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Volcano Monitoring

GPS is proving a powerful tool for volcano monitoring. It provides a rapid and remote (hence safe) way of measuring surface deformation associated with volcanic processes. GPS measurements are underway at sites including Monserrat (24), Long Valley (25), Hawaii (26), Popocepatl (near Mexico City), Arenal (Costa Rica), Misti (near Arequipa, Peru).

Figure 11 - Continuous GPS site on Monserrat, 2.5 km away from the erupting Soufriere Hills volcano, seen in the background. This station was subsequently destroyed by a pyroclastic flow and surge. (Photo courtesy G. Mattioli).

Figure 12 - Cross section through Long Valley Caldera in eastern California, showing seismicity and surface deformation for two time periods. As the seismicity pattern changed the positions of two continuous GPS sites changed significantly (red arrows) (27).

These efforts should benefit from a low-cost single frequency GPS array being developed at the UNAVCO Boulder facility, to be deployed in California, Mexico, and the Phillipines. Detailed geodetic data should significantly improve our understanding of volcanic processes and ultimately aid in eruption forecasting. These goals are more than purely academic, as illustrated by the fact that an eruption of Popocepatl could impact up to 20 million people within 70 km of the volcano.

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