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.     

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.     

Overview of the 1990–1995 eruption at Unzen Volcano

Following 198 years of dormancy, a small phreatic eruption started at the summit of Unzen Volcano (Mt. Fugen) in November 1990. A swarm of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes had begun below the western flank of the volcano a year before this eruption, and isolated tremor occurred below the summit shortly before it. The focus of VT events had migrated eastward to the summit and became shallower. Following a period of phreatic activity, phreatomagmatic eruptions began in February 1991, became larger with time, and developed into a dacite dome eruption in May 1991 that lasted approximately 4 years. The emergence of the dome followed inflation, demagnetization and a swarm of high-frequency (HF) earthquakes in the crater area. After the dome appeared, activity of the VT earthquakes and the summit HF events was replaced largely by low-frequency (LF) earthquakes. Magma was discharged nearly continuously through the period of dome growth, and the rate decreased roughly with time. The lava dome grew in an unstable form on the shoulder of Mt. Fugen, with repeating partial collapses. The growth was exogenous when the lava effusion rate was high, and endogenous when low. A total of 13 lobes grew as a result of exogenous growth. Vigorous swarms of LF earthquakes occurred just prior to each lobe extrusion. Endogenous growth was accompanied by strong deformation of the crater floor and HF and LF earthquakes. By repeated exogenous and endogenous growth, a large dome was formed over the crater. Pyroclastic flows frequently descended to the northeast, east, and southeast, and their deposits extensively covered the eastern slope and flank of Mt. Fugen. Major pyroclastic flows took place when the lava effusion rate was high. Small vulcanian explosions were limited in the initial stage of dome growth. One of them occurred following collapse of the dome. The total volume of magma erupted was 2.1×10⁸ m³ (dense-rock-equivalent); about a half of this volume remained as a lava dome at the summit (1.2 km long, 0.8 km wide and 230–540 m high). The eruption finished with extrusion of a spine at the endogenous dome top. Several monitoring results convinced us that the eruption had come to an end: the minimal levels of both seismicity and rockfalls, no discharge of magma, the minimal SO₂ flux, and cessation of subsidence of the western flank of the volcano. The dome started slow deformation and cooling after the halt of magma effusion in February 1995.     

Location of zones of anomalously high s-wave attenuation in the upper crust near ruapehu and ngauruhoe volcanoes, New Zealand

Many earthquakes within the crust near Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe volcanoes, recorded at epicentral distances less than 20 km on vertical seismometers, show S-waves of lower dominant frequency than the P-waves. A large number also have amplitudes in the S-group less than those of the P-waves. Whereas the reduced amplitude of S-waves relative to that of P-waves can be a source mechanism effect, the corresponding reduction in dominant frequency should be independent of the source radiation pattern. The most plausible reason for such a reduction in dominant S-wave frequency is that the waves have passed through a zone of partially molten rock. The data are therefore interpreted in terms of the presence of magma in restricted zones near the volcanoes.Using ray paths from 232 hypocentres to three permanent seismograph stations, together with paths from three additional earthquakes to one permanent and two temporary stations, an interpretation in three dimensions has been made of the source of the anomalous attenuation at depths between 2 and 10 km below datum (Ruapehu Crater Lake). Wave paths which lie largely at depths shallower than 2 km cannot be used, as almost all such paths show evidence of enhanced S-wave attenuation, and this is attributed to the presence of superficial pyroclastic and unconsolidated laharic material within 2 km of the surface.At Ruapehu, the data suggest the presence of three principal intrusions, one underlying much of the southwest slopes and reaching as far east as Crater Lake, one beneath the eastern side of the Summit Plateau, and one beneath part of the northeast slopes of the volcano. All three are essentially vertical or steeply dipping structures, detectable to a depth of between 7 and 9 km. The first appears to extend to within about 5 km of the surface, whereas the other two have intruded to within 2 or 3 km. Other, less well-defined, and comparatively small bodies exist beneath both the western and eastern slopes of Ruapehu.In the Ngauruhoe area, few earthquakes have occurred and all have been at depths less than 6 km. Therefore, only shallow attenuating areas can be defined. A small area of anomalous S-wave attenuation occurs beneath the northwest slopes of Ngauruhoe, and another, elongated, body appears to coincide with a fault zone west of the volcano. Both of these lie at depths of about 3 km below datum (less than 2 km below surface in one locality).Finally, areas of high attenuation, at depths of 4–5 km below datum, appear to define a narrow east-west zone about 6 km long in the immediate area of Whakapapa village. Other zones exist east of the volcanic axis, defining a line which cuts the axis on the north east slopes of Ruapehu, at a point where a parasite crater formed a few thousand years ago.     

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     

Implications for the thermal regime of acoustic noise measurements in Crater Lake,Mount Ruapehu,New Zealand

Hydrophone measurements of acoustic noise levels in the Crater Lake of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand were made on 18 January 1991 from an inflatable rubber boat on the lake. The greatest sound pressures were recorded in the 1–10 Hz band, with sound levels generally decreasing about 20 dB per decade from 10 Hz to 80 kHz. The low frequency noise did not have an obvious relationship to the tremor observed at a seismic station within 1 km of the lake. The comparatively low levels of middle and high frequency sound meant that at the time of measurement, direct steam input did not make a significant contribution to the heating of Crater Lake. This is consistent with the earlier conclusion that during the last decade a major part of the heat input of Crater Lake has come from lake water that was heated below the lake and recycled back into the lake.     

Seismogenic stress field beneath Mt. Etna (South Italy) and possible relationships with volcano-tectonic features

Shallow shear-type seismic activity occurring beneath the Etna volcano during 1990–1995 has been analysed for hypocenter locations, focal mechanisms and stress tensor inversion. The results have been examined jointly with Electronic Distance Measurements and tiltmeter data collected in the same period and reported in the literature. Significant seismicity located in the upper 10 km was found to be confined to the time intervals in which ground deformation data indicated inflation of the volcano edifice (e.g., the periods preceding the December 1991–March 1993 and August 1995–March 1996 eruptive phases). The shocks mostly occurred in a sector approximately centered on the crater area and elongated in the East–West direction. The causative seismogenic stress shows a low-dip East–West orientation of σ₁. In agreement with existing knowledge on relationships between local fault systems and magma uprise processes, the shallow seismicity in question is tentatively explained as being due to lateral compression by magma inside a nearly North–South system. The volcano deflation phase revealed by Electronic Distance Measurements and tilt data during the 1991–1993 major eruption was not accompanied by any significant shear-type shallow event. Below the depth of 10 km, the North–South prevailing orientation of σ₁ reflects the dominant role of the regional stress.     

Seismic signature of a phreatic explosion: hydrofracturing damage at Karthala volcano, Grande Comore Island, Indian Ocean

Karthala volcano is a basaltic shield volcano with an active hydrothermal system that forms the southern two-thirds of the Grande Comore Island, off the east coat of Africa, northwest of Madagascar. Since the start of volcano monitoring by the local volcano observatory in 1988, the July 11th, 1991 phreatic eruption was the first volcanic event seismically recorded on this volcano, and a rare example of a monitored basaltic shield. From 1991 to 1995 the VT locations, 0.5<M_l<4.3, show a crack shaped pattern (3 km long, 1 km wide) within the summit caldera extending at depth from –2 km to +2 km relative to sea level. This N-S elongated pattern coincides with the direction of the regional maximum horizontal stress as deduced from regional focal mechanism solutions. This brittle signature of the damage associated with the 1991 phreatic eruption is a typical pattern of the seismicity induced by controlled fluid injections such as those applied at geothermal fields, in oil and gas recovery, or for stress measurements. It suggests the 1991 phreatic eruption was driven by hydraulic fracturing induced by forced fluid flow. We propose that the extremely high LP and VT seismicity rates, relative to other effusive volcanoes, during the climax of the 1991 phreatic explosion, are due to the activation of the whole hydrothermal system, as roughly sized by the distribution of VT hypocenters. The seismicity rate in 1995 was still higher than the pre-eruption seismicity rate, and disagrees with the time pattern of thermo-elastic stress readjustment induced by single magma intrusions at basaltic volcanoes. We propose that it corresponds to the still ongoing relaxation of pressure heterogeneity within the hydrothermal system as suggested by the few LP events that still occurred in 1995.Editorial responsibility: H Shinohara     

Internal structure of Piton de la Fournaise volcano from seismic wave propagation and earthquake distribution

Arrival times of seismic waves from local earthquakes are inverted for both locating the source and defining the 3-D velocity heterogeneity of Piton de la Fournaise.The lateral heterogeneity of the 2632 m high edifice is resolved as a high-velocity plug, 1.5 km in diameter, surrounded by a low-velocity ring, which may be interpreted as due to the construction of Fournaise on the flank of the older volcano Piton des Neiges. Wave mode conversion detected on three-component seismograms provides evidence for boundaries of contrasted velocities.Pre-eruptive swarm earthquakes cluster in the high-velocity zone, under the Dolomieu summit crater. Low strength and cohesion of the surrounding material account for the lack of seismicity for the final 1–3 km radial flow of magma to the vents in Enclos Fouqué.Beneath the high-velocity plug the existence of a body with low velocity for P, and even for S, waves is well constrained. However, the walls and base are poorly defined because of the lack of deep earthquakes for sampling. The few earthquakes that are located in this depth region usually occur at a depth of around 1.5 km below sea level in the region of the cone. This can be considered providing the upper constraint on the lower limit of the aseismic part of the low-velocity body. The coincidence in time of their occurrence with the swarms above sea level and the eruptions suggests magmatic activation of the low-velocity aseismic volume 1.5 km below sea level under the high-velocity plug of the cone. Further down, the concentration of seismicity in two swarms, between 2 and 4 km, under the eastern flank does not allow the structure to be sampled effectively.     

The hydrothermal vent system of Mount Ruapehu,New Zealand — a high frequency MT survey of the summit plateau

High frequency magnetotelluric (MT) measurements made on the summit plateau of Mount Ruapehu, some 1 km to the north of the presently active vent beneath Crater Lake, have been used to derive the electrical resistivity structure associated with the volcanic hydrothermal vent system. The entire summit plateau area is underlain at shallow depth by low resistivity which is inferred to be the result of hydrothermal alteration caused by rising volcanic gases mixing with local groundwater. Two areas of localised higher resistivity, one between 200 and 500 m depth beneath the central part of the plateau, and one at a depth of 1000 m below the northern part of the plateau, are interpreted as being the result of hydrothermal alteration at higher temperature forming chlorite dominated alteration products. These regions are believed to represent the locations of further heat pipes within the volcanic system. Both correlate with the locations of eruption centres on Ruapehu active within the last 10 ka.     

The December 4, 1983 to February 18, 1984 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (La Reunion, Indian Ocean): Description and interpretation

On December 4, 1983 an eruption started at vents located 1.5 km southwest of the summit of Piton de la Fournaise at the base of the central cone. After 31 months of quiescence this was one of the longest repose period in the last fifty years. The eruption had two phases: December 4 to January 18 and January 18 to February 18. Phase 1 produced about 8 × 10⁶ m³ of lava and Phase II about 9 × 10⁶ m³. The erupted lava is an aphyric basalt whose mineralogical and geochemical composition is close to that of other lavas emitted since 1977.The precursors of the December 4 outbreak were limited to two-week shallow (1.5–3 km) seismic crisis of fewer than 50 events. No long-term increase was noted in the local seismicity which is very quiet during repose periods and no long-term ground inflation preceded the eruption. Outbreaks of Phases I and II were preceded by short (2.5 hours and 1.5 hours) seismic swarms corresponding to the rise of magma toward the surface from a shallow reservoir. Large ground deformation explained by the emplacement of the shallow intrusions, was recorded during the seismic swarms. A summit inflation was observed in early January, before the phase II outbreak, while the phase I eruption was still continuing.Piton de la Fournaise volcanological observatory was installed in 1980. Seismic and ground deformation data now available for a period of 4 years including the 1981 and the 1983–1984 eruptions, allow us to describe the physical behavior of the volcano during this period. These observations lead us to propose that the magma transfer from deep levels to the shallow magma reservoir is not a continuous process but a periodic one and that the shallow magma reservoir was not resupplied before the 1981 and 1983–1984 eruptions. Considerations on the eruptive history and the composition of recent lavas indicate that the reservoir was refilled in 1977.     

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.     

Environmental hazards of fluoride in volcanic ash: a case study from Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand

The vent-hosted hydrothermal system of Ruapehu volcano is normally covered by a c. 10 million m³ acidic crater lake where volcanic gases accumulate. Through analysis of eruption observations, granulometry, mineralogy and chemistry of volcanic ash from the 1995–1996 Ruapehu eruptions we report on the varying influences on environmental hazards associated with the deposits. All measured parameters are more dependent on the eruptive style than on distance from the vent. Early phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruption phases from crater lakes similar to that on Ruapehu are likely to contain the greatest concentrations of environmentally significant elements, especially sulphur and fluoride. These elements are contained within altered xenolithic material extracted from the hydrothermal system by steam explosions, as well as in residue hydrothermal fluids adsorbed on to particle surfaces. In particular, total F in the ash may be enriched by a factor of 6 relative to original magmatic contents, although immediately soluble F does not show such dramatic increases. Highly soluble NaF and CaSiF₆ phases, demonstrated to be the carriers of ‘available’ F in purely magmatic eruptive systems, are probably not dominant in the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions through hydrothermal systems. Instead, slowly soluble compounds such as CaF₂, AlF₃ and Ca₅(PO₄)₃F dominate. Fluoride in these phases is released over longer periods, where only one third is leached in a single 24-h water extraction. This implies that estimation of soluble F in such ashes based on a single leach leads to underestimation of the F impact, especially of a potential longer-term environmental hazard. In addition, a large proportion of the total F in the ash is apparently soluble in the digestive system of grazing animals. In the Ruapehu case this led to several thousand sheep deaths from fluorosis.     

Seismicity around the Hekla and Torfajökull volcanoes, Iceland, during a volcanically quiet period, 1991–1995

The volcano Hekla in south Iceland had its latest eruption in January–March 1991. The eruption was accompanied and followed by considerable seismic activity. This study examines the seismicity in the Hekla region (63°42′–64°18′N, 18°30′–20°12′W) during a period when the high activity related to the eruption had ceased, from July 1991 to October 1995. The aim is to define the level of the normal background seismicity of the area that can be compared to the eruption-related activity. The Hekla Volcano proper was generally aseismic during the study period. The most prominent earthquake cluster is in the neighbouring Torfajökull Volcano. The epicentres are concentrated in the western part of the caldera and west of it. The hypocentres are located at all depths from the surface down to 14?km, with highest activity at 5–12?km. Inside this cluster, in the northwest part of the caldera, is a spherical volume void of earthquakes, approximately 4?km in diameter and centred at 8?km depth. This is interpreted as a cooling magma body. Small, low-frequency events of volcanic origin were occasionally recorded at Torfajökull. This activity has mainly occurred in swarms and was most abundant during the first year of the study period, presumably reflecting some kind of connection to the 1991 Hekla eruption. Our study area also includes the easternmost section of the South Iceland seismic zone, a transform zone characterized by bookshelf faulting on transverse faults. Two lineaments of epicentres were identified, roughly corresponding to mapped faults of the South Iceland seismic zone. The hypocentres are relatively deep, mainly at 6–12?km, matching the general trend of hypocentral depth increasing toward the east. The seismicity is highest in the area of the mapped faults. However, the epicentres extend beyond them and indicate greater width of the South Iceland seismic zone, or 20–30?km rather than approximately 10?km as indicated by the length of the surface faults. The seismicity in the volcanic systems of Hekla and Vatnafjöll shows some characteristics of the South Iceland seismic zone. Epicentres are concentrated into two N–S lineaments, one of which coincides with the location of the 1987 Vatnafjöll earthquake (M_w=5.9), a strike-slip event on a N- to S-trending fault. The hypocentres of the Hekla–Vatnafjöll events are mainly at 8–13?km depth, which indicates a continuation of the depth trend of the earthquakes of the South Iceland seismic zone. The events located at Hekla proper and immediately north of it are all of low-frequency character, which can be held as an indication of volcanic origin. On the other hand, they show clear S arrivals at observing stations like normal high-frequency tectonic earthquakes.     

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.     

Seismic activity of Erebus volcano,antarctica

Mount Erebus is presently the only Antarctic volcano with sustained eruptive activity in the past few years. It is located on Ross Island and a convecting anorthoclase phonolite lava lake has occupied the summit crater of Mount Erebus from January 1973 to September 1984. A program to monitor the seismic activity of Mount Erebus named IMESS was started in December 1980 as an international cooperative program among Japan, the United States and New Zealand. A new volcanic episode began on 13 September, 1984 and continued until December.Our main observations from the seismic activity from 1982–1985 are as follows: (1) The average numbers of earthquakes which occurred around Mount Erebus in 1982, 1983 and January–August 1984 were 64, 134 and 146 events per day, respectively. Several earthquake swarms occurred each year. (2) The averag number of earthquakes in 1985 is 23 events per day, with only one earthquake swarm. (3) A remarkable decrease of the background seismicity is recognized before and after the September 1984 activity. (4) Only a few earthquakes were located in the area surrounding Erebus mountain after the September 1984 activity.A magma reservoir is estimated to be located in the southwest area beneath the Erebus summit, based on the hypocenter distributions of earthquakes.     

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.     

Eruptive and earthquake activities related to the 2000 eruption of Mount Cameroon volcano (West Africa)

Mount Cameroon is an active volcano located in the Gulf of Guinea, west of Central Africa. After the March–April 1999 eruption on the SW flank, another eruption of the volcano occurred in 2000. It took place from three sites on the southwest flank and near the summit. The first eruptive site was located 500 m to the southwest of the summit, at 3900 m altitude. Activity on this site was mainly explosive with no lava flow. The second site was located between 3220 and 3470 m altitude. Lava was emitted along NNE–SSE fissures from this site and flew towards Buea, the main city of the area, stopping ~ 4 km from the first houses. The last site was located in the south western flank at 2750 m altitude. The lava ejected from an old cone near the first 1999 eruptive site was divided into two branches, for a total length of around 1 km. The location of active volcanic cones in 1999 and 2000 seems to be linked to the local tectonics. The pre-eruptive period was characterized by a seismic swarm which may be a precursor recorded in March 2000 by an analogue seismic station. The main shock was a magnitude 3.2 event, and was felt by the population in Ekona town located on the eastern flank. It had a Modified Mercalli intensity of III–IV. When the eruption started, a temporary network of short period 3-component seismic stations was set up around the volcano to improve the monitoring of seismic activity. The co-eruptive period from late May to September was characterized by sequences of earthquake swarms, volcanic tremor and a family of earthquakes having similar waveform and appearing regularly in August and early September. Some of the earthquakes were felt by the population in Buea and its environments. The largest seismic event recorded had a magnitude of 4. During the post-eruptive period from mid-September to December, seismicity returned to its background level of 1–3 earthquakes per 3 days. Hypocenter locations reveal a linear narrow structure under the summit zone which could represent the magmatic conduit of the volcano. The frequency/magnitude relationship revealed a b-value of 1.43 higher than those previously determined, but more representative of volcanic media. Seismic energy release was gradual after the 2000 eruption started.     

Summit eruptions of Klyuchevskoi Volcano,Kamchatka in the early 21st century, 2003–2013

This paper is concerned with eruptions, seismicity, and deformation on Klyuchevskoi Volcano during the summit eruptions of 2012–2013, with the condition of the central crater during the eruptions, and with the effect that is exerted by the height of the lava in the crater on the start of the eruptions. The recurrence of eruptions in the North Volcanic Cluster (NVC), Kamchatka showed that all the four volcanoes in the cluster (Klyuchevskoi, Tolbachik, Shiveluch, and Bezymyannyi) become active during definite phases that were identified in the 18.6-year lunar cycle. This relationship of the NVC eruptions to the active phases in the 18.6-year lunar cycle, as well as the relationship to the 11-year solar activity, showed that eruptions can be predicted, yielding long-term estimates of activity for the NVC volcanoes. The short-term prediction of volcanic eruptions requires knowledge of seismicity and deformation that occur during the precursory period and during the occurrence of eruptions. Seismic activity during the summit eruptions of 2003–2013 took place in the depth range 20–25 km during repose periods of the volcano and at depths of 0–5 km in the volcanic edifice during the eruption. One notes an almost complete absence of any earthquakes at great depths during the summit eruptions. Volcanic tremor (VT) was recorded from the time that the eruptions began and continued to occur until the end. Geodetic measurements showed that the center of the magma pressure beneath the volcano during the parasitic and summit eruptions of 1979–1989 moved in the 4–17 km depth range, while during the summit eruptions of 2003–2013 the center moved in the 15–20 km range. These changes in the depth of the center of magma pressure may have been related to evacuation from shallow magma chambers.     

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.