Weston Thelen
I love earthquakes. I love volcanoes. What could be better than studying earthquakes on volcanoes? Probably nothing.
Biography
My education is in both geology and geophysics with a focus more recently on volcanoes. I have experience on both stratovolcanoes and basaltic volcanoes in Russia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii. I've worked in eruptive scenarios at Mount St. Helens in 2004-2008, Redoubt in 2008 and Kilauea from 2011 till 2020. In addition, I've held positions at the Nevada Seismological Network, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which have all had components of network seismology to them.
Appointments
USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory
Position: Research Geophysicist, Rainier Lahar Detection System Science Lead
Project: Undertake and facilitate research on Cascade Range Volcanoes. Monitor seismicity on Cascade Range Volcanoes to assess volcanic hazard. Assist in planning, prioritization and execution of maintenance and growth of volcano monitoring networks in Oregon and Washington.
Dates of Employment: 2016-present
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Position: Seismic Network Manager/ Supervisory Geophysicist
Responsibilities: Maintain and improve real-time monitoring and operations of the seismic network at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Interpret seismic data for changes in volcanic activity. Analyze earthquake data.
Dates of Employment: 2011-2015
Professional Preparation
Undergraduate Education
- 2004: University of Nevada, B.S. in Geophysics with high distinction 2004
- 2004: University of Nevada, B.S. in Geology with high distinction 2004
Graduate Education
- 2009: University of Washington, Ph.D in Geophysics
Post-doctoral Appointments
- 2009: University of Washington, Network Seismology
- 2010: USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory, Volcano Seismology
Publications:
Louie J. N., Thelen W. A., Smith, S. B., Scott J. B., and Clark M. (2004), The northern Walker Lane refraction experiment: Pn arrivals and the northern Sierra Nevada root: Tectonophysics, 388, no. 1-4, 253-269.
Thelen, W. A., Clark, M., Lopez, C. T., Loughner, C., Park, H., Scott, J. B., Smith, S. B., Greschke, B., Louie, J. N. (2006), A transect of 200 shallow shear velocity profiles across the Los Angeles Basin: Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., v. 96, pp. 1055-1067.
Thelen, W. A., Crosson, R. S. and Creager K. C. (2008), Absolute and relative locations for earthquakes at Mount St. Helens, Washington using continuous data: implications for magmatic processes, chap.4 in Sherrod, D. R., Scott, W. E., and Stauffer, P. H., eds., A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper.
Moran, S. C., Malone S. D., Qamar A. I., Thelen W. A., Wright A. K., and Caplan-Auerbach J. (2008), Seismicity associated with the renewed dome-building eruption of Mount St. Helens 2004-2005, chap.2 in Sherrod, D. R., Scott, W. E., and Stauffer, P. H., eds., A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper.
Qamar, A. I., Malone S. D., Moran S. C., Steele, W. P., and Thelen, W. A. (2008), Near-real-time information products for Mount St. Helens-tracking the ongoing eruption, chap. 3 in Sherrod, D. R., Scott, W. E., and Stauffer, P. H., eds., A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper.
Thelen, W. A., M. West, and S. Senyukov (2010), Seismic Characterization of the Fall 2007 Eruptive Sequence at Bezymianny Volcano, Russia, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 194, 201-213.
Thelen, W. A., S. D. Malone, and M. E. West (2010), Repose time and cumulative moment magnitude: A new tool for forecasting eruptions?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L18301, doi:10.1029/2010GL044194.
Thelen, W., Malone, S., & West, M. (2011). Multiplets: Their behavior and utility at dacitic and andesitic volcanic centers. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 116(B8).
Wicks, C. W., W. A. Thelen, C. S. Weaver, J. Gomberg, A. C. Rohay, and P. Bodin (2011), InSAR Observations of Aseismic Slip Associated with an Earthquake Swarm in the Columbia River Flood Basalts, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JB008433.
Nichols, M. L., Malone, S. D., Moran, S. C., Thelen, W. A., & Vidale, J. E. (2011). Deep long-period earthquakes beneath Washington and Oregon volcanoes. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 200(3), 116-128.
Som, S. M., Hagadorn, J. W., Thelen, W. A., Gillespie, A. R., Catling, D. C., & Buick, R. (2012). Quantitative discrimination between geological materials with variable density contrast by high resolution X-ray computed tomography: An example using amygdule size-distribution in ancient lava flows. Computers & Geosciences
Thelen, W. A., Allstadt, K., de Angelis, S., Malone, S. D., Moran, S. C., & Vidale, J. (2013). Shallow repeating seismic events under an alpine glacier at Mount Rainier, Washington, USA. Journal of Glaciology, 59(214).
Shelly, D. R., Moran, S. C., & Thelen, W. A. (2013). Evidence for fluid‐triggered slip in the 2009 Mount Rainier, Washington earthquake swarm. Geophysical Research Letters, 1-7.
Orr, T. R., Thelen, W. A., Patrick, M. R., Swanson, D. A., & Wilson, D. C. (2013). Explosive eruptions triggered by rockfalls at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai ‘i.Geology, 41(2), 207-210.
Johnson, J. H., Swanson, D. A., Roman, D. C., Poland, M. P., andThelen, W.A., 2015, Crustal stress and structure at Kilauea Volcano inferred from seismic anisotropy: AGU Geophysical Monograph, v. 208, p. 251–268. doi:10.1002/9781118872079.ch12
Orr, T. R., Poland, M. P., Patrick, M. R.,Thelen, W. A., Sutton, A. J., Elias, T., Thornber, C. R., Parcheta, C., and Wooten, K. M., 2015, Kilauea’s 5-9 March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption and its relation to 30+ years of activity from Pu'u ‘O’o: AGU Geophysical Monograph, v. 208, p. 393–420. doi:10.1002/9781118872079.ch18
Thelen, W. A., and Cooper, J., 2015, An analysis of three new infrasound arrays around Kilauea Volcano: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1253, 29 p. doi:10.3133/ofr20141253
Patrick, M. R., Orr, T., Sutton, A. J., Lev, E.,Thelen, W., Fee D., 2015. Shallowly driven fluctuations in lava lake outgassing (gas pistoning), Kilauea Volcano. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 433, p. 326-338. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.10.052
Wech, A. G., andThelen, W. A., 2015. Linking magma transport structures at Kīlauea volcano, Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 7090–7097, doi:10.1002/2015GL064869.
Science and Products
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,...
Patrick, Matthew R.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.; Montgomery-Brown, Emily; Johanson, Ingrid; Thelen, Weston; Elias, Tamar Deep long-period earthquakes generated by second boiling beneath Mauna Kea volcano
Deep long-period earthquakes (DLPs) are an enigmatic type of volcanic seismicity that sometimes precedes eruptions but mostly occurs at quiescent volcanoes. These earthquakes are depleted in high-frequency content and typically occur near the base of the crust. We observed a near-periodic, long- lived sequence of more than one million DLPs in the...
Wech, Aaron; Thelen, Weston; Thomas, Amanda Seismic and geodetic progression of the 2018 summit caldera collapse of Kīlauea Volcano
The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaiʻi, resulted in a major collapse of the summit caldera along with an effusive eruption in the lower East Rift Zone. The caldera collapse comprised 62 highly similar collapse cycles of strong ground deformation and earthquake swarms that ended with a magnitude 5 collapse event and one partial cycle that...
Tepp, Gabrielle; Hotovec-Ellis, Alicia J.; Shiro, Brian; Johanson, Ingrid; Thelen, Weston; Haney, Matthew M. Anatomy of a caldera collapse: Kīlauea 2018 summit seismicity sequence in high resolution
The 2018 Kīlauea eruption and caldera collapse generated intense cycles of seismicity tied to repeated large seismic (Mw ~5) collapse events associated with magma withdrawal from beneath the summit. To gain insight into the underlying dynamics and aid eruption response, we applied waveform-based earthquake detection and double-difference location...
Shelly, David R.; Thelen, Weston Lava lake thermal pattern classification using self organizing maps and relationships to eruption processes at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Kīlauea Volcano’s active summit lava lake poses hazards to downwind residents and over 1.6 million Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park visitors each year. The lava lake surface is dynamic; crustal plates separated by incandescent cracks move across the lake as magma circulates below. We hypothesize that these dynamic thermal patterns are related to...
Burzynski, Amy M; Anderson, Steven W.; Morrison, Kerryn; Patrick, Matthew R.; Orr, Tim R.; Thelen, Weston 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...
Neal, Christina A.; Brantley, Steven; Antolik, Loren; Babb, Janet; Burgess, Matthew K.; Cappos, Michael; Chang, Jefferson; Conway, Sarah; Desmither, Liliana; Dotray, Peter; Elias, Tamar; Fukunaga, Pauline; Fuke, Steven; Johanson, Ingrid; Kamibayashi, Kevan; Kauahikaua, James P.; Lee, R. Lopaka; Pekalib, S.; Miklius, Asta; Shiro, Brian; Swanson, Don; Nadeau, Patricia; Zoeller, Michael H.; Okubo, P.; Parcheta, Carolyn; Patrick, Matthew R.; Tollett, William; Trusdell, Frank A.; Younger, Edward F.; Montgomery-Brown, Emily; Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.; Ball, Jessica L.; Bard, Joseph A.; Coombs, Michelle L.; Dietterich, Hannah R.; Kern, Christoph; Thelen, Weston; Cervelli, Peter; Orr, Tim R.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Gansecki, Cheryl; Hazlett, Richard; Lundgren, Paul; Diefenbach, Angela K.; Lerner, Allan; Waite, Greg; Kelly, Peter J.; Clor, Laura E.; Werner, Cynthia; Burgess, Matthew; Mulliken, Katherine; Fisher, Gary Seismic and acoustic signatures of surficial mass movements at volcanoes
Surficial mass movements, such as debris avalanches, rock falls, lahars, pyroclastic flows, and outburst floods, are a dominant hazard at many volcanoes worldwide. Understanding these processes, cataloging their spatio-temporal occurrence, and detecting, tracking, and characterizing these events would advance the science of volcano monitoring and...
Allstadt, Kate E.; Matoza, Robin S; Lockhart, Andrew; Moran, Seth C.; Caplan-Auerbach, Jacqueline; Haney, Matthew M.; Thelen, Weston; Malone, Stephen D.
January 17, 2021 Mount Hood Earthquake Swarm
An earthquake swarm at Mount Hood is ongoing. The earthquakes are associated with regional faulting and are not a sign of changes in volcanic activity.
Volcano Watch — Mauna Loa Back to Normal
For more than six months, earthquakes at Mauna Loa have diminished and deformation has slowed, indicating that the volcano is no longer at an elevated level of unrest. On June 21, 2018, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) lowered the alert level from ADVISORY to NORMAL, and lowered the color code from YELLOW to GREEN.
Volcano Watch — Mauna Loa: Earth's largest active volcano is still stirring
Despite not being in the headlines, Mauna Loa continues to be in a state of unrest based on seismic and deformation monitoring data.