Acoustic noise and temperature monitoring of the Crater Lake of Mount Ruapehu Volcano

Acoustic signals in Ruapehu Crater Lake, which are now being telemetered via a satellite transmission system, show promise as a possible precursor of increased volcanic activity from Ruapehu. The start of a recent period of rapid heating of Crater Lake was preceded by low-frequency (2 Hz) acoustic signals. These accompanied similar frequency seismic signals, but seemed to be produced independently. Audio-frequency (350–3000 Hz) acoustic noise also showed a very clear peak shortly before the lake temperature started to rise.     

Hydroacoustic noise precursors of the 1990 eruption of Kelut Volcano, Indonesia

The results of a hydroacoustic monitoring experiment in the Kelut Crater lake, Indonesia, prior to its 1990 eruption, are presented, with the benefit of hindsight. Indeed, the underwater noise levels in three widely separated frequency bands, together with the lake water temperature, was radio-transmitted and almost continuously recorded from a period of quiescence of the volcano till the onset of its 10 February 1990, eruption, which destroyed the monitoring buoy. The comparative analysis of the noise variations in the three bands, together with seismic and temperature data, have shed light on the mechanisms underlying the pre-eruptive activity. The three acoustic levels had shown conspicuous, yet distinctive, changes prior to the eruption. Acoustic level in the low-frequency (1–50 Hz) band, which increased one year before the resumption of seismic activity and the lake warming up, is interpreted as the result of boiling at depth. The source of high-acoustic level in the audiometric (500–5000 Hz) range is clearly the bubbling of volcanic gases, occurring as a strong convective column in the middle of the lake. From the variations of this audiometric level, we have estimated that the degassing rate in the lake increased by a hundred-fold during the pre-eruptive period. Variations of ultrasonic (20–100 kHz) frequency acoustic level seem to be related with pressure and thermal changes within the hydrothermal system and its rock matrix beneath the lake. In conclusion, this experiment demonstrates the potential of hydroacoustic monitoring as an early warning system at crater lake volcanoes.     

Seismicity of Ruapehu volcano,New Zealand, 1971–1996: a review

From 1971 until 1995, the style of seismicity at Ruapehu changed little, reflecting a period of relatively low eruptive activity and consequent long-term stability within the vent system. Volcanic earthquakes and volcanic tremor were both dominated by a frequency of about 2 Hz. Volcanic earthquakes accompanied all phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions, but not small hydrothermal eruptions that originated within Crater Lake. Furthermore, more than half of the M_L>3 volcanic earthquakes and changes in the reduced displacement of 2 Hz volcanic tremor by as much as a factor of 20 occurred without any accompanying eruptive activity. Three and 7 Hz volcanic tremor were also recorded, although never at lower-elevation seismometers. At times, this tremor was stronger at the summit seismometer than the 2 Hz tremor. Their source regions were independent of the 2 Hz source, and located at shallower depths. Volcano-tectonic earthquakes were generally unrelated to eruptive activity. The seismicity accompanying the 1995–1996 eruptive activity was significantly different from that of the period 1971 to 1995, and included volcanic tremor with a frequency of less than 1 Hz, simultaneous changes in the amplitude of the previously independent 2 Hz and 7 Hz volcanic tremor, and finally a change in the frequency content of volcanic earthquakes and volcanic tremor from 2 Hz to wideband. Path transmission effects play an important role in determining the characteristics of seismograms at Ruapehu. The presence of Crater Lake affects both the style of eruptions and the accompanying seismicity.     

Temperature observations of Crater Lake,Mt Ruapehu,New Zealand,using Temperature Telemetry Bouys

The temperature of the Crater Lake of the active volcano Ruapelm has been recorded by Temperature Telemetry Buoys, to determine if lake temperature is correlated with volcanic activity. These buoys had to be specially designed to cope with the unfavourable environment of Crater Lake. A buoy contains a thermistor to measure the lake temperature, and a radio transmitter to transmit a short signal every few minutes, the interval between signals being a function of temperature. The temperature records obtained from these buoys show that the temperature near the lake surface can vary considerably within a few hours. Some of these variations appear to be caused by disturbances in convective heat transfer occurring in the lake. The occurrence of these short term temperature variations means that there is no simple relation between Crater Lake temperatures and the volcanic activity of Ruapehu. Some rapid increases in temperature followed volcanic earthquakes, but one of the biggest increases in temperature occurred just before a group of earthquakes upder the lake.     

Water chemistry of Lake Quilotoa (Ecuador) and assessment of natural hazards

A geochemical survey carried out in November 1993 revealed that Lake Quilotoa was composed by a thin (14 m) oxic epilimnion overlying a 200 m-thick anoxic hypolimnion. Dissolved CO₂ concentrations reached 1000 mg/kg in the lower stratum. Loss of CO₂ from epilimnetic waters, followed by calcite precipitation and a consequent lowering in density, was the apparent cause of the stratification.The Cl, SO₄ and HCO₃ contents of Lake Quilotoa are intermediate between those of acid–SO₄–Cl Crater lakes and those of neutral-HCO₃ Crater lakes, indicating that Lake Quilotoa has a ‘memory’ of the inflow and absorption of HC1- and S-bearing volcanic (magmatic) gases. The Mg/Ca ratios of the lake waters are governed by dissolution of local volcanic rocks or magmas, but K/Na ratios were likely modified by precipitation of alunite, a typical mineral in acid–SO₄–Cl Crater lakes.The constant concentrations of several conservative chemical species from lake surface to lake bottom suggest that physical, chemical and biological processes did not have enough time, after the last overturn, to cause significant changes in the contents of these chemical species. This lapse of time might be relatively large, but it cannot be established on the basis of available data. Besides, the lake may not be close to steady state. Mixing of Lake Quilotoa waters could presently be triggered by either cooling epilimnetic waters by 4°C or providing heat to hypolimnetic waters or by seismic activity.Although Quilotoa lake contains a huge amount of dissolved CO₂ (3×10¹¹ g), at present the risk of a dangerous limnic eruption seems to be nil even though some gas exsolution might occur if deep lake waters were brought to the surface. Carbon dioxide could build up to higher levels in deep waters than at present without any volcanic re-awakening, due to either a large inflow of relatively cool CO₂-rich gases, or possibly a long interval between overturns. Periodical geochemical surveys of Lake Quilotoa are, therefore, recommended.     

Geochemical and isotopic evidence for seawater contamination of the hydrothermal system of Taal Volcano, Luzon, the Philippines

 The hydrologic structure of Taal Volcano has favored development of an extensive hydrothermal system whose prominent feature is the acidic Main Crater Lake (pH<3) lying in the center of an active vent complex, which is surrounded by a slightly alkaline caldera lake (Lake Taal). This peculiar situation makes Taal prone to frequent, and sometimes catastrophic, hydrovolcanic eruptions. Fumaroles, hot springs, and lake waters were sampled in 1991, 1992, and 1995 in order to develop a geochemical model for the hydrothermal system. The low-temperature fumarole compositions indicate strong interaction of magmatic vapors with the hydrothermal system under relatively oxidizing conditions. The thermal waters consist of highly, moderately, and weakly mineralized solutions, but none of them corresponds to either water–rock equilibrium or rock dissolution. The concentrated discharges have high Na contents (>3500 mg/kg) and low SO₄/Cl ratios (<0.3). The Br/Cl ratio of most samples suggests incorporation of seawater into the hydrothermal system. Water and dissolved sulfate isotopic compositions reveal that the Main Crater Lake and spring discharges are derived from a deep parent fluid (T≈300  °C), which is a mixture of seawater, volcanic water, and Lake Taal water. The volcanic end member is probably produced in the magmatic-hydrothermal environment during absorption of high-temperature gases into groundwater. Boiling and mixing of the parent water give rise to the range of chemical and isotopic characteristics observed in the thermal discharges. Incursion of seawater from the coastal region to the central part of the volcano is supported by the low water levels of the lakes and by the fact that Lake Taal was directly connected to the China sea until the sixteenth century. The depth to the seawater-meteoric water interface is calculated to be 80 and 160 m for the Main Crater Lake and Lake Taal, respectively. Additional data are required to infer the hydrologic structure of Taal. Geochemical surveillance of the Main Crater Lake using the SO₄/Cl, Na/K, or Mg/Cl ratio cannot be applied straightforwardly due to the presence of seawater in the hydrothermal system. Received: 12 February 1997 / Accepted: 26 January 1998     

Reconnaissance surveys of near-event seismic activity in the volcanoes of the Cascade Range,Oregon

Surveys of near-event seismic activity were made at two principal locations in the Cascade Range in Oregon during the summers of 1969 and 1970. A tripartite array of ultrasensitive high frequency seismometers was deployed about 7.5 km north of the Mt. Hood summit with one of the 1-km legs oriented broadside to the dormant volcano. Seismometers were emplaced over olivine andesite flows associated with the Pinnacle, one of the parasitic cones formed on the flanks of the strato-volcano. During 16 days of operation on the north slope, 53 near events were recorded, most of which originated within the upper crust and were associated with the north-south trending zone of the Cascade Range. Event magnitudes for these near events range from ?1.7 to +1.8 and determination of b-values in the Gutenberg-Richter relationship was ?0.80, indicating a probable tectonic mechanism for the shocks. During the late summer of 1970, a four-station array was operated at Crater Lake Park about 13 km south-southwest of the caldera rim. In addition, an ultraportable outlier station was operated at two locations north of the caldera that resulted from the collapse of ancient Mt. Mazama some 6,600 years ago. Only a limited number of near events with S-P intervals of 4 sec or less were detected at Crater Lake; a larger number were recorded with S-P intervals longer than 4 sec. Event epicenters for the Crater Lake area are broadly distributed in azimuth, indicating the complex structure underlying the Cascade Range in southern Oregon. Crater Lake is located astride the broad upwarp of crystalline pre-Cenozoic rocks believed to extend northeast from the Klamath Mountains to the Ochoco Uplift of central Oregon. Major regional structural trends are also shown by the north-south trending belts of the Cascade volcanoes, probably related to deep fracture zones, and by the northeast-trending shear zones that exist in the Basin and Range province to the southeast of Crater Lake. Regional gravity and aeromagnetic surveys indicate that Crater Lake lies at the intersection of these zones that probably provided the conduits for the rise of magma that ultimately led to the collapse of Mt. Mazma and the formation of Crater Lake. Epicenters for near events recorded at this juncture do not reflect these linear trends and, indeed, a generally smaller incidence of near-event activity was recorded at Crater Lake than was recorded at Mt. Hood. Magnitudes for Crater Lake events with S-P intervals of 4 sec or more range from +0.25 to +2.19, and an examination of the relationship between cumulative frequency and magnitude for these events yields a b-value in the Gutenberg-Richter relationship of ?1.16, indicating the events at Crater Lake, like those detected at Mt. Hood, are associated with tectonic rather than volcanic sources. Events for which depth determinations were made show these sources to be within the crust, occurring in the upper 10 km of the earth’s crust. The relatively low incidence of small magnitude near events within the Oregon Cascade Range shows the aseismicity of the mountain chain which is consistent with the low incidence of earthquakes of a magnitude of 4.5 or greater detected for the volcanic range. The volcanoes of the Cascade Range in Oregon are dormant, and only small numbers of shocks are now being generated, probably from isostatic adjustments within the crust. The Cascade volcanic range, which once was a seismically active island are chain associated with subduction zones off the northwestern coast of America, has moved into a passive phase in which most seismic activity in western Oregon now occurs along the ridge and fracture zones offshore and within the Willamette Downwarp west of the dormant chain.     

Volcanic hazard assessment for Ruapehu composite volcano,taupo volcanic zone,New Zealand

Ruapehu is a very active andesitic composite volcano which has erupted five times in the past 10 years. Historical events have included phreatomagmatic eruptions through a hot crater lake and two dome-building episodes. Ski-field facilities, road and rail bridges, alpine huts and portions of a major hydroelectrical power scheme have been damaged or destroyed by these eruptions. Destruction of a rail bridge by a lahar in 1953 caused the loss of 151 lives. Other potential hazards, with Holocene analogues, include Strombolian and sub-Plinian explosive eruptions, lava extrusion from summit or flank vents and collapse of portions of the volcano. The greatest hazards would result from renewed phreatomagmatic activity in Crater Lake or collapse of its weak southeastern wall. Three types of hazard zones can be defined for the phreatomagmatic events: inner zones of extreme risk from ballistic blocks and surges, outer zones of disruption to services from fall deposits and zones of risk from lahars, which consist of tongues down major river valleys. Ruapehu is prone to destructive lahars because of the presence of 10⁷ m³ of hot acid water in Crater Lake and because of the surrounding summit glaciers and ice fields. The greatest risks at Ruapehu are to thousands of skiers on the ski field which crosses a northern lahar path. Three early warning schemes have been established to deal with the lahar problems. Collapse of the southeastern confining wall would release much of the lake into an eastern lahar path causing widespread damage. This is a long-term risk which could only be mitigated by drainage of the lake.     

Shallow seismicity beneath Ruapehu Crater Lake: results of a 1994 seismometer deployment

 Virtually all the seismicity within Ruapehu Volcano recorded during a 2-month deployment in early 1994, with 14 broadband seismographs around the Tongariro National Park volcanoes in the North Island of New Zealand, was associated with the active vent and occurred within approximately 1 km of Ruapehu Crater Lake. High-frequency volcano-tectonic earthquakes and low-frequency events (similar to bursts of 2 Hz volcanic tremor) were both found to have sources in this region. The high-frequency events, which often consisted of a smaller precursor event followed approximately 2 s later by the main event, had sharp onsets and were locatable using standard techniques. The depth of these events ranged from the surface down to approximately 1500 m below Crater Lake. The low-frequency events did not have sharp onsets and were located by phase-correlation methods. Nearly all occurred under a small region on the east side of Crater Lake, at depths from 200 to 1000 m below the surface. This low-frequency earthquake source region, in which no high-frequency events occurred, may be the steam zone within the actual vent of Ruapehu Volcano. Received: 30 June 1996 / Accepted: 16 February 1998     

Depositional record of historic lahars in the upper Whangaehu Valley, Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand: implications for trigger mechanisms, flow dynamics and lahar hazards

Mt. Ruapehu, in the central North Island of New Zealand, is one of the most lahar-prone volcanoes in the world. Since historic observations began in 1861 AD, more than 50 individual lahars have been recorded in the Whangaehu valley alone, the natural outlet to the summit Crater Lake. These lahars have been triggered by a variety of mechanisms, including explosive eruptions that displaced Crater Lake water over the outlet or ejected it onto the snow-clad summit area of the volcano; rain-remobilisation of tephra deposits on steep slopes; displacement over the outlet as a result of syn-eruptive changes in lake bathymetry; and lake break-outs from Crater Lake following impoundment of excess water behind temporary barriers of tephra and/or ice emplaced over the outlet. However, only 9 lahar deposits can be distinguished in the upper Whangaehu valley on sedimentological, stratigraphic, geomorphic and petrological grounds, and these are skewed towards either the largest or the most recent flows. In some cases magnitude can be reconstructed from deposit geometry, with the largest lahars producing the highest level terraces, the coarsest deposits, and crossing drainage divides into normally inactive channels. This under-representation of historic events reflects the low preservation potential of unconsolidated deposits in a steep alpine environment, and the overprinting and recycling effect of large magnitude lahars that rework material down to bedrock and effectively reset the stratigraphic record. Development of magnitude-frequency relationships for Ruapehu lahars therefore requires the identification of lahar deposits in proximal, medial and distal settings in order to ensure that the full range of events is represented.     

大型浅水湖泊太湖波浪特征及其对风场的敏感性分析

以空间均匀的实际风场为驱动,利用SWAN模式模拟了太湖波浪场,结果表明:SWAN模式能够较好的模拟太湖波浪的生成与传播,适用于大型浅水湖泊(太湖);同时分析了该风场驱动下下太湖风浪谱,波浪的绝对频率主要集中在0.45～1.0 Hz的中高频率段;风向与波向具有高度一致性.在同一风速下,太湖不同区域波浪成长稳定时间不同,湖心区稳定的谱峰频率在0.342～0.585 Hz之间,湾区及西山岛附近狭长水域稳定的谱峰频率在0.447～0.765 Hz之间;在同一区域,风速增大,波浪稳定时间减少,谱峰频率沿低频推移,在湖心区谱峰频率最小不低于0.340 Hz,湾区、西山岛附近狭长水域最小不低于0.447 Hz;风向的改变对湾区及西山岛附近狭长水域的波浪频谱形状影响较大.     

Leakage of Active Crater lake brine through the north flank at Rincón de la Vieja volcano, northwest Costa Rica, and implications for crater collapse

The Active Crater at Rincón de la Vieja volcano, Costa Rica, reaches an elevation of 1750 m and contains a warm, hyper-acidic crater lake that probably formed soon after the eruption of the Rio Blanco tephra deposit approximately 3500 years before present. The Active Crater is buttressed by volcanic ridges and older craters on all sides except the north, which dips steeply toward the Caribbean coastal plains. Acidic, above-ambient-temperature streams are found along the Active Crater's north flank at elevations between 800 and 1000 m. A geochemical survey of thermal and non-thermal waters at Rincón de la Vieja was done in 1989 to determine whether hyper-acidic fluids are leaking from the Active Crater through the north flank, affecting the composition of north-flank streams.Results of the water-chemistry survey reveal that three distinct thermal waters are found on the flanks of Rincón de la Vieja volcano: acid chloride–sulfate (ACS), acid sulfate (AS), and neutral chloride (NC) waters. The most extreme ACS water was collected from the crater lake that fills the Active Crater. Chemical analyses of the lake water reveal a hyper-acidic (pH0) chloride–sulfate brine with elevated concentrations of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, fluorine, and boron. The composition of the brine reflects the combined effects of magmatic degassing from a shallow magma body beneath the Active Crater, dissolution of andesitic volcanic rock, and evaporative concentration of dissolved constituents at above-ambient temperatures. Similar cation and anion enrichments are found in the above-ambient-temperature streams draining the north flank of the Active Crater. The pH of north-flank thermal waters range from 3.6 to 4.1 and chloride:sulfate ratios (1.2–1.4) that are a factor of two greater than that of the lake brine (0.60). The waters have an ACS composition that is quite different from the AS and NC thermal waters that occur along the southern flank of Rincón de la Vieja.The distribution of thermal water types at Rincón de la Vieja strongly indicates that formation of the north-flank ACS waters is not due to mixing of shallow, steam-heated AS water with deep-seated NC water. More likely, hyper-acidic brines formed in the Active Crater area are migrating through permeable zones in the volcanic strata that make up the Active Crater's north flank. Dissolution and shallow subsurface alteration of north-flank volcanoclastic material by interaction with acidic lake brine, particularly in the more permeable tephra units, could weaken the already oversteepened north flank of the Active Crater. Sector collapse of the Active Crater, with or without a volcanic eruption, represents a potential threat to human lives, property, and ecosystems at Rincón de la Vieja volcano.     

Volcanic earthquakes, and their relationship to eruptions at Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe volcanoes

Crustal earthquakes near Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe fall into two classes, each of which can be subdivided. On the one hand, there are high-frequency events ( 3 Hz) with sharp, well-defined phases, mainly concentrated beneath Ruapehu Crater Lake. Low-frequency events (< 2 Hz), on the other hand, are common at shallower depths under both volcanoes. These are usually emergent multiple events, and are often closely associated with eruptions.The low-frequency events resemble Minakami's B-type and explosion earthquakes, but sometimes occur where no vent exists and rather deeper than his formal definition (< 1 km) permits. More importantly, they lack reliable criteria (wave-form or magnitude differences) to distinguish between his two groups. Whether or not they accompany an eruption (Minakami's definition of explosion earthquake) appears to depend on whether the volcanoes are in a “closed-” or “open-vent” condition. The high-frequency earthquakes are similar in wave-form to Minakami's A-type. However, many at Ruapehu (here designated “roof-rock” earthquakes) originate at shallower depths than the B-type earthquakes, which is contrary to Minakami's definition.Difficulty in applying Minakami's classification rigorously, and the fact that low frequencies may be due to abnormal attenuation of higher frequencies along the path, rather than to their suppression or absence at the source, has led to reclassification of earthquakes near the volcanoes into two broad groups, tectonic and volcanic. The former includes all high-frequency earthquakes, and those discrete events in which dominant low frequencies are due to path effects. The latter includes multiple and emergent events which show evidence of prolonged or repetitive source mechanism. Dominant low frequencies are ascribed to occurrence in heat-weakened material, and high frequencies to instantaneous source mechanisms operating in competent rock. The term volcano-tectonic describes tectonic earthquakes within some arbitrary distance of a volcano.At Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, volcanic earthquakes accompany explosive, vent-clearing eruptions. Subsequent “open-vent” degassing and ash emission, however, although often powerful and prolonged, usually occurs without earthquakes. Such activity is, however, frequently accompanied by volcanic tremor. At Ruapehu, under “closed-vent” conditions, when lake temperature is low, low-frequency earthquakes up to magnitude M_L = 3.4 have occurred without any eruption.Five types of phreatic eruptions are identified at Ruapehu, each having a distinctive seismic pattern. The three most explosive types appear to be generated by a chain reaction process, and all involve flashing of water to steam; the first by failure of the roof, with little precursory seismicity, after a “closed-vent” period, during which lake temperature decreases; the second, after prolonged heating of the lake and much preliminary volcanic tremor, interpreted as due to rising magma; and the third, under “open-vent” conditions in the wake of one of the two preceding types. A fourth probably occurs in wet sediments near the base of the lake, as a result of upward migration of hot gas, and a fifth, aseismic, or accompanied by very weak volcanic tremor, is associated with convective overturn within Crater Lake.     

Underwater noise pollution in a coastal tropical environment

Underwater noise pollution has become a major concern in marine habitats. Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil, is an impacted area of economic importance with constant vessel traffic. One hundred acoustic recording sessions took place over ten locations. Sound sources operating within 1 km radius of each location were quantified during recordings. The highest mean sound pressure level near the surface was 111.56 ± 9.0 dB re 1 μPa at the frequency band of 187 Hz. Above 15 kHz, the highest mean sound pressure level was 76.21 ± 8.3 dB re 1 μPa at the frequency 15.89 kHz. Noise levels correlated with number of operating vessels and vessel traffic composition influenced noise profiles. Shipping locations had the highest noise levels, while small vessels locations had the lowest noise levels. Guanabara Bay showed noise pollution similar to that of other impacted coastal regions, which is related to shipping and vessel traffic.     

Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of sediments from Lake Karakul,Tajikistan

Lake Karakul in the eastern Pamirs is a large and closed-basin lake in a partly glaciated catchment. Two parallel sediment cores were collected from 12 m water depth. The cores were correlated using XRF analysis and dated using radiocarbon and OSL techniques. The age results of the two dating methods are generally in agreement. The correlated composite core of 12.26 m length represents continuous accumulation of sediments in the lake basin since 31 ka. The lake reservoir effect (LRE) remained relatively constant over this period. High sediment accumulation rates (SedARs) were recorded before 23 ka and after 6.5 ka. The relatively close position of the coring location near the eastern shore of the lake implies that high SedARs resulted from low lake levels. Thus, high SedARs and lower lake levels before 23 ka probably reflect cold and dry climate conditions that inhibited the arrival of moist air at high elevation in the eastern Pamirs. Low lake levels after 6.5 ka were probably caused by declining temperatures after the warmer early Holocene, which had caused a reduction in water resources stored as snow, ice and frozen ground in the catchment. Low SedARs during 23–6.5 ka suggest increased lake levels in Lake Karakul. A short-lived increase of SedARs at 15 ka probably corresponds to the rapid melting of glaciers in the Karakul catchment during the Greenland Interstadial 1e, shortly after glaciers in the catchment had reached their maximum extents. The sediment cores from Lake Karakul represent an important climate archive with robust chronology for the last glacial–interglacial cycle from Central Asia.     

The effects of hydrothermal eruptions and a tectonic earthquake on a cycling crater lake (Inferno Crater Lake,Waimangu, New Zealand)

The lake level and temperature of Inferno Crater Lake, a hot lake in the Waimangu Geothermal Field, vary in quasi-regular cycles with a period of about 30 to 50 days. Between 1970 and 1991, several hydrothermal eruptions at other sites within the Waimangu system affected this cycling, especially the cycle period. This indicated that although the cycling was most evident in one small lake, it was sensitive to any changes in the surrounding geothermal system. After the Raupo Pond eruption, which produced the largest effects, the recovery of the temperature and cycle period was consistent with extra energy diffusing out of the previously proposed heat pipe system. The 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake, whose hypocenter was 50 km from Waimangu, also seems to have significantly affected the hydrothermal system, reducing the cycle period for at least a year afterwards.     

Ambient noise levels and detection threshold in Norway

Ambient seismic noise is caused by a number of sources in specific frequency bands. The quantification of ambient noise makes it possible to evaluate station and network performance. We evaluate noise levels in Norway from the 2013 data set of the Norwegian National Seismic Network as well as two temporary deployments. Apart from the station performance, we studied the geographical and temporal variations, and developed a local noise model for Norway. The microseism peaks related to the ocean are significant in Norway. We, therefore, investigated the relationship between oceanic weather conditions and noise levels. We find a correlation of low-frequency noise (0.125–0.25 Hz) with wave heights up to 900 km offshore. High (2–10 Hz) and intermediate (0.5–5 Hz) frequency noise correlates only up to 450 km offshore with wave heights. From a geographic perspective, stations in southern Norway show lower noise levels for low frequencies due to a larger distance to the dominant noise sources in the North Atlantic. Finally, we studied the influence of high-frequency noise levels on earthquake detectability and found that a noise level increase of 10 dB decreases the detectability by 0.5 magnitude units. This method provides a practical way to consider noise variations in detection maps.     

Marine,seabed, and land seismic equipment for broadband acquisition: a review

The broadband capabilities of marine, seabed, and land seismic equipment are reviewed with respect to both the source and the receiver sides. In marine acquisition, the main issue at both ends of the spectrum relates to ghosts occurring at the sea surface. Broadband deghosting requires towing at variable depth to introduce notch diversity or using new equipment like multi‐component and/or low‐noise streamers. As a result, a doubling of the bandwidth from about three to six octaves (2.5–200 Hz) has been achieved. Such improvement is not yet observed for seabed surveys in spite of deghosting being a standard process on the receiver side. One issue may be related to the coupling of the particle motion sensor, particularly at high frequencies. For land acquisition, progress came from the vibrators. New shakers and control electronics using broadband sweeps made it possible to add two more octaves to the low‐frequency signal (from 8 to 2 Hz). Whereas conventional 10 Hz geophones are still able to record such low frequencies, 5 Hz high gain geophones or digital accelerometers enhance them to keep the signal above the noise floor. On the high end of the bandwidth, progress is not limited by equipment specifications. Here, the issue is related to a low signal‐to‐noise ratio due to the strong absorption that occurs during signal propagation. To succeed in enlarging the bandwidth, these improved equipment and sweeps must be complemented by a denser spatial sampling of the wavefield by point–source and point–receiver acquisition.     

Nutrient Budgets,Dynamics and Storm Effects in a Eutrophic,Stratified Baltic Lake

Between 1989 and 1998 the small eutrophic stratified Lake Belau was investigated intensively and multidisciplinarily. This article is a short, comprehensive summary and re‐evaluation of the hydrochemistry of the lake, with focus on nitrogen and phosphorus. In several aspects the lake can be regarded as a typical example of the glacial north German lakes. The 1960's and 1970's are characterised by heavy nutrient inputs and fast eutrophication. During the last two decades the external nutrient load, especially the phosphorus load into Lake Belau was significantly reduced. But phosphorus‐rich sediments and large areas with summerly anoxic sediment surface conditions cause intensive release of phosphorus from older deeper sediment layers. Annual budgets reveal that despite an average sediment accumulation of 3 mm a^?1 the lake has lost its function as net phosphorus sink and it is very likely that internal eutrophication by the sediments will keep the lake in its eutrophic state during the next decades. Despite that, monthly budgets of five vertical layers show that the main phosphorus supplier for the phosphorus depleted epilimnion during summer is the creek Alte Schwentine. The annual nitrogen budget indicates groundwater and interflow water as well as atmospheric input as additional important nitrogen sources. 36% (98 μmol m ^?2 h^?1 N) of all nitrogen input is lost to atmosphere mainly due to denitrification. The example of a heavy storm shows that about 10% of the annual nitrogen loss to the atmosphere can take place during a single day and in form of ammonia. The storm further made obvious that these unpredictable events can have strong impact on nutrient cycling and ecology in Lake Belau and the lake can become an unexpected nutrient source for downstream systems.     

Radiocarbon ages for the timing of debris avalanches at Mombacho Volcano, Nicaragua

Radiocarbon-dated lake sediments provide minimum-limiting ages for two major debris avalanches originating from Mombacho Volcano in Nicaragua. A basal age from Lake El Gancho indicates that the northeast debris avalanche (Las Isletas) occurred sometime before ～140 to 345 A.D. Basal ages from Lakes Blanca and Verde indicate that the southern (El Crater) debris avalanche occurred sometime before ～270 to 650 A.D. Both events therefore occurred in the space of a few centuries, yet there is strong evidence that the mechanisms varied for destabilization of each flank. Possibly, the influence of a developing hydrothermal system lead first to deeper structural failure in the substrata to produce the Las Isletas sector collapse, progressing to higher level destabilization within the edifice and the El Crater collapse.