicist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory and the current Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Mike's area of specialization is volcano geodesy, which emphasizes the surface deformation and gravity fields associated with volcanic activity.  This work involves the use of space-based technologies, like Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), as well as ground-based techniques, like microgravity surveys.  Mike has taken part in studies on a variety of volcanic systems in the United States, including Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest,  Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes in Hawaii, and the Yellowstone caldera.  His recent work has focused on using gravity change over time to understand the character of the fluids that drive volcanic unrest, and also on the potential of satellite data to improve forecasts of future changes in volcanic activity.

Professional Experience

  • U.S. Geological Survey - Yellowstone Volcano Observatory: Scientist-in-Charge (2017 - present)

  • U.S. Geological Survey – Cascades Volcano Observatory: Research Geophysicist (2015 - present)

  • U.S. Geological Survey – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: Research Geophysicist (2005 - 2015)

  • U.S. Geological Survey – Cascades Volcano Observatory: Research Geophysicist (2002 - 2005)

  • Department of Geology, Clark College (Vancouver, Washington): Instructor (2004)

  • Arizona State University, Department of Geological Sciences: Graduate Teaching/Research Assoc. (1997 - 2001)

Education and Certifications

  • Arizona State University: Ph.D. (2001), Geological Sciences

  • University of California, Davis: B.S. (1997), Geology

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Geophysical Union (AGU)

  • Geological Society of America (GSA)

  • International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI)

Honors and Awards

  • Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2021

Science and Products

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USGS science for a changing world logo

Optimizing satellite resources for the global assessment and mitigation of volcanic hazards

A vast number of the world’s volcanoes are unmonitored by ground-based sensors, yet constitute an important hazard to nearby residents and infrastructure, as well as air travel and the global economy. Satellite data provide a cost-effective means of tracking activity at such volcanoes. Unfortunately, satellite acquisitions are not optimized for application to volcano hazards, in part because cle
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John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
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Optimizing satellite resources for the global assessment and mitigation of volcanic hazards

A vast number of the world’s volcanoes are unmonitored by ground-based sensors, yet constitute an important hazard to nearby residents and infrastructure, as well as air travel and the global economy. Satellite data provide a cost-effective means of tracking activity at such volcanoes. Unfortunately, satellite acquisitions are not optimized for application to volcano hazards, in part because cle
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Data of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Kīlauea Campaign Gravity Network (KCGN)

Data Description Campaign microgravity surveys have been conducted at K?lauea, Hawai‘i (USA), since 1975 (Dzurisin and others, 1980) and, when combined with deformation measurements, enable insights into mass change within the volcano (Jachens and Eaton, 1980; Johnson, 1992; Kauahikaua and Miklius, 2003; Johnson and others, 2010; Bagnardi and others, 2014; Poland and others 2019). For exampl
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Volcano Science Center

Continuous gravity data from K?lauea Volcano, Hawai?i

This Data Release contains continuous gravity records from two instruments on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaiʻ'i the HOVL gravimeter, located on the east rim of Halema'uma'u Crater directly above the 2008-2018 summit eruptive vent, and the PUOC gravimeter, located on northern rim of Puu Oo crater on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. Both instruments were collocated with GNSS stations. The
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Repeat microgravity data from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

These data are microgravity measurements collected in Yellowstone National Park. Data are collected suing multiple instruments, which each data file representing measurements from a specific instrument during a specific time period. The data dictionary explains the file format and contents, and the dataset will be updated as new data are collected.
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Volcano Hazards
Filter Total Items: 66
Bison at Dragon's Mouth Spring, Yellowstone National Park link
YVO scientist replaces batteries in a temperature logger (Norris Basin) link
Seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2022
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Color photograph of lava flow front link
Google Earth image of the north part of Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, showing the site of the Fountain Hotel
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Obsidian rock from Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park.... link
A bubble bursts at Artist Paintpots, in Yellowstone National Park link
Yellowstone interferogram from Sentinel-1 spanning September 29, 2021, to October 6, 2022
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Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park. link
Damage to Yellowstone National Park north entrance road due to June 2022 flooding link
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s Volcano and Earthquake Monitoring Plan for the Yellowstone Caldera System, 2022–2032
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SNOTEL and streamgage sites in and around Yellowstone National Park
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Yellowstone River level and discharge during June 9–16, 2022, at Corwin Springs streamgage north of Yellowstone National Park
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Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park. link
Scientists install a semipermanent GPS station in Yellowstone National Park
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Cover of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 Annual Report link
Map of Yellowstone earthquakes as located by the University of Utah... link
Bacterium Thermus aquaticus... link
Deformation at Campi Flegrei, Yellowstone, and Long Valley calderas over the past 100 years
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The Buffalo Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps walk their cycles up Minerva Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park link
Eruption of Steamboat Geyser on July 18, 2019 link
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Optimizing satellite resources for the global assessment and mitigation of volcanic hazards—Suggestions from the USGS Powell Center Volcano Remote Sensing Working Group

A significant number of the world’s approximately 1,400 subaerial volcanoes with Holocene eruptions are unmonitored by ground-based sensors yet constitute a potential hazard to nearby residents and infrastructure, as well as air travel and global commerce. Data from an international constellation of more than 60 current satellite instruments provide a cost-effective means of tracking activity and
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Natural Hazards, Volcano Hazards, Astrogeology Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Synthetic aperture radar volcanic flow maps (SAR VFMs): A simple method for rapid identification and mapping of volcanic mass flows

Volcanic mass flows, including lava, pyroclastic density currents, and lahars, account for the bulk of fatalities and infrastructure damage caused by volcanic eruptions. Mapping these flows soon after their emplacement is vital to understanding their impact and to forecasting the likely behavior of potential future flows. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide useful information about surface
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Volcano geodesy using InSAR in 2020: The past and next decades

The study of volcano deformation has grown significantly through they year 2020 since the development of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) in the 1990s. This relatively new data source, which provides evidence of changes in subsurface magma storage and pressure without the need for ground-based equipment, has matured during the past decade. It now provides a means to address previou
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Rainfall an unlikely trigger of Kilauea’s 2018 rift eruption

If volcanic eruptions could be forecast from the occurrence of some external process, it might be possible to better mitigate risk and protect lives and livelihoods. Farquharson and Amelung1 suggested that the 2018 lower East Rift Zone (ERZ) eruption of Kīlauea Volcano—the most destructive eruption in Hawai‘i in at least 200 years2—was triggered by extreme precipitation, which caused increased por
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

A decade of geodetic change at Kīlauea’s summit—Observations, interpretations, and unanswered questions from studies of the 2008–2018 Halemaʻumaʻu eruption

On March 19, 2008, a small explosion heralded the onset of an extraordinary eruption at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. The following 10 years provided unprecedented access to an actively circulating lava lake located within a region monitored by numerous geodetic tools, including Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), tilt, and gravity. These d
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Onset and evolution of Kilauea’s 2018 flank eruption and summit collapse from continuous gravity

Prior to the 2018 lower East Rift Zone (ERZ) eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, continuous gravimeters operated on the vent rims of ongoing eruptions at both the summit and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. These instruments captured the onset of the 2018 lower ERZ eruption and the effects of lava withdrawal from both locales, providing constraints on the timing and style of activity and the physi
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Quantifying eruptive and background seismicity, deformation, degassing, and thermal emissions at volcanoes in the United States during 1978–2020

An important aspect of volcanic hazard assessment is determination of the level and character of background activity at a volcano so that deviations from background (called unrest) can be identified. Here, we compile the instrumentally recorded eruptive and noneruptive activity for 161 US volcanoes between 1978 and 2020. We combine monitoring data from four techniques: seismicity, ground deformati
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Insight into the May 2015 summit inflation event at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i

We use ground and space geodetic data to study surface deformation at Kīlauea Volcano from January to September 2015. This period includes an episode of heightened activity in April and May 2015 that culminated in a magmatic intrusion beneath the volcano's summit. The data set consists of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), tilt, visual and seismic time series along with 25 descending and 1
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Applications of bistatic radar to volcano topography – A review of 10 years of TanDEM-X

The TanDEM-X satellite mission has revolutionized DEM generation from spaceborne synthetic aperture radar. In addition to the primary objective of generating a consistent digital elevation model with global coverage and unprecedented accuracy, the mission has acquired time series of topographic data over several volcanoes, providing an excellent opportunity to test the use of this innovative datas
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

The cascading origin of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and implications for future forecasting

The 2018 summit and flank eruption of Kīlauea Volcano was one of the largest volcanic events in Hawaiʻi in 200 years. Data suggest that a backup in the magma plumbing system at the long-lived Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption site caused widespread pressurization in the volcano, driving magma into the lower flank. The eruption evolved, and its impact expanded, as a sequence of cascading events, allowing relative
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Volcano geodesy: A critical tool for assessing the state of volcanoes and their potential for hazardous eruptive activity

Since the beginning of the 20th century, volcano geodesy has evolved from time- and personnel-intensive methods for collecting discrete measurements to automated and/or remote tools that provide data with exceptional spatiotemporal resolution. By acknowledging and overcoming limitations related to data collection and interpretation, geodesy becomes a powerful tool for forecasting the onset and tra
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Forecasting, detecting, and tracking volcanic eruptions from space

Satellite monitoring of volcanic activity typically includes four primary observations: (1) deformation and surface change, (2) gas emissions, (3) thermal anomalies, and (4) ash plumes. These phenomena are imaged by remote sensing data that span the electromagnetic spectrum, from microwave to ultraviolet energy and including visible and infrared wavelengths. The primary uses of satellite data in v
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Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Filter Total Items: 42
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Acknowledging Annie: How research and monitoring get done in Yellowstone

Studying Yellowstone’s volcanic, earthquake, and hydrothermal activity requires careful consideration of impacts on the landscape and heritage of the...

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The grand story of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is not just a spectacular geologic feature.  It also provides a glimpse into the interior of a Yellowstone lava...

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A Christmas (misinformation) story: Yellowstone edition

Misinformation and misconceptions about Yellowstone are nothing new.  This past Christmas saw a particularly challenging episode of misinformation...

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Yellowstone—the year 2022 in review

Happy New Year!  Now that we’ve started in on a new calendar, it’s time for the traditional look back at Yellowstone activity in the year that was.

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The Volcanic Explosivity Index: A tool for comparing the sizes of explosive volcanic eruptions

A common scale for expressing the size of an explosive volcanic eruption is the VEI—Volcanic Explosivity Index.  Eruption size can’t be determined by...

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Silver Gate—the Mammoth Terraces of yesteryear!

Just south of Mammoth Hot Springs, near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park, lies a jumble of white/gray rock known as the Hoodoos or...

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Yellowstone’s sibling in the southern hemisphere: Taupō, New Zealand

Yellowstone is not the only large caldera system in the world.  Indeed, caldera systems can be found all over the planet!  In New Zealand, the Taupō...

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The day that Porkchop Geyser exploded

Small hydrothermal explosions—steam blasts—are common at Yellowstone, occurring every year or two.  Most happen in the backcountry and are not...

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Yellowstone’s unconformity—over 60 million years of missing geologic history!

Visitors to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park might have noticed an odd geological feature near the top of Mount Everts—an unconformity...

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YVO’s 2021 field season is underway!

For half the year, Yellowstone is largely inaccessible to geologists, buried under snow and ice and subject to fierce storms.  By May, however...

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The 2020 Yellowstone Volcano Observatory annual report is now available!

Interested in knowing more about Yellowstone geyser, seismic and deformation activity in 2020?  And the results of research conducted by the...

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Just how long has the Yellowstone Hotspot been around?

The Yellowstone hotspot—the source of heat that powers Yellowstone’s vast volcanic system—has long been thought to have initiated about 17 million...

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Science and Products

*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