Physical volcanology and eruption dynamics of basaltic volcanoes, principally Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii, and the Bering Sea Basalt Province, Alaska. Eruptive histories and hazards of Hawaiian and Alaska volcanoes.
Education and Certifications
University of Hawaii at Manoa, PH.D. (2015) – Geology and Geophysics
Northern Arizona University, M.S. (1997) – Geology
University of Montana, B.A. (1995) – Geology
University of Montana, B.A. (1993) – Geography
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 36
Crater growth and lava-lake dynamics revealed through multitemporal terrestrial lidar scanning at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
Lava lake surfaces display the tops of active magma columns and respond to eruption variables such as magmatic pressure, convection, degassing, and cooling, as well as interactions with the craters that contain them. However, they are challenging to study owing to the numerous hazards that accompany these eruptions, and they are typically difficult to observe because the emitted gas plumes obscure
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 ascent an
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 observers
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 groundwater is asso
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 activity, hydrolo
Kīlauea’s 2008–2018 summit lava lake—Chronology and eruption insights
The first eruption at Kīlauea’s summit in 25 years began on March 19, 2008, and persisted for 10 years. The onset of the eruption marked the first explosive activity at the summit since 1924, forming the new “Overlook crater” (as the 2008 summit eruption crater has been informally named) within the existing crater of Halemaʻumaʻu. The first year consisted of sporadic lava activity deep within the
Correcting the historical record for Kīlauea Volcano's 1832, 1868, and 1877 summit eruptions
Three fissure eruptions are known to have occurred along the northeastern edge of Kīlauea's summit caldera in the 19th century—in the years 1832, 1868, and 1877. Modern portrayal of these eruptions on maps and in written sources indicates that the 1832 eruption was from a fissure on the side of the Poliokeawe scarp south of Byron Ledge, the 1868 eruption was from a fissure on the southern wall of
The birth of a Hawaiian fissure eruption
Most basaltic explosive eruptions intensify abruptly, allowing little time to document processes at the start of eruption. One opportunity came with the initiation of activity from fissure 8 (F8) during the 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, Hawaii. F8 erupted in four episodes. We recorded 28 min of high‐definition video during a 51‐min period, capturing the onset of the second
Petrologic insights into rift zone magmatic interactions from the 2011 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
The high frequency of historical eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano presents an exceptional opportunity to address fundamental questions related to the transport, storage, and interaction of magmas within rift zones. The Nāpau Crater area on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone (ERZ) experienced nine fissure eruptions within 50 years (1961–2011). Most of the magma intruded during these frequent eruptions remained s
Insights into pāhoehoe lava emplacement using visible and thermal structure-from-motion photogrammetry
We present the evolution over 3 months of a 2016–2017 pāhoehoe flow at Kīlauea as it changed from a narrow sheet flow into a compound lava field fed by a stable system of tubes. The portion of the flow located on Kīlauea's coastal plain was characterized using helicopter‐based visible and thermal structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry to construct a series of georeferenced digital surface models and
Undocumented late 18th- to early 19th-century volcanic eruptions in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
The historical record of volcanic activity at Kīlauea Volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi begins with the phreatomagmatic blasts of 1790. Three decades later, in 1823, the first party of non-Hawaiian visitors, organized by the English Reverend William Ellis, reached Kīlauea’s summit. A detailed narrative by Ellis includes an account of an eruption in Kīlauea’s Southwest Rift Zone that occurred shortl
Communication strategy of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the lava-flow crisis of 2014–2015, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
In 2014–2015, a slow-moving pāhoehoe lava flow from the remote Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent on Kīlauea Volcano advanced 20 km into populated areas of the Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i. The staff of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) mobilized their resources to closely monitor the flow and provide up-to-date information to the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense (HCCD) agen
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
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 dates. The da
GIS shapefiles for lava flows at Kilauea volcano, 1790 - 1982
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata for lava flows erupted at Kilauea volcano from ca. 1790 through 1982. The dataset includes all known subaerial eruptions in the volcano's Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone, and selected flows erupted within the summit caldera, during this time period. Two attributed shapefiles are associated with each eruption: a polyline shapefile for
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 or
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Filter Total Items: 36
Crater growth and lava-lake dynamics revealed through multitemporal terrestrial lidar scanning at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
Lava lake surfaces display the tops of active magma columns and respond to eruption variables such as magmatic pressure, convection, degassing, and cooling, as well as interactions with the craters that contain them. However, they are challenging to study owing to the numerous hazards that accompany these eruptions, and they are typically difficult to observe because the emitted gas plumes obscurePatterns 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 ascent anViews 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 observersGroundwater 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 groundwater is assoThe 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 activity, hydroloKīlauea’s 2008–2018 summit lava lake—Chronology and eruption insights
The first eruption at Kīlauea’s summit in 25 years began on March 19, 2008, and persisted for 10 years. The onset of the eruption marked the first explosive activity at the summit since 1924, forming the new “Overlook crater” (as the 2008 summit eruption crater has been informally named) within the existing crater of Halemaʻumaʻu. The first year consisted of sporadic lava activity deep within theCorrecting the historical record for Kīlauea Volcano's 1832, 1868, and 1877 summit eruptions
Three fissure eruptions are known to have occurred along the northeastern edge of Kīlauea's summit caldera in the 19th century—in the years 1832, 1868, and 1877. Modern portrayal of these eruptions on maps and in written sources indicates that the 1832 eruption was from a fissure on the side of the Poliokeawe scarp south of Byron Ledge, the 1868 eruption was from a fissure on the southern wall ofThe birth of a Hawaiian fissure eruption
Most basaltic explosive eruptions intensify abruptly, allowing little time to document processes at the start of eruption. One opportunity came with the initiation of activity from fissure 8 (F8) during the 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, Hawaii. F8 erupted in four episodes. We recorded 28 min of high‐definition video during a 51‐min period, capturing the onset of the secondPetrologic insights into rift zone magmatic interactions from the 2011 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi
The high frequency of historical eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano presents an exceptional opportunity to address fundamental questions related to the transport, storage, and interaction of magmas within rift zones. The Nāpau Crater area on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone (ERZ) experienced nine fissure eruptions within 50 years (1961–2011). Most of the magma intruded during these frequent eruptions remained sInsights into pāhoehoe lava emplacement using visible and thermal structure-from-motion photogrammetry
We present the evolution over 3 months of a 2016–2017 pāhoehoe flow at Kīlauea as it changed from a narrow sheet flow into a compound lava field fed by a stable system of tubes. The portion of the flow located on Kīlauea's coastal plain was characterized using helicopter‐based visible and thermal structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry to construct a series of georeferenced digital surface models andUndocumented late 18th- to early 19th-century volcanic eruptions in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
The historical record of volcanic activity at Kīlauea Volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi begins with the phreatomagmatic blasts of 1790. Three decades later, in 1823, the first party of non-Hawaiian visitors, organized by the English Reverend William Ellis, reached Kīlauea’s summit. A detailed narrative by Ellis includes an account of an eruption in Kīlauea’s Southwest Rift Zone that occurred shortlCommunication strategy of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the lava-flow crisis of 2014–2015, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
In 2014–2015, a slow-moving pāhoehoe lava flow from the remote Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent on Kīlauea Volcano advanced 20 km into populated areas of the Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i. The staff of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) mobilized their resources to closely monitor the flow and provide up-to-date information to the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense (HCCD) agen - 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. TheGIS 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 dates. The daGIS shapefiles for lava flows at Kilauea volcano, 1790 - 1982
This dataset contains shapefiles and associated metadata for lava flows erupted at Kilauea volcano from ca. 1790 through 1982. The dataset includes all known subaerial eruptions in the volcano's Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone, and selected flows erupted within the summit caldera, during this time period. Two attributed shapefiles are associated with each eruption: a polyline shapefile forGIS 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 or - Multimedia