Graduation Year

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Department

Geology

Degree Granting Department

Geology

Major Professor

Stephen McNutt, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Glenn Thompson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jochen Braunmiller, Ph.D.

Keywords

seismo-acoustic, Aleutian, gas release, infrasound

Abstract

An abnormally high number of explosion quakes were noted during the monitoring effort for the 2007 eruption of Pavlof Volcano on the Alaskan Peninsula. In this study we manually counted the explosion quakes from their characteristic ground-coupled air waves. This study makes an effort at better quantifying the number of explosion quakes and how the characteristic ground-coupled air waves are affected by wind direction and wind speed. Additionally this study investigates how the ground coupled air waves might be used in a monitoring or analysis effort by calculating energy release and gas mass release. Over 3.2x104 quakes were recorded. It was found that wind direction affects the travel time of the air wave by up to 0.7 seconds depending on station location and wind direction. Wind direction and speed, however, are demonstrated not to cause an appreciable difference in ground-coupled air wave frequencies or amplitude ratios. The energy release from the explosions is calculated to be 3.04x1011 J. and the total gas mass (assuming 100% water) released was 729 metric tons. These values are compared to other volcanoes in the literature and found to be somewhat lower. Nevertheless, the tracking of explosion quakes has the potential to become a valuable member of the seismic monitoring arsenal.

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