The 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano : insights from ambient seismic noise interferometry

10 mai 2019, ISTerre Grenoble

**Séminaire de l’équipe Ondes et structures

The 2018 Kilauea eruption was a complex event that included deformation and eruption at the summit and along the East Rift Zone. After three months the eruption finally came to a halt, after emitting around 800 million cubic meters of lava and destroying more than 700 homes. We used ambient seismic noise interferometry to measure time-lapse changes in seismic velocity of the volcanic edifice prior to the lower East Rift Zone eruption. Our results show that seismic velocities increase in relation to gradual inflation of the edifice between 1 March and 20 April and is correlated with surface deformation (GPS and tilt). Ten days prior to the eruption onset, we observe a remarkable change in the behaviour of the seismic velocity : a rapid seismic velocity decrease occurs even though the summit is still inflating. We show that the velocity decrease prior to eruption is likely due to accumulating damage induced by the pressure exerted by the magma reservoir on the edifice. The accumulating damage and subsequent decrease in bulk edifice strength may have facilitated increased transport of magma from the summit reservoir to the Middle East Rift Zone. The results of this study will have implications for forecasting volcanic eruptions and our understanding of the behaviour of volcanoes leading up to major eruptions.

– Date
10 mai 2019 à 11h00

– Lieu
Salle Dolomieu, ISTerre Grenoble